Advocates
The advocates are a mostly informal designation for Greymoria's ecclesiastical Children that specialize on providing aid and support to Greymoria's monstrous Children be they so called "True Monsters" or merely mortal races dubbed "monstrous" by polite society.
Most intelligent monsters recognize the value of most kinds of common treasure, but they cannot realistically spend it. The most common service the Advocates provide is fencing goods for intelligent Greymoria affiliated monsters, often letting their monstrous allies convert treasure and reagents into weapons, tools, or even magical items that the monsters cannot easily make or steal for themselves. Of course, most Advocates take a "finder's fee" from every transaction.
The Advocates usually have a fair number of contacts in the secular underworld as well, and a lot them deal in maleficium for hire and/or trade in forbidden and illegal reagents.
To a lesser extent, Advocates will try to run interference for monsters by covering up evidence of monster crimes and putting obstacles in front of knights and adventuers on monster hunts.
That said, the Advocates are not blindly pro-monster. They will not provide aid or support to monsters not affiliated with Greymoria and will sometimes actively point monster hunters in the direction of these creatures. If they are feeling generous, they might give them a warning to venerate their Dark Mother or suffer the consequences.
The Advocates bear a special loathing for Greymoria's so-called "reformed monsters", especially the kalazotz who have not just abandoned their Mother, but they have gone so far as to throw their lot in with Mera.
They also, generally only care about defending mortal monsters with full sapience, they see monstrous animals and beasts as little more than exploitable resources.
Territories
The Advocates do not really have a home territory. Advocates act as middlemen between the civilized world and the remote "Here there by Monsters" sections of various maps. By extension, most part-time or full-time Advocates are physically hardy individuals trained well in mundane and magical survival techniques.
Even if they are not sympathetic to the Advocates' general mission, mainstream Children often turn to the Advocates for advice or aid before engaging on long journeys.
Military
Advocates are forced to be independent and tough. Most important of all, they need to be able to project an air of confidence and power. They have to walk into monster lairs and convince the monsters there that attacking them is not in their best interest. Would-be advocates that cannot take care of themselves tend to get eaten.
They also have to deal with governments and adventuring parties that are hostile to Greymoria's monstrous progeny. For every two would-be advocates that get eaten by monsters, one gets slain by an anti-monster crusader.
While individually, most Advocates are badasses, their numbers are not great. That said, the most successful Advocates in Scarterra can call in favors from their monstrous allies and call in powerful and unorthodox reinforcements.
Mythology & Lore
During the First Age, Greymoria's draconic priests and priestesses almost all focused on shepherding Greymoria's new races, or so the Advocates claim.
It was only over the millenia that followed that Greymoria's Children branched out into other missions and moved away from aiding the younger races.
Thus, the Advocates claim to be the last vestige of true Greymoria worship. A claim other Children tend to roll their eyes at, but one they won't openly refute, lest some eight legged monster kill them in their sleep.
Priesthood
The Advocates are made up of human and demihuman priests of Greymoria that are tough and wily enough to deal directly with monstrous races. On the other side of the fence, they ar bolstered by monsterous races that have the foresight and cleverness to deal with humans and demihumans on a non-adversarial level.
Whichever side of the fence they start on, most Advocates either have a knack for languages or they have access to some form of magical translation spell.
Stereotypes
Bearers of the Book: Weaklings who try to trade cantrips and parlor tricks for some crumbs from the kings and lords. Bridge Builders: One doesn't convince people to accept your power, you force them to accept your power. Custodians of Kismet Heritage: They are a little open to dealing with Greymoria's Progeny, but they are overly focused on the so-called civilized mortals. Sorcerous blood is thinning in humanity and it is even thinner among the demi-humans. Kahdisterian Children: For whatever their other faults, our Kahdisterian brothers and sisters have persuaded the dark elf nobles into creating sensible laws with regards to Greymoria's progeny. Swynfaredian Children: The Kahdisterian Children have managed to play by the system and managed to advanced Greymoria's ideals in the process. The Swynfardian Children have only squandered Greymoria's gifts for table scraps. Thaumaturge Covenant: They waste their time. Greymoria wishes her witches and warlocks to be self-sufficient, so they do not need our assistance. The other warlocks are not our friends, but we Children have bigger concerns than the soft warlocks of Faerie patrons. Children of Spite: All of us are Children of Spite whether we admit or not. Independents: All of Greymoria's Children must be independent and flexible to an extant. Maylar's Testers: We have common enemies, but little else in common. Mera's Tenders: Fit only to be consumed by Greymoria's true Children. Korus' Stewards: Most are too passive and inwardly focused to manner, but a rare few of them understand how harsh the natural world truly is and these few make worthy companions. Nami's Rovers: Merely distractions, if you are wise you will let them distract your enemies and not you. Khemra's Keepers: They are the armor of the weak and foolish kings who oppose us. Remove this armor. Zarthus' Lanterns: Of our many enemies, these are the only ones brave enough to face us in the wilds. Hallisan's Guardians: Powerful warriors, but rigid and predictable. To defeat them, you must everywhere and nowhere. Phidas' Masks: Some of Greymoria's progeny were created with Phidas help and they retain ties to both the Dark Mother and the Lord of Masks. Therefore some Masks have goals in common with us though most are opposed to us. But know this, be they friend or foe, all Masks are liars.
Type
Religious, Other
Government System
Magocracy
Parent Organization
Deities
Location
Official Languages
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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