Society

OVERVIEW

Although the Dölgöthros have no “Culture” to choose from for the purposes of game mechanics - for reasons made clear both here and in the section on Cultures - each Dölgöthran Character will have a place in the Dölgöthran Conspiracy’s shadow-culture. It’s important for every player running a Dölgöthran character to establish where in this society their Character fits, and what their relationship to the Conspiracy actually is, before play. Dölgöthros are tagged as an [ADVANCED] species for a reason - this one takes some real roleplay to pull off!

The Dölgöthros have no single society, as such. There are no Dölgöthran towns, villages, guilds – the reason not because they are hunted and slain on sight by most races, as is generally supposed, but because to do so is simply not their nature. They are an insinuative race, almost like a sentient virus, placing their agents cleverly into all societies, by guile and the use of “Sleepers,” Dölgöthros raised as the children of other races.

Sleepers, once they reach an age considered adulthood within their adoptive culture, are trained quickly and efficiently by a “Waker." Wakers are Dölgöthran agents sent to reveal a Sleeper’s true heritage to them, to forestall any difficulties, to eliminate any Sleepers who refuse their heritage, and to otherwise give proper education and indoctrination. By the direction of the Conspirators, the hidden and cloaked masters of the Conspiracy, the Awakened are the ones who carry out the bulk of missions for their kind, though their roles are often extremely brief and individually innocuous - a parcel, picked up from inside a wagon and left inside a particular barn stall, for instance. It is the combined machinations of many of the Awakened over great periods of time which bring the Conspiracy’s plans to their eventual fruition.

Once indoctrinated, betrayal of the Conspiracy by the Awakened is unheard of, though there is generally some flexibility in completing orders, so long as the primary objectives are completed. Needless to say, betrayal is treated as an unforgiveable crime by the Conspiracy, and is dealt with accordingly.

ROLES

CONSPIRATOR

One of a very, very small council of Dölgöthros who determine the overarching goals of the Dölgöthran Conspiracy. Their identities are known only by the Inner Circle, and they meet in such secrecy that even they have no idea who each other are, beyond their Dölgöthran names.

Although it appears on the surface that Conspirators are “retired” only rarely - most current Conspirators have served the Conspiracy for several hundred years. That said, it’s also a fair and open question, as the meetings themselves are shrouded in secrecy, and the species as a whole is capable of perfect physiological mimicry, as to whether any of the other Conspirators would even notice when one of their fellows was replaced - or, ultimately, whether they actually care enough to say so when they do.

INNER CIRCLE

Conspirators, as powerful as they are, cannot manage influence alone. To this end, they recruit other Dölgöthros to serve them directly who can meet their goals. This Inner Circle works together to further the agenda of their Conspirator, but infighting and betrayal are not unknown here, as each member of the Inner Circle strives to gain influence and the favor of the Conspiracy.

Often, Inner Circle members are recruited directly from the ranks of the Awakened, as a key operative in a fortunate position has become invaluable. Other times, Outer Circle members can gain the notice of a Conspirator either through repeated, excellent work, or by building up their own power base, which in turn becomes useful to the Conspirator.

OUTER CIRCLE

The Inner Circle is still, ultimately, a small group of individuals with a common goal. To attain the ends their Conspirator desires, the Inner Circle needs additional resources and contacts - individuals willing and able to manage immediate and direct action. To this end, they form an Outer Circle of resources - mercenaries, spies, assassins, even traders and politicians.

The Outer Circle usually does not consist of fellow Dölgöthros, but instead is made up of others species which have either found themselves in compromising positions, or who have willingly “sold out” to the Conspiracy for reasons of their own. When an Outer Circle member is also a Dölgöthros, this is usually to either reward the loyalty of especially effective Awakened, or to punish a particuarly overreaching member of an Inner Circle.

WAKENER

Wakeners are a curious element of Dölgöthran society. Ultimately they’re independent agents, and moreso than any other member of the Conspiracy, answering to none other than the Conspiracy itself and no one single Conspirator. This is because of the weight of their task - a botched Awakening can result in the exposure of the Conspiracy and the ruination of decades or even centuries of subterfuge.

In essence, Wakeners select themselves, and they usually move to this role after a time as an Inner Circle member. Those who no longer wish to engage in the scheming of the Circles and the sometimes inscrutable demands of the Conspirators instead devote themselves to securing the safe transition of the Sleepers to the Awakened. They retain avenues of communication with their old peers, but as it’s understood they have no further claim on the political cycle, they’re generally left alone to do their work.

AWAKENED

The Awakened form the bulk of the Dölgöthran population - individuals living their best life, when one day some random person knocks on their door and shows them a horrible truth about themselves - something perhaps they may have guessed at but pushed away, or even something that they never even realized could be true. They carry out small, inconspicuous tasks for their Wakener at regular points during their lives - stealing a horse here, getting a trader drunk there, donning a uniform and taking a crate for ‘inspection’ there. Rarely are the Awakened required to engage in dangerous or risky tasks, though some have already gravitated to a life where they have developed these skills.

Some Awakened are angry and resentful, some simply try to comply as quickly as possible and get on with their lives, and some look forward to contact by the Conspiracy with relish and gusto. None, however, consider betraying the Conspiracy - the consequences of this are made all too clear by their Wakener, and death is the only outcome.

SLEEPER

A Dölgöthros who was traded for the child of another Species at birth and forced to assume the form of that child. Sleepers grow up believing they are the individual and the Species that others around them assert them to be, though they may believe themselves to be slow or incompetent as they are unlikely to evince the same strengths and weaknesses as their target species.

As a result of their growth, Sleepers are completely ignorant of their true heritage, and even if faced with proof (deep wounds resulting in sticky, white blood, for instance) will stay in denial of the truth as long as they reasonably can. Sleepers cannot use their natural Shapeshifting abilities, and they have no access to any Gifts that their target species does not also possess.