EDIT 2: Corrected some run-on sentances and missing words. Will continue to proofread if needed.
Since I've decided to help out a bit with the lore, I thought I'd start by sharing a few ideas I've been kicking around regarding the Shadow Guild. All of these ideas are subject to any criticism, changes or overhauls you guys feel are necessary to maintain the vibe you've already established for the SG cards.
I came up with three basic ideas for these guys, then consolidated them into this. Please let me know what you guys think
In the slums of Imperial and House territories and in numerous towns and villages outside the reach of kings and nobles, the lords of the Shadow Guild reign supreme. Commanding an army of bandits, dark mages and others who gladly shun the shackles of Imperial fascism for the protection of the Dark Lords, THe Shadow Guild quicky spread beyond Imperial and unvlaimed land, settling even amongst the House and Banner cities. For many of Wesnoth's homeless, becoming a bandit or necromancer quickly became a more favorable option than a tax-robbed cobbler or fishmonger, giving many of the slum's impoverished orphans an opportunity to gain great influence through the great Guild Mages' craft. Those of a rougher inclination quickly found a home among the many gangs over whom the Guild exerted control, a lucky few of which gained great influence over the Empire's economic and military resources. Through shady political bribery and extortion, the Shadow Guild held a staggeringly powerful yet virtually invisible grip over many industrial and political offices, prompting the leaders of enemy factions to attempt to hunt them down before their influence spread.
Presiding over the various operations of the Shadow Guild are the Shadow Lords, undying warlocks whose immortality is derived from a living human conduit of dark energy, the Grand Hierophant. A great and terrible necromancer whose craft has preserved him throughout the countless aeons, his ability to channel an almost world-shattering concentration of dark magical energy has made him one of the most feared mortals in history. Though he normally allows the various chapters of the Guild to operate on their own accord, he is occasionally known to break from his dark reverie in order to command or condemn various operatives of the Guild under his jurisdiction. Though this system has worked for hundreds of years under his reign, a recent order to execute several high-ranking Shadow Lords for supposed "treason" has left many doubting his ability to continue ruling.
A splinter group, The Order of the Vultures, founded by the great bandit-king Jorrath Morneau, has formed in the wake of these mysterious murders. By assassinating or "persuading" high-ranking officials and mages, they've eroded the influence of the Undying Elders, slowly making their way toward the great and powerful Heirophant himself. Though their activity has largely gone unnoticed, The Heiropant suspects the formation of such groups, but has yet to prove their existence among his most trusted servants. Though the possibility of treason and assassination remains a threat to him, the resurgence of the Empire's Inquisitors has forced the Grand Heirophant to focus on this quickly growing threat instead, as he amasses the armies of those loyal to the guild, both living and undead. And while the mighty hammers of Holy Paladins and the Scimitars of the Orc-Kin may prove a force to be reckoned with, the Shadow Guild remains strong, for as a wise mage once said, divided civilizations seldom see victory.
So there you have it: A very basic summary of the Shadow Guild as I see them. While still filling the "Villan" role quite nicely, the addition of the rebel faction operating within the SG (Vulture Order) gives the story arc a bit more depth than simply "bad guys have skellies and want to burn the world because badness and stuff". In a more detailed summary, the Vulture Order will be cast in a bit more heroic light, functioning as "robin hoods" among the SG territories, and the SG members dwelling in enemy territory will function almost like a "fantasy cosa nostra", manipulating votes and gaining power over industry, politics and the slums. So while not all of them are essentially "evil" per se, they're not boy scouts either, giving the other factions perfectly legitimate reasons to vilify them.
Also, the idea of political/societal infiltration of other factions mafia-style allows for lore-friendly multi-loyalty hero cards such as HoN/SG, Imp/SG, etc. So from both a gameplay and lore perspective, this idea allows for lots of flexibility in storylines, abilities and deckbuilding strategies that would otherwise be impossible without voiding the lore. After all, it would be odd to see Vulture Assassins and Imperial Paladins working together in the battlefield without a good explanation.
Of course, this overview isn't without its' faults, as the Heirophant character could easily become a knock-off Emperor Palpatine or Sauron without proper motivation for his violence. Is he going insane after aeons of ruling? Is he a lich with no emotions or ethics? Is he just a hammy villain who wants Miss Clarice to tell her about those DELICIOUS lambs? I'll let you guys decide what works best in terms of game mechanics and stuff, since any of those could make insanely powerful and unpredictable cards.
If you guys think any changes are necessary, don't hesitate to provide some criticism. This is far from a final draft, and I'll be more than happy to change any names, details or other things that don't jive with the WTactics setting. Thanks for reading this incredibly long and detailed post, and for letting me do this in the first place
