The Collective
Have you heard of The Collective? Of course you haven't, that's the point - but they’ve heard of you.
Across every level of society, from the dingiest tavern to the greatest halls of power, the Collective have eyes watching. They whisper into the ears of Kings and where they refuse to listen, they slip daggers into their hearts while they sleep. All in the pursuit of ‘the agenda’.
Members identify themselves to each other through an elaborate series of nuanced gestures, clothing worn in a particular way and secret pass-phrases; all culminating in a glorious choreographed high five. Mastering this greeting is the first great task of any Collective member and until this is complete they cannot advance onto the later circles of knowledge.
Anyone could be a member of the Collective and the exact details of membership are shrouded in secrecy. It is not unheard of for someone to try and recruit a new member, only to discover that they have already been part of the Collective for many years.
The Collective is split into a labyrinth of multi-levelled circles of knowledge and influence. There is no clear hierarchy and no codified set of rules; all knowledge is passed on by word of mouth, with each Master placing their own slight variation on ‘the truth’. Only by progressing through this maze can the many secrets of The Collective be revealed to you. At the very top of the organisation sits The Council. They alone know the true purpose of the Collective, they alone set ‘the agenda’.
Who sits on The Council is a closely guarded secret. In living memory no member of The Collective can remember any of their fellow members being elevated to The Council. Or indeed even remember hearing from The Council directly.... but no matter. They will carry on, for ‘the agenda’ must be pursued… whatever it turns out to be.
Members are rarely set tasks directly, but instead look for instructions in the patterns they find in everyday life; patterns that the non-Collective miss, blinded as they are by the propaganda of the mainstream Hegemony elite!
The Collective has used its influence to ensure that the powers of Pannithor converge on the Halpi Mountains. For they know that this is all part of the plan (whatever the plan turns out to be) - they must pursue ‘the agenda’.