The Forgotten Voices
Description:
The Forgotten Voices, a faction of lore keepers, preserve the history and myths of the Buried Lands through oral traditions. They believe that the written word is vulnerable to corruption, so they pass their stories through carefully trained reciters. Their lore spans from the creation of the world to the cataclysmic war between gods and giants. The Forgotten Voices wander the lands, sharing knowledge at gatherings and secret councils, ensuring that even the most ancient truths live on.
Agenda:
To safeguard the true history of the Buried Lands, ensuring that knowledge is preserved and passed on unaltered. They believe that understanding the past is crucial to avoiding future disasters and aim to protect ancient wisdom from fading into obscurity or being rewritten by rulers with agendas.
Symbol:
An open mouth surrounded by concentric rings, representing the ever-repeating cycles of knowledge passed through speech.
Tactics and Beliefs
- Oral Reciters: Members undergo extensive training to perfectly memorize the faction’s vast collection of stories, prophecies, and history. They are known for their impeccable memory and ability to recount these tales with exact precision.
- Sacred Gatherings: They regularly convene secret councils where stories are shared, ensuring that knowledge is spread evenly across all members. These gatherings are deeply ritualistic, as they believe that the telling itself is a form of magic that protects their lore.
- No Written Records: They reject any form of writing, seeing it as prone to manipulation. Instead, they rely on apprenticeships, where masters pass on their knowledge directly to younger members.
- Hidden Truths: The Forgotten Voices are rumored to hold secrets that are not meant for the general public. These truths are said to be reserved only for the highest-ranking members of the faction.
Hierarchy
- The Grand Echo: The leader, responsible for ensuring the integrity of the lore. They are the most skilled and knowledgeable lore keeper, having memorized the faction’s entire oral library.
- Elder Reciters: Senior members who are trusted with the most critical stories and prophecies. They also serve as mentors to the younger members.
- Lorecarriers: The rank-and-file members who wander the lands, sharing stories with local populations and helping to pass on the knowledge they’ve been entrusted with.
- Whispers: Initiates who are still learning the oral traditions. They are not yet allowed to publicly recount the faction’s lore and must first prove their memory and dedication.
In the silence of forgotten tales, the truth whispers louder than any written word.
Type
Social, Group
Neutral
The Forgotten Voices view The Emerald Veil with a mixture of intrigue and wariness. While The Emerald Veil's focus on nature and preservation aligns with the Voices' respect for ancient knowledge, there can be tensions over differing priorities. The Emerald Veil may seek to protect sacred places that The Forgotten Voices believe hold important historical significance, leading to occasional conflicts over resource use and sacred sites.
Complicated
The Forgotten Voices and The Crimson Blades have a complicated relationship. The lore keepers provide crucial information about monsters and ancient relics, which the Crimson Blades value. However, The Forgotten Voices often criticize the Blades for their aggressive methods and fear that their relentless pursuit of monsters may lead to the misuse of the knowledge they hold.
Cautious
The Forgotten Voices have a cautious and somewhat adversarial relationship with The Purging Flame. The Purging Flame’s desire to eradicate all traces of dark magic and cursed artifacts can lead to the destruction of valuable historical records and artifacts. The Forgotten Voices strive to preserve such knowledge, often finding themselves in opposition to the Purging Flame’s radical methods and their impact on historical preservation.
Hostile
The Forgotten Voices and The Voidbound Covenant are often at odds. The Covenant’s dealings with dark magic and otherworldly entities are viewed with suspicion by the lore keepers. The Forgotten Voices believe that the Covenant’s pursuit of forbidden knowledge and dark forces threatens the balance of their carefully preserved history. They are often in a defensive stance against the Covenant's attempts to access or exploit ancient lore.