The Temple of the Exploding Head

THE SISTERHOOD OF LIGHT is the oldest and most influential sect in the League. Their origins are shrouded in mystery. What is no mystery is that the Sisters are the acknowledged protectors of the League, even more so than the vaunted Fleet, and are universally loved.

They are often seen walking the streets in the various cities on Kana in their flowing white robes and winged headdresses. They are generally attractive, but rather stern-looking ladies, somewhat tall and rather elongated in form. The Sisters can barely speak verbally, instead using a complex form of empathy to communicate and employ specially trained Marines to speak for them when in public. They are also virtually blind: their incredibly powerful minds do all the seeing for them.

Many citizens of Kana demonstrate their love and admiration for the Sisters by buying them lunch or dinner when happening upon them in the cities. On such occasions they prove to have voracious appetites and a love of rich foods.

History:
According to Sisterhood publications, the Sisterhood of Light was formed early in the EX time epoch on Kana. Their purpose was to commune with the High-orbiting Elders and deliver their news to the people. When the Elders bestowed the Gifts of the Mind to the tribe of Vith, the Sisters took it upon themselves to investigate these Gifts. Their investigation continues to the present day.

It is said by some that the Sisters are in fact much older a sect than they let on, having been in existence since the CX time epoch on Cammara, which would make their order almost 300,000 thousand years old.

Programmability:

The Sisters perpetuate themselves not by recruitment, but by birthing within their own ranks. When a Sister goes into her Fertile Period, the Sisters quickly locate for her a male deemed to be of suitable stock. This is an ongoing process, and how a League male is looked upon by the Sisters is a critically important benchmark in terms of status and social-standing known as Programmability. League males with high Programmability (in other words, those who have been called upon to mate with a fertile Sister many times) can do or become virtually anything they wish in the League, while others with a lesser Programmable rating have a much more difficult time. Those males considered Untouchable by the Sisters have difficulty finding employment and cannot join the Fleet.

Strongholds:
The Sisters maintain twenty-five strongholds across Kana, each presided over by a Grand Abbess. Most of these strongholds are not open to the public. Only the chapel of Kurtis in the Great Armenelos Forest is readily open to the public. Many strongholds, such as Attilan, Twilight 4 and Deep 7 are forbidden and may not even be looked upon by the public at large. Air traffic is carefully routed away from such sites. Other sites, such as Hiei, Bern and Barton are partially open to the people provided they observe strict Sisterhood rules.

Enemies of the Sisterhood:
Being such a powerful and long-lived sect, the Sisters have made some persistent enemies over the centuries.

The Black Hats
The vile Xaphan sect of Black Hats are the enemy and constant foe of the Sisters. Once Sisters themselves, they followed the teachings of the Grand Abbess of Magravine who was obsessed with the odd and little-known Gift called Shadow tech. They gathered in secret, covering their faces with black sashes and performed things forbidden. Eventually, they splintered from the Sisters and fled into Xaphan space where they have been at war with the Sisters ever since. Though fearsome in power and armed with a number of illegal Gifts, an average Black Hat is no match for an average Sister and generally avoid them on the battlefield if at all possible.

The Hertogs:

An unusual adversary, the Hertogs are a group of renegade sages, scholars, historians and chefs who have fled the League to Ming Moorland. The Hertogs openly dispute the historical teachings of the Sisters and call into question their version of past events, often-times implying that the Sisters are not nearly as kind and chaste as they present themselves to be. Of all their various detractors the Hertogs are the most vocal and dangerous. Whether or not the Sisters seek to “silence” them is not known.

The Order of Lacerta
Though kept quiet for centuries, the Order of Lacerta is a gathering of “Fallen Sisters”. Occasionally, members of the Sisterhood become disenchanted and flee, often times into Xaphan space. These “Lacertas” generally don’t last long as they are pursued and hunted down by Torrs Twilinger. Lacertas often hire themselves out as mercenaries and paid bodyguards for Xaphan warlords. They are fearsome adversaries, possessing all of the Sisters’ power and none of their inhibitions. They revel in wealth and rich foods and fabrics. They become addicted to chemicals, narcotics, tattoos, piercings, smoking and unprincipled sex.

copyright 2011, Ren Garcia, Carol Phillips, Bea Matarredona-Garcia and Eve Ventrue