Hellhound Motorgangs

Hellhounds, Howlers


”Glory to the Mighty! Blood, Battle, and Benediction to the Ancient Airs!”

Symbol

Each Motorgang has their own symbol, as do the Altaric Acolytes. When speaking as a whole and led by the Iron Council, they place a dark red bearded ax on their banners -- this represents the Flame-Reaver of their ancient legends. 

LORE: Low or Medium

There is a fair amount of Hellhound lore: especially within their Power Groups and their faith. However, many Hellhounds are disinterested in the greater scheme of things, being primarily affected by their Motorgang’s traditions (if they are part of one). Also, it’s easy to grasp the concept of a biker gang-type or techpriest-type (medium lore) character

Aesthetic

The Hellhounds are easy enough to spot. Their stitched and patched leather jackets denote their allegiance to one of the dozens of Motorgangs and the Motorbosses that rule out of Hellheim. Some Motorgangs add to their protection with useful chains or with furs from the monsters they’ve slain in glorious battle. Hellhounds are often covered in soot from the maintenance of their Howlers or of an Altaric Engine, though their garishly-colored hair or piercings shine through the grime and dirt.

Outlook

Blood and Thunder: The Thunders are owed “blood sacrifice”, whether it be the Hellhound’s or somebody else. This idea has proliferated the ranks of non-Desolationists. Many Hellhounds start their day with ritual bloodletting or sparring to get the blood going. These individuals also favor sharp weapons or ones that leave ragged wounds, cackling as they inflict pain upon their foes. 

Boundless Appetites: Some believe that the Hellhounds are indulgent and prone to excess. The truth is that their faith and their lifestyle drives them toward death and battle. Therefore, they seek to slake their life’s thirst on the pleasant things. This need not even be debauchery and mayhem, they may even find joy of building a Chain-Blade, winning a sparring match, or even losing an insult duel.

Glory to the Mighty: The Hellhounds celebrate bravery and strength, whether physical or magical. Cunning and wisdom have their dues, but they are second-tier to the culture’s romance with mighty warrior. Thus, many Hellhounds are boastful of their accomplishments and seek ever greater means of power. 

Loud and Proud: One can easily tell when a Hellhound is in town -- they can simply follow the sound of raucous laughter and carousing. These are people of oral traditions, musical chanting, friendly jibes, and boasting. While not every Hellhounds is a loud braggart, the ones that are noisy enough to make up for the quiet ones. 

Running Engines: The Motorgangs are accustomed to riding out or preparing to ride on patrol or on a hunt. For these folk, staying in one place and discussing around a table can seem useless. These are people of action, though some recognize the value of patience. 

Names

Among the Hellhounds, names are a thing of pride and accomplishment. One born among this Free Tribe starts out with their birth name, which is either short, harsh sounding, and/or akin to the names of ancient Scandinavia. 

However, when they complete the “Tempering” and become a true member of the tribe, they are gifted a “triumph” by the leader of their Motorgang. This is an evocative name that reflects their accomplishment or the trials they faced. As a Hellhound accrues victories and successes, they acquire more and more names—although honor and decorum dictates that their other triumphs are only brought up during ritual or formal introductions. Blowhards who overspeak of their accomplishments are mocked and ignored by the councils and priests of the Hellhounds. 

Example Names:

• Garm Razorgore came about his first triumph with a messy Tempering wherein he was one of a handful of survivors to the rite.

• Lamb-to-Slaughter goes by Lamb but appears more “slaughter” than “lamb,” festooned in crimson tattoos and shredded leather garments.

• Ragna Blackstag is a powerful Arcanist of the Animantic tradition. She was given her name when she returned to her warband riding upon a stag, covered in blisters and the ashes of her foes. 
  
  
  
  

Example Triumphs:

• Razorgore -- This Triumph was awarded to Garm after the blood-soaked blade that aided with his group’s survival.

• Shellsnapper-- This Triumph was awarded to an individual who shattered the shell of a monstrous crustacean that crawled out of the Great Lake.

• Flame Fucker -- This pejorative Triumph was awarded to Braca, who somehow strangled a Flame Geist with his bare claws.

Example Character Ideas:

The following are some character concepts that may be seen from this Free Tribe. If desired, feel free to use or alter one of these for your character.

Berserker Zealot: The warriors of the Hellhounds are feared for their incredible grit and resilience, even against the most horrific of monstrosities. Their Thunderous Faith sustains them even as their battle-lust drives them to greater heights of bloodstained glory. Through roaring longarms or rending sword-saw, they have carved away the monsters from their foundries. Even the Harbinger Hosts give pause when the Howlers join the field.

Suggested Classes: Builder, Warrior

Blood-bound Diabolist: There is no glory without thunder, blood, and pain. These Arcanists know this better than the rest of their Iron-Faithed kin. These have delved the eldritch realms for power, gifting their allies with strength and their foes with fiery wrath. Many of these serve the Executrix (Goddess of Torment) and work tirelessly to deliver her will upon the unholy that threaten the faithful. 

Suggested Classes: Arcanist, Counselor

Flame Shaper: To work in Hellheim’s holy foundries and workshops is an esteemed and honored duty. The uninitiated see the sweat and the grit of such labor and believe these workers as servitors, but serving the Metal Gods and crafting their Motorgangs’ equipment pays greatly in components and in faith. The Flame-Shapers are individuals that have left the Foundries to bring forth sacred industry to other places and enkindle faith in other homesteads. In a sense, they serve much as the Thunder Priest but they deal in the physicality of their religion rather than in the ephemerals of it. 

Suggested Classes: Arcanist, Builder

Hellhound Wargs: Some Hellhounds prefer their distance from the foundries of Hellheim, living closer to the snows and shadows that mark the haunts of horrors. These Wargs are warriors and trackers that sometimes act more beast than human, but share the same Iron Faith that blesses the Hellhounds. Woodwise and swift-footed, these individuals often lead hunts and crusades into the wildernesses of the World Beyond the Fall.

Suggested Classes: Ranger, Warrior

Thunder Priest: The Hellhounds are faithful to their Metal Gods of industry and flame. To shepherd the pious, Thunder Priests guide their charges in verse, in glory, and in hardship. Despite their fervent speeches and calls to action, Thunder Priests possess souls of art and of care, befitting the beating heart of a motorgang.

Suggested Classes: Builder, Counselor

Leadership

The Hellhound Motorgangs are strongarmed into compliance by the Iron Council, which is rostered by the five strongest Motorgangs and supported by the Altaric Acolytes. Faith, bribery, and intimidation is usually enough to make a Motorgang abide by the Council’s edicts. 

Currently, the Iron Council is made up of the Mercykillers, Pistols-at-Forgemeet, and Lightning-in-Chains, the Seven-legged Spiders, and the Tomb Devils

In practice, the Iron Council is more content to let alone than to reign. The Hellhound Motorgangs value their independence immensely and their leadership is primarily there to unite them against common enemies or to punish those groups that fall too far out of line. 

 Hellhound History

Important Events

The Desolation (0 BTF): The beginning of society in the Central Northeast, after the end. The world was smitten by angry gods and only the strongest survived to worship at their thunderous thrones. Survivors left the infested and afflicted cities to gather in small communities that sometimes feud with each other for resources or vengeance. 

The Wraith of Winter (16 BTF): The Vorn awakens and rules over the region, enthralling the communities to its will and demanding sacrifices from them. An entire generation of skirmishes and battles plagues the region. 

The Flame Reaver (46 BTF): The Acolytes from the Altar of Air help the people of the area defeat the Vorn. This is spearheaded by Kodah Flame-Reaver and his Hellhounds, who destroy the Vorn and his  Azzak-Vorn thralls after a brutal war.

The First Forgemeet (49 BTF): Amid bloody skirmishes, the tribes and gangs meet to discuss their laws. The Altaric Acolytes use gifts of technology to coerce  the various groups toward a troubled peace. These communities start calling themselves “Hellhounds”, to commemorate the sacrifices of Kodah and his warband. 

Fuel for the Furnace (53 BTF): Hellheim is built and Howler ATVs roam the land, raiding other non-Hellhound settlements for supplies and hunting down monstrosities. Those that offer them tribute are left alone. There are rumors of Hellhounds leaving supplies to starving communities during bad winters. This brings the Hellhounds into conflict with the Grailguard, the Cartels, and the Scavver Caravans. 

Iron and Roses (63 BTF): In retaliation for butcherous raids against settlements under their protection, the Carmine Templars and Saint Carmine herself invade the Hellhounds. The Templars utilize potent sorceries against the anarchic Motorgangs but are forced to retreat when they cannot maintain their supply lines. Unknown agents use this distraction to destroy the leadership of the Hellhounds.  

Into the Night (65 BTF): Discovering that the attacked settlements were also the work of the Night Kings, The Hellhounds, Flame Templars, and Carmine Templars form a fragile alliance. They spend the next few months driving the Night League from their mountain strongholds. 

To Reign in Blood (70 BTF): The vacuum of lost leadership causes the Motorgangs to fight among each other. The Death Pigs Motorgang attempts to rule the Hellhounds, even daring a vicious attack on the Altar of Air. The wounded but united Hellhounds slay many of the Death Pigs and their allies before they escape. 

The War of Embers (93 BTF): Still reeling from their civil war, the Altaric Acolytes are able to convince the Hellhounds of the Harbingers’ threat. Ultimately, the Hellhounds join Free Tribes and the Archfactions against the Harbinger Hosts despite the grudges of the Grailguard, Cartels, and Scavver Caravans. The Hellhounds’ speed is integral to lightning fast raids and the disruption of reinforcements. 

Armistice and Schism (99 BTF): After the wars, the Hellhounds consider their place in the new era. They are no longer allowed to raid settlements, which causes some infighting between the Motorgangs and sows doubt against the current leadership. To placate the masses, the Iron Council is opened to two more Motorgangs. 

Important Persons and Groups

Altar of Air/Altaric Acolytes: A cult of eccentric technologists that were skilled with the forge and listened to strange frequencies from their main temple: the Altar of Air. It is an immensely tall structure from the World that Was that is able to capture the frequencies and “Airs” of the Acolyte’s ruthless gods. 

Carmine Conclave: A portion of the Temple of the Shattered Mother known for its focus on diplomacy rather than militancy, though they are far from unarmed. Members are called Carmine Templars or Carminians. Their founder was called Saint Carmine or the Saint of Roses. 

Cartel: aka the Kindly Cartel who comport themselves like businessfolk and corporations of old, but act more like criminals when it suits them. 

The Free Tribes: A group of communities and tribes based in and around the Mid-Atlantic (aka Mid-Atla) area, but also within the New England, Tidewater, and Midwest regions.

Grailgard: A southern neighbor of the Hellhounds, styled like the knights and guardians of the old world.

The Harbingers/Harbinger Hosts: Four sorcerous entities of incredible power and the monstrous armies that followed them. They came from the west and savaged their way to Mid-Atla until they were stopped by the combined efforts of the Free Tribes, the Illustrados, and the Temple. 

The Illustrados Union: An Caribbean-based Archfaction known for their technological wonders, their mercantile bent, and their naval prowess

Iron Council: The closest thing that the Hellhounds have to leadership. The five Strongest Motorgangs rule through power and through influence, but if they are seen as weak, they can be deposed.

Khoda Flame Reaver: A powerful warrior, renowned for his burning fury and his fiery axe. He is survived by his warband, the Hellhounds. Eventually, they would be the name taken up by the various motorgangs of the Great Lake (sometimes called the Superior Sea or the Freezing Deep).

The Night League: Formerly two dozen settlements and towns under the brutal rule of powerful vampiric entities. Calling themselves the Night Kings, these individuals treat other humans as nothing more than thralls and food. They are greatly diminished but are still a threat. 

The Temple of the Shattered Mother (aka Templars): An northern Archfaction based on their faith to the God-Empress and dedicated to the destruction of wickedness and eldritch evil.

The Vundarkin Packhunters: The Vundarkin Packhunters are simple and small bands of associated families that wander the wilderness. Many choose a spiritual “Whisper” to follow as a guide.

Hellhound Power Groups

Listed below are the main groups of influence among the Hellhounds, the five Motorgangs of the Iron Council and the Altar of Air. 

Player Characters may come from any Power Group although they cannot be the leadership of that group. It is recommended that those willing to write backstories intertwined with the Motorgangs or the Altar of Air contact Game Staff for further information/guidance.

It is the requirement of Game Staff that players who create their own Motorgangs as part of their backstory submit a profile of that group to Game Staff (for further use in plot if need be).

Altar of Air: The Priesthood of the Thunders and the primary mechanics of the Hellhounds. 

Lightning in Chains: An old Motorgang that has entered the Iron Council time and time again, reliable and powerful. 

Mercykillers: A storied Motorgang on the Iron Council, equal parts feared and respected. And they are known for ensuring that fallen enemies stay dead. 

Pistols at Forgemeet: A rebellious and isolationist “Motorgang” interested in self-governance despite their position on the Iron Council. 

Seven-legged Spiders: A Motorgang with powerful shamanic magics tasked to guard the borders of the Great Lake. 

Tomb Devils: A Motorgang of zealots, berserkers, and battle-crazed mercenaries. 

Altar of Air

Altaric Acolytes

“Worship the holy frequencies!

Venerate the sacred technologies!

All hail the Ancient Airs!”

Basic: The Priesthood of the Thunders and the primary engineers of the Hellhounds. 

Symbol: Six thunderbolts striking a forked tower

Territory: The Altaric Acolytes claim the Altar of Air and its surrounding farm communities as hallowed and well protected areas. This is located in the northeastern portion of the Flats.

Overview: The Altaric Acolytes are believed to be formerly of the Scavvers, with an almost religious devotion to technology and knowledge.The Altar of Air bound its fate to the Motorgangs when it assisted them against the Vorn, but before that they were a reclusive group of scholars and mechanics. It is believed that Prophet Ia-Killoth engineered the first Forgemeet, to ensure that the Motorgangs did not kill each other en masse and to assure the Altar’s security among them. By granting them locomotion and turning their sights outward, the Hellhounds mainly looked to the Altar as weaponers and mechanics rather than targets for the taking.

The Altar of Air has grown since its humble beginnings, even building upon their eponymous Altar with defenses and resilience. It has become a place of technology and learning in the Central Northeast, even inspiring outsiders to make the dangerous trek across Hellhound territory.

The war against the Harbinger Host was a costly one for the Altar, as it was for all the Archfactions. However, the battle against the Death Pigs was more ruinous for the Acolytes. Not only was their Altar damaged and many Acolytes slain, but those events also saw the betrayal of two Storm Prophets. This remains a bitter point for the Acolytes, who will gladly pay for the destruction of the two heretics. 

Leadership: The Altar of Air is led by four Storm Prophets, though six once relayed edict and dictum. 

• Azmoz Thundersplit prophecies for Pyroclasm.

• Lilith the Breaker prophecies for Torment

• Baal the Havoc Sun prophecies for Power

• Lukka Moulder prophecies for Chaos
  

Storm Prophets in Exile. 

• Zeen Goldenshiv prophecies for Glory

• Skarn with Hungry Fangs prophecies for Bloodlust
  
  

Lightning in Chains

Chainers

“Let it rip! Let ‘em loose!” - A common Chainer warcry

Basic: An old Motorgang that has entered the Iron Council time and time again, reliable and powerful. 

Symbol: A ring of chains surrounding three thunderbolts

Territory: The garages of the Chainers occupy the eastern Flats, near the Altar of Air. Though they are capable warriors, the Acolytes have enjoyed the protection of the Chainers for decades. 

Overview: The Lightning in Chains, simply the Chainers, are an ancient tribe among the motorgangs and successors of the original Hellhounds in roster if not in fame. They are stolid, honorable, and hidebound. Time and time again, they have been part of the Iron Council, ousted by newcomers then resurging to the top after a decade or two. 

As far as Motorgangs go, Chainers are an old breed of warriors and raiders — more emblematic of the Hellhounds than any others. They embraced battle, machinery, and the Thunders as many still do. Their longhouses swelled with tribute and scrap, even while giving generously to the Altar.

The Chainers of the current era are a people of iron, flame, and faith. Many see them as the paragons of strength and of the old ways. The Lightning in Chains are leaders, moreso than the other Motorgangs. They have always been a group that others have rallied behind because of their reputation.

Their association with the Acolytes and their faith in the Altar has served them well. Of the Motorgangs, they are the best equipped, crushing dissent and invaders with both muscle and machine. 

Still, the Chainers want out of the Armistice and to go back to the days of yore. Their time as fearsome raiders is sorely missed. 

Leadership: After his battle against the Harbinger Hosts, Alric All-Slayer (aka Motorheart, Freakbleeder, Foe Grinder) is said to be more engine than man. He had to be bolted back together after he and his Seconds stayed to give the Hellhounds more time to escape an ambush. With his renewed body, he still holds the reins of his storied motorgang.

Alric favors the return of the Hellhounds to their raiding roots, but recognizes the pitfalls of doing so. With the Archfactions in a greater presence than in the past and the Free Tribes now unified against any threat, the Hellhounds risk invasion if they go on a raid against their previous quarries. Some claim that he is afraid that a lack of enemies means that the Motorgangs turn on each other, as they have in the past. 

Like many of the Chainers, he is more often found in the garage of the Longhouse rather than ranging the region for threats or sparring with the others. He is a devout member of the faith and the quality of the Chainers’ engines show that devotion in full. 

Mercykillers

“No time to run and hide.

No time to be afraid of fear” 

• A Straken prayer of the Mercykillers

Basic: A storied Motorgang on the Iron Council, equal parts feared and respected. And they are known for ensuring that fallen enemies stay dead. 

Symbol: Three bones crossed and lashed together. These form an “X” with a vertical bone crossed through them. Mercykillers carry the bones of beasts and foes as trophies.

Territory: The Mercykillers have a longhouse in the Western Flats and patrol the area around it seldomly,  because of recent events

Overview: The Mercykillers are ancient and one of the strongest of the gangs before the Vorn’s arrival. Called the Diamond Kings, this strength and their defiant spirit would lead to their downfall at the hands of the Winter Wraith. The Mercykillers were born then, a shadow of themselves and risen from their frozen graves. Their modest rebirth and slow growth would lead to their eventual prominence as one of the Iron Council. They drew from those who had fallen and those the other gangs had considered weak, tempering the willing with horrifying crucibles. Though this brought the derision of other Motorgangs, their numbers swelled with those that gang politics had cast aside and those that sought redemption.  

The Mercykillers are one of the Iron Council Motorgangs for at least 20 years, achieving their position by ousting the Lightning in Chains Motorgang in a Blood Pit and earning the adulation of the other Hellhounds. Throughout recent history, they have persisted where others have fallen, rising again time after time.

Due to their ascension to the Council, they have a contentious relationship with the Chainers. They also have a cold view of the Altar of Air but ultimately, they care little for feuds and rivalries. The Mercykillers tend to be on the forefront of most conflicts and this has not changed. This Motorgang assists in the defenses against the Shroudlands and the Hive Mounds. 

Leadership: It is said Sweet Mercy (aka Pigsticker, Flesh Tearer, Grave Digger) keeps the Mercykillers on the Iron Council not because they relish governance and domination, but because they gain the least interference by assuming the roles of leadership. Sweet’s name belies their vicious nature and notoriety, somehow escaping sanctions of murdering other Hellhounds in duels. In particular, the Risen Seraph toothily ripped out Orcus’ throat after he was downed by the Mercykillers. Rumor has it that Sweet was ousted and slain by their former comrades for a similar act, before they rose again then joined the Mercykillers.

Even to their Motorgang, Sweet is anything but. They push and they rally their people beyond the limits of endurance, expecting more than the best. The Mercykillers’ respect and fear of their Motorboss goes a long way.

Pistols at Forgemeet

Pistoleers

“Ignite and Watch them Burn!” -- Pistoleer warchant

Basic: A rebellious and isolationist “Motorgang” interested in self-governance despite their position on the Iron Council. 

Symbol: A human silhouette on fire

Territory: The Pistoleers have no garages since they were ousted decades ago. Those warbands that roster this Motorgang travel in the Northwestern Flats but stray across the Midwest and occasionally into Mid-Atla. 

Overview: The Drive Furies were the first Motorgang to rebel against the Hellheim Compact and they were utterly obliterated by the combined might of the Iron Council, with the survivors driven out of the region. 

The Pistols at Forgemeet are the Drivers’ descendants and successors, returning to the region and claiming territories through Blood Pits a few decades after their predecessors’ defeat. In a time where engines became a symbol of strength and supremacy, the Pistoleers sought their own way without “Altaric debt” or enslavement to the engine. They fought against any chain that sought to bind them, be it faith, machine, or council. Even without the gifts of the Altar, they have grown to be a prominent force. They recruit from the communities within and outside their domain as well as those who are disaffected by the Iron Council’s rule. 

In a different world, they would have joined the Death Pigs or replaced them as the premier rebellion against the Iron Council. For reasons of their own, the Pistols at Forgemeet chose to stand with Hellheim and strike down at the Death Pigs and their Sundered allies. 

Upon becoming one of the five Motorgangs of the Iron Council, it was revealed that the Pistols were assisted by a Risen Altaric Exile. “Moulder” lent them knowledge of strange weapons and machines and spearheaded their recent military progress. As part of their ascension, Acolyte Moulder rejoined the Altaric Acolytes as the Storm Prophet of Chaos. 

Leadership:  Zagrak Silverfish (Renegade Ripper, Shell Breaker, the Bloody Bull)  is a figure of contention even among his riotous Motorgang. His decision to bring the Motorgang into the Iron Council is considered by some to be a betrayal of their ideals. The revelation of Moulder as an Altaric Prophet is similarly viewed. 

Zagrak is newly returned to the position of Motorboss, having stepped down a decade ago to allow Ngethe Nightwatcher the leadership role. When Ngethe did not survive the Harbinger Hosts, the Silverfish’s supporters urged him to return to the reins which he did in a temporary capacity until the Pistols recovered from the massive losses. Since the Pistols have yet to recover but have gain much acclaim among the other Hellhounds, he was able to push his Motorgang to enter the ranks of the Iron Council.

Despite the hatred against him, Zagrak appears to be a calm individual, more at home around his family and the pack animals of the Pistols’ Longhouse. He is said to be possessed of potent sorcery, but he prefers to use his words and his presence more than his magic. 

Seven legged Spiders

Seven-Spiders, Spiders

“see through the fog of wars, 

smell the scourge of plagues, 

perish in winter frost, 

tread through this life with black legs”

• The curse of the Seven Grandfather

Basic: A Motorgang with powerful shamanic magics tasked to guard the borders of the Great Lake. 

Symbol: An orange and red spider with seven legs above a bright stone.

Territory: The Seven-legged Spiders lair in the southwestern coast of the Great Lake, slaying whatever horrors crawl or stumble their way out of the Great Lake. Some of their garages share ancestral grounds with the Flame Reavers. 

Overview: The Seven legged Spiders are a reclusive tribe but they are descended from the Flame reaver himself, who in turn, came from the Hearth Keeper tribe. While the Hearth Keepers were deeply wounded by the Vorn and their Azzak Vorn, they were one of the last holdouts against the Winter Wraith’s forces until the Khoda the Flame Reaver rallied the people and the Altaric Acolytes. 

The Spiders themselves are quiet, but they have grown in power and in magics since the Vorn’s time. It is said that they have a powerful Whisper as an ally -- one that they simply call the Seven Grandfather or the Seven-legged Spider that grants their Animancers their power and wisdom. They have also elected themselves the guardians against the Great Lake. The frozen horrors that arise from the depths are their domain, save for the few that escape their clutches

The Spiders fought against both the Death Pigs and the Harbinger Hosts. Like many Motorgangs, they suffered greatly from both wars. But their losses paled in comparison to the glory and acclaim they gained from the other Hellhounds. Their sorceries were beyond what the others had ever seen, honed in their battles against the Lake horrors. 

Since joining the Iron Council, the Seven-legged Spiders have since used their influence to bring more attention and manpower to driving back the Lake horrors, which they claim have increased in number during the War of Embers. Indeed, the Spiders even claim that they have almost been overrun several times.

Despite their cold disposition toward the Altar of Air, the Spiders and the Acolytes work together without complaint. The latter grants the Spiders special equipment for their northern burden, while the former informs the Acolytes of any new monstrosities they encounter. There are even rumors of the Vorn’s return, although the Spiders are silent on the matter. 

Leadership: Setting Sun (aka Winter Breaker) is a crack shot and a Scryer, succeeding her father Weeping Eye to lead the Spiders. She is on the younger side of leadership, but has proven her worth to the Spiders time and time again. 

Sun believes that her Motorgang is guided by Grandfather Spider in their duty to help the people of creation. Her belief enshrouds her behavior and her honor, lending her an air of wisdom that her folk respect and revere. Though Weeping Eye still lives and gives his counsel to Sun, the Motorgang look to her for leadership with only a few dissenting voices. 

Tomb Devils

“Blamed are those who know pain

Knighted are those who know pain

Deadly are those who know pain”

-- Tomb Devil proverb 

Basic: A Motorgang of zealots, berserkers, and battle-crazed mercenaries. 

Symbol: A leering horned face of a gargoyle

Territory: The Tomb Devils haunt the Eastern Flats, dredging the ruins of the cities south of the Great Lake. Their mercenary nature brings them all over the place, even Mid-Atla. 

Overview: The Tomb Devils are a newer Motorgang, off-shooting from the now defunct Night Slayers. The Night Slayers themselves were an offshoot of the Metal Dead Motorgang. All of these groups had a particular commonality -- a brutal bloodlust and a worship of the Ancient Thunders, specifically Severgut and Metalurge. 

Second only to the Death Pigs, the Tomb Devils hold the maddest brawlers among the Hellhounds. They constantly hone their skills on other Motorgangs, gaining them no small amount of hatred. They also delve in the cursed motor ruins for scrap and tech, giving no small amount of their spoils to the Altar of Air. That said, the Tomb Devils have a sordid past of human sacrifice, offering the corpses of their strongest enemies to the gods. Though they have distanced themselves from such activities publicly, rumors still follow their less stable members. 

Far from a monolithic whole, Tomb Devil warbands can be found all over the Central Northeast and even Mid-Atla. They are constantly looking for battle and bloodshed and benediction for their warrior divinities. They meet yearly at their Longhouse to divide spoils and to trade news, as well as train new Devils in their craft. It is common practice for the Devils to recruit from those they’ve defeated, in exchange for their lives. 

Leadership: Mother of Stone (aka the Lady of Pain, the Wildfire, the Stone Goat) is a Metabionic Seraph possessed of a strange eldritch engine, known for her mad cackle and her four graceful horns. She often claims that she is doomed to die but those she kills have been decreed to die first to please Severgut and Metalurge. 

More tales of her madness follow her even farther than the reach of the Tomb Devils themselves -- it is believed that she killed her own brother during a Blood Pit, that she ate a shard of the Flame Reaver to gain her power, and that she gave birth to a secret demi-god that she now searches for. 

One of her Seconds, Razor Floodgate, often stands in for her at Forgemeets. He is often seen as the main stabilizing influence for a band of chaotic warmongers, though he himself is followed by his own stories and legends of craziness.   

Hellhound Society

The people that call themselves Hellhounds and Altaric Acolytes see a hellish landscape of scrap and hardship amidst ruination and horrors. They live in the shadows of towering ruins and shiver beneath freezing winds. 

Thus, each and every Hellhound and Acolyte is tempered with this truth -- they must be strong to endure and stronger still to prevail in this place of monstrosity and despair.

The Motorgang

Akin to a tribe or a gang, the Motorgang is the prime social group in Hellhound Society. According to Altaric records, there are up to 300 such groups in the Central Northeast region, following the Death Pigs into exile and in tumult of the Ember War. 

Owing to their independent natures, Motorgangs number from 10-150 individuals, not counting children or other noncombatants. 

Bigger Motorgangs have a Longhouse, which is a garage, communal living space, and headquarters for their people. Some Hellhounds invest instead in a Crawler, a mobile headquarters that resembles the Scavver Caravans’ multistory offroad vehicles. It is here where they do their maintenance, take care of their noncombatants, and house their trophies. From here they also do their daily patrols of their territory as assigned to them by Forgemeet or “negotiated” with the neighbors (often via Blood Pit below).  

Smaller Motorgangs have no headquarters or territory. They live in highly mobile, nomadic groups that stop along towns, allied Longhouses, or the Altar of Air for supplies. In times past, they would raid towns for supplies but such activity is outlawed now -- they instead subsist on the spoils of monster hunting, scrap scavenging, and mercenary work.  

Motorgang Social Strata

The social classes within a Motorgang are below. Generally speaking, strength and popularity rule a Motorgang.

• Motorboss: The undisputed leader of a Motorgang, stepping down or being usurped when constantly unpopular and are too weak to keep their role. They receive the lion’s share of loot and make decisions for the group. 

• Seconds: The inner counsel and advisors of the Motorboss as well as their top enforcers. These are either former Motorbosses or close associates of the Motorboss. These can be one to three people. 

• Whips: These are the enforcers and sargeants of the Motorgang, following the orders of the Boss and their Seconds. They also ensure orders are followed and may be the assigned leaders of an outgoing warband.

• Members or Mutts: Most members of a Motorgang are in this role. They get a share of any loot that the Motorgang gets and an unofficial “Say” in decisions. Motorbosses who constantly go against the wishes of their Mutts, Whips, and Seconds may find themselves usurped or forsaken

• Untempered - Pups or Dregs: These are noncombatant members of the Motorgang, including children and the infirm. Those who fail the Tempering but stay at headquarters are also in this social class and are called Dregs. They take care of the most menial and unpleasant tasks of the Motorgang. 

• Acolyte: An Acolyte can be considered part of a Motorgang, even while Untempered. Depending on the Motorgang in question, Acolytes can be Seconds or merely Hellhounds. Many Motorbosses have an Acolyte as one (or more) of their Seconds. 

Family

When a Hellhound is born, it is not celebrated openly, being a private matter between the parents and their close friends. Many Motorgangs and Acolytes practice “Unearthing”, a rite involving consecration of the child/children via a frozen or bloody baptismal. Sometimes called “Pups”, Hellhound and Altaric children are taught the rites and the crafts of their people and their faith.

Childcare among the Motorgangs is a group effort that everyone is expected to partake in. Pups carry tools to mechanics, watch warriors spar, and prepare ingredients with the cooks. Older Pups go on patrol or hunts with their elders, although they are restricted from going on “Crawls” 

Stigmata among the Hellhounds

Any Stigmata can be found within the ranks of the Hellhound Motorgangs. The exceptions to this are the Metabionic and Eidolonic Stigmata. Very few Eidolons exist among the Hellhounds because it is a recent invention. More Metabionics ride with the Motorgangs, though they are primarily of Scav-tech or Eldritch-tech construction. On the other hand, Chimera and the Risen are seen most frequently, with Psions and Seraphs being a rare occurrence.

Hellhound and Acolyte

Many Motorgangs send individuals to the Altar for augmentation, for healthcare, or for schooling. However, those who go to the Altar of Air to become an Acolyte must shed their loyalties to their Motorgang and dedicate themselves fully to the Altar of Air and the Ancient Thunders that they serve.

Acolytes often serve with Hellhounds but they are required to return to the Altar once a year. While they may learn Tinkering and Weaponing skills from elsewhere, the Altar alone allows them to learn the necessary skills to maintain Altaric Engines and the tools required to service them and similar devices.

Hellhounds and Marriage

Marriage does not exist among the Hellhounds as a formal ceremony. It is widely accepted that two (or more) individuals may form a familial unit, the traditions and rites that they undergo are relatively private and secretive. Most wear matching tokens such as rings, amulets, or even weapons. 

Altaric Social Strata

• Storm Prophet: The figurehead leadership of the Altaric Acolytes, each consecrated to one of the Ancient Thunders. Currently, two of the six are in exile and took a sizable portion of the Acolytes with them to make heretical tech. 

• Herald: The sub-leaders beneath the Prophets, with three per Prophet. They are the main management of the Acolytes, directing in most matters except where the Prophets deign to veto their decisions. New Heralds have been elected to replace the ones in exile, but they cannot agree on a replacement for their Storm Prophet. 

• Headmaster -- Steward: Beneath the Heralds are the Headmasters (clergy) and Stewards (layfolk). They are the main faces of leadership among the Acolytes, though the Headmasters have more sway than their secular counterparts. 

• Cleric -- Overseer: These are half a step above their peers, involved with supervising their fellows. Oftentimes they are leaders of taskmasters for small groups of Acolytes, called “Cells”. 

• Disciple -- Cohort: These are the rank and file members of the Altaric Acolytes with the Cohorts as their secular counterparts. 

• Neophyte: These are individuals, whether young or newly adopted, who have not yet passed the tests needed to achieve Disciple or Cohort status.
  

Life at the Altar

Daily life in the Altar involves prayer to the Ancient Thunders, maintenance of machinery, the building of great works, patrolling the land for monstrosities, and educating the youth. Not all Altar-born children become Thunder Priests, but those that do may serve within the Altar, among a Motorgang, or out on a mission of the Storm Prophets’ choosing. 

Those born within the faith are eventually subject to martial training, and the divine frequencies of the Ancient Thunders. When a child is old enough, they go through tiers and ranks of education beneath instructors and trainers. Piety, discipline, academic, and mechanical skills are the primary topics of their schooling, although those with other aptitudes (such as magical talent) are given different focuses. For example, those without a head for numbers or mechanics may work more physical tasks such as being custodians or protectors of the Acolytes.

Leaving the Altar: There are those born under the shadow of the Altar that find its presence, the zealotry of the faith, and the bureaucracy of the priesthood suffocating. These are free to leave, though they do so without knowledge. Through technological means, the Acolytes burn the knowledge of their higher lores and inner workings from those who wish to leave, in exchange for some material wealth enough to survive and even thrive outside the Altar. 

Marriage and Funerals

The marital and funeral rites of the Acolytes now resemble much of their Hellhound neighbors, though they tend toward somber reflection of the Ancient Thunders rather than raucous revelry. Along with birth and familial life, these are some of the main spaces of an Acolyte’s life that they are allowed personal preference and traditions -- with respect to the Ancient Thunders, of course.

Law and the Hellheim Compact

How does one rule the lawless? The Hellhounds say that such a thing could never be. They say that each Motorgang rules itself, with only the threat of the others to guard against transgressions.

There is truth to this -- the Hellheim Compact is the peace between the Motorgangs and their united defiance against that which threatens them all. Wrought by the Altaric Acolytes, it is contingent upon the Hellhounds’ respect and fear of each other and of the world around them. It was widely hated at its first inception but through the open hands of the Acolytes and the closed fists of the Iron Council, the Compact is now a fact of life rather than a hated muzzle.

The Iron Council is a ruling body among the Hellhounds but only in the loosest sense. It primarily exists to shepherd the other Motorgangs in the Forgemeets or as an emergency leadership during times of strife. When a dispute between Motorgangs is brought to the Iron Council or a Forgemeet, the Hellhounds as a whole decide after hearing testimony and evidence via a vote. This process is occasionally rife with vote buying and other means of corruption, but it is the only method that the Motorgangs will not rail against. 

When a Motorgang teams up with others to raid another without the approval of the Iron Council, they become “Sundered” -- removed from the protections of the Compact and prey for all the other Hellhounds. Their members and leadership are hunted until they surrender, leave the region, or are destroyed. Those that are captured are either executed or forced to leave the Central Northeast. Noncombatants and Untempered are allowed to join other Motorgangs or to join their fellows in exile. 

There are also the Hellhound Canon that are universally followed by the Motorgangs. These are detailed in their rites and religions page. 

Altaric Law

Altaric law was once monolithic and theocratic dogma that applies to the workings of the Acolytes as a whole, but their time adjacent to the disparate traditions and cultures of the Motorgangs have changed even the unchangeable. Still, many laws maintain their original purpose: to collect knowledge, venerate the Ancient Thunders, and protect the Altar.

Altaric Armistice

The Altar is filled with the cacophony of prayer and industry, but it is also a place of serenity. Those who enter its domain are treated peaceably, though they are forbidden from ascending the tower proper. The full technological prowess of the Acolytes await those who defy their laws and their peace, with bodies of transgressors crucified and left for scavengers. 

This strange mix of war and peace matches the Acolytes themselves. They have not forgotten the desperate battles of their forebears to secure the Altar nor the threat of horrors from the Great Lake and other wild places. Martial training is as practiced as their piety, both among layfolk and clergy. And in the same sort of vicious justice, those Acolytes who betray the Altar by attacking their brethren or breaking their laws will find themselves beside the crucified criminals outside.

Hallowed Engineering

Innovation and invention are the greatest paths to success among the Acolytes, creating a new step for humanity and the Altar as a whole. Entire cells and orders have been carved into legend for their creations -- such as Ia-Killoth and his Cell for the invention of the Altaric Engine.

In a similar sense, collecting knowledge and technology from beyond the Altar is just as sanctified. Acolytes are encouraged to trade for their knowledge instead of steal it, but all lores are stored and studied regardless of their capture. 

On the other hand, theft is a capital crime among the Acolytes. Theft of materials, of craft, and even of ideas can be punishable if proven. While such laws are largely unenforceable outside the Altar’s domain, there are stories of Acolytes and allied  Motorgangs dragging in those thieves that dared to steal from the Altar and the stolen tech they tried to sell.

Sacred Signals

Hallowed are the Sacred Signals of the Ancient Thunders. To listen to them and to transmute them into mortal hymn and scripture are a few of the many prayerful tasks of the Acolytes. While these sacred signals sound nothing more than dissonant sounds to the uninitiated. they are the heart of the Altar as well as the Acolytes and Hellhounds that serve it. 

To play the Signals unfiltered by human translation is high blasphemy, for its chaotic buzzing and scratching are only for the Storm Prophets and their Heralds to decipher. Unfettered by holy ciphers, the Signal would drive the human mind mad. What most folk hear instead are the various songs or melodies that are born from the Signals. Forgemeets, festivals, and congregations are filled with such musics and chanting. This often surprises outsiders and strangers with their raucous sound despite the Acolytes’ relatively reserved demeanors compared to their Hellhound compatriots. 

Titles and Ranks

Among the Hellhounds, names are a thing of pride and accomplishment. One born among this Free Tribe starts out with their birth name, which is either short, harsh sounding, and/or akin to the names of ancient Scandinavia. Some change their name after they become adults, with their fellows doing as best as they can to adhere to it.

However, when they complete the “Tempering” and become a true member of the tribe, they are gifted a “triumph” by the leader of their warband. This is an evocative name that reflects their accomplishment or the trials they faced. As a Hellhound accrues victories and successes, they acquire more and more names—although honor and decorum dictates that their other triumphs are only brought up during ritual or formal introductions. Blowhards who overspeak of their accomplishments are mocked and ignored by the councils and priests of the Hellhounds. 

Example Names:

• Garm Razorgore came about his first triumph with a messy Tempering wherein he was one of a handful of survivors to the rite.

• Lamb-to-Slaughter goes by Lamb but appears more “slaughter” than “lamb,” festooned in crimson tattoos and shredded leather garments.

• Ragna Blackstag is a powerful Arcanist of the Animantic tradition. She was given her name when she returned to her warband riding upon a stag, covered in blisters and the ashes of her foes. 

  
  

Example Triumphs:

• Razorgore -- This Triumph was awarded to Garm after the blood-soaked blade that aided with his group’s survival.

• Shellsnapper-- This Triumph was awarded to an individual who shattered the shell of a monstrous crustacean that crawled out of the Great Lake.

• Flame Breaker -- This Triumph was awarded to Braca, who somehow strangled a Flame Geist with his bare claws.

Territories

Helheim

A place of foundries and furnaces, Helheim was built to serve as a neutral meeting ground for all Motorgangs. It has since become a place where crafters can perform and sell their industries in peace, peopled by Dregs and protected by the Iron Council. Helheim and the satellite towns around it are also a major hub for Hellhounds and outsiders alike, especially for Scavers, Templars, and Technocrats in particular. 

The Altar of Air

This forked tower enshadows the area around it with majesty and omen, physically marred with recent strife. Moreso than even Helheim, the Altar of Air and its surrounding farm communities are hallowed and well protected areas. At night, it is illuminated with magna-tech brilliance and its voxes buzz with divine vespers during hours of prayer (Dawn, Noon, Dusk, and Midnight). 

The Great Lake

Also called the Superior Sea or the Freezing Deep, this Great Lake borders the Hellhound claims and the Carmine Conclave’s territories. It is a frozen nightmare, having only grown after the Desolation. Titanic Deathbergs and other horrors sometimes emerge to kill the unwary or slaughter entire communities until the Coal Spiders Motorgang destroys them. It was here that the Vorn was defeated, though most of those first Hellhounds died in doing so. 

The Flats

Rolling fields and hills make up most of the Central Northeast, cut here and there within the corpses of highways or the cadavers of cities. Flora and para-flora have reclaimed much of Pre-Desolation settlements, with the Hellhounds and Scavers having foraged away the best junk for their use. Longhouses, crawlers, and small communities dot the Flats but they are largely unoccupied by humanity. 

The Mississippi Swell

This gigantic river almost splits the continent in half and is considered the western border of Hellhound territory. 

The Hive Mounds

The southern edges of the Western Flats are beset by a new menace, towering Hivemounds that presage the coming of insectoid invaders. Those they defeat, they drag away to some horrible end within their earth and chitin homes. 

The Shroudlands 

Far to the south, the citadel of their Grailgard neighbors has been swallowed up by a mysterious fog and the land around it has been blighted with deathly magics. This affliction extends farther south and west, the terrible work of the late Harbingers. 

 Hellhound Religion and Rites

Hellhound Faith

Most of the Motorgangs subscribe to the Desolation of the Ancient Thunders. Despite the prominence of the Altaric Acolytes, the Desolation is not a state religion and no one is required to follow it. 

Other Motorgangs either follow the Whispers of the Wild, a faith of their own making, or no divinities at all. For example, the Seven-Legged Spiders worship Grandmother Spider, a Whisper of flame and wisdom. 

Hellhound Tenets

Each Motorgang holds its own traditions, its own rule, and its own faith -- be it in the Thunders, the Whispers, or in some other piety. However, some rules and laws are called “Canon” -- they are universal, accepted across the Motorgangs as righteous and befitting their virtues. 

Examples of these Canon are the following: 

The Canon of the Mighty: This is a simple one -- a Motorboss leads only if they are strong enough to lead and influential enough to have the trust of their Motorgang. This means that a Motorboss must not only be mighty, but they must also be wise, charismatic, and open handed with their shares (see below). 

The Canon of the Mighty also allows a Motorboss to kill whoever is in their territory (if they have a territory) or the members of their Motorgang at their whim. 

Those who want to take a Motorboss’ place must have sufficient support from their fellows and sufficient strength to unseat the Motorboss. This usually involves “a Blood Pit” between the incumbent and the challenger. Oftentimes, the loser leaves along with their followers via the Canon of the Exodus rather than face the shame of defeat. Even the winner of this duel may “lose” as the followers of the more popular fighter follow them out of the Motorgang. 

The Canon of the Spoils: The Canon of the Spoils holds that the bounty of a harvest, the tribute of a raid, and the prey from a hunt belongs to all Motorgang members that took part in it. However, the Motorboss may take a share from such an activity and takes a larger share if present. This only applies to those activities that the Motorgang performs by itself without outside assistance. Derivations of this Canon insist that activities with multiple Motorgangs share such awards among each other as if they were one Motorgang. 

Failure to adhere to the Canon of the Spoils is one of the biggest ways for a Motorboss to lose support from their followers. While such omissions are expected during lean times, the Canon of the Exodus ensures that a greedy leader may find themselves forsaken or betrayed.

The Canon of the Exodus: The Canon of the Exodus holds that a member of a Motorgang is free to leave their Motorgang at any time. This means that all adult members are members of their own volition, rather than being conscripted or enslaved. With the strong identities and pride that each Motorgang has for itself, this is an uncommon occurrence. 

Leaving a Motorgang does not ensure entrance into another nor does it necessarily ensure the safety of the exit. That said, the Canon of the Exodus is respected and upheld in Hellheim and at the Altar of Air. If those who leave can make it to those places or to another Motorgang’s Longhouse/Crawler, they can make their declaration of Exodus and be left alone. 

This is by no means a clean rule and it can be prone to abuse, like most of the other Canons. The status of children in particular is up to question, though most traditions keep them with their parents or guardians unless there is sufficient reason.   

The Canon of the Pit or “The Blood Pit”: When two or more parties are aggrieved, they may invoke the Pit to settle their differences. Each individual party is backed by two to four secondary allies and they duel until one side is defeated or flees. Mortal combat is disallowed by the Pit, although “mistakes” do happen. That said, there is little in the way of “fairness” or “rules'' in a Pit beyond the required number of duelists, the ban on killing, and the fact that all involved must be wielding a weapon. Provided that all three rules are followed, anything else goes and the fighting starts right away. Crowds gather around such activities, often chanting “Blood Pit!”, though they keep a distance and hold up any shields.

Ultimately, the Pit is a way for an individual to avenge themselves upon another or gain social standing (see the Canon of the Mighty). Grudges and rivalries can form from a Pit, but strange friendships can also blossom from the violent exchange. Social standing among the Motorgangs can be gained or lost through this rite -- though losing does not guarantee shame, nor does winning automatically warrant prestige. 

The practice of the Pit is limited to the Hellhounds, the Altaric Acolytes do not honor this rite. However, those whose strength a Hellhound respects may find the Pit invoked against them. 

The Canon of the Hunt or “the Ranging”: The “Ranging” began as a necessity among the Motorgangs, scouring their territories for monstrosities and for signs of the Vorn. It soon became a monthly rite. Moreso than an extended patrol, this became a major social activity for neighboring Motorgangs. This mix of Hellhounds will patrol their combined territories for days at a time -- foraging on what they find and on supplies from their headquarters. Naturally, no hostilities are allowed between Motorgangs during a Ranging. 

Attitudes during a Ranging vary from guarded to relaxed, with the latter expected to be easily given to the former. It is known that deaths are an uncommon but known occurrence during these outings and injury from attacks, a frequent happenstance. Those outsiders unfortunate enough to be caught trespassing during a Ranging may be bodily dragged away or slain if they are without proper tribute. 

Rangings are often the subject of much excitement for a Motorgang. The freedom of the ride, the fires of battle, and the raucous revelry thereafter are all looked upon with great merriment. In these times, threats are dispatched, alliances are cemented, and skills are practiced among the Hellhounds. And if some grave threat is uncovered by a Ranging, the Motorgangs either deal with it or to rally reinforcements from their headquarters or from Hellheim itself. 

The Final Ranging: Among the elderly or the grievously ill, it is common practice for them to go on a Final Ranging with their allies and families. The goal is not the inspection of territory but spending time with a revered individual. Such Rangings go on until prey of sufficient danger (and therefore prestige) is found -- the subject of the Final Ranging is allowed to duel with the creatures and allowed to fall. The creature(s) are slain and all are set aflame so that the black smoke and the scent of burning flesh be sent to the Ancient Thunders above.

Life Rites

Below are life rites, performed to mark a new era in an individual’s life or to test them.   

Baptism of Blood

Sometimes called “Unearthing”, this rite is performed for children born to the Hellhounds or the Desolation. It involves the consecration of the child/children via a frozen or bloody baptismal. 

Forge of Pain

When a Pup is of age, usually 18 or older, they may request a “Tempering” -- a trial of the Motorgang’s creation. The Tempering is also used to initiate outsiders into the Motorgang’s ranks. Some have the Pup duel with the Motorgang’s warriors while other Motorgangs  have the Pup fight a captured monster. The late Vulture Dogs required their Pups kill and eat an entire monster within a single day without cooking it. The Chained Lightnings expect their Pups to survive a Magna-Storm without preparation or shelter for an entire day. 

Those who survive are welcomed wholly into the Motorgang as a fully fledged Hellhound. They are given their fair share after hunts, bounties, and until, recently tributes. They have a chance to gain glory and accrue names, even ascending to leadership. 

Those who fail their Tempering are given two other chances, if they even survive. Temperings have a chance of death -- some higher than others. However, common wisdom among the Hellhounds is that the Untempered will break in battle. 

For the Untempered, there are only three choices: stay at the Longhouse/Crawler, leave the Motorgang, or attempt to become an Altaric Acolyte. Those who choose the second often end up at Hellheim and may find a living there working at the foundries and the furnaces or picking through scrap. 

Altaric Catechism and Graduation

When a child is of age and has fulfilled their educational obligations, they may undergo the Altaric Catechism wherein they are subject to hallowed torment and fasting before being quizzed on their technical expertise and their faith by the lower leadership of the Altar. This has several steps, including building an item, answering questions, and even a written portion.

Those that satisfy the Headmasters’ or Heralds’ expectations are allowed to graduate into becoming a Disciple. Those who do not may try again, though no more than three times. The ceremony for those who graduate to their new position is religious, filled with song, chanting, and holy frequency. The revelry thereafter is just as raucous, more kin to the Hellhounds than to the Acolytes.  These often take place in the towns at the shadow of the Altar.

There is a similar, more physically inclined version of the Catechism for Cohorts. In the same sense, there is an Altaric Catechism for Arcanist or magic-capable Neophytes. 

Call to Thunder

This rite is a celebratory one, performed when a warband or an individual performs a feat of great accomplishment such as the defeat of a hated enemy or the creation of a powerful item. It is a simple feast among the warband members and their allies where the celebrants are plied with strong spirits and/or intoxicants. 

Funeral Pyre - Passing into Darkness

Funerals vary from Motorgang to Motorgang, but most practice cremation. A deceased individual is burned alongside their fallen brethren so that they may battle alongside the Ancient Thunders in the afterlife. Their bones and any tokens of theirs are distributed to their families and close allies. Matching the Hellhounds’ view of life, such Pyres are not strictly somber affairs. They are marked with celebrations of the deceased’s deeds and with festivities aplenty. 

Their counterparts among the Altaric Acolytes are far more reflective in their funerals, eschewing any revelry. Fallen Acolytes are burned from atop the Altar of Air, closer to the sky gods that they serve. Their ashes are kept in urns within the Altar itself

View of the Afterlife

Desolationist Hellhounds believe that they join their Thunderous Gods after their death, fighting and feasting alongside them against the Eldritch entities that would consume humanity. This only occurs to those Hellhounds who die in battle or while struggling toward a cause. Thus, many Hellhounds are willing to find death and glory in war and skirmish.

Some of the Motorgangs have other beliefs of the Afterlife. Some believe that they stay with their families as spiritual guardians. The nihilistic believe that nothing awaits the soul after death, just open and painless oblivion.  

View of Magic

The tales and legends of the Hellhounds are rife with sorcery and witchcraft, wielded by both heroes and villains. The Hellhounds have a healthy respect for magic, as they do for any weapon of war. Desolationists among the Motorgangs follow the traditions of Diablerie or Animancy. The Altaric Acolytes primarily follow Talismanry, such is their reverence for technology. 

That said, the Hellhounds understand the corruptive nature of magic but are more willing than others to delve into it. For them, the darkness of magic is part of its allure and powerful will can allow an Arcanist to defeat any such malfeasance. Necrotheurgists and Xenothergists are as common as Deotheurgists.