Hellhound Power Groups
Listed below are the main groups of influence among the Hellhounds, the five Motorgangs of the Iron Council and the Altar of Air.
Player Characters may come from any Power Group although they cannot be the leadership of that group. It is recommended that those willing to write backstories intertwined with the Motorgangs or the Altar of Air contact Game Staff for further information/guidance.
It is the requirement of Game Staff that players who create their own Motorgangs as part of their backstory submit a profile of that group to Game Staff (for further use in plot if need be).
Altar of Air: The Priesthood of the Thunders and the primary mechanics of the Hellhounds.
Lightning in Chains: An old Motorgang that has entered the Iron Council time and time again, reliable and powerful.
Mercykillers: A storied Motorgang on the Iron Council, equal parts feared and respected. And they are known for ensuring that fallen enemies stay dead.
Pistols at Forgemeet: A rebellious and isolationist “Motorgang” interested in self-governance despite their position on the Iron Council.
Seven-legged Spiders: A Motorgang with powerful shamanic magics tasked to guard the borders of the Great Lake.
Tomb Devils: A Motorgang of zealots, berserkers, and battle-crazed mercenaries.
Altar of Air
Altaric Acolytes
“Worship the holy frequencies!
Venerate the sacred technologies!
All hail the Ancient Airs!”
Basic: The Priesthood of the Thunders and the primary engineers of the Hellhounds.
Symbol: Six thunderbolts striking a forked tower
Territory: The Altaric Acolytes claim the Altar of Air and its surrounding farm communities as hallowed and well protected areas. This is located in the northeastern portion of the Flats.
Overview: The Altaric Acolytes are believed to be formerly of the Scavvers, with an almost religious devotion to technology and knowledge.The Altar of Air bound its fate to the Motorgangs when it assisted them against the Vorn, but before that they were a reclusive group of scholars and mechanics. It is believed that Prophet Ia-Killoth engineered the first Forgemeet, to ensure that the Motorgangs did not kill each other en masse and to assure the Altar’s security among them. By granting them locomotion and turning their sights outward, the Hellhounds mainly looked to the Altar as weaponers and mechanics rather than targets for the taking.
The Altar of Air has grown since its humble beginnings, even building upon their eponymous Altar with defenses and resilience. It has become a place of technology and learning in the Central Northeast, even inspiring outsiders to make the dangerous trek across Hellhound territory.
The war against the Harbinger Host was a costly one for the Altar, as it was for all the Archfactions. However, the battle against the Death Pigs was more ruinous for the Acolytes. Not only was their Altar damaged and many Acolytes slain, but those events also saw the betrayal of two Storm Prophets. This remains a bitter point for the Acolytes, who will gladly pay for the destruction of the two heretics.
Leadership: The Altar of Air is led by four Storm Prophets, though six once relayed edict and dictum.
Azmoz Thundersplit prophecies for Pyroclasm.
Lilith the Breaker prophecies for Torment
Baal the Havoc Sun prophecies for Power
Lukka Moulder prophecies for Chaos
Storm Prophets in Exile.
Zeen Goldenshiv prophecies for Glory
Skarn with Hungry Fangs prophecies for Bloodlust
Lightning in Chains
Chainers
“Let it rip! Let ‘em loose!” - A common Chainer warcry
Basic: An old Motorgang that has entered the Iron Council time and time again, reliable and powerful.
Symbol: A ring of chains surrounding three thunderbolts
Territory: The garages of the Chainers occupy the eastern Flats, near the Altar of Air. Though they are capable warriors, the Acolytes have enjoyed the protection of the Chainers for decades.
Overview: The Lightning in Chains, simply the Chainers, are an ancient tribe among the motorgangs and successors of the original Hellhounds in roster if not in fame. They are stolid, honorable, and hidebound. Time and time again, they have been part of the Iron Council, ousted by newcomers then resurging to the top after a decade or two.
As far as Motorgangs go, Chainers are an old breed of warriors and raiders — more emblematic of the Hellhounds than any others. They embraced battle, machinery, and the Thunders as many still do. Their longhouses swelled with tribute and scrap, even while giving generously to the Altar.
The Chainers of the current era are a people of iron, flame, and faith. Many see them as the paragons of strength and of the old ways. The Lightning in Chains are leaders, moreso than the other Motorgangs. They have always been a group that others have rallied behind because of their reputation.
Their association with the Acolytes and their faith in the Altar has served them well. Of the Motorgangs, they are the best equipped, crushing dissent and invaders with both muscle and machine.
Still, the Chainers want out of the Armistice and to go back to the days of yore. Their time as fearsome raiders is sorely missed.
Leadership: After his battle against the Harbinger Hosts, Alric All-Slayer (aka Motorheart, Freakbleeder, Foe Grinder) is said to be more engine than man. He had to be bolted back together after he and his Seconds stayed to give the Hellhounds more time to escape an ambush. With his renewed body, he still holds the reins of his storied motorgang.
Alric favors the return of the Hellhounds to their raiding roots, but recognizes the pitfalls of doing so. With the Archfactions in a greater presence than in the past and the Free Tribes now unified against any threat, the Hellhounds risk invasion if they go on a raid against their previous quarries. Some claim that he is afraid that a lack of enemies means that the Motorgangs turn on each other, as they have in the past.
Like many of the Chainers, he is more often found in the garage of the Longhouse rather than ranging the region for threats or sparring with the others. He is a devout member of the faith and the quality of the Chainers’ engines show that devotion in full.
Mercykillers
“No time to run and hide.
No time to be afraid of fear”
A Straken prayer of the Mercykillers
Basic: A storied Motorgang on the Iron Council, equal parts feared and respected. And they are known for ensuring that fallen enemies stay dead.
Symbol: Three bones crossed and lashed together. These form an “X” with a vertical bone crossed through them. Mercykillers carry the bones of beasts and foes as trophies.
Territory: The Mercykillers have a longhouse in the Western Flats and patrol the area around it seldomly, because of recent events
Overview: The Mercykillers are ancient and one of the strongest of the gangs before the Vorn’s arrival. Called the Diamond Kings, this strength and their defiant spirit would lead to their downfall at the hands of the Winter Wraith. The Mercykillers were born then, a shadow of themselves and risen from their frozen graves. Their modest rebirth and slow growth would lead to their eventual prominence as one of the Iron Council. They drew from those who had fallen and those the other gangs had considered weak, tempering the willing with horrifying crucibles. Though this brought the derision of other Motorgangs, their numbers swelled with those that gang politics had cast aside and those that sought redemption.
The Mercykillers are one of the Iron Council Motorgangs for at least 20 years, achieving their position by ousting the Lightning in Chains Motorgang in a Blood Pit and earning the adulation of the other Hellhounds. Throughout recent history, they have persisted where others have fallen, rising again time after time.
Due to their ascension to the Council, they have a contentious relationship with the Chainers. They also have a cold view of the Altar of Air but ultimately, they care little for feuds and rivalries. The Mercykillers tend to be on the forefront of most conflicts and this has not changed. This Motorgang assists in the defenses against the Shroudlands and the Hive Mounds.
Leadership: It is said Sweet Mercy (aka Pigsticker, Flesh Tearer, Grave Digger) keeps the Mercykillers on the Iron Council not because they relish governance and domination, but because they gain the least interference by assuming the roles of leadership. Sweet’s name belies their vicious nature and notoriety, somehow escaping sanctions of murdering other Hellhounds in duels. In particular, the Risen Seraph toothily ripped out Orcus’ throat after he was downed by the Mercykillers. Rumor has it that Sweet was ousted and slain by their former comrades for a similar act, before they rose again then joined the Mercykillers.
Even to their Motorgang, Sweet is anything but. They push and they rally their people beyond the limits of endurance, expecting more than the best. The Mercykillers’ respect and fear of their Motorboss goes a long way.
Pistols at Forgemeet
Pistoleers
“Ignite and Watch them Burn!” -- Pistoleer warchant
Basic: A rebellious and isolationist “Motorgang” interested in self-governance despite their position on the Iron Council.
Symbol: A human silhouette on fire
Territory: The Pistoleers have no garages since they were ousted decades ago. Those warbands that roster this Motorgang travel in the Northwestern Flats but stray across the Midwest and occasionally into Mid-Atla.
Overview: The Drive Furies were the first Motorgang to rebel against the Hellheim Compact and they were utterly obliterated by the combined might of the Iron Council, with the survivors driven out of the region.
The Pistols at Forgemeet are the Drivers’ descendants and successors, returning to the region and claiming territories through Blood Pits a few decades after their predecessors’ defeat. In a time where engines became a symbol of strength and supremacy, the Pistoleers sought their own way without “Altaric debt” or enslavement to the engine. They fought against any chain that sought to bind them, be it faith, machine, or council. Even without the gifts of the Altar, they have grown to be a prominent force. They recruit from the communities within and outside their domain as well as those who are disaffected by the Iron Council’s rule.
In a different world, they would have joined the Death Pigs or replaced them as the premier rebellion against the Iron Council. For reasons of their own, the Pistols at Forgemeet chose to stand with Hellheim and strike down at the Death Pigs and their Sundered allies.
Upon becoming one of the five Motorgangs of the Iron Council, it was revealed that the Pistols were assisted by a Risen Altaric Exile. “Moulder” lent them knowledge of strange weapons and machines and spearheaded their recent military progress. As part of their ascension, Acolyte Moulder rejoined the Altaric Acolytes as the Storm Prophet of Chaos.
Leadership: Zagrak Silverfish (Renegade Ripper, Shell Breaker, the Bloody Bull) is a figure of contention even among his riotous Motorgang. His decision to bring the Motorgang into the Iron Council is considered by some to be a betrayal of their ideals. The revelation of Moulder as an Altaric Prophet is similarly viewed.
Zagrak is newly returned to the position of Motorboss, having stepped down a decade ago to allow Ngethe Nightwatcher the leadership role. When Ngethe did not survive the Harbinger Hosts, the Silverfish’s supporters urged him to return to the reins which he did in a temporary capacity until the Pistols recovered from the massive losses. Since the Pistols have yet to recover but have gain much acclaim among the other Hellhounds, he was able to push his Motorgang to enter the ranks of the Iron Council.
Despite the hatred against him, Zagrak appears to be a calm individual, more at home around his family and the pack animals of the Pistols’ Longhouse. He is said to be possessed of potent sorcery, but he prefers to use his words and his presence more than his magic.
Seven legged Spiders
Seven-Spiders, Spiders
“see through the fog of wars,
smell the scourge of plagues,
perish in winter frost,
tread through this life with black legs”
The curse of the Seven Grandfather
Basic: A Motorgang with powerful shamanic magics tasked to guard the borders of the Great Lake.
Symbol: An orange and red spider with seven legs above a bright stone.
Territory: The Seven-legged Spiders lair in the southwestern coast of the Great Lake, slaying whatever horrors crawl or stumble their way out of the Great Lake. Some of their garages share ancestral grounds with the Flame Reavers.
Overview: The Seven legged Spiders are a reclusive tribe but they are descended from the Flame reaver himself, who in turn, came from the Hearth Keeper tribe. While the Hearth Keepers were deeply wounded by the Vorn and their Azzak Vorn, they were one of the last holdouts against the Winter Wraith’s forces until the Khoda the Flame Reaver rallied the people and the Altaric Acolytes.
The Spiders themselves are quiet, but they have grown in power and in magics since the Vorn’s time. It is said that they have a powerful Whisper as an ally -- one that they simply call the Seven Grandfather or the Seven-legged Spider that grants their Animancers their power and wisdom. They have also elected themselves the guardians against the Great Lake. The frozen horrors that arise from the depths are their domain, save for the few that escape their clutches
The Spiders fought against both the Death Pigs and the Harbinger Hosts. Like many Motorgangs, they suffered greatly from both wars. But their losses paled in comparison to the glory and acclaim they gained from the other Hellhounds. Their sorceries were beyond what the others had ever seen, honed in their battles against the Lake horrors.
Since joining the Iron Council, the Seven-legged Spiders have since used their influence to bring more attention and manpower to driving back the Lake horrors, which they claim have increased in number during the War of Embers. Indeed, the Spiders even claim that they have almost been overrun several times.
Despite their cold disposition toward the Altar of Air, the Spiders and the Acolytes work together without complaint. The latter grants the Spiders special equipment for their northern burden, while the former informs the Acolytes of any new monstrosities they encounter. There are even rumors of the Vorn’s return, although the Spiders are silent on the matter.
Leadership: Setting Sun (aka Winter Breaker) is a crack shot and a Scryer, succeeding her father Weeping Eye to lead the Spiders. She is on the younger side of leadership, but has proven her worth to the Spiders time and time again.
Sun believes that her Motorgang is guided by Grandfather Spider in their duty to help the people of creation. Her belief enshrouds her behavior and her honor, lending her an air of wisdom that her folk respect and revere. Though Weeping Eye still lives and gives his counsel to Sun, the Motorgang look to her for leadership with only a few dissenting voices.
Tomb Devils
“Blamed are those who know pain
Knighted are those who know pain
Deadly are those who know pain”
-- Tomb Devil proverb
Basic: A Motorgang of zealots, berserkers, and battle-crazed mercenaries.
Symbol: A leering horned face of a gargoyle
Territory: The Tomb Devils haunt the Eastern Flats, dredging the ruins of the cities south of the Great Lake. Their mercenary nature brings them all over the place, even Mid-Atla.
Overview: The Tomb Devils are a newer Motorgang, off-shooting from the now defunct Night Slayers. The Night Slayers themselves were an offshoot of the Metal Dead Motorgang. All of these groups had a particular commonality -- a brutal bloodlust and a worship of the Ancient Thunders, specifically Severgut and Metalurge.
Second only to the Death Pigs, the Tomb Devils hold the maddest brawlers among the Hellhounds. They constantly hone their skills on other Motorgangs, gaining them no small amount of hatred. They also delve in the cursed motor ruins for scrap and tech, giving no small amount of their spoils to the Altar of Air. That said, the Tomb Devils have a sordid past of human sacrifice, offering the corpses of their strongest enemies to the gods. Though they have distanced themselves from such activities publicly, rumors still follow their less stable members.
Far from a monolithic whole, Tomb Devil warbands can be found all over the Central Northeast and even Mid-Atla. They are constantly looking for battle and bloodshed and benediction for their warrior divinities. They meet yearly at their Longhouse to divide spoils and to trade news, as well as train new Devils in their craft. It is common practice for the Devils to recruit from those they’ve defeated, in exchange for their lives.
Leadership: Mother of Stone (aka the Lady of Pain, the Wildfire, the Stone Goat) is a Metabionic Seraph possessed of a strange eldritch engine, known for her mad cackle and her four graceful horns. She often claims that she is doomed to die but those she kills have been decreed to die first to please Severgut and Metalurge.
More tales of her madness follow her even farther than the reach of the Tomb Devils themselves -- it is believed that she killed her own brother during a Blood Pit, that she ate a shard of the Flame Reaver to gain her power, and that she gave birth to a secret demi-god that she now searches for.
One of her Seconds, Razor Floodgate, often stands in for her at Forgemeets. He is often seen as the main stabilizing influence for a band of chaotic warmongers, though he himself is followed by his own stories and legends of craziness.