Smàragclann (sma-rack-clown)
"Smàrag-Màthair gave us this land because she was kind. She gave us night because she was sly. But she was not wrathful, no the wrath of nature is of two sources.Nature is a fickle mother in any world. At the same time it is full of beauty and wonder, growing infinite potential and gorgeous creatures. It is also the storming terror and brutal struggle for survival. There was a time that most people in Agartha forgot the second half of nature, and were surprised when it finally came time for their agents to bite. Smàragclann is an environmentally focused sect of The Mother Dragons faith, specifically worshipping the Emerald Mother, Smàrag-Màthair, in her role as goddess of nature and growth. They have been through many changes throughout the years, but the greatest reputation they carry is that of bloodthirsty defenders of nature, as they have not left something as small as sanctity for mortal life get in the way of their conquest to rejuvinate the land in Agartha's past. Things have noticeably chilled out between the groups mission change and the modern day, but their threats are still felt by the common folk of Agartha, no matter how much they try to change their image.
First, it is the anger of the world and the magic within it howling out at you in shame, asking 'why have you done this?' as you destroy it further.
The second, shall be from us personally. And have the utmost faith, we will not be stopped the way the mountain stops a storm. Not until you are through."
Structure
As an internal sect, Smàragclann does have to defer to the pan-faith ranks, the Wyrm Priests, Wyvern Priests, and Dragon Priests as well as the head of the faith, The Draconic Leader, should they ever have to step in. Other than that, the hierarchy is largely identical to that within the rest of the church, with the exception that they only inherently follow Smàragclann's own hierarchy.
Culture
Smàragclann embraces a very natural lifestyle, with many of its members either living in the deep caverns of the World-Mountain or in the forests past its foothills. They rely on nature for coverage, forage and hunt in limited numbers for food, use only the barest of modern technologies, and rarely interact with other sects of the church. Their main job is to ensure the health and safety of Agartha's natural environments, and subsequently the leylines.
Some say that the sect is so pro-nature that they're anti-mortal, but many within it would claim this is not the case. Mortals, just like any other creature, is a part of the ecosystem and therefore a key part of nature. However, should a decision come down between saving a mortal life and the sanctity of nature, well, it'd be a hard choice. If that mortal life caused harm to the natural environment? A much easier choice, and not one said mortal will enjoy.
Public Agenda
The agenda of Smàragclann is to protect and enrich the natural environments of the entire world, although they only have legal jurisdiction within Agartha. This includes protection of endangered species, performing controlled burns and stomping out uncontrolled ones, ensuring hunting and foraging laws are followed, and most importantly stymieing any illegal damaging operations such as mining or deforestry.
Assets
While they are a very off-the-grid organization, as an arm of The Mother Dragons and therefore the primary government, they do have financial assets. Every so often a few of the higher ranking priests venture back to the city to take care of such affairs, as it's not like they have to stay out in the wild.
Most of the sects assets come down to natural resources and bonds with nature, as well as the religious artifacts they acquire and create as part of their work.
History
As with many of the Mother-Dragons, the sect of Smàragclann has been around since the dawn of the faith, at least 6000 years ago if not longer. However, for most of the groups existance they were a much different organization.
It would be nigh impossible to track every change between the Smàragclann of 6000+ years ago and what the clan became in -115 EE, but in short while the sect was always focused on nature, they had become more a sect of farmers and land surveyers, piecemealing away the most fertile land and creating shortcuts in order to avoid upsetting the flow of mana too much.
But it became a sect of negligence and greed, just as so many of them do. Prior to it's heavy revision, the panic of the Wild Wall and the Isolated Era made Agartha focus on internal mining, getting the most resources as soon as possible. When Hippolyta started to get antsy and war-hungry, they only doubled down. But, this resulted in acres and acres of destroyed land, hastily set up mines, and smoke and sediment choking the voice of nature itself. All while the former Smàragclann lined their pockets and double-talked to cover the real damage.
It all became too much for one member of the sect, Amund Irvine, who finally had enough when overnight a meadow full of endangered deer was exterminated for a quarry. When he saw this, the barrenness of the land and the carcasses of the beautiful creatures, his sanity snapped, and he took one of the quarriers hammers and concaved their skull with it. By the time authorities would be able to stop him, he killed fifteen workers and the manager of the quarry.
Not feeling an ounce of shame, he was brought in front of the Smàrag Heartscale Priest. When asked to pay restitution, he produced a single seed, and planted it at the feet between them, and merely hung his head in prayer. The Heartscale Priest did not expect the speed and fury at which a tree would grow beneath him, intermingling his flesh with its bark, dying the oak a crimson red.
The guards swiftly executed him, but the damage was done. No longer would the angry of Smàragclann stand idly by and let this disgusting perversion of their goddess continue. This would be war.
It took two years of constant incidents for the Agarthan government to realize that this problem was only growing, and they needed to make things right. On the 25th of Heating Summer, 85 Warring Era, a law was put into place that outlawed any resource gathering operations in protected areas without Smàragclann's direct assessment and consent. Furthermore, this approval needed to be three-fold, and any amount of bribery or coercion would result in the execution of not only the offending party, but the Smàragclann priest who accepted it. Brutal, but that is what nature needs to be sometimes, they reasoned.
From their, the public opinion of Smàragclann reduced heavily, seeing them as barbaric murderers. To be fair to them, there is an entire stretch of Agarthan forest made entirely of red oak, because they applied Amund's method to such a degree the soil is permenantly iron-rich. Smàragclann did not mind though, for what was public opinion in the face of nature being allowed to heal? Or the gods above who see their actions? This was when Smàragclann began their culture of natural living, as those within the cities did not want them anywhere nearby. They also began terraforming the mines, quarries, and deforested areas posthaste.
Incidents involving Smàragclann are not common, only happening once every other decade or so, but they remain the talk of legends and ghost stories. In recent times, however, they've began to actually do some image repair.
The Border Wars changed much, not only the fact that the entire world has entered a tennuous period of peace and development after throwing off many yokes of tradition, but also because of a key tragedy: A Vohme Death Squad, terrifyingly effecient platoons from Laputa, led a firebomb assult that wound up killing nearly 200 members of Smàragclann, and they had no one who could or wanted to come to their aid. It was a humbling moment for the sect, who realized that they couldn't just be the vengeful hand of nature, they too must be the grace and growth.
This change has been mostly successful, although the stained reputation may always remain. Oddly enough, just as many people look down on Smàragclann for being tree-huggers and rabid environmentalists. This rare but loud opinion must not have noticed the various mass murders the group has done, because they speak of the nature-loving group as if they are effete whiners who horde the forests for mere sentimentality.
Demography and Population
Due to being part of the Agarthan faith, most members of Smàragclann are one of the Dwarven species, with a close second and third going to the Halflings and Draganter respectively. Many of them are in middle-age, but there's plenty of younger members of the sect, however few older ones given how many perished in The Border Wars. Among gender and sexuality, it's rather fluid and even.
While the sect is made up of the faithful, meaning many are Clerics from a magical standpoint, just as many are druids or hunting rangers, with some even being alchemists and witches, all skill methods related to nature in some key way.
Religion
Smàragclann is a specific sect of The Mother Dragons faith that focuses on specific worship of Smàrag-Màthairthe Emerald Mother-Dragon of Growth and Shadows. It is she who gave her body so that nature could grow, but also so that prey and predator alike could hide under the veil of night.
While Smàragclann focuses on worship and veneration of Smàrag-Màthair chiefly, they also give thanks to two other nature goddesses, Glaschlach-Piuthar of Tilling representing the beginning of growth, and Onics-Piuthar of Reaping representing the end of it. Together they form the Verdant Triad, and are worshipped in a triplicate status as a general Goddess for the cycles of nature overall.
The three of them also take on another kind of narrative triple, a storytelling trope that might've even started with them, the Serious, the Sly, and the Spritely. The childlike Glaschlach takes the position as the Spritely, the sneaky and duplicitive Smàrag is obviously the Sly, and the dutiful and quiet Onics is the Serious.
Foreign Relations
While Smàragclann only has jurisdiction within Agartha, they do help out all over the world where they are needed. The people of Boncly see them as rather acceptable, as do the people of Magnum Opus and the Kaguyan Federation. Atalanta, Laputa, and Afallon do not see them as necessary, the 'Oki Islands don't wish to use Agarthan "help" when they have their own methods, and the elven leaders of Hippolyta would rather die then let anyone else touch their sacred forests.
Laws
- Respect this holy land. Failure will be met with deserving punishment.
- Never take more than you need, flora or fauna alike.
- Listen to the voice of nature first, even before your elders.
- Do not allow others to disrespect the land.
- Do not interfere in the course of nature, kind or otherwise.
- When the land calls for help, we answer, no questions.
- Leave judgement at the boundary stone, the land cares not for who you are.
- Forgo excess wants and possessions. Nature shall meet your needs.
- Remember the Emerald Mother watches over us all.
Agriculture & Industry
While the Smàragclann of the past was against the mass clearing and usage of the land for wasteful reasons, they do help and support your every day sustainable farming, so long as one isn't treating their land or animals unfairly or pushing too close into protected land. In fact, many of Smàragclann have taken up such measures of agriculture themselves, although usually keeping it just to their own personal needs since one of their laws is not to take more than they need.
Still, even in less direct ways they engage in all sorts of agricultural methods, as they assist with the growing of forest groves, cleaning the land with controlled burns, ensuring animals do not become too over or under populated, the list goes on. Essentially, they are intrinsictly tied to the agricultural industry of Agartha as a whole.
Airson a Smàrag-Màthair, bidh sinn a' fàs / For the Emerald Mother, we grow.
Founding Date
Unknown (Original), 7/25/85 Warring Era (-115 EE)
Type
Religious, Sect
Alternative Names
Bloodroots, The Daisy Gang, Lily-Livers
Training Level
Semi-professional
Veterancy Level
Trained
Demonym
Smàragkin
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Founders
Parent Organization
Deities
Location
Related Ethnicities
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