The Oracles Guild

The Oracles have existed for a long time prior to being formed as a Guild, since man was first able to recognize the passage of the days and record what has come before to plan for what else may come. The first Oracles were worshiped and revered for the most part by mankind, their insights into life and what was to come valuable in many rising cultures and societies. Held aloof and separated from the troubles and toils of the world, they lived lives of public humility and power amongst both Other and Mankind. Treated with such reverence, it came as a shock to them when the Church descended down and the time of White Death began.

Dragged from their gilded temples and protected manors, the Oracles were some of those hit the hardest by the Inquisition due to their public figures. As more and more were dragged into streets and burned on accusations of witchcraft, those survivors began to flee for their lives into the wild places of the world to escape. Using only their gift to guide them in survival, they hid amongst the human peasant hordes and deep in the dark and unexplored regions of the planet. Pushing their abilities to the limit, they took pity on all the others driven out of their homes and frequently selflessly used their powers for the betterment of their new people. For the first time many of them gave of others instead of taking for themselves, and the joy they found in it was infectious.

Before the call came out for the grand gathering in Venice, the Oracles already knew of it. It is said that the simple fact that they saw a vision of their survival in attending the gathering is what spurred the others to follow them, the Oracles moved enmass from their hiding holes and wilderness shacks to descend on what they felt was their last hope. Inspired by the infectious joy that spread amongst the Oracles, the Others quickly followed and met for what would be the Venice Proclamation. Joined officially as a Guild, the Oracles made the universal ruling amongst themselves to offer assistance to their people and their new families. They moved in full to support the Underground and reject the surface world. That is, until WW2.

World War 2 was the wake up call for the Oracles Guild, the point where they realized that things were going terribly wrong with humanity and the surface world. They continued to see how horrible man could be to each other without a moral guide and advise on lessons of the past, but still held out a nervous hope that things would change after this second global slaughter. The moment that the atomic bomb was tested, every oracle young and old had the same vision. They saw very clearly that man had now the ability to eradicate themselves from the planet, the power to destroy all life on earth in their rage against each other. They saw very clearly that if a third world war was to be allowed, that the devastation and rage would be an end to everyone's way of life forever. For a second time in their history, the Oracles convened and agreed that man needed their influence more than ever.

Leaving the Underground enmass, the Oracles took to their old roles of shepherding humanity and offering advice and guidance with gusto. They entered public life, becoming leaders of revolutionary groups and business captains. They pushed the envelope of technology and struggled to end wars around the globe, hoping that a world of peace and free information could never allow such an event as a world war to erupt as it did prior. When the dark tidings of war began to brew and the storm clouds covered the earth, the Oracles felt confident that their great work had forestalled this terrible destruction. Sadly, they were blind to those who opposed them in their own midst.

No one knows the name of the Oracles who were inside the Pentagon when the call for war erupted, but what is known is that they were there. Someone was inside the Pentagon, working against their movements and no one should have been able to follow the same tugs and pulls of fate and destiny except for another Oracle. When the nukes began to drop on American soil for the first time, the Guild realized the horror they had unleashed. In their relentless pursuit of a better tomorrow, they realized they had laid the groundwork for this war. They had been blinded by their own sense of righteousness, and were ashamed. Washing their hands of the world, they turned their backs from the bigger picture.

Oracles Guild Today

The Oracles Guild of today is a broken people, their wings burnt as they flew too high to the sun and now trudge along on the ground with the rest of humanity. Having decided to stop trying to meddle in grand affairs, most Oracles busy themselves with their own pet projects and doing their best to stay out of the spotlight. Oracles very rarely volunteer to be in charge of a situation, they’re offer support or deny it often randomly to the outside observer and offer little-to-no explanation as to why. Being able to see the past and future has jaded many a member, giving them a twisted sense of right and wrong. It is not uncommon to find many criminals and white-collar crime perpetrators amongst the Guild these days, though the reasons for such behavior are often shrouded. Deeper inspection often reveals that the murders committed are of those who got away with crimes or will kill in the future, people stolen from are in fact jewel thieves themselves.

Oracles have stopped trying to live for a better future, the Guild that used to have an optimistic view on what was to come now lives simply for the moment. Many have taken a revenge bent, trying to avenge those who have been wronged in the past but had no one stand up for them, while others are simply using their gifts to make life comfortable for themselves and their friends/families. Universally it is said the Oracles are a lost group of good-hearted Others, looking for direction again to bend their talents once again.

Choosing a Council member

Choosing a council member for the quarterly meetings is actually a fairly simple process: they simply allow their natural gifts to decide. Through a combination of divination, precog and general blind luck they let the name of the next council member be selected from a master list of Oracles kept in Venice. The information needed for that meeting is then sent to the new council member via the Spys Guild, often times an Oracle will not know he’s been selected until there is a Mr. or Mrs. Smith at his doorstep with a package.

Joining the Guild

Joining the Oracles Guild is actually a fairly simple process, once an Other has been identified as a possible Oracle he is approached and interviewed. His or hers powers are tested to verify their precog or post-cog abilities, a simple process that is clearly evident and a cut-and-dry method of sorting out possible guild mates. A unique feature amongst the Oracle guild is the physical sensations that go along with their abilities. Positive visions will create a euphoric and pleasant feeling in the body, ranging anywhere from a warm hugging sensation too full on after sex glow. Negative visions will create just the opposite, feeling of pain and uncomfortableness in the body ranging from a stiff muscle to at its worst pain-induced seizures.