Cartel Religion and Rites




Cartel Faith

The Cartels do not ascribe to religion as a general rule. They allow their members to follow whatever faith they wish, as long as that faith aligns well with the Cartel’s tenets and codes. The families of the older Cartels continue to ascribe to their faiths while others follow no faith but their own moral compass and the Cartel’s  tenets. As the decades have progressed, there are certain Rites that the Cartel share as a whole and certain Perspectives that the Cartel share as a general rule. 

  • OVERVIEW: This Whisper is both a spirit that is venerated and a calling to some folk. It is a crafter of medicine, a mender of hurts, and a salve to the soul. Individuals that follow the Forest Healer are not always healers themselves. However, most Renewers and Doctors in Sky Solace and the Patient Scriveners are Enkindled to this Whisper. When communed with, it can appear as a hunched figure in the woods or a bear made of medicinal smoke. It calls for its people to heal the land, the world, and each other.

    SHRINE TYPES: Ancestral, Deep, and Verdant

    SYMBOL: A wooden bear mask with a cleft nose and an open mouth. In some variants, leaves and/or twigs are growing out of it. Animancers of this Whisper feature similar Animus Crowns.

    — Tenet 1: Mercy and Compassion -- Just as the spirits show mercy, so too must the followers of these Whispers show kindness and compassion to others, even those outside of their community or faith. Food and medicine are offered to those in need.

    — Tenet 2: Sacrifice the Harvest -- The Forest Healer demands that some of the gathered herbs and cures be sacrificed to the forests and the spirits. These tithes are bundled in leaves and buried or left in the woods. In a way, this ensures that such herbs continue to proliferate and exist even while they help the sick.

    SIN: Disrespect -- Disrespecting the Forest Healer comes in many forms, be it in cruelty, in prideful hubris, in ignoring the needy, and through the betrayal of one’s family.

    WORSHIPERS: The Patient Scriveners are the main Worshipers of this Whisper, although not all do so. Also, this is not the only Whisper they venerate.

    CLERGY: Bear Shamans are not only ritual leaders and spiritual guides but also healers, midwives, and similarly respected herbalists that are sought after for their curative abilities with spell and/or herb.

  • OVERVIEW: The Grey Chorus represents all the honored ancestors, legends, and heroes of the Tranquil Gardeners (formerly the Honest Knives). This is not a divinity that requires appeasement and worship, but the desire to honor, venerate, and make proud all those who have gone before -- whether remembered or forgotten. Candles, and incense sticks are burned to send forth one’s prayers to those resting above and gain strength for the hardships ahead.

    SHRINE TYPE: Ancestral, Storm, and Verdant

    SYMBOL: A table with five to ten candles

    — Tenet 1: Elder Reverence: Respect for one’s elders within the family and priests outside the family is another key tenet for these Whispers. The Grey Chorus demands absolute blind obedience to an Elder’s edicts.

    — Tenet 2: Filial Devotion: Reverence for family and family ties is a big part of this faith. Thus, preserving and protecting one’s family members is core to one’s actions and motivations.

    SIN: Impudence -- Adherence to the guidance of one’s ancestors, elders, and the natural order, is important to the people of this faith. Failing to do so can be done through verbal disrespect, selfish behavior, or acting directly against the family

    WORSHIPERS: The Tranquil Gardeners Cartel and those Cartels that descend from them worship the Grey Chorus.

    CLERGY The elders of their family, specifically the main patriarch or matriarch, lead the group both in matters of faith and order. It is they that lead and oversee various rites of life and death, with their blessing being of paramount importance.

  • OVERVIEW: This Whisper is not merely an ancestral entity among its people, but also a covenant between the spirits and humanity. Many among the Patient Scriveners believe that the Protector-in-Bark defended them against the worst of the Long Fall and its monsters. Thus do they follow in its example, using their own strength to guard their people from harm and ensuring that the proper sacrifices are made to this Whisper. Several ancient trees (usually White Pine) near a community are given visages via carving or more often, with a mask resembling its symbol (see below). These marked trees are considered vessels for the Protector-in-Bark and offerings are left to it on a weekly basis.

    SHRINE TYPE: Ancestral, Primal, and Verdant

    SYMBOL: A tree with two deep holes for eyes. These are usually uneven and asymmetrical.

    — Tenet 1: Elder Reverence: Respect for one’s elders within the family and priests outside the family is another key tenet for these Whispers. The Protector-in-Bark demands absolute blind obedience to an Elder’s edicts.

    — Tenet 2: Filial Devotion: Reverence for family and family ties is a big part of this faith. Thus, preserving and protecting one’s family members is core to one’s actions and motivations. This protection also extends to one’s community -- just as the Protector guards its chosen wards, so too must their followers follow in its wake.

    — Tenet 3: Sacrifice the Harvest -- The Protector-in-Bark demands that foodstuffs and medicinal herbs be sacrificed to the Protector-in-Bark. These tithes are bundled in leaves and placed in front of

    SIN: Impudence -- Adherence to the guidance of one’s ancestors, elders, and the natural order, is important to the people of this faith. Failing to do so can be done through verbal disrespect, selfish behavior, or acting directly against the family or community.

    WORSHIPERS: The Patient Scriveners are the main Worshipers of this Whisper, although not all do so. Also, this is not the only Whisper they venerate.

    CLERGY: Pine Wardens are the practitioners and ritualists of this Whisper. They believe themselves to be following in its wake, defending their communities or their family members. They are not only woodwise but also learned in rites that are necessary to ensure that their Whisper’s favor remains with them. Sometimes, Pine Wardens will range far and beyond the community to defend its members when they visit or stay at other places.


Tenets of the Cartel

  • Your Word is Everything: When the Cartel makes a promise, they do everything in their power to deliver upon it. Likewise, when they make a business deal, they make the same measures to hold up their end of the bargain. However, they are not idealists and are willing to offer reparations if they are unable to maintain their word. 

  • Defend your Cartel: The Cartel values loyalty among its members. The Director has a duty to defend their subordinates and peers. Those below them have their own duties to each other and to their superiors. 

  • Words before War: The Cartel knows all too well the dangers of war in a world where humanity was almost rendered extinct. Whenever possible, all other measures will be used before engaging in violence against other humans -- but when the Cartel commits, they do so with a savage bloodlust, rupturing families root and branch to prevent retribution. 

  • Diligence and Professionalism: The Cartel are known for their precision and professionalism. This does not mean that they are robotic suits without feelings or personalities, but it does mean that they extend courtesies and practice good behavior to most of those they meet, usually to those who have not earned it.

  • Influence not Dominion: Each Cartel has a headquarters, as well as holdings and franchises. However, they only seek to increase their clientele and expand their operations -- not dominate or lord over towns and regions. While one can argue that an economic hegemony is no different than violent domination, the Cartel view themselves as purveyors and providers foremost. 

Life Rites:

Birth Rite

The Cartel has no specific Birth Rituals for those born within its auspices. However, each family may have its own traditions, handed down from generation to generation by their faith or simply by rote practice. 

Rite of Passage -- Onboarding

Onboarding involves a trial that must be completed by a prospective Suit and at least three allied witnesses. This rite is a modified and extended version of the Business Lunch, with the contract being the employment of the initiate into the ranks of the Cartels. This portion is highly dependent on the Cartel in question but tends to involve the Director (or a proxy) and several Cartel witnesses.

An important aspect to this is that the initiate must gather, construct, or otherwise obtain three items of great value, sentimentality, and symbolism to give to the Cartel. Obviously this is done before the rite — and may by themselves present a challenge. In exchange, the Cartel will bestow its tokens (or a proxy for things like tattooes) upon the initiate. 

This sacred (but not always somber) rite is followed by celebration and the welcoming of the new recruit(s) into the fold.

Business Lunch

In the times of old, men and women of business would negotiate pacts and oaths with written words and signatures. However, those times have long gone and the Cartel has had to make due without paper until recently. In lieu of this came the Business Lunch-- a semi-sacred rite between the Cartel and other Cartel members or those they do business with. Besides the basic pleasantries, this meeting may or may not involve food, tea, or inebriants, depending on the Cartel and the client. 

It also serves as an official verbal agreement with multiple witnesses. Some Cartel involve additional practices, such as tea making or cigar rolling. However, in addition to discussing the terms of a work contract, an armistice, or even a declaration of war, both parties exchange a single distinct item at the end of the Lunch. This has led to many Suits rendering the sharing of food, drinks, or intoxicants with another person as an act of peace or companionship. Sharing a lunch with a Suit is not going to stop them from killing you for a misdeed, but may make them think twice before they do it. 

Funereal Rites -- Send-Off

The Cartel are usually not proponents of religion, but they do revere the important figures of their past. The Send-Off is a relatively simple ceremony where a body of a deceased Suit is prepared for cremation and then burned in front of the fallen’s peers, friends and family. 

While it burns, the Director (or their Proxy) speaks to the assemblage and manages the funeral, calling upon individuals to speak of their experiences of the fallen and pour out a small amount of water (or inebriant) over the flames after they speak. 

When the fire is low, the Director/Proxy concludes the Send-Off, extinguishing the flame and delegating the moving of the remains to a proper, respectable grave. On the occasion that there is no body, a flame is simply ignited, with the ashes placed in a cenotaph.  



View of the Afterlife

The Cartel’s view of the afterlife is relatively diverse, with their willingness to recruit worthy individuals regardless of their upbringing. 

However, with the arrival and fall of the Abyssals, many of the old world’s faiths have fallen apart or otherwise disintegrated along with pre-fall society. This is especially true of organized religions. 

Still, more than a few pre-Fall faiths persist through the chaos and horror for the current era. With the rise of sorcery among humanity, some of these have even found renewed vigor. But if one were to look at them from the perspective of the World that Was, the new practices and traditions have become alien and inscrutable from their ancestral origins. 


View of Magic

Though they place immense value on honor and appearances, the Cartel is known for its pragmatism. The controlled use of sorcery is therefore of great value to the Cartels as a whole. However, the Cartel is wary of magic’s side effects and corruptive nature -- these can make the leadership of a particular Cartel keep Arcanists or spellcasters at arm’s length. 

There are exceptions, of course. The Scriveners and Gardeners are frequent users Shamanic Animancy, with their Animancers relying on the guidance and assistance of nature spirits or helpful ancestors. The other Cartels prefer the simplicity of Talismanry. The dire straits faced by the Hatters and the Goldens have forced them into being more open-minded with regards to employing Diabolists, Xenotheurges, and Necrotheruges. 

The Ember War has opened the Cartel’s eyes to the immense potential of magic, something that even the Big Three argue about with each other. On one hand, there is profit and control that can be seen from a mass deployment of Cartel-oriented Arcanists. On the other hand, ethical concerns for spiritual balance and concerns for the dangers of large-scale employment remain an obstacle to the engagement of this plan.