Etchers of the Mark

Etchers of the Mark
Every mortal dies, but with enough recognition it doesn't matter.
Sect Name: The Gloryhounds, Etchers

Sect Symbol: Two concentric circles with the outer part divided into sixteen pieces. All seventeen sections are then colored in hues representative of the seventeen outer planes. Individual Gloryhounds inscribe their initials or personal symbol so that it is covering the majority of the symbol; If a generic symbol is needed, a simple X is used instead.

Sect Philosophy:

"Cattle die and kinsmen die.
The Self must also die.
But Glory never dies
For the man that is able to achieve it.

Cattle die and kinsmen die.
The Self must also die.
But I know one thing which never dies:
The Fame of each dead man."

The above quote is an excerpt from the Havamal, or "Sayings of the High One." It is primarily a wisdom poem composed by Odin for his mortal followers. The Etchers of the Mark take these words to heart.

The first fundamental precept that the potential Gloryhound must learn is that he/she or it is going to die. This awareness, this acceptance of death is not comparable to the embrace of death and decay of the the Dustmen and Doomguard. No, rather the Gloryhound accepts the inevitability of death so that he can free himself of its fear, allowing him and spurring him on to accomplish great things before his time is up.

The second precept of the Etchers of the Mark is that in order to live past one's death to some degree, one must make their mark (hence the sect's name). The only way to find immortality is to attain the recognition of others, and to live on in their memories. Some would argue that over time the living will forget the long dead, and so even this is futile. The Gloryhounds argue in return that this does not matter, as Glory is conceived by action, and birthed by the minds of others, but once it has taken some hold, even temporarily, it gains its own life and cannot be extinguished. Gloryhounds believe that in an infinite multiverse, there must be a place where this Glory is remembered. They call this theoretical place the Hall of Fame, and its whereabouts are sought by many. Another belief tied to this precept is that as the Gloryhound's fame spreads, the tales people tell about him get bigger, causing people to believe that the Gloryhound is more than he is. However, since belief has power, what people believe about the Etcher would become true.

The third part of the Etchers' phillosophy is that greatness begets greatness. Whether it be a young girl trying to emulate the wizard that saved her town from a Tanar'ri raid, the blacksmith that wishes to supplant the most renowned of his trade, or the young boy that swears revenge on the warlord who murdered his family, the far reaching acts and accomplishments of their betters have inspired these people to strive for greatness. As such, the Gloryhound knows that the search for Glory benefits not only himself, but all he makes an impression on.

Primary Plane of Influence: The official headquarters of the Etchers of the Mark is in the Gatetown of Glorium on the Outlands. They also have a decent-sized presence on Ysgard and on Arborea, as many of the local cultures already subscribe to at least some of the beliefs of the sect. Members frequently wander the Outlands and the Prime Material seeking fame.

History: There was a young boy from Ysgard name Egil. His father was Stein, son of Asgeir Golden Hair whose father Hrafn the Black was so fierce on the field of battle, so clever of tongue, and so handsome of visage that the Valkyrie Astrid the Bold fell in love with him and bore his children. Egil's mother Aud was the daughter of Eugenia Kokivos, a half-celestial planewalker from Arborea. Eugenia's father was Xenos Kokivos whose father was Visbjorn, an Ursinal, and whose mother was Ember, a Firre Eladrin.

Egil grew to be a great barrel-chested, hirsute man with hair like burnished copper streaked with gold, and eyes like blue fire. While Egil was not to be trifled with on the battlefield, his true strength was in his words. Egil was a skald (a bard specializing in poetry and storytelling) and a very talented one at that; he could recite all the most famous poems and stories (including some from Arborea), and could create excellent verses off the top of his head. But Egil wasn't satisfied; he wasn't content to just be known in the area of his home. Egil, knowing the Eddas, the Sagas, and a certain war epic by a blind prime of the people called the Olympians, realized that he needed to find his fame and be remembered far and wide across the planes, so he made the logical first step: Egil went to Sigil.

Upon arriving in Sigil, the first major obstacle that Egil realized he must overcome was the temptation to join a faction. He encountered enormous pressure from everyone he met to join a faction, but none really appealed to him, so he joined the Indeps. That lasted until he encountered problems with the Hardheads for his affiliation, and with the Indeps for actually having beliefs! So Egil decided that what he really needed to do was thoroughly piece together his beliefs, declare himself to be a member of a sect of one, and then not bother anyone and hope the Lady didn't mind. It worked.

Egil spent a good deal of time in Sigil playing at inns and hiring himself out for more dangerous jobs for a while, until he developed a fair reputation and some experience in adventuring matters. Somewhat satisfied on that front, he moved on to wandering the planes, (not forsaking the prime) helping those in need and spreading his name, (as well as other endeavors that will be discussed elsewhere).

By the time of the Faction War Egil had made quite a name for himself, and was owed many favors, but he wanted his Sect to grow. His Sect was only around fifty members big, but with the Lady's edict, he figured the playing field had been leveled, and the time was right for expansion. Egil called in some of his favors, and was able to aquire a small building in Glorium with a portal to Sigil. This building (known now as Runestone Lodge) serves as the headquarters for the sect.

Allies and Enemies: Given the divine inspiration of this Sect, the Athar and the Gloryhounds aren't on the best of terms; the Athar see the Etchers are unknowing pawns of chaotic powers, and the Gloryhounds see the Athar as too blinded by hatred to see any benefit to divine guidance.

The Etchers find the Bleak Cabal, Doom Guard, and Dustmen to frankly be too depressing and defeatist. While the Gloryhounds expect their eventual death, it's not something they strive for (unless their end is suitably spectacular). The Bleak Cabal obviously sees the acquisition of fame as pointless. The Doomguard bristles at the notion of Glory being eternal. The Dustmen see the Etchers as doomed to have the True Death eternally just out of their grasp; accepting death, but embracing the False Life.

The Etchers and the Fated tend to get along most of the time. With both originating from Ysgard, this is not very surprising. Both groups focus on a target and strive to acquire it throughout their lives; only the target is different: fame for one and wealth for the other.

The Etchers tend to have no problem with the Guvners' obsession with acquiring knowledge, they actually tend to admire it. However Gloryhounds tend to be chaotic, and so individual Gloryhounds often find themselves at odds with the Fraternity of Order, as well as the Hardheads, and the Mercykillers (and their successor the Sodkillers and to a lesser extent the Sons of Mercy).

The Freeleague and the Gloryhounds don't mind each others company, as both value the strength of the individual. Only the strength of conviction to a philosphy sets them apart.

Before the Faction War Egil routinely befriended Godsmen (for both groups focus on improving oneself), and the Sign of One (because the second Gloryhound precept is essentially an extrapolation of the Signer's philosophy; they get everyone else to imagine them as great). As such the Etchers of the Mark get along fabulously with the Mind's Eye.

The Revoultionary League barely pays attention to the Gloryhounds, but this may change as the sect grows. However, given the sect's focus on individuals over hierarchy, the Anarchists might not care about them as much.

Once again, Ysgardian origins make it easier for Gloryhounds and Ring-Givers to get along; for the good-aligned Gloryhounds, at least. Good-aligned adventuring Gloryhounds often perform deeds that benefit many at the expense of themselves, and their acts are rewarded with admiration. Even the non-good-aligned or non-adventuring Etchers give to others by way of the third precept.

Adventuring Gloryhounds and Sensates both tend to live their lives to the fullest, experiencing the planes, and sharing their experiences with others, although their means and motives may be somewhat different. The Gloryhounds tend to respect the Transcendant Order's dedication to action, but the Ciphers generally think that the Etchers are less effective than they could be due to their own self-consciousness.

As for the Xaositects? Who can really predict anything in regards to the Chaosmen?

Members: There are only two requirements for membership. A potential member must have at least two Reputation points (As found in Unearthed Arcana, or the slightly modified version that will appear in the future. If using UA, only use the event-based variant).

A full member must be mortal, as only mortals can accept the first precept. The sect has acquired some immortal allies, and has made a few of them honorary members, but such individuals cannot rise to positions of power within the sect or gain any feat or prestige class benefits. If a member seeks immortality or wishes to become sentient undead, his sect feats and sect prestige class special powers (as detailed in the class descriptions) are lost, and his membership revoked if his plans are discovered. If either condition is unwillingly thrust upon him, the benefits are only lost/revoked if he does not do everything in his power to rectify the situation.

A member may be of any alignment, but Lawful Good/Lawful Neutral types tend to be too humble and group-oriented to actively seek fame.

Members need not be adventurers; many seek to become famous performers, artisans, artificers, or artists. Bards and static artists are especially prized by the Sect as they can help to spread the fame of others in addition to their own. Members who seek fame by this route may seek the Notable Artisan/Performer prestige class (future release).

Most, but not nearly all, of the adventuring type of Gloryhound are either good- or evil-aligned. The good-aligned ones are noble and heroic, in hopes that they will be admired throughout the ages. Some of them may take up the Celebrated Hero prestige class (future release).

The evil-aligned ones seek infamy, wreaking havoc across the planes and hoping that their names will be used by parents to scare their children into behaving. The good-aligned Etchers only grudgingly suffer the evil ones to coexist with them, knowing that all good stories need villains. They generally keep a truce while in Glorium or Sigil, but if they encounter each other anywhere else, all bets are off. Evil-aligned Gloryhounds might decide to take up the Reviled Villain prestige class (future release).