•                                  -Who Are the Outsiders?-

    "As of today as of right now, I'm going to fight. I'm going to do what all good men have done since the Serpent and Man's Fall:" 

                          "Pray for the sinner."
                  "Offer peace to the restless."
                      "Avenge the innocent."

    The largest composition of the society are those who are disillusioned with the Big Three, or are unable or unwilling to join them for logistical reasons or differences of opinion. At their core, the members of The Outsiders are humans and supernaturals who want neither humans nor supernaturals enslaved and want to oppose Et-Aral and The Remnant, just outside of the confines of The Big Three.

    They believe the world's governments needs to be installed with intelligent leaders who look out for the needs of the many, not the needs of the few - including themselves. While they believe in second chances, they do not believe in third chances. Killing, brainwashing, maiming, blackmail, robbery, long-term incarceration and threatening of loved ones are not above them, depending on the criminal or destructive person they are dealing with.

    Of the Big Three, they might share most traits with the Order, except they believe that the Order as a whole is too idealistic, forgiving and not proactive enough. Not all people can be redeemed, and while a defiant struggle is admirable, a defiant victory against malevolent oppressors is preferable. Nightmare creatures, living nightmares, those who engage in demonic pacts, those who flagrantly kill or hold no regard for life are to be destroyed. While the society allows vampires and werewolves alike, they consider the deaths of those particular brand of supernaturals to be unfortunate casualties in a larger war on evil - so long as the werewolves and vampires are at least /trying/ to be careful and don't make a habit of it.

    The society knows it is in a war and has no illusions that there will be suffering. Suffering to themselves, suffering to the masses. Life is not fair. Blood will be shed, lives - innocent and guilty alike - will be lost. Their calling is to do more good than evil. Their charges are all sentient life. Their domain is all of Earth. They further have no doubts that this is a war that, at best, they will only be able to lose slowly with the occasional, gratifying victory.

    Their punishments are often swiftly decided upon, even if the punishments themselves may be permanent or long-standing. They firmly believe in the model of - the punishment should fit the crime, however, and it is common for their members to be just as brutal, if not moreso, than the monsters they wage war against.

    They may not be ideal heroes, but when there is a monster that needs killing, they're likely to be among the first to step up. When there is an innocent screaming, they run to protect them. Unlike others, such as the Order and possibly even the Temple, they aren't so self-sacrificial as to give up their lives to save a single innocent life. They're in a war, and they're on the side all but guaranteed to lose.

    While some of them have honor, just as many believe honor is a construct. It's easy to fight in a one on one fight when you're a God. It's another matter when you're a human. They typically engage threats by using as much overwhelming force as they can muster. Depending on the city, town or region, this could be a large regiment or a single member. Almost none of their members believe in the concept of 'dirty fighting'. There's no such thing in a fight. Upon being called cowards, most will laugh, because they know to flee when defeat is assured is almost always the best course, so they might live to survive and do good another day.

    Still, they aren't just cravens who will run at the first sign of trouble. Many have and will die for their cause, but few do so unless there is no other choice, or unless there is a great benefit - many lives saved, a powerful foe defeated, killed or wounded, etc. Some of them cannot abide abandoning innocents to die unless their chances of survival are at or near zero. Nearly every member is pragmatic, but some are more willing to bet against the odds than others. Unfortunately, those who play those odds don't tend to last long.

    Those who don't belong, those who will fight to stop the abuse, oppression and killing of the innocent, those who have nowhere else to go may just find themselves a home among The Outsiders' ranks. But it's a hard life, not a life for the faint of heart, the thin of skin or the slow of mind. The entire world, throughout the history of the Earth and the worlds beyond, has been made to make the odds stacked heavily against the favor. Those who join are those who are willing to resist, by any means necessary - short of becoming monsters as completely as those that they wage war against.

    While there is no official dress code of the society, they tend to avoid lavish clothing unless absolutely required, prefering instead to use that money on safehouses, weaponry, charitable donations and general funding of their causes. However, they have borrowed one bit from the Order, - coats. While the Order Swordbearers are famed for their brown coats, the Outsiders prefer black - better to blend with the shadows... and much more blood-stain proof than brown. The coats aren't of a specific style, everything from dusters to hoodies - worn primarily by their younger members - are common, though almost always emblazoned with their symbol - a shield bisected by a sword. Similarly to the Swordbearers, The Outsiders typically employ common street clothing unless the situation calls for something else.

    In addition to black coats, of one sort or another, the Outsiders have equipment standard to all recruits. The first is some kind of wooden implement to be utilized as a stake. The next, a set of heavy neutralizing handcuffs to detain supernatural and mundane criminals alike. Another, a blade of at least short-sword length - the better to combat vampires and powerful demigods with - it's not uncommon for a simple hatchet or machete to be used. A newly created mixture of supernatural and technology, a shaped charge called an Incinerator. The little bomb is used to dispose of powerful demonborn and their ilk by creating an inferno not unlike a kiln's fires within a large, controlled radius. Lastly, a mask of one type or another, as their activities, in general, ought to avoid public notice. 

                                     -Manifesto-

    "Blame not the beast for devouring the flock, blame those who saw the open gate and did nothing."

    The Outsiders are a group of supernaturals and humans who wish to protect the Earth. They're fully aware that their task is an uphill battle at best and likely to be filled with failure. Their core objective is the protection of humankind and supernaturalkind. The Outsiders seek a world of harmony, as The Order does, but they also outright reject the oppression of The Temple and The Hand of supernaturalkind and humankind, respectively. Et-Aral and The Remnant are their primary foes, however.

    To The Temple, the Outsiders try to appeal that supernaturalkind is just as equal as humankind. To The Hand they try to push the equality of humankind with supernaturalkind, and seek to pull those who have lost themselves in their power, but might yet be saved, out of the darkness and into the light. To The Order, The Outsiders often act as ruthless older siblings, going out of their way to show the consequences of inaction, of mercy without cause. While they urge those of The Order to acquire more power to better combat destructive, oppressive forces in the world, they do so carefully, lest they create new monsters to face.

    They resist those who murder for sport, en mass and permanently harm the helpless. If someone is acting in a destructive, oppressive, criminal, immoral manner, if that person's crimes are severe enough and/or that person is a repeat offender, that person is destroyed. If the person is too powerful to be destroyed outright, a campaign is launched to weaken their holdings, alienate or eliminate their allies (depending on the circumstances) and overall reduce the negative impact that that person can have on the world. The Outsiders are, in some strict circumstances, willing to give second chances to those seeking redemption. They do not give third chances.

    The Outsiders' territories are often rife with conflict as their soldiers try to maintain the peace. At the same time, they try repel or destroy malevolent beings and entities in the territory that cause crime, harm or loss of life within. While a group who causes massive destruction to malevolent forces would not necessarily be pursued by The Outsiders' forces; those that engage in harmful acts upon the citizens of territories that The Outsiders have laid claim to will be pursued with very little mercy.

    Much like The Temple, The Outsiders rule their territories pragmatically, offering help or permission only when it doesn't conflict with their goals, beliefs and ideals. Perhaps ironically, The Outsiders try to install their own members in positions of authority within territories under their control, or at the very least trusted allies of a similar mindset who will work to carry out their ideals in a legal and mundane sense. The Outsiders are quick to grant permission for causes that promote helping the helpless or defending the meek and often will aid in such endeavors, especially when they want to make sure things are on the up and up. 

  •                                  -History-

    "A person without status. A rejected member of society. An outcast."

    When the Big Three fell apart in the early twentieth century, some lamented. Those scattered remnants that survived tried to re-establish themselves into new groups. But when the Big Three reformed in 2018, many rejoiced. Even those who had not served under The Temple, The Order, or The Hand originally were impacted by these goliath factions throughout the decades. Many joined for the first time, some rejoined after a century of waiting.

    But not all rejoiced, some had become accustomed to their lives, their societies that they had fostered over the years. Societies sprung up from the fall of the Big Three, or societies that had preceded their fall and began to thrive once they were gone. These simply kept to their societies, always recruiting and growing.

    Then there were an unfortunate few, those who had never truly fit in with these new societies, and those that do not fit in with The Big Three. But by mid-summer of 2018, one man had an idea. A society for those who wished to defend the worlds from Et-Aral and those who would destroy or enslave the world. Defenders of supernaturals and humans alike, executioners of evil, fighting fire with fire, paying evil unto evil. Thus The Outsiders were born. 

                                     -Allies and Ambivalent-

    Members of the following societies are generally regarded with esteem by the society, or at least are more likely to easily earn trust with members of The Outsiders: The Prometheans, The Faelings, The Lost, The Sentinels, The White Circle, The Free, The Forsaken, Aquarian Guard, The Redwood Pack, New World Order, The Beastmasters, Haven Sheriff's Department, FBI, Interpol, Rockfield Bounties. Those working in societies that share beliefs similar to these will often be treated much the same.

    The following society's members are treated warily, though they may be worked with or opposed depending on the situation: CIA, MI6, Chinese Intelligence, Illarin Empire, The People, The Kingdom of Nar, The Watchers, The Red Circle, The Coven, Rushell Industries, Tyrell Corp, Hanshin Group, Desmond King.

    So long as they practice their suppression of supernaturals, the Temple is, at best, a tentative ally only in specific circumstances, such as in combating Et-ral. Similarly, while the Hand engages in human slavery, they are treated in much the same manner. 

                                     -Enemies-

    "You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something sometime in your life."

    Et-Aral and the Remnant are the primary enemies of the society.

    So long as they practice their suppression of supernaturals, the Temple is, at best, a tentative ally only in specific circumstances, such as in combating Et-ral. Similarly, while the Hand engages in human slavery, they are treated in much the same manner. Et-Aral and The Remnant are too powerful to turn aside flawed allies, and The Outsiders work with all of the Big Three because of that fact.

    Other societies that are considered enemies are: The Tranquil, The Directorate, The Houses of Odin, Ra, Zeus, Jade, Jupiter, Undergods, The Circus, The Banished, The Gamemasters, The Black Circle, The Hunters, The Syndicate, The Dynasty, The Witch Hunters, The Chosen, The Vampire Court of New York, The Vampire Empire, The Mob, The Russian Mafia. In the cases of the God Houses, the society primarily runs up against them when those societies are engaging in human enslavement or trafficking, and/or the enslavement of fleshformed supernaturals, supernaturals of angelic descent, or enslaved supernaturals generally; those who belong to these subfactions who do not engage in these acts are treated more warily rather than with outright hostility. 

  •                                  -Missions, Objectives and Tasks-

    "Aku soku zan (slay evil immediately)"

    While Et-Aral and The Remnant are their primary focus, The Outsiders also have conflicts with others. When it comes to The Temple and societies of a similar mindset on supernatural oppression, The Outsiders strive to free their captive supernatural slaves and stop the hunting and persecution of supernaturals. For The Hand and those like them, The Outsiders work to tear down their corporations and oppressive governments to replace them with their own. The Order and those of their ilk are generally supported, though The Outsiders often attempt to conscript them into allies and urge them to be more proactive. All of the Big Three, however, are treated as allies, though The Temple and The Hand are allies more in the sense of 'the enemies of my enemies are my friends'.

    -Eliminate evil swiftly. Not merely a motto, but a way of life, The Outsiders, perhaps hypocritically, seek to destroy those who cause harm to innocents, on a mass scale, or otherwise perpetrate malevolent acts. While not all 'bad' deeds are worthy of death, The Outsiders do tend to ensure the punishment fits the crime, with interest when execution is not warranted or feasible. Et-Aral and The Remnant are currently their top priority, and they engage in guerrilla style combat against the much large and better armed Remnant in particular.

    -Preserve the safety and stability of Haven, while there may be the occasional need to plunge the town into battle or conflict, the long-term maintenance of peace is important to the society.

    -Free enslaved supernaturals and naturals, typically to conscript them into service or take them on as vassals and allies.

    -Fight The Remnant at every turn. While vastly outnumbered, The Outsiders work from a position of guerrilla warfare, striking at the Remnant to disrupt their activities as much as possible.

    -Acquire one or more Wards to protect, often in exchange for something - such as feeding, financial support or simply status within the society. Those who have and successfully protect multiple Wards are esteemed within The Outsiders. The less corrupt members of the society are allowed to take on Wards without receiving anything in return, but those who are more powerful and more corrupt - when they can't find sustenance elsewhere - tend to fall back on their Wards for such things, if they volunteer. Otherwise, feeding is done via criminals of human or supernatural ilk.

    -Identify, destroy or contain those with demonic pacts, vampires who feed without reservation, including completely draining individuals periodically, and werewolves who embrace the full moon and flagrantly run under its light. Containment may include rehabilitation if possible, brainwashing or disruption of these menace's activities.

    -Proactive protection of the environment. While they are not against technology, the society believes in a balance. Corporations who go far outside the bounds of acceptable practices in regards to the environment become targets of the society. Support is given to corporations working toward clean(er) energy. Similarly, corporations that impose all but slave wages on their employees are frequent targets, while those who treat their workers more fairly are ignored or even supported. Non-profits and charities are frequent beneficiaries of the society, where the society quite literally robs from self-serving corporations to prop up struggling, benevolent corporations.

    -Establishment of charities to help prop up the needy. This would include victims of domestic abuse, victims of drug addiction looking for a way to rehabilitate and people down on their luck for economic reasons.

    -Public humiliation and demonstration of criminals and destructive beings. The objective of this is multifold. The first is as a morale boost to the society. The second is to show others, affected by bystander syndrome, that the 'monsters' can be made to bleed. Finally, it's a type of show of dominance to urge both the subject of the humiliation and those like them to rein in their behavior or suffer similar punishment.

    -Acquisition of information to be used against criminals, be they human or supernatural, in order to prepare and help the society combat these threats in the future.

    -The draining, robbery and, if need be, imprisonment of criminal and those they deem evil. While the society has no love for Blackfield and interactions are kept curt, the society considers the Institute to be a necessary evil. While they will not actively seek to harm Blackfield faculty and students, they will not shy away from it if the opportunity arises, particularly if the individuals in question are of ill repute. Criminals, supernatural or otherwise, may find their belongings stolen or ransomed back to them. 

  •                                  -Roles in The Outsiders-

    "The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for."

    -Boss-

    The leader of the society. While the Boss has a small council of advisors, the Boss' say is final.

    -Lieutenant-

    The second in command of the society and one who speaks with the Boss' voice. In instances where the Boss is unavailable, the Liuetenant is responsible for carrying out their will and leading the society.

    In addition to these top positions, there are divisions within the ranks. While a member can operate within each division, only the Boss and Lieutenant are expected to be able to transition between all three as needed. The Boss, Lieutenant and the head of each of these divisions form the society's council, an oligarchical group that determines the future of the society, with the Boss having the final say.

    -The Thugs-

    The Thugs are the martial force of the society. While all members are expected to be more than proficient at combat, the Thugs specialize in it and are responsible for protection of the society's members and acquisition of territories. The Thugs are not simply brutes however, they're expected to be quick on their feet, mentally-flexible, and able and willing to partake of the information gathered by the Tinkers and to use and reinforce, not diminish, the goodwill gained from the Talkers' work.

    -The Tinkers-

    The Tinkers are a varied bunch. From engineers to arcanists to those good at gathering information, the Tinkers are the spies of the society as well as mundane and mystical research and development. Tinkers are tasked with acquiring and cataloging information, establishing an armory, establishing plans to further the goals of the society and often fall back on the Talkers for funding and support. They may work with the Thugs to consider future acquisitions and targets in terms of territories, enemies to crush and societies to actively harry.

    -The Talkers-

    The Talkers are comprised almost entirely of those who deal with community outreach, P.R., and wealth acquisition. A subset of their tasks may be information acquisition, which is to be given to the Talkers for cataloging. The Talkers are, as their name implies, the Talkers of the society and are generally tasked with diplomatic tasks - on the rare occasions the society engages in such with their enemies. Their focus is more about establishing and strengthening alliances between groups with similar views as the society, organization of events for both the community and society, and to establish goodwill with locals. Between the Thinkers and Talkers, the society ought to be able to have their finger on the pulse of whatever city or town they're established in.

    ---Other Roles---

    -Prospects-

    Before a member of the society is trusted, they are generally placed within the Prospects. The Boss can elevate a Prospect themselves, but typically such is done after a vote by the council, once the Prospect has proven their worth, loyalty or trust. Prospects are expected to do a bit of everything - establish relationships, learn to fight, gather information are some of the most basic things done by Prospects. How a Prospect is deemed ready depends on the Prospect, with past behavior being a strong indicator of what they will need to do. A Prospect with a long history of behavior counter to the society, for instance, may have a longer period as a Prospect than a freshly aware human or recently activated supernatural, or a member who has long been established as a force for good in another society.

    -Wards-

    The society refers to their Vassals as Wards. Unlikely most societies, the society's Wards are almost always 'sponsored' by a specific member within the society. If a Ward acts in a way counter to the society's beliefs, or otherwise causes problems for their sponsor, they risk losing their Ward status. Wards -must- be naturals who are not a member of another society, including full time faculty of Blackfield. Blackfield contractors or students are acceptable people to become wards. Supernaturals wishing to become Wards are instead urged to become Prospects of the society or to find protection elsewhere, which The Outsiders are happy to assist them with. For the most part, Wards may be taken in without payment, however the more corrupt members of the society may require or request them to volunteer to be fed upon. At no point is this feeding to be involuntary or forced. All Wards are expected to give up useful information to the society when they can, or to otherwise donate to the cause, be it by providing lodging, equipment, services, or resources. Some do this in other ways, such as establishing charitable or benevolent organizations in the name of the society, or assisting in charities the society has already set up. Additionally, some Wards may become involved in a Praestes relationship with the Outsider who sponsors them. This makes their sponsoring Outsider that much better able to protect themselves, and gives them insight as to when their Ward may be in danger.

    OOC: Wards and their sponsors are expected to put this information into their 'histories', I.E. 'He/she is a Ward of (character name)' and 'He/she has taken on (character name) as a Ward.' to make it visible when people do research on either character. 'Help relationship' and 'help weakness' for information about the Praestes relationship.