The Draconites

 

 "Be gracious to me, Providence and Psyche, as I write these mysteries handed down for gain but for instruction; and for an only child I request immortality, initiates of this our power, which the great god Helios Mithras ordered to be revealed to me by his archangel, so that I alone may ascend into heaven as an inquirer and behold the universe." The Liturgy of Mithras

When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own—not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like
feet, hands, and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Draconites (Firstcomer Faction) Followers of Aljallad, the Executioner, an aspect of the Lady of Tears.

The Draconites are a highly secretive faction, comprised of members of the Zenethian crew who mutinied against the captain and senior staff of the ship.  Their first public act after they mutinied was to join forces with the Order of the Pariah to drive Nazareem's Sacrifice into extinction, cementing their place as a Firstcomer Faction.  They are known for their adherence to the Lady of Tears in her aspect as The Executioner.  Famous warriors, but unlike the Legion or the Order of the Pariah as they lack a large military presence.  Also, we know the following:

• Mysteries are a vital part of their makeup, Novices advance through a series of circles, progressing in their understanding as they move into each higher circle,
• They see conflict and development from a metaphysical standpoint, not merely physical improvement,
• They are a cell-based organisation; each cell is led by a single leader who ministers to the rest of the cell,
• They are Warrior philosophers,
• Finally, they are perceived as egotistical elitist.

So, a fascinating and exciting faction no doubt, but one with a deliberate lack of detail, giving GMs and players a lot of room to make them their own.  The notable characteristics can be mapped to any number of Mystery Cults, imports from the east that were popular in both the Roman and Grecian periods.  However, only one cult of the period ticks all of the boxes, the Cult of Mithras, a secretive warrior cult, spread through the Roman legions in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries AD.  The Cult of Mithras is known for the following:  

• Initiation moved through a series of steps (seven in total aligned to the known planets of the time).  
• It was a Warrior cult but seemed to have demanded spiritual as well as a physical transformation.  Indeed their originating faiths.  
• Each cult group was small and practised their faith in caves; each group was led by a senior initiate known as a father.  
• Cult of Mithras was secretive and separated themselves from others, most likely as a form of cultic purity.  
• We can also use the reference to Warrior Philosophers to draw upon the most famous philosophical movement of the period, the Stoic.  

Using the Historical Context To Inform The Draconites.

So here are some thoughts about what we could do with our insights, using the historical context to deepen what it means to be a Draconite:

The Executioner is defined as a dark aspect of the Lady, cutting away the body parts and leaving only a ghost. We can use our knowledge of Mithras faith, limited though it is, and its belief that the material form was a host for impurities while the spiritual form was pure to inform how the circles might work. If we take this into account, we transform the Executioner aspect, far from a Dark aspect, her blade cuts free the spiritual from the material as one progresses in their metaphysical journey through the circles of the Draconites. The leader of the cell would wield The Lady's blade in the form of a ritual object, perhaps placing small cuts on the body of the initiate as they progress. It may be that every Draconite is adorned with scars, each representing a step on the path to enlightenment.

I would like to do something that brings this version of the Executioner alive in the game. This feels like a specific Talent which is only available to current members of the Faction (you can hold onto it when you leave, but you can only learn it as a member of the Faction).

Talent 1 – Circle Initiate

You are a circle initiate and have taken one or more of the steps to enlightenment within the Draconite Order. Initiation involves the ritual cutting away of the flesh by the blade of AlJallad to strengthen your spirit. You can resist the slings and arrows of adversity, add two mind points to your character total.   To take this talent, you must already have the Factional Standing Talent.

Warrior Philosophers

Marcus Aurelius, in his Stoic tract "Meditations", offers a rich source of phrases for a player of a Draconite initiate. The Stoics were contemporaries of the Cult of Mithras, focused on self-control and awareness; they have informed ethical and religious thought for over two thousand years. Like the Draconite's, Stoics were focused on a mastery of the self. Broadly the following Stoic principle would best inform the Draconite behaviour.

Develop The Four Cardinal Virtues 0f Temperance, Courage, Justice and Practical Wisdom to serve our ability to act in accordance without rational nature, which are

• Behave in a fashion as to advance our interests and goals (health, wealth etc.…) through the application of Temperance and Courage; 
• Identify with other people’s interests (initially our parents, then friends, then countrymen through the pursuit of Justice); 
• Figure out ways to practically navigate the vicissitudes of life by applying Practical Wisdom.

So how might I play a Draconite if we choose to apply Stoic thought to their actions? I would be confident, trusting in my own abilities and not hesitating in my decisions. I would see myself as responsible for doing good, but not responsible for the actions of the universe or others. I am less connected to the troubles of the world, not ignorant of them but rather above them. I would seek to reach harmony wherever possible, but once I am in conflict, I would embrace it, not flee from it. I would seem cold in most cases, but only to avoid my fall from virtue and be untroubled by the passions of others.

I would like to bring the stoic side alive again using a talent, this time, one targeted at the exercise of will through virtue.

Talent 2 - Through Virtue

You have studied under the masters of the Draconite Order, learning the practices of your order. Distractions and concerns will not stop you as you move through virtue. You may ignore any penalty dice associated with a distraction, for instance howling winds, physical discomfort or annoying people once per session.  To take this talent, you must already have the Factional Standing Talent.

Pithy Sayings

So here are some quotes for your Draconite to throw around, I would point out there are endless sources for this on the web, you don’t need to own Meditations to get access to this sort of material.  

1. "Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly."
2. "The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.
3. "Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."
4. "Because the thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible."
5. "You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.

Final thoughts

The Draconites are a fascinating group, without knowing for sure and based on several data points in the core rule book and assuming the correct assumption is to link them to Stoics, and Mithras worships as a template, they may be the only group currently operating in the 3rd Horizon that is aligned directly to the 2nd Horizon. Yes, they went into the dark, the assumption is that they found the beast between the stars, it seems more likely that they actually found enlightenment. However, no doubt the Free League will address this question in either Cyclades or the final module of the Emissaries Campaign.

If you want to read more, particularly on Stoics – Donald Robertson is a goldmine of both Stoic and modern stoic though. His website is excellent, the link is provided below. For Mithras, there are a range of speculative sources online, the definitive text, however, is probably The Roman Cult of Mithras by Manfred Clauss.

Links

https://iep.utm.edu/stoicism/ - A lot of detail on the stoics

https://donaldrobertson.name/ Awesome Stoic Practitioner

http://seinfeld.co/library/meditations.pdf - Meditations by Aurelius

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithras practices

https://www.ancient.eu/Mithraic_Mysteries/ More Mithras

https://hermetic.com/pgm/mithras-liturgy The liturgy