The Lucid Circus

Throughout history, very few have ever had the opportunity to understand or know of the inner workings of the famous Lucid Circus. To the common man, the Circus is merely a massive organization of wandering minstrels, bards, and actors, whom have banded together in one big play to entertain. Yet, so very few know of the Circus' workings with the criminal underground. So few know that every performer is an assassin, and every mask hides a dangerous, cold blooded killer. The guild itself is lead in troupes across the world, with three dedicated Ringmasters forming traveling circuses that wander over the country side. These circuses and carnivals are harmless on the surface, but are in truth, their primary method of finding other capable performers -- and more importantly, gold!

Show spoiler

In recent times, the Lucid Circus had come under control of Queen Thalia Yelsaan. While the guild has always been an Elven concept, now more than ever, the Sylvan people are left in the charge of how the guild is ran or funded.

Structure

The power structure of the Lucid Circus is both simple yet complex. In short; once sworn in as a proper assassin, the guild generally you as if you were equal to everyone. Everyone in the Lucid Circle is equal, with the only exception being the 'Ringmasters' that lead troupes for entertainment.
Masque: The Masque, or the 'Lucid Lord', is the leader of the Guild. In truth, the Masque is one single identity, passed and handed down to each and every masque beneath and before it. Each masque before the one prior takes on a hidden apprentice from one of the Ringmasters. This apprenticeship is kept behind closed doors, but is generally built upon a mutual trust between the two. While apprenticed, the full identity of the 'Grand Masque' is unveiled to the apprentice, who then takes on the identity of the masque upon the demise of their master.
Ringmasters: The purported Ringmasters of the Lucid Circus lead shows sponsored by the guild. They are generally experienced assassins; the requirements for being a Ringmaster generally makes it difficult for members to claim the title, half by the difficulty and half by the convenience. In order to be promoted to a Ringmaster, the assassin must have a successful 'performance' with high nobility. This includes dukes, barons, or nobles; people whom run entire cities. Successfully carrying out such a task garners not only respect, but earns the Ringmaster with their title that helps set them aside from the other performers. Ringmasters are granted the honour of leading troupes and circus gatherings, and are in charge of both recruitment and funding. From time to time, Ringmasters generally take up contracts, but are usually far more busy leading their performers. Ringmasters generally always come in 'threes' or 'fives'. This 'Rule of Three' allows them to settle upon most disputes effectively by having two agree over one.
Performers: Performer is the catch-all name for anyone else working within the guild. A performer becomes what they are the second they are accepted; from that point forward, they're given a specific motif based on their talents. They lose their old name, and are instead given a name based upon either their talents, or their own fabricated story. True to their name, Performers are tasked with running the circus events carried out by the guild, but are also generally the ones entrusted to carry out assassinations.

Public Agenda

The agenda is to simply entertain. It is their primary goal and motif on the front, with members of the Circus often acting as performers with actual stage names taking the place of their former identity. In a way, this still does carry over to seedier sides of their services; would you call satisfying a client anything other than entertainment? The Lucid Circus likes to call contracts they carry out 'private shows'.
Unbeknownst to many, the Lucid Circus is a faction ran by the Iron Queen, Thalia. While they do move and act separately from the Sylvan monarchy, they are funded by the Sylvans almost exclusively, and thus act primarily, but not exclusively, with Sylvan interests in mind. Their greater goal beyond entertainment is to, quite simply, protect the integrity and interests of the Sylvan people.

Assets

The Lucid Circus works with a massive network of spies and assassins. Those who serve the circus are often passed as ordinary, every day people, masquerading as farmers, laborers, or even grandiose positions such as high nobility. Wherever the Sylvan are, the Circus tends to have its hand in things, one way or another.
Gold: Being a guild of traveling minstrels and assassins, the Lucid Circus tends to make an inordinate amount of coin. The general rule of handling gold is that the Guild receives most of the gold. The Ringmasters are in charge of judging performances and doll out percentage cuts; with 40% of the gold being entrusted with the guild, while the other 60% is divided among the performers. This rate is inverted for assassinations.
Gold is commissioned out to Performers and Ringmasters; they generally receive about 100 Gold a week.

History

The Lucid Circus first began as a network of hired spies and killers that wished to keep themselves both professional and unknown. They wanted to maintain a hidden identity, and so, the Circus was manufactured to help train and teach people to forget their former identity in favor of adopting a new one, cultivating young and clever minds into becoming capable assassins. In truth, the history of the Lucid Circus beyond this is widely unknown. Despite the Masque's identity frequently being revealed to capable apprentices, the true identity of the Masque is never discovered; nor is his or her death. Only those within the deepest circles of the Lucid Circus ever truly learn of the Masque's demise; performers and even Ringmasters are often kept in the dark, with the guildmaster changing identities on the daily.

Tenets of Faith

All Gods are simply extravagant masks.
I will wear my mask to all public affairs.
Keep no glory. Keep no story. All these things can be traced and tracked. I am what is behind the mask; unseen, unheard, unknown.
All glory and credit goes to the mask. Not me. The Mask is what carries the prize, for I understand that every prize is too heavy for one, not many.

Worship

Although the Lucid Circus is almost strictly consisting of Sylvan, faith in The Fae, Amelia or even Aine is eschewed the moment they are accepted into the guild. Those who join the circus instead swear fealty to the Masque, viewing him or her as their one true deity, and yet, they worship the masque not as a person, but as a concept. They believe in the concept of keeping one's identity masked; to show, rather than tell. This worship is generally seen as a parody at most; and though they have religious tenets, the Lucid Circus generally only ever brings up their so-called worship when quipping or responding towards those that would question their faith.

'Speak Theirs. Not Ours'

Type

Guild, Assassins

Alternative Names

Children of the Mask

Currency

The Lucid Circus relies on using Gold as their primary means of currency; and has a common exchange rate between each different coin within their system. Devkarti Suns and Stars are generally valued moreso than the common Crown and Piece.