Fantasy The End of Silence [Background and Lore]

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Background and Lore

This thread is dedicated to the background information and lore for The End of Silence. Refer to the index below for quick navigation.​

The Order
The Church
The Cult
The Supernatural
The Cast
The Setting​

 

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The Order

In absentia lucis, Tenebrae vincunt​

A remnant of the Knights Templar, The Order abandoned the church in 1312 following the knights' persecution under Pope Clement V. Now acting as an independent entity, The Order exists for a single purpose: to preserve the carefully constructed balance erected between the supernatural and the 'natural'. Unlike its original predecessor, its ranks include both humans and non-humans and its operations are performed away from the public eye.

History
The Knights Templar
The Knights Templar began not as the grand organization history regals it as, but as a simple militarized order of men once known as the the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon. The organization's original purpose was singular: to protect Christian pilgrims as they journeyed to the Holy Land. This task, however, would come to change and grow alongside the Knights Templar over the centuries. What once was a band of human brothers dedicated to their religion became a knighthood dedicated to the protection of not just Christians, but all of humankind. Unfortunately, it was this mindset - alongside their amassed wealth and power - that would lead to their downfall.

The Dissolution of the Knights Templar
Following the 1307 persecution of the Knights Templar in France and under pressure from King Phillip, Pope Clement V officially dissolved the organization in 1312. Yet, what should have been a peaceful dissolution became anything but. While antagonism grew from all sides, it was ultimately the execution of the acting Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, in 1314 and the subsequent deaths of dozens of templars at the stake that pushed surviving Templars over the edge. Abandoning the Church, those who remained renewed their oaths and slunk into obscurity.

The Order of Christ
A segment of the Knights Templar fled to Portugal where they reconvened under a new moniker. While those in the order never spoke of their origins, it is widely believed that the Order of Christ served as a pivotal stepping stone in The Order's creation.

Martin Luther's 95 Theses (1517)
Martin Luther's 95 Theses was more than the list of grievances most human believe it to be. Indeed, it would serve as the gateway towards a carefully constructed peace between humans and non-humans. The Order, though it has yet to grow to its current stature, opened its doors to the supernatural and once again amended its oath. Henceforth, the organization would no longer dedicate itself to humans alone.

Modern Day
Today The Order is an international organization under service to no one but itself. With its own banking system, funds are a laughable limitation to its endeavors. Those seeking to upset the balance between natural and supernatural can guarantee a visit from The Order's vanguards.

Members
Members of The Order need not dedicate themselves to secular beliefs. Human or non-human, religion is no longer a defining factor of those who have dedicated themselves - wittingly or unwittingly - to The Order's cause. Indeed, this is far from the law abiding organization of its past. Moral ambiguity is a common theme for those who have joined - for, while peaceful measures are preferred, the order condones victory by any means necessary. Still, there are unspoken rules members follow. Exposing the existence of the supernatural to human society is largely frowned upon, and witnesses often have to be handled in one way or another.

Similarly, not all members of The Order are combat oriented. The organization prides itself on its wide array of resources and talents, and had done nothing short of find innovative ways to put them to use. From information brokers to alchemists, inventors to analysts, there is no avenue The Order isn't willing to explore.

Headquarters, Housing, and Accommodations
The Order's headquarters is located in the Bishopsgate ward of East London, with a main secondary branch at Port London's East End docks. While an impoverished sector, the organization chose the location for strategic reasons. Housing is provided for members unable to blend in with humans on site and in nearby buildings owned by the organization. Branch buildings and other such housing complexes litter the city at large, enabling The Order and its members to keep watch over London's many Boroughs at any time.

 

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The Church

For God and Humanity​

The Church's view of the supernatural has ranged from contempt to reluctant acceptance over the centuries. Human established, those of the Christian faith have historically placed human wellbeing above all else. Nonetheless, this attitude began to shift into a less overbearing form after the publication of Martin Luther's 95 Theses and the subsequent peace talks between humans and their supernatural counterparts. While still human oriented, the Church no longer condones the purges and witch hunts of its past. It acts as a watcher and occasional enforcer, stepping in to subdue those who would cause harm to its followers. For some reason, however, it has made little effort to investigate the latest occurrences to mark London's streets.

 

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The Cult

Omnes una manet nox​

Despite the relative peace between humans and their supernatural counterparts, there exist those would world see the balance overturned. The Communion of the Chosen is one such group. Human run, the cult is a band of so-called purists obsessed with cleansing the world and enforcing human supremacy. They believe that the current peace with the supernatural world is fleeting and, in order to survive, humans must overpower their non-human foes. The path to acquiring the strength and ability to do so is a long and bloody one, but those devoted to the Communion of the Chosen feel the price for human dominance can never be too steep.

The cult is responsible for the fear that struck London's streets a decade ago. In their efforts to empower themselves and their followers, the heads of the organization used 26 people as live sacrifices in their rituals over a course of three months. None survived, and those who witnessed the aftermath are reluctant to relive the horrors. While the cult was never destroyed or disbanded, it has been peculiarly silent as of late. There are those who suspect it has something brewing once again.

 

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The Supernatural

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc​

Supernatural beings have lived alongside humans throughout human history. While there are those indifferent to their non-supernatural counterparts, records tell of massacres and purges responsible for sowing discord between the two entities. Even with a shaky peace established between the natural and supernatural worlds, there are those who grow tired of having to blend in with the human world.

 

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The Cast

Important Side Characters​

Rajan
The head of The Order's London branch. He is a soft-spoken and calm individual whose past is kept secure under lock and key. A native to India, his move to England as an immigrant was not one of exploration and hope. It is unclear how old he is as the man has little interest in divulging personal matters.

Viktor Ivanov

The Order's resident coroner and forensics expert. He is a vampire from Russia with a distaste for violence but an expectational ability to read its after effects.

Hercule Laurent

Gideon Christof
One of The Order's key informants with ties to the Scotland Yard and London's underground.

 

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The Setting

London, England, 1889 CE​

Technology
The Victorian period was awash in innovation. The following are examples of available technology during this time period:

• Locomotives
• Cars
• The Telephone
• Electric Lightbulbs (streetlights and home use)
• Improved Firearms
• X-Rays
• Photography
• Steamships
• Morse Code
• The Sewing Machine
• Post Boxes
• Steel
• Pasteurization
• Underground Steam Railway (in London)
• Typewriter
• Gramophone Record Player

Society
Victorian society was marked by a number of socioeconomic changes. For example:

• A mass movement of people from rural locations to urban cities;
• Large population growth;
• Emphasis on family values;
• Focus on the "Protestant" work ethic;
• Increased "free time";
• Increased vacations among the middle and upper classes;
• Child labor was made illegal;
• Emphasis on personal property rights;
• The rise of Classic British Liberalism.