The Graven are a revolutionary movement directed against the hereditary nobility of the City and the newly emerged rich class, the bourgeoisie.
Background[]
Born out of the oppression and tyranny of Baron Nortcrest's reign, the Graven were originally a disorganized movement until the appearance of Orion, the self-styled voice of the people. Initially focused on providing relief to the commoners suffering from the Gloom, Orion steadily rallied supporters and forged the Graven into a revolutionary army. Sickness and oppression have robbed the citizens of their freedom, their happiness, and when it began threatening their very lives, the citizenry started fighting back.
Baron’s watch responded with crackdowns and mass executions of anyone even suspected of harboring Graven or Graven sympathies, which only inflamed the situation more. Orion capitalized on the repression like many revolutionary movements, steadily radicalizing his followers and eventually coming to be seen as either a god or a channel for them (representing the concept of "New Gods", in a way). The resulting religious undercurrent became the binding mortar of the Graven and ensured both fanaticism and reckless courage during the revolution.
Garrett becomes crucial in Orion's greater plans for the city, recovering essential components of the ritual that Elias Northcrest once tried to carry out. The prophet of the Graven believed that the ritual would allow the Graven - and him - to harness the power of the Primal and cure the sickness as well as remaking the City. Garrett succeeded, against the backdrop of a mass revolution that swept the city as the Graven entered Dayport and attacked The Keep, delivering a crippling blow to the Watch. In the days that followed, the Watch was wiped out in street fighting and public executions for crimes against the citizenry.
The religious component came to the fore as Orion prepared for the ritual and the City burned in the wake of the fighting and the fall of Baron Northcrest, with Graven replacing the Watch as keepers of the peace and enforcers of the new order. However, Garrett's interference in The Hidden City beneath the old Hammerite cathedral cut these plans short. The subsequent death of Orion at the ark his followers lashed together on the shores of the City has removed the most radical leadership, leaving the Graven in control of the city and the future unclear.
Organization[]
As a popular movement, the Graven don't seem to have a well-defined hierarchy, instead relying on ad hoc command structures and hierarchies. While there are officers among the better equipped and organized units, particularly those close to Orion, the bulk are commoners equipped with whatever weapons they have on hand and distinguished by the white and red paint splashed over their bodies.
The symbol of the Graven is a stylized black eye crossed out with two lines of red, symbolizing the destruction of the oppressive Watch and through it the old order. The Graven in general eschew the metal and stone the Baron loves, prefering flesh and blood - symbols of life core to their religion.
Gallery[]
