Deliverance
Prologue
S alem, Massachusetts, is more than a beautiful town nestled in the Northeast of the United States. It is a town rich with history, culture…legacy. It is one of the most infamous places in the United States with a sordid past. The past isn’t always what it seems, though. The truth is in the eye of the beholder, or the mouth of the last man standing.
You have been told the stories of the Salem Witch Trials more times than you could possibly count, I’m sure. You may have not heard our story, though, the truth. Evil plagued this great town over three hundred years ago, and with the utmost bravery, our ancestors eradicated that evil. At least the best they could…
Born in the ashes of all that evil, a society was formed. Impassioned to protect the righteous and holy from the vengeance of the sentenced and their descendants. The Brethren was born. A society intent on protecting the good people of Salem, of preserving our people, our way of life and keeping the evil of the damned and wicked charred and beneath the dirt where they belong.
Safety in numbers, power in those who control it.
Each family involved in the accusation and judgment of the trials were at risk of the witches who were not discovered and the surviving families of those who were. In such, a member of each family took their place as an Elder of the Brethren. All Elder families are essential to the balance of the Brethren. Without one, the rest would surely fall. As one, we persevere, we prosper, we punish.
To become a member of the Brethren, you must have a desire to protect our heritage, to honor our history. You must have a thirst for vengeance, ready to battle anyone who threatens this society or our carefully built world. Becoming a member is the easy part; it’s what follows that will test your loyalty. Your trust.
As imperative as it is to maintain a solid foundation for our society, we must also create future strengths. Our youth must be taught, trained, and shaped into the perfect mold, becoming the perfect member. From birth, we must teach them right from wrong. We must keep them separated from the common folk that have inundated our great town. We must keep our society pure and undiluted.
When they transition from childhood to adulthood, they shall enter Gallows Hill University, the most elite higher education one could receive, but few will ever experience. Bonds will be formed, relationships strengthened, and our very own Legacies will rule, perfecting their roles for when they ascend as the next generation of Elders.
As soon as you put yourself on the right side of history, open your eyes to what really happened all those hundreds of years ago. Realize that those you have sympathized with are nothing more than the human embodiment of evil. Here in Salem, your cooperation is not only requested. It is required. Accept our traditions, honor our sacrifices, prove your loyalty, and you will be rewarded greatly. Disregard our faith, your servitude, or our cause, and you will meet the same fate as the damned.
The Brethren is eagerly looking forward to your membership and cooperation.
Mors ombinus malefcis – Death to all evildoers.
Death to all witches.