The Brotherhood Of Larfu

[Scrasamax]

The Brotherhood would emulate the old tribal structure with the ability to advance open to anyone willing to take up a weapon and fight for their personal honor, perhaps in the manner of the Vikings, who were not bound by a rigid caste system.

As for identification, perhaps they create an unobtrusive piece of jewelry fashion from a tooth of a certain predator that is not entirely common, or wear said tooth charm in a certain manner. I dont know if this is fact, or fiction, but I came across something a while back about a Brotherhood of Wolves (I think it was an elite hunting lodge) who identified each other by the fact that they wore bracelets adorned with wolves teeth.

As for signs and omens, they can be read to support either faction, much like political polls.

[Maggot]

In a society where the greater good often gets precedence over the indidvidual and his loved ones,in a society where everyone has a defined place which he would never be able to,nor ever dream of vacating,there exists an organization that seeks to defy the 6 Commandments.

They are the Brotherhood of Larfu,a organization that feels the 6 Commandments and everything they stand for are,a betrayal of the lost,tribal ways that only they remember.They long for the days of the old Clans,when a man would cherish the welfare of his loved ones and his Clan above all else.Where a man's place in life was determined by his courage and skill,rather than the station of his mother.When a chieftain would have to earn the respect of his people,rather than be born with such a privilege.And most of all,they long for the day the Eshal have leaders that are not manipulated by those loathsome,spellcasting Cuada,leaders who would never be corrupted by the foul magic of the salamander men

Their beliefs and philosopy are symbolised by their worship of Larfu,an old god of the hunt that represented personal courage and determination.Larfu was forsaken by the tribes,following the their unification in favour of the demanding Gods Of Water.But a few of the old Clan shamans remembered him still and passed the old tales to him down to their descendents.

The movement is very old and has existed for as long as the empire it's self.It was formed in secret by a group of senior warriors and shamans who were determined to preserve the old values,following the formation of the old Clans into a single unified group.Among them,no caste exists and a peasant who shows great skill and courage can climb up their ranks as quickly as a warrior.Most of it's members are peasants angry with the luxuries heaped on the Cuada and warriors who feel that the so called First Born Of The Gods have undermined the abilty of the Brave People to make important decisions independently.

The Brotherhood has no supreme leader and instead has a Council of Elders that votes on important decisions.Below them lie the Disciples who asist the Elders in giving orders to the rank and file.There is also an order called the Shamans of the Hunt.They are the gifted ones are trained in the arts of the shaman.They have a council of their own and do not take orders from the lay leadership.

The Brotherhood has loyal agents planted in every village who moniter the situation and recruit those who seem to have a strong indidvidualistic streak and mutter about Cuada ''meddling.

Upon joining,every member has to undergoes a certain initiation rite to ensure his loyalty.He is taken to their village office,usually no more than an abandoned store house or pen and takes an oath before a carved wooden statue of Larfu to remain ever loyal to Larfu and the ways of the old Clans.During this rite,small incisions are made along both his forearms.The blood that flows is collected in a small wooden bowl which is poured over the idol of Larfu.This symbolises the fact that his personal honour now hinges on the honour of his Clan,aka the Brotherhood.Then one trained in the arts of the shamans,chants sacred verses and douses him with the blood of a slain shark,Lafu's favoured prey.This represents his status now as the anointed of Larfu.Both these rites prevent betrayal.for betraying the Brotherhood means betrayal of one's very self,something that would mean the total and absolute loss of all self respect.In addition,the betrayer would also loose the wisdom and blessings of Larfu and the feeling that he has proved unworthy of the god,who does not punish so much as forsake.In return,the Brotherhood never commands a member to anything that would stain his honour or put his loved ones in any danger.He is also given a chance to voice his views on any topic,during the Common meetings in which every member is entitled to his view on any matter concerning the Brotherhood.The scars that result form the first ritual,allows members of the Bortherhhod to recognize each other.

These Common meetings are held in their remote headquaters once a year.The chances of anyone stumbling on it are rare,for it is hidden among the ruins of Aflan,the forgotten mer folk city state. Most Eshal believe it it to be haunted by the restless spirits of the dead,a rumour that the Brotherhood has taken great effort to circulate. Peasents usually go with warriors,under the pretence that they have been drafted by them to assist in building new fortifications.


Initially,the Brotherhood's goal was to preserve traditional Eshal practices and customs,with emphasis being placed on the belief that every member of the tribe mattered and that to ignore his rights and contributions,would result in the Clan collapsing.They also felt that the Eshal should not turn their backs on the old gods like Larfu who made it clear to mortals that respect for gods should not reduce them to the pathetic state where they would be convince that even the slightest trangession would result in dire consequences and that the gods were there to guide rather than command them.Both these notions go against the retribution-driven concept of current religon.

Although this has largely continued to be it's main objective,something of an of an ideological split emerged among their ranks 60 years ago.Some of the more radical members of the Shamans of the Hunt,unhappy with merely preserving the old ways,have taken to asssinating Cuada mystics and lesser priets accused of pandering to the whims of the Cuada.They call themselves the Spear of Larfu and are regarded as fanatics by the rest of the Shamans of the Hunt as well as by the lay Brotherhood leadership and are thus pariahs at most Common meetings.Unlike the rest of the Brotherhood,the Spears Of Larfu,feel that the Emperor and his High Priests must be overthrown.Recent events involving bloody raids by mysterious humans known as the Snake Riders  have convinced them that the age of the Emperors is about to end.

[Maggot]

Larfu, the Deep Sea Treader, the slayer in the waves, the hunter of the eternal sea. He is an old god, a god of wood and stone, blood and lust. To gaze upon Larfu is to look upon the predator soul of the Eshal, for his head is that of the great shark, mouth filled with many rows of sharp teeth. From the great muscular body sprout strong limbs, akin to those of the Eshal, and a strong tail to propel the Waveslayer through the depths.

Many never see beyond this terrible visage, and fail to pierce the veil of the idol. The great hunter embodies many things, freedom, grace, and honor. The Eternal Hunter is free of all bonds, and no net, no shackle can hold him. The Waveslayer (We like that name!) is unhindered by the trappings, and snare of the weak, for his grace in the water is the beauty of the predator, and the beauty is thusly pure. Certainly not least, the Deep Sea Stalker is bound by ancient oaths of honor and duty. Unlike many of the other old gods, his honor is unsullied, as he expects his children to be.

Once there were many idols of the Waveslayer. Some were hand carved of driftwood, and coral, by the playful hands of the young wishing to be strong warriors to make Larfu, and their families, and clans proud. Others were more elaborate, some carved of sterner stone, or carefully grown reefs encouraged and pruned over the generations into the totemic shape of the great shark god. All of these coral topiaries were destroyed by the Cuada during the establishment of the Empire.

Now, the shrines again are being restored, and new hands are seeking to find the spirit of the great hunter within.

[Maggot]

The Legend Of Larfu is an old legend that forms a very important part of the Brotherhood's beliefs and revolves around the theme that The Wave Slayer will one day return to redeem the Brave People.

When the tribes of The Brave People were united by the mysterious strangers called the Cuada that came from a distant land over the face of the sea Goddess Vaet,the gods watched with curiosity and marvel.

Who are these strange beings that command our children,the Brave Ones so,was the question they asked themselves.They had never seen anything like these odd,short statured,almost comical looking beings that had come from across Vaet's endless wastes of water and they had seen plenty ever since the Old One had sprung from the womb of Vaet and and had then vomited forth all life,including them.After much discussion as to who these strange beings were,they agreed to send Quilta the god of fish and the youngest of their phantean,to investigate the agenda of these visitors.Taking the form of a mosquito,he descended to the great camp where the Cuada leader Toltep was holding a council with the leaders of the various Clans.He watched and listened,as Toltep promised the Brave People victory and glory against their enemies.

When he returned he was ecstatic.''Oh,my brothers and sisters,I am convinced that these strangers are beings are the children of mother Mother Vaet,sent by her to lead our children to victory against the pagans and barbarians that refuse to worship us!"'.At this there was much rejoicing and the gods praised Divine Vaet for sending her children to aid the Brave People and their gods in the struggle against their foes.But only one of them remained unmoved.He was Larfu,the Wave slayer,the Eternal Hunter,the one that never trusted what he was not sure of.He spent most of his time in Lady Vaet's embrace and she had said nothing about sending her children to aid the gods and the Brave People.

''Oh,my siblings,I fear this is some clever hoax to deceive us. Divine Vaet
told me nothing about these strange beings and that is odd,for I who stalk her depths,am very close to her. I fear this a trap for our children the Brave People,much the same way the angler fish lures its prey to it,with the its alluring little lamp. They swim toward the light,expecting food,only to find betrayal and death. Such is the way a skillful hunter entraps its prey and I have no wish to see our beloved children,The Brave People,enmeshed in such a trap''. At this,the other gods lost their temper.

''You primitive fool,skulking in the depths of the divine Vaet does not elevate you above her!
How dare you presume to know better than her or the rest of use!'',roared Worta,the brutal,hot headed God of War''. For being so impudent as to doubt the Divine Vaet,you have shown yourself to be unworthy of being one us! You must die!''

The other outraged gods begun to take up this cry. With a scream of rage,Worta charged at Larfu with his Drah Of Smiting. But the sleek Wave Slayer was much quicker on his feet than the burly God Of War,and jumped out of his way with ease. He then grabbed Worta's striking arm and snapped it off. As Wrota collapsed to the ground,clutching the bloody stump of his ripped off arm,the other gods,determined to avenge the loss of Worta's arm,rushed upon Larfu and ripped him to bloody bits.

His mutilated remains were then thrown into a lagoon for the sharks inhabiting it,to feed on. But the sharks did not devour them. Instead,they guarded them from other scavengers. The reason for this was that their master,the ancient spirit inhabiting the lake who was known as Poqua,or the Lady Of The Lake,had recognized the remains that the gods of water had thrown into the lagoon,as being those Of Larfu,The Eternal Hunter. He had often hunted along her sharks and she had watched him from afar,admiring his skill and determination. Now upon seeing his scattered remains,she gathered them together and made them whole once morerestored life to The Eternal Hunter. She realized however,that it would be best to keep his resuraction a secret from the other gods. With this in mind,she cast a powerful enchantment on him that would keep him in a deep slumber for eons. She then steeled herself to take him away to the one place where he would be safe from his foolish and and vain kindred..

Turning herself and the prone form of Larfu into tiny mud skippers,she forced her way through to the very core of Tarrod,where the mother of everything,The Old One slumbered. Turning Larfu back into himself,she carefully laid him next to the vast form of the Old One. Then she departed,confident in the knowledge that the other gods would never venture here for fear of awakening their divine progenitor who not take kindly to such an intrusion on her slumber.

There he still lies,awaiting the day of his return,when he will appear as the dread Tuwasa and slaughter the imposters known as the Cuada and the arrogant Gods Of Water.