Kiths

''Unreality isn’t kind to those trapped in it. Simply existing in a place outside of existence twists a warps a person – threatening to unravel their being completely.'' Four Kiths have formed within this ragged scrap of Unreality, each under the guiding hand of a single Archaeon. Each Archaeon, a powerful Outsider who either created or inherited their Kith, holds immense Presence. Through the creation of Pacts with those who seek to share this strength, a Kith gathers members and grows.

Within this land, there is only so much of the ragged remains of power to be found. For a person of little might and even less influence, accumulating enough of this Presence to survive can be a struggle; finding enough to grow stronger, nearly impossible.

While individuals are able to form Pacts or less formal bonds between one another, these would not be considered a Kith, but instead a Motley. Individuals are able to be both in a Kith and multiple Motleys.

The Hive
Under the eye of Nana Bosa the Queen of Worms, this Kith holds personal strength built on the back of age as absolute importance. Type holds dominion over anything else, with most willing members of this Kith being Outsiders. Despite this, it's not uncommon to find that individuals have been forced, tricked, or otherwise coerced into creating a pact. Unlike other Kiths, The Hive has little formal order or organization, acting as a more loose collection which may come together when necessity requires it

The Covenant
Open your eyes, see the truth. By the guiding hand of Quell the Vessel, protection and a chance to grow in Presence is offered to any who join, so long as they give the devotion. Ages of gathered knowledge rest at the fingertips of those in The Covenant, along with the aid of others to teach it. Any are welcome to join the fold, regardless of history or strength, but strict loyalty to the Kith and those in it is demanded. If fealty is broken, it will be relearned through Versing, whether the person is willing or not.

The Veil
Play your cards right, and rise in rank to gather Presence and bask in opulence. Beneath the gaze of Mother Metis, this Kith is dredged in games of power and the artful deceits that comes with them. The Veil offers immense luxury and an abundance of strength to those who can take it, but always at a cost. With a strict Caste System founded on the higher stepping upon and using those below, gaining influence in this Kith is a desperate climb upward.

The Seeming
Pillage the depths of Unreality itself in pursuit of knowledge. Youngest of the four, this Kith is led by Professor Effie Hurston. Those of The Seeming seek to not only survive in this place adrift of reality, but to master it. With people and things from infinite possible realities and worlds, the surplus of information is immense. Under a doctrine of self reliance without becoming indebted to another, care is given only to those who can pull their weight...allowing those who can't manage this to simply Fade and make place for another.

Kith Pacts
Kith Pacts are agreements made directly with an Archaeons and requirement to join a Kith. Joining a Kith means tethering yourself to this land through the Kith Pact made with its Archaeon. This accord allows a person to keep from Fading, and gives them the edge to begin accumulating their own Presence and rise upward in Tier.

While anyone may enter into this agreement and join any Kith, only an Outsider or exceptionally strong-willed Chambion will find they can directly form a bond with the Archaeon. Anyone who cannot form a Pact directly with an Archaeon must enter into a Personal Pact with another individual. This Personal Pact will act as a conduit to allow the shared Presence of the Archaeon to filter down to those below.

It's important to remember, that while under a Personal Pact, a character will always fall beneath the dominion of their Keeper's Kith. A character cannot be in a personal pact with a member of one Kith and be in another themselves.

Kith Tithes
For a Kith Pact to be accepted, Tithe is expected in the form of a personal tribute. These expected tributes can be many things and may vary from person to person, though each Archaeon favors certain things but must always be something personally important to have value to an Archaeon. For those forming a Personal Pact, Tithe may be whatever the individual acting as Keeper desires.

Once given up, a Tithe is gone forever. No matter if a Kith is left or whatever the reason a Pact is broken, payment is not returned.

The Hive
Within The Hive, sacrifice must be part of a person’s core ‘self'. Examples include:


 * An Emotion -- pride, excitement, ambitions, the love or hate of something.
 * Humanity -- physical changes (warping or altering your form) or mental (removing human desires, socialization, understanding).
 * Core Skills or Abilities -- tasting food, creating art, dreaming.

The Covenant
Within The Covenant, the price must be a part of a person's history. Examples include:
 * A Memory -- the face of loved one long lost beyond the boundaries of reality, a moment of insight earned after years of research.
 * An Ambition -- a driving force pushing you onward.
 * A Valued Role or Rank -- a title earned through hard work and determination in your lost past.

The Veil
Within The Veil, payment must be part of a person's physical self or being. Examples include:


 * A Body Part -- limbs, tongue, eyes, organs.
 * Physical Skills -- the ability to speak, dance, sing, walk.
 * Loss of Humanity -- physically altering changes to shape, size, form or appearance.

The Seeming
Within the Seeming, payment must be a form of insightful knowledge meaning to the person. Giving up this knowledge means losing awareness of, and becoming incapable of being retaught or trained in it. Examples include:


 * Learned Skills -- the ability to speak or read a language, the skill to fix, use or create something.
 * Information Understood -- medical knowledge, academic understanding, streetwise expertise.

Lost Kiths
The Four Kiths currently persisting in this tatter of Unreality are not the first to have ever existed. Many Kiths have come and gone, falling for many reasons. Waning power, dwindling numbers, or the forced toppling of an Archaeon have erased these dead Kiths from existence.

Relics in the form of uncommon Oddments can sometimes be found bearing the scraps of Power once held by these long dead Archaeons.

RP Mechanics & Benefits
Those who have pledged their loyalty to a Kith share in the benefit of power from that collective – Presence which tethers them enough to keep from Fading immediately into nothingness and shadow. There is no formal application or OOC requirements to join or leave a Kith. This process is done through the HUD. Kiths may be joined freely, though upon leaving there is a 1 Week Cooldown before another can be joined.

Characters in any Kith have the additional benefits when using the HUD in the form of Access to Kith Traders, and the ability to use some restricted Oddments.

Any character in a Kith also gains the ability to perform new Actions:


 * Archaeon's Blessing
 * Watcher's Remedy

Additional benefits come in the form of access to Kith specific Rental housing, areas which are limited to only Kith Members (without Breaking In), and the ability to patriciate in unique events and plotlines.