Widows of the Lone Star

Summary

The Widows of the Lone Star are a collection of three powerful individuals that have come together in a tightly bound alliance. Together they run a network of assassins, thieves, and spies collectively forming the Guild in Bravado. Each of the three adds a unique talent to this faction. Jointly they have enough influence over the region to prevent arrest, recruit from townsfolk, and extend influence. All of this is in the pursuit of the never-ending goal of preventing the same events that rocked the region from ever happening again. They will damn themselves before anyone in Bravado ever sees that day again. The Widows are a subfaction of the Lovelace Family, but have their own traditions and objectives separate from the Family.

  • This is a possible CVC faction, and involvement in this group could involve CVC activity. There are still ways to participate without CVC, but the lines will blur easily.

Key phrases

  • CVC, Charity, Keeping the Peace, Protecting the Unprotected, Nurturing Familial Bonds

Why Should I Join?

The Widows of the Lonestar stand alone as a faction with deep memories of the world before the Hiway War. Marked by grief and the atrocities of war, they work tirelessly to prevent a large scale conflict of that nature from ever happening again. They think of themselves as necessary for the greater good, but legitimately want to leave behind good in the world. By staining their own souls, they can save the common folk that have no one else to protect them. If you like the conflicting themes of charity and cold blooded murder, then the Widows could be for you!

  • NOTE: While the themes and goals of the Widows often parallel that of Murder Inc., they remain a separate faction. It is possible to be a member of Murder Inc. without supporting the Widows.

Faction Objectives

  • Civility Above All Else - The Widows are first and foremost assassins of principle.  While they are major players in the criminal influence of the area, they must constantly maintain the veneer of civilization for the people they protect.  Appearances matter, as it is important in public that no one should suspect the Widows of foul play even though it remains the most known “secret” in the wastes.  They should always have plausible deniability.

  • Protect the Unprotected - The primary focus of the Widows is protecting those that cannot protect themselves.  Whether it is a cruel bandit extorting farm houses, corrupt elements of the RRC making themselves a nuisance, or simply more common crimes of violence and abuse, the Widows move in swiftly to remove the threat.  Their first goal is the surgical removal of problems, not the wide scale murder and criminality of other factions in the Lone Star. They only take jobs and commit crimes that serve the “greater good” as the Widows perceive it.  LCs are not traditionally considered “unprotected” as they shouldn’t need the charity of the Widows.

  • Favors Are the Best Currency - While the Widows have deep coffers, their primary form of payment and debt is in the form of The Widow’s Favor.  Originally a tradition of the Lovelace family, the Widows prefer to have debts owed to them than to collect a sum of Brass.  When a debt is owed, it can be collected at any time, for any reason.  It could be a task as simple as leaving a door open at an opportune moment or revealing a dangerous secret.  If the Widows somehow end up owing a favor to an agent, it can be equally versatile and many of the major power plays over the last years are rumored to be tied to a Widow’s Favor.

Casted Characters (NPCs)

  • Miss Clauthia Lovelace

  • Mx. Lackey

  • Atrophy Lovelace

  • Capt. Amelia Lovelace

  • Daniel the Quiet

Subfactions

The Widows are actually a subfaction of the Lovelace family, and their full description is found here.

  • Lonestar Widows and Children’s Fund — The public facade of the Widows is the charity that is well known for its good works across the San Saba territories.  This institution is responsible for collecting donations to the Pauper’s Fund, money that is used to pay the Grave Tax of the less fortunate, as well as their other charitable works like food drives and clothing donation.  The institution is well respected, and is kept distant from the more secretive elements of the Widows.  When Friends and Veiled interact officially with the Widows, it is normally through this organization.

  • Essex Protectorate — The remains of the former Amberdraught Guard of Essex were reformed and drafted into a new resource for Essex focused on peace keeping, first response, and social working. Their ranks are drawn from the citizens of Essex and they are focused on protecting the common folk and the less fortunate. They are a shield to protect others from the machinations of the other factions, and represent the new martial might of the Widows. The majority of the Protectorate wears colors of blue, white, and silver.  They are armed and equipped with well-made gear and armor, and they are found throughout Essex and the San Saba territories.  Some commanders and lieutenants are suspected members of the Veiled, though the primary function of this subfaction is to support the public face of the Widows.

  • Friends of the Orphanage — Not everyone that aids the Widows does so by skullduggery and assassination, but most have been disenfranchised in someway.  A majority of the Widow’s numbers are the common folk of the Lone Star that form the network of spies and informants that allow the Widows to decide their next targets.  The first rank of those accepted amongst the Widows, the Friends of the Orphanage are the most numerous and often are able to support the faction without getting their hands directly dirty.  The Friends are frequently contracted to serve the faction and prioritize service to the Widows, and future recruits for the Veiled are often pulled from their ranks.  Those Friends that have proven their loyalty are often involved in missions involving smuggling and thievery but rarely murder.

  • The Veiled  — The senior ranks of those members of Murder Inc. and the Inner Circle of the Widows are known simply as “The Veiled”.  Known for the black veil or scarf they wear, these are the valued assassins and murderers of the Widows.  When the veil is lifted and worn, the Veiled let those around them know they are on official business for the Widows.  Ruthless killers, the Veiled are the scalpel of the Widows, deployed to quietly and efficiently remove the threats to the people of the Lone Star the Widows have identified.  The first and last rule of the Veiled is “eyes open, mouth shut.” While any member of the Veiled can claim the title of “Widow”, it is a tradition that they must kill the thing they love most in order to take the oath to be respected as a peer of the three founding Widows.  When a member that has taken this oath dies for the last time, their collected sins corrupt them fully and they return as an unholy undead monster.

Traditions of the Widows

  • Eyes Open, Mouth Shut — Silence is the first rule of the Widows.  In the past year, the operations of the Widows have been threatened by agents that have revealed their secrets to enemies like the Crooked Man.  They have closed ranks and now more than ever have focused on making sure their adherents will not betray the faction, even under torture from a jealous Law Dog, a rival criminal boss, or simply people not in “the know”.  The goal is to always be aware of things that are happening in the shadows, but to never violate the sacred oath they have sworn to the Widows

    • The Widows do not talk about their illegal activities, and actively frown on those that do. Everything should be coded or communicated in a way to provide them a suitable alibi.  It is a faux pas to openly talk about crimes. Agents that violate this rule of silence could end up the next targets of the Veiled while the Widows deny and distract from any wrongdoing.  The Widows police their own.

  • Respect the Sacrifice of the Veiled — The assassins known as the Veiled take on a burden for the organization that can taint their souls, and forever alter their ability to be part of civilized society.  This sacrifice is one of the most honored tasks the faithful of the Widows can take and is always treated with the utmost respect.  The Veiled must keep a heavy secret, and operate in absolute silence about their role in the faction. The Veiled are not simple murderers, but zealots for a cause and those that would betray this sacrifice by reveling in the violence or embarrassing the Widows by public actions do not stay in the Inner Circle for long.

    • The Veiled are pitied by the Widows, as they realize it will always end in bloodshed and an early death.  However, if a member of the Veiled grows too complacent with the crimes they commit, they will be removed from the Inner Circle by force if necessary. When a member of the Veiled dies a final death, they come back as an undead that is truly monstrous and dangerous to the town. It is the solemn duty of the Widows to quickly deal with this threat when it occurs.

Key Story Points

  • The Amberdraught Protocol — During the Fountainhead Incident, the machinations of the Widows orchestrated a coup of the private military force of Governor Amberdraught.  A small group of the Veiled infiltrated the compound, sabotaged their resources, and assassinated the former commander, by blaming it on the actions of the Archon.  In the wake of the chaos, the Widows offered their support to the beleaguered force and rebranded them into an image benefitting their more public, charitable works.  Now they serve as a beacon of hope in times of disaster and threat to the common folk.

  • The Betrayal of the Crooked Man — An agent that was suspected to be a former member of the Widows initiated a series of ambushes and assassination attempts on Widows operatives during the last year.  The Crooked Man had a great deal of intel on activities of the organization and is responsible for the faction closing ranks and adopting a more stringent policy of silence for their operatives.  The Crooked Man is still at large and held responsible for a number of deaths of the Veiled. They are considered to be one of the greatest foes of the Widows at this time.

  • The Lost Widow — While the founding of the Widows was done by three Widows, at least one of their number has changed in the last several years.  The three current leaders of the faction never speak about what occurred before and no one except the Inner Circle understands even fragments of exactly what transpired.  The Lost Widow is a legend sometimes told by the foolhardy, of the only person to leave the Widows and live.  During the Long Night, it is said that the Lost Widow reclaims souls in the darkness.

favored skills & Pfas

  • Melee Small (Assassin)

  • Criminal Influence (Inner Circle)

  • Stealth (Shadow)

  • Telepathy (Thought Bender)

  • Telekinetics (Mentalist)