In an earlier post I detailed my plans for a Liminal campaign set in Edinburgh but I haven’t expanded on my background material in far too long, so this is post in an attempt to kickstart the brain juices and lay the groundwork for the next scenario which I am developing.

Since my last post I have ran a short scenario for my gaming group, The Case of the Craiglockhart Hydra, which dealt with a haunting at a college campus in the city. It was a purposefully short scenario and included several options for the players to reach a resolution, my goal being to make it simple and self-contained enough to run at a convention. Ultimately, my players took a couple of nights to complete it, too long for a convention game, but I am hopeful I can make a few tweaks to fix that. I’ll write it up in a future post as I am pleased with the story and themes, which draw upon both local Edinburgh and wider British history. I hope that despite its local scope, it has a wider appeal and I am sure it can be readily adapted to other British locales if desired.

Liminal Edinburgh

My work in progress scenario will introduce some of the other groups inhabiting the Liminal world in Edinburgh and in this post, I will expand on my previous brief description Enlightened Brotherhood, a small, secret magical society, and cover the knowledge the PCs would know, or could simply find out about this organisation.

The Enlightened Brotherhood

While relatively well known to Liminals in Edinburgh, this secretive magical society has little impact or recognition outside of the city. The Order of Merlin is certainly aware of them and the two groups are officially on cordial terms but in reality they interact with each other only rarely. While the Order of Merlin sees its role as the preeminent magical society in Britain, seeking to wield power and influence to get their way, the Enlightened Brotherhood are far more bookish, un-engaged and passive. While not being completed removed from events, their apparent weakness, low numbers and studious neutrality mean that they are rarely a factor in Liminal politics.

The Order of Merlin should technically consult with the Brotherhood on any actions their organisation takes in Edinburgh, but they rarely do, apologising as an afterthought if they have obviously transgressed.

To most of the Hidden World, the Brotherhood seems to be a clannish group of slightly obsessed geomancers who are occasionally spotted working their magic near the main nodes in and around the city. As they only rarely participate in the affairs of Liminals, this does mean that when they make an appearance it is of intense interest to some of the key players and factions in the city.

History of the Brotherhood

As you would expect from such a secretive group, little is known of their true history beyond what passes for common knowledge in Edinburgh. They are claimed to have their roots in the Speculative Society of the mid-18th century but that is contested, and one Fae Lord has claimed that “these middlesome, twistit warlocks have pestered our lands since the time of King James”.

Whatever their origin, they mages that became the Brotherhood came to prominence from the 1760s onwards, taking a keen interest in the creation of Edinburgh’s New Town, promoting it’s development, and providing their expertise as surveyors with exceptional local knowledge. It is long rumoured that they were able to apply a lot of influence to the young James Craig on the alignment of the roads in this grand development, both in the initial proposals to the Lord Provost and latterly when work was started.

Fearing any further encroachment out of the city beyond the cramped Old Town would be a threat to their realms, the local Fae resisted urbanisation plans to the north of Edinburgh as well as growing expansion to the south. As the Nor and Borough Lochs were drained their worst fears were realised when one entrance to the Fae realm located at St Bernard’s Well vanished where cobbled streets were laid down. This ancient locus and several other nodes outside of the city were quickly lost and tensions rose between the Fae and the Brotherhood, with most people foreseeing a major conflict between them as inevitable. In an effort to prevent bloodshed, both sides were called to a meeting by the Maister, and representatives attended a conclave held on Arthur’s Seat at Samhain of that year.

Surprisingly, an agreement was struck by daybreak as the Covenant of the Fae conceded their lost nodes in return for peace with the Brotherhood. None of those present at the meeting have revealed what led to the deal being reached so quickly and on terms so favourable to the mages. To this day, it is still a topic of great speculation whenever the Brotherhood come up in conversation. What on earth made the local Fae, who are as proud, vicious and powerful as any of their race, agree to give up their lands? Did the Brotherhood promise something greater in return? Did they threaten the Fae and if so, what with?

Whatever the actual circumstances of the deal were, no one who was there is talking about it now, and presently both groups are coolly polite to each other.

The Present Day

The Brotherhood are thought to now number around four individuals with perhaps a dozen close allies, including a few Wardens. Their agents have close ties to the local universities, some Government agencies, and private members clubs, though as noted they keep apart from the rest of the Liminal world and whatever their plans are, no one seems to know.

Key Individuals

Vincent Saint

A slightly built and balding man in his 50s/early 60s, Vincent is impeccably dressed in expensive suits, typically in dark shades of green. Little is known of his background and although he has a Home Counties accent, there is a trace of French in his speech , but neither has provided a clue to his origins. He is unfailing polite but is dedicated to protecting the Brotherhood and keeps its secrets at all costs.

Vincent will often look for agents he can use to perform investigations while letting the Brotherhood itself remain at arm’s length from any trouble. He is a valuable source of lore, and his colleagues have many magical resources despite their small size.

• Drive: Keep your secrets, investigate new nodes
• Physical Skills: Awareness 4
• Mental Skills: Art 2, Education 5 (Specialisation Mathematics), Lore 4 (Specialisation Nodes),
• Social Skills: Charm 2, Conviction 4, Empathy 2, High Society 2
• Traits: Bookworm, Countermagic, Rich, Geomancy (Danger Sense, My Enemies are the Land’s Enemies, One with the Land, Sense of Eyes, Tap Power)
• Endurance: 7
• Willpower: 13
• Damage: d6