THE RED EYES
A Chaotic Evil Secret Society

ouragne's thousands of slaves lead a harsh life, all in the name of ensuring a comfortable lifestyle for the plantation nobility. Some slaves toil long hours in the fields under the merciless sun, while others are proper household servants, but all regularly endure physical and emotional abuse. For all slaves are property, and most believe that death is the only realistic hope of release.

There is always a slim chance for escape, however. For these few men and women, the joy of freedom is tainted by the bitterness of living the rest of their lives as fugitives. For escaped slaves—or "stray dogs", as Souragnien overseers call them—are immediately executed if they are recaptured. Some slaves flee Souragne, seeking new lands where they might live as free men. Others—risking death at the hands of Anton Misroi's minions—hide in the vast wilds of Maison d'Sablet. A few, whose hatred for their former masters burns brightly, seek out the Red Eyes.

The Eyes have gained a great deal of noteriety on Souragne's plantations. Some slaves see them as beneficient liberators whose cause is just. Other slaves are horrified at the Eyes' practices, and whisper of dark dealings with unholy spirits. The Souragnien nobles meanwhile, are universally fearful of them. For the Eyes have but one goal: the ritual slaughter of slave owners and their agents.

The Eyes are led by a mysterious figure known as Yopawa. Those who are not slaves often refer to him as The Bloody One. Yopawa is thought to be an escaped slave, possibly the first fugitive to remain in Souragne for any period of time. In truth, he is a wereleopard and powerful warrior from another world.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership is only open to former Souragnien slaves. Generally, those who become members are those who sought out the Red Eyes themselves, seeing an opportunity for vengeance. Occassionally, however, the Red Eyes "recruit" by liberating slaves and then inducting them into their ranks. All that is required is the ability to hold a blade and a willingness to kill.

Those members who have gained Yopawa's trust are infected with lycanthropy. These individuals are cursed wereleopards, but they are aware of and revel in their bestial transformation. Indeed, many Eyes covet this lofty honor, and compete fiercely for Yopawa's respect. Yopawa has complete control over his progeny, and can even control their tranformations. Thus, the other wereleopards only tranform into their hybrid aspect when Yopawa wills it, usually during raids or rituals. Most of these wereleopard lieutenants are warriors, but one is a shaman who advises Yopawa on the will of the loa.

RECOGNITION

Recognition typically isn't necessary among the Red Eyes. Despite the group's relatively large numbers, every member generally knows the name and face of every other member. If need be, however, a foolproof test is the use of ksifi (SEE-fee), the Eyes' secret tongue. A common greeting, often used to alert other members to one's presence is "Have you seen the Eyes?". The proper reply is "No, but I see with them."

ACTIVITIES

The activities of the Eyes center around what could be called guerilla warfare, although most Souragniens would call it kidnapping and butchery. At irregular intervals, Yopawa alerts his lieutenants that the loa require a sacrifice. The night before the attack, the Eyes gather at Yopawa's lair for elaborate ceremonies. The next evening, Yopawa and the other wereleopards work the human Eyes into a frenzy. The group attacks a local plantation, abducting as many Souragniens as possible and freeing slaves. Those who can't be taken are savagely murdered. Those poor victims who are captured, usually hobbled by the brutal attacks of the wereleopards, are dragged back to Yopawa's lair, where they are ritually sacrificed. Humans and wereleopards alike take a gruesome delight in the whole affair, often drinking their victims' blood.

Other than these astonishing and gruesome incidents, the Eyes have a minimum of activities. They protect one another from Misroi's legions and manhunters looking for escaped slaves. Occassionaly, they conduct raids for the express purpose of gathering weapons or other essential supplies.

HEADQUARTERS

Yopawa generally prefers to remain secluded in his secret lair, a cave located in the western edge of Maison d'Sablet. This network of cramped subterannean passages is the closest thing the Eyes have to a headquarters. All of the Eyes are skilled at wilderness survival, and live reasonably well off the land. Thus, nothing more elaborate is needed. The powers of Yopawa's shaman assist in keeping the cave's location hidden from outsiders. In addition to living quarters for Yopawa himself, the lair boasts storerooms of provisions and weapons, as well as a temple for the Eyes' ceremonies.