I’d like to take some time to answer these questions. Matthew requested another interview with me to go through some of these things, but we haven’t seem to have had time to synch our schedules. Here’s the answers.
Would the Ruv'na be interested in manipulating ghosts? As ghosts cannot be marked (except in the case of Myri's lot), becoming one may be ideal for a Ruv'na seeking a permanent release from a curse they are experiencing. This could be one of the ideals of the Ruv'na, asking that members fight against fate even in death.
The Ruv’na are going to use any tools they can to work against any divine action in the world. If that meant employing or utilizing ghosts in some way, then they would. The Ruv’na would not, however, seek to become ghosts. They understand reincarnation and know that they can return again to continue the fight so to speak. To a Ruv’na, the cycle is sacred, not something to be broken. They want humans to be free to move through it without the interference of the Gods.
I was wondering about the Ruv'na history, post-Val. How did the group survive the cataclysm -- did they at all use it as a source of propaganda against the gods (ie, look what they did, can't be trusted, etc).
Do they ever kidnap gnosis mark carriers, in an effort to maybe utilize those marks to their own benefit? Or would the god's immediately remove the mark?
They survived like everyone else. They went underground with the rest of the population, seeking shelter in the caves of the world. For a while, their struggle was put on hold as they figured out – along with the rest of humanity – how to live without crops, find water, and just keep alive as the djed storms raged above them. They taught their children in the Ruv’na ways, but there wasn’t much they could do other than survive. Once the world stabilized, they didn’t propaganda against the Gods, but they did redouble their efforts knowing a God caused this destruction and that it could (and they are right) happen again at any time.
They consider all those that hold gnosis marks as tainted. They would prefer to outright kill them, but sometimes they do use them to lay traps to get bigger kills. They consider each gnosis mark bearer they take down a means to weaken the Gods whose marks these people hold. They would not utilize marks if they themselves got one. That would be a taint… and if they did not kill themselves to free themselves of the taint, their fellow Ruv’na would.
Should a character want to interact with the Ruv'na at all (either beneficially or negatively), are there particular regions that have a higher influence of the Ruv'na? Or are less safe for those with gnosis? I realize you want to keep a mystery about this faction (and maybe leave it flexible too) but it might help to have OOC knowledge of where encounters are more likely to occur.
The Ruv’na are mainly in Riverfall and Cyphrus where they have already been featured and played exclusively. Eventually they will be spread out and out in the game a bit more. This group is something I created a while ago to sort of spotlight how people can become fanatics and come together to work towards a common goal. These are meant to be an example of a faction that can rise from the cultures of Mizahar.
You mentioned families... are there some key families you could name instead of being ambiguous? A baseline for players to draw upon might be nice. Maybe mention the leader of the group?
The leader is a man named Carvex.
There are families that belong to the Ruv’na, but they do not keep their family names. They take on other names and do not go by surnames. Matthew clearly states that in the article. They have no identity other than the identity they earn through proving themselves through their training and knowledge of ideals.
The ranking system seems odd. It seems to clash with the naming of the operatives. You say names can be shapes, colors, objects... but then the ranks are called "Objects" "Shapes" "Colors". Does a persons name change when they advance in rank? Like an object could be called "Knife" but when "Knife" advances to a color is he now called "Blue" or -insert new title here-? It just kind of threw me off. More explanation would be appreciated.
I feel Matthew was perhaps utilizing this as a placeholder…. The shapes… until a system could be developed. IT was one of the things we were going to talk about.. the tiers within the group. I haven’t devolved to deeply into this through the Ruv’na rp that’s been underway, but that doesn’t mean its not there floating around somewhere. I don’t think the shapes and colors are going to stay. They will have a firm tier system though.
How does one advance in ranks? Do they have to complete a certain number of missions, kill a certain number of marked peeps, gain skills and power?
Ruv’na advance by taking on missions from Carvex and his leadership circle and succeeding. The more they further the cause of the group, the more they advance.
What is the Ruv'na culture?
I’m not sure what we need here is a cultural writeup. Matthew signed up to put all my trailing thoughts together in a writeup and add his own clever brilliant twist to it. I don’t think he signed up for a cultural writeup. They aren’t a culture. They are a faction.
I am so curious about how the Ruv'na would interact with the Ethaefal. Do they see the Ethaefal still connected to their patron as blasphemy against the Ruv'na's very own code? Or are they hesitant to attack/kill/defile Ethaefal for fear of earning the patron's direct wrath?
On the reverse side, as the Forsaken are Ethaefal that have unmoored from their patron, do the Ruv'na consider them different from other Ethaefal? Will they still hunt them, or will they ally themselves (if the Ethaefal is supportive of the notion) in the interest of working against the gods who forsook them?
I can’t really answer these until Katie gets the new Eth writeup done. Many things will be changing so we can’t tie the Eth in here until the Eth are more stable.
In the event of capture, what are Ruv'na trained to do? Are the Ruv'na willing to stage capture on their recruits to test the mettle of their prospects? Are they willing to sacrifice those members in the event of capture?
They are trained to deal with capture on a situational basis. Who captured them? Why? Are the captors actual enemies or just something else? All the answers to these questions depend on their reaction to being taken. Will they kill themselves? It depends. They will not be used as instruments of the Gods.
I've seen a lot of mention about skill levels in regards to advancement, so I'm wondering if there is also a protocol for mentoring, or even vouching for the advancement of a lower-tier Ruv'na. Would that possibly be the sort of thing to help a Shape become a part of the Body? Would that even be simply a matter of voting on likely candidates?
This is a system that needs to be thought more about. I know I haven’t developed anything in regards to it so far.
How does the Ruv'na operate? How do they carry out their missions? How do they communicate with each other? How do they keep their secrets? Where do missions come from?
Some of this does not need to be revealed in a writeup. Why? Because the majority of this game tends to take OOC knowledge IC. Just because its in the lore doesn’t mean it’s out in the open. They operate, communicate, and keep their secrets just like other humans do. Their missions come from their leadership and their actions coincide with their agenda.
Do the Ruv'na have a base? Where is it? Do they operate in a certain region or are they all over Mizahar?
Yes. It’s called Stiapris. It’s a fortress hidden from the eyes of the Gods. It’s also one of the most powerful sources of Static Artifacts out there. Why? The Ruv’na are really good at making them. It’s location is a secret.
How many members do the Ruv'na have? Are they a large organization? Or kept small because it's difficult to join? You've already mentioned that the Body has only seven members, but what about the numbers of the rest of the ranks? Would rank size decrease with each rank (i.e. Body having smallest, Objects having largest), or would it make more sense to go something like Body smallest, Shapes second-smallest, Objects third, Colors fourth...? This alternative would make sure that every person going through initiation could have at least one higher operative watching their progress.
There are well under a thousand members. I suspect the number fluctuates around the core in Stiapris. There may be field operatives, trainers, even whole Ruv’na families living in the fortress but that doesn’t’ mean they are ‘active’. Probably carrying out the missions of the Ruv’na equates to less than 200 people at any given time and they do operate worldwide.
Do they have any particular allies or enemies? Based on that, is there anybody outside of the Ruv'na who knows of their existence (ex: has anyone ever speculated upon them in books and the like)?
The Cyatli is their enemy. They have a long history of conflict with each other.
Are there any financial benefits for joining? Can a member of the Ruv'na expect to be paid a salary (like the Black Sun or the Knights)? I assume that the Ruv'na would have multiple businesses located in Mizahar to help fund their operations. Would they also, possibly, collect donations or have secretive benefactors? This could even be people hoping that the Ruv'na act against a particular diety-- say, someone influential from Ravok might be convinced to donate if he had been told the Ruv'na were an organization created to terrorize the Syliran Knights, or some such.
The Ruv’na who live at the fortress are supported by the fortress. They each have duties to maintain those living there. But there are many that do not live within its confines and are members. There are no paid salaries. There are opportunities to earn coin in various ways normal people earn coin…. Growing food, hunting, trading, etc. Do not think of this group in terms of modern society.
Do the Ruv'na try to spark up wars between followers of different religions? And do the Ruv'na hunt down/try to destroy fragments (which I believe are pieces of the gods) or gnosis-marked weapons/objects?
They will do anything they can to further their goals. They aren’t stupid. On the contrary, they are very intelligent and bide their time and undermine things from the inside out. They are willing to destroy anything that empowers the Gods, Gnosis marked people and items included.
do the Ruv'na have any special means of communication? Do they pass messages in the conventional ways, long-distance (perhaps putting letters in code)? And for direct communication between members: do they have a particular language they use? The Syliran Knights use a unique form of sign language (a derivative of the Drykas' Pavi) that only the initiated understand.
They are humans, mages and warriors, farmers and fathers. They communicate in the same ways all these other people communicate in.
Is there any in-fighting or competition in the ranks? Do certain members garner more favor than others? Also, in the Body you mentioned that a member of the legs will replace the head. How do they decide who replaces that leg (presumably someone from the Shapes)?
The Ruv’na are incredibly disciplined. They do not question authority of their leadership nor is infighting common. They are raised from birth to obey without question and do so. Those that are recruited are trained in the same manner, though those who have always been members rise faster and are trusted further.
Are there ceremonies for when a member advances (perhaps having to do with the branding thing)?
Yes. They will be written into the writeup
Negative Gnosis marks?
To be marked by a God, good or bad, is to be tainted. They treat them the same; with death.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope some of this helps.
by Xii on February 19th, 2015, 2:17 pm 
