The Cryptid Clans

Many secret and strange things dwell in the Arcadian wilds stretching for miles around Emerald City: the influence of ancient genetic tinkering (by The Preservers, the Serpent People and their genetic creations, the Morlocks and Formians), unusual energies like the viridian stones, and more recent alien contamination by Grue gene-plasm has created a variety of freaks and mutations. More than a little of the cryptozoological speculation about the area is true.
One of the reasons why the truth remains hidden from the outside world is an unusual alliance among the inhabitants of the Arcadian Forest older than Emerald City itself: the Cryptid Clans.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

The Cryptid Clans are an alliance of diverse human offshoots, banded together for mutual protection and benefit. In spite of appearances, the various clans do not share the same origin: some are creations of the ancient Preservers, while others are of more recent genesis. The members of the Hidden Peoples are defined by two primary characteristics: their heritage (or genetic origin) and their clan affiliation. The first is a matter of either birth or accident, while the second is generally a matter of choice, although dictated at least somewhat by the individual’s physical nature. The recognized heritages among the Cryptid Clans are as follows:

• Beast People
• Changed Ones
• Forsaken
• Unhumans
• Visitors

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

In addition to their heritage, the Hidden Peoples are divided into five Clans, primarily according to where they dwell in and around the Arcadian Peninsula and the region around Mount Stanley. The five Cryptid Clan affiliations are as follows:

• Rock Clan
• River Clan
• Sea Clan
• Sky Clan
• Wood Clan

History

Long before people from Europe or Asia visited the area that has become known as Mallory Bay, tribes of Native Americans lived here, fishing in the waters of the rivers and hunting in the woodlands along the slopes and foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The Hekawi and other tribes soon learned they were not alone in the region around the great, smoking mountain (Mt. Stanley).
They told tales of the Beast People: bear-folk and wolf-folk, and of the mysterious serpent people even the other animal peoples mistrusted, all living examples of totemic powers. The Beast People were never numerous, but they were formidable, and therefore deserving of respect, ideally from a distance. Pacts were forged between the humans and the Beast People to leave each other in peace and respect their territories, and they held true, for the most part.
Like many aspects of the natural order, these pacts were disrupted by the arrival of the white men from the east.
In addition to bringing with them their desire to own and control the land and take all that it offered while returning nothing, the strangers did not respect the ancient pacts and taboos. They called the Beast People tall tales and myths, even as they repeated the Indian legends in trading posts, and later riverside bars and sophisticated salons.
The chiefs and leaders of the Hidden Peoples met in council and debated. With the old agreements falling away, what would they do about the newcomers to their lands? Some advocated war, wiping out the strangers as a warning to all others, and there were some incidents, attributed to wild animals or even human criminals, but the leaders quickly realized they were greatly outnumbered and outmatched. The strangers wielded more sophisticated weapons and, even if they were wiped out, others would come, wondering about their fate. They saw the inevitable, and decided, if the newcomers considered them nothing more than legends, then legends they would become, hidden from the eyes of outsiders for all time, cryptic. So it was the Cryptid Clans were forged.
They were largely successful. For generations, the Cryptid Clans have existed in hiding in the Arcadian wilderness, withdrawing slowly from the outskirts of the growing human settlement. The few isolated sightings and incidents were passed off as legends and hoaxes, sometimes with assistance from the Clans and their allies, more often simply due to the human ignorance and willingness to remain blind to anything outside of their own experience.
If like attracts like, then perhaps the generations of deception by the Cryptid Clans drew criminals to turn Emerald City into a haven. Certainly, the Chamber was surprised to discover they were not the first secret society to exist in the shadow of Mount Stanley. They learned of the Cryptid Clans and, like outsiders before them, came to an accord. The two societies would safeguard each others’ secrets and respect each others’ territories. The Clans, for the most part, had little interest in the city, while the Chamber claimed little interest in the wilderness beyond its bounds, even thought certain members were curious about the Cryptids and other mysteries of the Arcadian wilderness.
This new pact served the Clans well enough, until the coming of the Silver Storm and the breaking of the Chamber. Now, Emerald City is exposed to more scrutiny than ever before. Stormers and new heroes are ignorant of the ancient agreements, and the Cryptids are feeling the pressure from the outside world. Never great in numbers, the Clans have closed ranks to protect themselves, but a growing faction calls for action, saying something must be done about the impending threat of humanity. A few visionaries hope to part the veil of generations of secrecy and bridge the gap between cultures, but they are being drowned out by the calls for drastic action, even for preemptive war, against those who would threaten the Hidden Peoples.