[Faction] Ruv'na (Peer Review)

[Matthew]

Bribery : For the first five reviews this gets, I will draw the reviewer a picture of their choice and upload it for them. Quality of the drawing will be questionable. Other rewards/bribes (quality Matthew smut, free book, kind words) can be discussed as well. Please PM to claim. Again, quality of drawings are not much higher than that of a third-grader. The Proposal can be found here. The HD approval can be found here. The Ruv'na Draft The Ruv'na are a mixed group of people originating from the Pre-Valterrian era who feel the influence of the Gods on Mizahar is too heavy-handed. They oppose any interference in mortal life by the Mizaharian deities. To that end the Ruv'na act like anti-god fanatics and move in any direction they can to thwart divine will. This can be a simple and sudden brutal butchering of a random Marked follower, or a well-planned attack on a temple of Priskil. All Gods are included in their scorn, regardless of alignment or sphere of influence. They also have a long history of conflict with the [[Cyatli]], perhaps the only group who is fully aware of their presence and the dangers they present to the world. The Ruv'na are currently located mainly in Riverfall and Cyphrus, but are slowly spreading their influence further throughout the world. Their headquarters is a location called [[Stiapris]], a powerful Static Artifact with a location hidden from even the eyes of the Gods. They are a radical and dangerous group Membership: Becoming a Ruv'na: There are many families that make up the bulk of the Ruv’na. These men and women have dedicated their existence to this cause. The most common way to become a member of the Ruv’na is to simply be born into one of these families. A Ruv’na family produces a very unique kind of individual however, something that should be noted for any PCs looking to create someone who was born into the organization. Almost all other members of the Ruv’na are recruited into the faction. The Ruv’na is an extremely secretive group, hard to track down and actually approach with the intention of joining. More often than not, the Ruv’na will find you. They keep an eye on those who express displeasure with the gods and will often approach them if they feel that the individual will be of use. Those with Negative Gnosis marks are especially targeted, the Ruv’na tempting them with a way to perhaps release them from their torment. In any case, simply express your displeasure with the gods and the Ruv’na will eventually find you. The Ruv’na do value a particular set of skills. Children raised within a Ruv’na family will find themselves trained in a selection of these skills, while potential members from the outside will be valued for their talent in these skills. The Ruv’na will also make it a point to train a member in these skills, a certain level of expertise required for advancement within the ranks. Acting Disguise Impersonation Intelligence Interrogation Leadership Persuasion Poison Politics Seduction Subterfuge Tactics Torture Weapon Skills Certain magical skills are valued as well. Alchemy Auristics Hypnotism Magecraft Shielding Webbing (Extremely valued) The Ruv'na Ranks: When a person joins the Ruv'na and completes their training they are given an operative name that they go by thereafter. These names are usually one-word names that are generally shapes, colors, or objects. Upon the completion of training and the assumption of an operative name, the Ruv'na are then branded on the back of their neck with the symbol of their organization interwoven with their operative name symbol. As they advance through the ranks, their name may change and symbols added. The Ruv'na are an incredibly disciplined group, rarely (if ever) questioning the authority of their leadership. Infighting is incredibly rare, utter obedience strictly trained into every member. Each new member will also receive a small coin with Static magecrafted into it, the purpose of which is further explained in the Additional Notes. The rankings of the Ruv’na are as follows. The Objects: Objects are the lowest ranking members of the Ruv’na, people who have completed the required training but aren’t considered fully “whole”. This ranking is most commonly reserved for those who were not born into one of the many families that the Ruv’na is mostly composed of. Objects are often abused in many ways, either directly toyed with by their superiors or sent on missions that only the cruelest could possibly complete. This is not an act of pure evil, instead it is a way to make sure that the Object is faithful to the cause. The Objects are exactly what their rank states, mere objects used to further the goals of the Ruv’na. Only when their loyalty is without question are they allowed to become something more. The Colors: Colors are the next rank, their name symbolic for the individuality that they have begun to take on within the faction. These are members that will be trusted to carry out missions passed down to them. They are often partnered with other Colors or assigned to a Shape for guidance and leadership. Many people that are born into the Ruv’na will go straight to this ranking once they have finished their training. Objects will find that this level is extremely hard to reach, requiring great acts of loyalty for the Ruv’na to trust them with this responsibility. Static, a magic that some people might try to infiltrate the Ruv’na to learn, is only taught at this level. The Shapes: These are the most trusted of followers and often the most dangerous. They are usually powerful and intelligent people who have been trusted with great tasks. The Shapes are so vital to the goals of the Ruv’na that lower ranking members usually have no idea who any of the Shapes are unless apprenticed under them or tasked by them. The Shapes are the ones who infiltrate governments, relentlessly hunt down marked followers and murder them, and other such dangerous tasks. The Ruv’na even whispers that some of the Shapes may have infiltrated into the followers of the gods themselves. The Body: The Body of the Ruv’na consists of seven members: six legs and one head. While all similar in power, they are under the leadership of the head, who has the final say on every movement the Ruv’na will make. The existence of the legs is to make sure that a leading body is maintained if the head was to ever be killed in action. The most immediately available leg will instantly take the place of the head, allowing the Body to continue working without pause. These are the men and women who firmly believe that they can remove the gods from Mizahar, and that actually may have the ability to do it. The current Head of the Ruv'na is a man by the name of [[Carvex]]. Advancing through the Ranks: Higher ranks are granted when assigned missions have been accomplished. There is no true structure to this. When a superior feels that a person has notably furthered the cause of the Ruv'na and is skilled enough to take on more responsibilities, then they have the power to immediately grant the advancement in rank. Preferred Races: While there are no real preferred races, there are races that the Ruv’na are usually quite biased against. Any of the races that are usually found with a Gnosis of some sort (Konti, Svefra, etc) are generally despised by the Ruv’na. Special notes about specific races can be found below. Ethaefal: Pending Ethaefal article revision. Ghosts: While they do not specifically seek out Ghosts, they are not opposed to using them as a tool to achieve their goals. Often, Ghosts will find themselves paired with a powerful Spiritist in order to control them, at least until they can be trusted to work alone. History: When the Valterrian struck, 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. If anything, after the Ruv'na recovered from the Valterrian, they were empowered by it and the damage it could do to the reputations of the Deities. Ending Service: It is extremely rare for a Ruv’na to be able to end his service on his own terms, if not completely impossible. The Ruv’na are well aware of the dangerous line they walk by opposing the gods and have no interest in leaving any loose ends. However, it isn’t unheard of for long-serving members of the Ruv’na to retire once age, illness or injury renders them unable to serve. More often than not though, they are heavily encouraged to volunteer for mundane tasks that still benefit the greater good of the group. Additional Notes: Born into the Ruv'na: Ruv’na children are usually raised in a way that others would see as cruel and demented. The Ruv’na believe that concepts such as Love, Good, and Evil are defined by the gods that reside over those domains. The Ruv’na reject those ideas and their god-given definitions, instead raising their children in a way that is completely unique to the parent. The child is often raised with no concept of good or evil, no concept of kindness or cruelty. They are trained to hate the gods and those that follow them, mental conditioning quite a popular method of parenting in the Ruv’na. Children are often allowed to participate in the torture and murder of a captured marked follower, allowing them to funnel and use the hatred that is bred into them. With no concept of normal morality or good values, PC’s raised in a Ruv’na family can grow up to be very warped or unique in their outlook on life. This does not mean they are crazy or insane. Their state of mind and morality is just extremely different than the norm. The Coin: The Coin is one of the core concepts that keeps the Ruv’na running. The faction is frighteningly effective in how well they work together. All members of the same rank are equal to another. Members of a lesser rank obey the orders of those above them without question. If a member has a disagreement with another member of the same rank, the Coin to be used in order to instantly resolve the conflict. Upon joining the Ruv’na, each member is gifted with a small magecrafted coin that holds a small amount of Static. The coin looks like a normal gold miza, though it vibrates and hums ever so slightly. Upon any disagreement, the coin is flipped and the one who calls the flip correctly is the one who immediately has the final say. Luck and Fate are both concepts that are also governed by the gods. The Static Coin is symbolic of the disconnect that the Ruv’na wishes to have between themselves and the gods, a unique way of making sure that every choice they make is completely their own.

[Irriari]

They oppose any interference at all in life on Mizahar by the Deities that occupy Mizahar.

This reads a bit awkwardly with the ‘at all in life’ bit. You might consider revising it to ‘They oppose any interference to life on Mizahar by the Deities.’
This is a bit nitpicky, but do they care about the Dieties messing with the undead/the Nuit?

There are many families that make up the bulk of the Ruv’na, men and women who have dedicated their existence to this very cause.

I would love to see a breakdown of these families, if possible. Ravok has a breakdown of the Nitrozians and other renowned families based on influential members and their history. What would life look like being born into one of these families? How would their parents interact with them on top of teaching them the skills they learn to become a color/torture skills? Would they be on their own a lot? This would help PCs start with a relationship to the Ruv’na, if they wanted to. I think it would be needed information to create a backstory for PCs.

the Ruv’na will find you.

It might not make it into the lore article, but what does their approach typically look like? Does a person approach you or do they write correspondence?

These are members that will be trusted to carry out missions passed down to them..

Extra period at the end.

Additional thoughts: I love this article. This is the reason I said I wanted to be a WD writer like you. I love the thought of the Ruv’na. I would love to see stories and a history of their successes and failures. I also hope someone makes a young PC that was born into the Ruv’na. I wanted to edit more, but there were so few mistakes. Great work, I hope this gets approved.

[Irriari]

One other note, you might consider a section on the number of skill points and lores needed to join as an Object and format it like the Ebonstryfe/Syliran Knights.
As an example:

In order to become an apprentice, a petitioner must possess the following skills:

Weapon (Any) - 20 pts
Unarmed Combat (Any) - 20 pts
Lore (Religion - Rhysol)
Lore (Politics) or a Lore related to one of the five skills listed below.
A total of 20 points in any combination of the following: Intelligence, Interrogation, Poison, Larceny, Seduction.
It may be possible to petition the Ebonstryfe to become an Apprentice with skills and abilities comparable to the ones listed above but this is done on a case-by-case basis with no guarantee that one will be accepted.

[Ruroc]

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.

[Thomas Cosa]

So I think this is a great write-up! Glad to see it in peer review

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?

[Sayana]

Excellent article overall. You really make a good impression of the secrecy of the group. 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. Now for some technical comments/suggestions. The Intro Blurb: Change the title to something more formal, such as "Introduction:" There are many families that make up the bulk of the Ruv’na, men and women who have dedicated their existence to this very cause. This reads funny. Maybe: "There are many families that make up the bulk of the Ruv’na. These men and women have dedicated their existence to this very cause." A Ruv’na family produces a very unique kind of individual however, something that should be noted for any PCs looking to create someone who was born into the organization. This reads funny too. Maybe: "A Ruv’na family produces a very unique kind of individual who might have questionable morals and psychology due to their abnormal upbringing. Such differences should be noted before creating a PC who was born into the organization." If this is too lengthy, then take out "due to their abnormal upbringing". Almost all other members of the Ruv’na are recruited into the faction. Almost? Are there other ways of joining? If not, then either take out the "almost" or change it to: "All other members of the Ruv'na must be recruited into the faction." They keep an eye on those who express displeasure with the gods and will often approach them if they feel that the individual will be of us. The "us" is a bit jarring because of the change in viewpoint. Perhaps: "They keep an eye on those who express displeasure with the gods and will often approach them if they feel that the individual will become one of them." Or: "They keep an eye on those who express displeasure with the gods and will often approach them if they feel that the individual has the potential to succeed amongst the Ruv'na." In any case, simply express your displeasure with the gods, then the Ruv’na will eventually find you. Replace "then" with "and" The Ruv’na will also make it a point to train a member in these skills, a certain level of expertise required for advancement within the ranks. "The Ruv’na will also make it a point to train a member in these skills, and a certain level of expertise is required for advancement within the ranks.” Also, similar to what Irri mentioned, could any of these required skill levels be specified? Particularly, what does "basic training" consist of for those born of the Ruv'na to advance to the "Color" rank? This ranking is most commonly reserved for those who were not born into one of the many families that the Ruv’na is mainly composed of. Take out the "mainly". It's wordy and not necessary. Static, a magic that some people might try to infiltrate the Ruv’na to learn, is only taught at this level. Awkward. Also, briefly explain the basic principle behind static. Maybe: "The elusive magic, static, is only taught at this level. The Ruv'na have preserved the use of this magic to break the bonds between the gods and the physical realm. People attempting to learn static might try to infiltrate the Ruv'na." Arg, I don't think my words are any better. So take it or leave it, or fiddle with it some more. However, it would be nice if Static was briefly explained somewhere (maybe not in this section) since it is such a vital magic to the Ruv'na. Being Born into the Ruv'na: Take out "Being". It's not necessary. The Coin Frankly it makes me immediately think of Harry Potter before I even start reading the description. This is in regard's to Hermione's coin system for communicating. Yes, this is a different type of coin with a different use but you might still have people immediately thinking of Harry Potter (and I'm not sure if that's what you want or not).

[Rayage]

Ok so, here are some questions/food for thought/my review of the article. Um, I did not read the other reviews so if there is repeat information, Im sorry.

I think that it is a GOOD START of a group. I feel that its a nice baseline to work on, but there are factors that need to be expanded upon. Right now it seems bare, lacking in detail, and doesnt seem to possess depth. The Ruv'na is a very unique group and I feel that you can do better Good start, but it needs added to. The devil is in the details. Expand on some of the concepts you introduced in the article.

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? How was the group formed? It seems like they would have a cool and tragic back story.

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.

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?

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?

Do the Ruv'na have a base? Where is it? Do they operate in a certain region or are they all over Mizahar?

What is the Ruv'na culture? They sound like a 'cult' for lack of better word. Some depth to their thought process and how they view Mizahar, the gods, etc will help people who make Ruv'na characters or want to be initiated into the group, better portray and accurately RP the group and the members.

... These are only the questions that came off the top of my head. They are just something to provoke you to think more about the group in general and how they do what they do. Id just like to see this group be the best they can be, and be well thought out and fleshed.

[Yra]

So, great faction! I'm definitely excited to see this come into play, and I've decided to toss in some questions of my own (if only to satisfy my own intense curiosity). Honestly, they are Ethaefal questions. The Ethaefal 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? With those questions placed down, I have a few non-Eth ones that have occurred to me. 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? 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?

[Hirem]

Hey hey Matthew. I'm going to give what insight I can from going through the original Ruv'na lore page and what's been established through role-play, but most of my comments are related to Rayage. Basically, what I want to see in this article is more: more elaboration, more game mechanics, more information. It's a very good start, but it doesn't fill enough of the gaps players need to know before they work this organization into their plots.

Specific Points

The Ruv'na are a mixed group of people originating from the Pre-Valterrian era who feel the influence of the Gods on Mizahar is too heavy handed. They oppose any interference in life on Mizahar by the Deities that occupy Mizahar.

I feel as if there's too much use of the word "Mizahar" here. I think you could instead write, "They oppose any interference in mortal life by the Mizaharian deities."

There are many families that make up the bulk of the Ruv’na... Almost all other members of the Ruv’na are recruited into the faction.

I think the second sentence is unnecessary, because of course if the individual is not born into the Ruv'na, they are recruited. You could launch directly into, "The Ruv'na is an extremely secretive organization..."

Upon the completion of training and the assumption of an operative name, the Ruv'na are then branded on the back of their neck with the symbol of their organization interwoven with their operative name symbol.

To me, this seems like a bad idea on the Ruv'na's part. I mean, the last thing an organization that is trying very hard to stay under the notice of the gods would want is an identifying mark, right? And if each member that is operating in the wide world already has the Static coin on their person, they don't really need the brand to tell who is in the organization. And the last thing I want to point out is that it seems contradictory for the organization that's going up against the gods to brand their followers with a "gnosis" of their own.

Static, a magic that some people might try to infiltrate the Ruv’na to learn, is only taught at this level.

Is continually improving Static a requirement to continue advancing within the Ruv'na? It seems to me that since Static is the main weapon against the gods and gnosis-marked followers, an individual's skill should reach certain levels before they continue advancing. (I.e. Competency should be learned while a Color, Expert level is needed to become a Shape, and so on.)

Suggestions

- I love the Coin idea you've already established, but what if the Coin was used for more than just the resolution of inner-group conflicts? I picture the idea of this "Static Bomb" being deployed as a last resort by the Ruv'na if caught by overwhelming numbers, makes me smile every time.

- As far as the intent of the organization goes, I think you could go on at length about the manner in which the Ruv'na cultivate their reputation and go about picking their targets. From what I've read of them, the Ruv'na are essentially terrorists, strategically striking at symbols of godly worship to engender chaos within society and eventually cause the breakdown of Mizaharian faith. Their tactics and strategies could reflect this, highlighting just how keenly aware the Ruv'na are attuned to society's weak points.

- Rayage pointed out the possible need to flesh out the families that are already intertwined with the Ruv'na, and I'd like to suggest perhaps giving some background information for PCs that want to start as a member of these families. Obviously they cannot start off being highly-trained recruits, so perhaps the requirement is that PCs joining a Ruv'na family have to get HD permission?

- This is me as an AS speaking, but I think Sunberth would be an ideal location for a Ruv'na outpost. I think the group is best off with a base that is located in the wilderness, since living in a city would bring them into direct contact with religious followers and risk drawing attention to themselves. And since most Ruv'na operatives are highly trained, living in the wild would at least be possible for them. Other cities that could harbour a Ruv'na presence could be Kenash, Kalinor, Zinrah... the gods are active in these regions, but faith in them is not overriding in society. Cities that the Ruv'na would probably not be able to operate in for long would be: Yahebah, Riverfall, Ravok, Syliras, Nyka, Avanthal, Lhavit, Sultros, Alvadas, Taloba, and Black Rock. Yikes that's a long list.

Overall Matthew, I think you've nailed the general concept of the Ruv'na. All that the article needs is more information to make it serve as a handy reference for future Ruv'na PCs.

[Matthew]

All,

There have been a lot of things developed with the Ruv'na behind the scenes or in RP, so I am going to check with a few people and see if they already have established answers for some of the excellent questions brought up. If there aren't established answers already, I'll clarify if they want them developed or want them left vague due to the nature of the group. Even if they want them left vague, I will make mention of that in the article. However, there were some topics brought up that I can easily add in on my own.

To Ask:

• History
• Main Areas of Operation
• Families
• Tactics
• Culture

To Add:

• Event of a Capture
• Advancement and Skill Requirements
• Tinker with the Coin
• Process for new characters to join
• Feelings toward specific Races

One thing that multiple people mentioned was how the wording seemed to state there was another option besides recruiting or being born into the faction. I just realized that I didn't mention this anywhere at all, but what about kidnapping/corrupting/brain-washing?

All grammatical errors and awkward wording have been edited as suggested. As for other specific things that I didn't cover above:

Irriari :

Thank you, and good questions. I'll work to expand on the things that you mentioned.

Arin and Thomas :

Excellent questions. I will find out!

Sayana :

With explaining Static, wouldn't it just be better to link the word 'Static' to the article that is devoted to it in the wiki? It is required reading if they are at all interested in learning Static for whatever reason.

With the Coin, I haven't read Harry Potter. I'll check it out, thank you.

Rayage :

With the rankings, I will check. The current wiki entry says that their operative names are one-word names that are generally shapes, colors, sizes, or objects. I took that and expanded upon it, making it that their name also signifies their rank. When they advance, the operative name would indeed change. I'll clarify that and check to see what exactly the original author had in mind.

Most everything else you mentioned, I will need to double-check with someone to clarify some things. They are all excellent points.

Yra :

Those first two are very good questions. I'll expand upon that.

Hirem :

When it comes to the mark, I'll ask. The Ruv'na wiki article already states they have that mark, that isn't actually my creation. I'll bring up the points you made and see if it can be changed.

If I didn't address a point someone brought up, don't hesitate to let me know. There was a lot to respond to so I may have accidentally skipped something. Also, if anyone has any pictures/quotes they think would be good for the eventual article, please let me know.

Bribes are still up for grabs, just make sure you PM to claim. Depending on what bribe is chosen, I may secretly judge you.