Society of Deus

Domain Summary

Built with the foresight to withstand the Fall and the War of the Dead, the walled Twin Cities of the Society of Deus house a library whose extensive collection rivals the legendary Library of Alexandria, itself. The Society of Deus stands as a monument to the philosophies of personal ascension of its founder and primus, the infamous so-called Liche King, Damien Vryce. 

Life in the Domain

Citizens in the Society of Deus are well-prepared, as they have been since before the Fall. Everyone is expected to defend the Society from attack, and every citizen is a member of a militia. Yet the Society is a city of culture as well. Art, music, and theater are embraced fully, and there are frequent performances. Magic is a way of life for everyone in this domain, and shops selling ritual components are omnipresent. Education and learning institutions are commonplace, as are libraries - though the famous Library of Deus is accessible only to nobility of high standing. 

Dominant Races

Vampires and Mages, few Fae

Paradigm: Hermetic, with a dash of Solificati, Taftani, Ahl-i-Batin, and Euthanatos from refugees over the centuries.

Costuming and Archetypes

Modern Military Mage, Ancient Sorcerer, Modern Businessman, Special Forces Agent

Politics & NPCs

The Primus of the Society of Deus oversees the domain. He is served by a Council of Sages who oversee the various guilds and are responsible for managing a portion of the city. The second of the Society, the Apothee, aids the Primus with various logistical matters in running the domain. There are ten internal titles within the Society, which loosely equate to Dischordian titles. In descending order: Primus (the lord of the Society, internally considered the equivalent of king and above), Tribunis (Prince), Evocati (Duke), Decanus (Count), Decuri (Baron), Opti (Knight), Centurion (Squire, no Sage is below this status), Immunis (Trusted Retainer), Discens (Retainer), Acknowledged (Citizen). Any who are of title Centurion or higher can visit the Libraries of Deus without an escort. Though they may extend such invitations on a temporary basis, they are held responsible for the actions of their guests. The contents of the Library may not be removed or copied under any circumstances..

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Umbral Realms

  • Low Umbra - Shroud 5
  • Middle Umbra - Gauntlet 8
  • Dreaming - Mists 0 (Far Dreaming - Mists 6, Deep Dreaming - Mists 9) / Banality 8
  • High Umbra - Periphery 4 (Vulgate - Periphery 3, Elemental Courts of Occident - Periphery 5, Fortress of Government - Periphery 6)

Historical Information

Harbingers of the Fall

Leading to the Fall, the Twin Cities were a battleground between scions of ancient powers. Serabella, childe and pawn of the Toreador Antediluvian, championed comfort and complacency. Serabella fought to keep mankind docile. Vryce, patronized by Saulot, fought to awaken mankind and return magic to the world. Armed with the knowledge that such awakenings are rarely peaceful, Vryce had prepared. The Twin Cities had prepared for the inevitable upheaval for quite some time. When the fall finally came, with the War of the Dead, the Society of Deus withstood better than most. Their green walls of eldritch magic turned aside the armies of the dead with ease. In the wastelands outside their walls, Balor turned the tide of war against the legions of the dead.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

In the Foundation Era, the Society of Deus was a force to be reckoned with. In spite of their power, or because of it, many domains counted Deus among their enemies. The brash Crown Prince of Deus, Gabriel De’Angelo garnered much of that emnity. His aggressive pursuit of power, with little regard for consequences, earned the ire of many a domain.

Read more: (Founder's Era) Ordo Trismegistus

Dischordia's First War

Nobles of the Society of Deus and Unification Proclamation were frequent courtly adversaries. Aiden Shaw, a Sage of Deus, and Nada, an Abyssal vampire of Unification often opposed one another. Their personal hatred dragged their two domains into a war.

Read more: (Foundation Era) Dischordia's First War

Constantinople Joins Dischordia

Tensions remained high between Lazarus and Dischordia throughout the Foundation Era. When Constantinople found itself threatened by Lazarus, Al-Ashrad sent a representative to seek aid from Dischordia and the Society of Deus in particular. Dischordia sent one noble from each domain to negotiate with Lazarean diplomats.

Read more: (Founder's Era) Constantinople Joins Dischordia

Surveyor's Court

Ordo's aggressive stance towards the other domains emboldened enemies and alienated allies. Foremost among them was Aranta-Shadur, with whom they shared a bitter rivalry.

Read more: (Surveyor’s Court) Ordo Trismegistus

War of Aether

Nul, the King of Aether, cut a scar between worlds to strike at the Society of Deus at nightfall. Abyssal creatures from beyond launched a full assault on the walled city. Some of the mightiest heroes in Deus fell that night. The Society's elite soldiers and ancient vampires were ill-prepared to face such a threat.

Read more: (War of Aether) Ordo Trismegistus

Struggles During the Court of Empires

Following the defeats during the War of Aether, Ordo found it difficult to find it's footing at court. They still bore the stigma of De’Angelo and Morningkill , and accusations of treason. Damien Vryce's absence deprived the domain of his drive and vision. Their nobles lacked specific goals to pursue, making their time at court difficult.

Read more: (Court of Empires) Ordo Struggles

War of Maelstrom's Rebuke

During the Court of Empires, diplomatic relations between Dischordia and Lazarus' Kingdom failed. Dischordian nobles learned of a dark ritual planned by the Prince Alyosha Buljiev. In response, Dischordia launched a coordinated attack on Buljiev's domain of Carpathia. Their attack, seen by Lazarus' Empire as unprovoked, precipitated the conflict. The hostility between the two kingdoms erupted into the War of Maelstrom's Rebuke.

Read more: (War of Maelstrom's Rebuke; Vryce claims Ceoris)

The Sublime Cataclysm

The tides of the war began to turn to their enemy’s favor. The Dischordian lords of prepared a spectacular attack to bring a swift end to the conflict. Sultan Suleiman, a master of spirit magic, led the largest ritual the kingdom had ever seen. New Faith ritualists, students of the Arcane Academy, and a million occultists gathered from all domains aided him. The sky itself bled with the power they summoned. Chunks torn from the spirit realms themselves bombarded Lazarus’ Empire. As each realm struck, it laid waste to thousands of miles of Lazarus' territory. Millions perished in an instant, as the realms destroyed immense swaths of land.

Read more: (Sublime Cataclysm; New Constantinople Falls)

Treaty of Maelstrom's Rebuke

The war ended one year, to the day, after the events which marked its beginning. Delegates from Dischordia and Lazarus met to solidify a treaty and bring the war to a close. Every kingdom sent diplomats to witness the signing, but each had ulterior motives. Each hoped to see their kingdom's goals reflected in the final document. The Treaty detailed terms of ceasefire, such as returning prisoners and withdrawing troops. Yet it also contained several initiatives which advanced specific agendas.

Despite heavy losses during the final months of the war, Ordo counted the Treaty as a great victory. Though the Treaty demanded the return of conquered territory, it exempted Ordo. It explicitly granted their claim to Vienna, Ceoris, and all attached realms, libraries, and holdings around the world. Ordo was thus the only domain to keep their European holdings. This gave Ordo scholars the unique opportunity to study the newly-fallen realms.