The
Magpie Brotherhood
The
old world is dead, but it’s corpse is covered in pretty, shiny things we might as
well have.
A
Hero Band created by Nick
Eden
| Note! This is a
fan contribution. The information may be contradicted by official
material. |
When an army goes by the watchers remember the
glittering spears, the plumed helmets and magnificent horses. Rarely do
the watchers stay to see the followers and hangers on shuffle furtively
by. Fewer still will remember the Magpies passing, unless a ragged man
was spotted running from an empty hen coop or disturbed rifling through
a chest after breaking a door in.
Looters, pillagers, the worst kind of opportunistic bandits, the
Magpies follow the glorious armies of the Lunar Empire as they campaign
in Kerofinela. The Lunar generals view them with distaste, recognizing
that they don’t exactly aid the Lunars in their attempts to win the
hearts and minds of the intransigent Heortling people, but they can be
… useful. There’s nothing like a group of more or less tame bandits to
carry out those missions the official forces could never be party to.
| Common Names |
Henrick’s Boys,
many others, almost all obscene. |
| Form: |
Wandering
bandits following the Lunar Army. |
| Typical Homeland: |
Any, though most
members are from the southern fringes of the Lunar Empire. |
| Ideology: |
“The thing you
have to understand is that this place is going to burn. Maybe not
today, maybe not tomorrow, but it will burn. These people are going to
lose everything someday soon, so they might as well give it all to us
now and let us get some use of it. Makes no difference in the end.” |
| Look and Feel: |
The Magpies are
poorly dressed and badly equipped brigands, mainly looking like down
and out soldiers from a variety of regiments.
The only common feature in their dress is that all carry two ribbons,
one white and one black, which may be worn as an identifying device.
Not that they always want to be identified, but in the heat of battle
it pays to be able to spot your allies. No two Magpies wear their
ribbons in the same way. |
| Purpose: |
Most members of
the band aspire to get hold of enough wealth to be able to go back to
their homes and life a comfortable life. So far few have managed it. |
| Headquarters: |
The
Magpies have no fixed headquarters, though for the past three seasons
they have been living out of a stead in the upper Bearclaw Valley,
close to Clearwine. No-one knows what happened to the Heortlings who
lived there previously. The Threespear clan, who count the stead as
being in their tula, has called on the Lunar Authorities for aid in
moving them on, but help is so far not forthcoming. |
| Reactions: |
The locals view
them with entirely deserved contempt and suspicion. The upper echelons
of the Lunar authorities would agree, but the further down the ranks,
the more sympathy and quiet support they will receive. Many ordinary
soldiers see the Magpies and think of them as comrades fallen on hard
times and are prepared to help out where they can. |
Resources
| Leader: |
Henrick Sharpeye
is the leader of the Magpies. A former septurion in the Native Furthest
Corps he was discharged after a series of drunken brawls with soldiers
from other units. Having forgotten almost everything about civilian
life he continued to follow the army around assembling a band of
similarly disgraced thugs and miscreants around him. He wears his
ribbons around his left wrist. |
| Renowned Members: |
Taljak Taltaine is a taciturn former Sun Dome
Templar, thrown out of his file after repeatedly breaking his gaeses.
His ribbons are braided to cushion the grip on his spear.
Katyana Alynxdottier is a seducer and a temptress.
Some say that she is Henrick’s lover, some that she is the reason
Taljak broke his gaeses. She can certainly bend weak men to her will
and does so ruthlessly. Her ribbons are worn as a garter, visible for a
flash should she pull her skirts aside.
Tam ran away from home to become a drummer boy,
before being picked up by the Magpies after they found ‘him’ surrounded
by dead and dying after a Herotling attack on ‘his’ unit. As far as she
is aware Katyana is a trustworthy confidante, the one Magpie that knows
Tam is actually a girl. She is wrong on both counts.
Tam wears ‘his’ ribbons on ‘his’ belt.
|
| Membership: |
There are around
75 core members of the band, and about as many again who would respond
should Henrick call for support. |
| Other Contacts: |
The Magpies have
ties to other bandits in the area and will from time to time call
them together for one mighty raid.
The Magpies owe favors to a number of Lunar Army officers, who are
given to using them for the kinds of operations the officials can't be
seen to endorse. The Magpies have no problem with such unofficial
raids, but woe betide the officer who sees them as expendable scum.
Somehow they always seem to survive. |
Organization
Henrick Sharpeye rules the Magpies with an iron fist. He
has half a dozen regular lieutenants who lead members on raids, and
plays these lieutenants off against each other to ensure that they
don't get enough support within the band to challenge him.
Membership Keyword
| Membership Requirements: |
Swear
loyalty to Henrick and offer a gift to the Magpie. |
| Skills taught: |
Scrounge, Dirty
Fighting, Intimidate, Find Shelter. |
| Typical Personality Traits: |
Devious, Callous,
Wary. |
| Magic: |
None taught.
Few of the Magpies are able to remain even initiates of their gods.
They have a hugely varied mix of common magic reflecting their diverse
backgrounds. |
The Magpie (Guardian)
In the Gods War the crows formed a bond with Humakt, Death Lord. They
put aside their glossy feathers in favor of plain black and followed
their Lord onto the battlefield. In return for pick of the corpses they
provided their dark lord with counsel, they carried his messages, they
served as his scouts.
All save one.
The Magpie was too proud to put shed his glossy
feathers, and too eager for shiny treasures to content himself with
corpse flesh. Still he followed his crow brothers to war, for that's
where the best pickings were to be found.
Since then the Magpie has been following armies,
adopting any soldiers who will bring it treasure. It's a lazy bird and
is happy to look after any who will save it the bother of having to
pick through all the bodies itself.
| Method: |
Manifestation |
| Form: |
A particularly
large magpie with inordinately glossy feathers. If seen on it's own it
will often have a trinket in it's beak as it flies to hide it's latest
treasure. |
| Communication: |
Leader
communication.
The Magpie will sit on a shoulder and caw loudly. Whoever is being sat
on will understand the Magpie's meaning. |
| Guardian Requirements: |
The Magpie must be
given the first look through whatever loot the band recovers. If
something particularly shiny catches it's attention then it will seize
it and fly away. |
| Functions: |
Awareness
function: Spot Bright Treasure
Defense function: Shed Feathers, Avoid the Blow
Blessing Function: Nest Anywhere |
|
