New SubmissionsVia Humanitae
The VH is not a very large order, but it is a powerful one. It has roots tracing back many generations, and its power and influence are substancial, far beyond what would normally be the ability of so small a circle of members. There are powerful nobles, well esteemed magi, and personages of import within this order, and they are united by a goal that transcends occupation, politics, and even matters of faith.
The VH is terrified of non-humans. What hope does man have against the near immortal manipulations of the elven races? It is a small thing for an elven lord to manipulate his human neighbors from one generation to the next. How many petty kingdoms exist as puppets and thralls of the elves? Their crafts, their art, everything about them is accorded greater respect than the honest effort of any mortal. Quality means nothing so long as a merchant can whisper elven before making his sale.
The dwarves are also an insideous threat. Their power comes through the markets and economy. They are a major source of gold, silver, and mithril, many of their great halls swimming in such wealth. What protection is there for humans, denied the prime mineral resources of the mountains? Are we left to forever indebt ourselves to the dwarves for their gifts of steel, and gold, held at ransom in times of need. How many a shield, weapon, or armor held sway the popular imagination for the ‘dwarven kings of old’? What of the Dwarven Kings of now, they profit greatly at the expense of man.
The orcs are the most straight forward, and the least insinuating. They seek to feed, a parasite, on the wealth and prosperity of mankind. Those few who dont, they actively seek its destruction, and the supremacy of their race. As such, they can be the most ‘honorable’ of the enemies of man.
The VH works through indirect means, never through confrontation. Indeed much of their effort is to keep the elves, dwarves, and orcs from ever learning of their existance. They will work tirelessly to ensure the promotion mankind at the expense of the other races, always watching, waiting for the next incursion into the realm of human affairs.
Some members are actively involved in locating magic items and arcane and obscure lore to improve the holdings of men. They will also seek the lore and artifacts of other races to either confiscate them, or destroy them if possible.
The turks and mercenaries employed by the VH seldom know who, or what, they are actively working for. Delving into the VH should be like peeling an onion, layer after layer, only exposing the layer underneath. Reaching the core should be a campaign, or multi-campaign task.
A sage is a well known repository of knowledge, a researcher of ancient lore. But knowledge is power, and a commodity to be brokered and sold to the highest bidder. The meershaum smoking man is such a dealer of antiquities and of lore unknown, but he is wrapped in a shroud of secrecy of his own. Can the PCs divine his ulterior motives, or is he a wizened, albeit elusive, sage?