Numenera Organization: The Black Tigers

We've been playing Numenera since at least May and we are on our second campaign. It's an amazing game, both in system and in setting. The mechanics are simple yet there are dozens if not hundreds of options for your character based in the book. Set in the mythical Ninth World over a billion years into the future, you play as explorers seeking to understand their world and combat various menaces that seek to place it in jeopardy.

My character this time around is a Graceful Jack Who Fights With Panache, where I am a skilled swashbuckler and swordfighter. Caylen Cain, a captain in his country's famous Windrider Core, now lives in exile traveling from court to court and fighting evil while longing to free his homeland from the grip of the Council of Spheres.

Though the book talks about the Tiger Queen and how after her line died out the Council seized control of the country, it does not mention that much more of it. There is a regional option in the Character Options book where you play as a former soldier hoping to show off your skill and flare to the world, but that was about it. Fortunately, creating an organization for Numenera is really easy (3 points of XP and its yours!) So here is my take on the former elite guard of Draolis, the high flying Black Tiger Squadron.

For three hundred years, Draolis was a power to be feared in the region. It's people were fed, it's borders were secure, and it's diplomats welcomed at courts across the world. The Tiger Queens ruled from Qi with a firm yet benevolent hand, and though they came to power during a fierce war with Navarene they kept the country secure and content.

The rule of Amantha, the last Tiger Queen, was a contentious time. The Council of Spheres, refusing to cooperate with the monarchy, applied pressure on her allies and slowly reduced her control of her own nation. When Amantha died of a mysterious illness early on into her reign with no clear heir the Council acted quickly to silence all opposition and declare themselves the new leaders of Draolis.

The Black Tigers were once the premier fighting force of Draolis, and tales of their escapades thrilled children across the country as their Windblades flew gracefully through the air. Considered the protectors of the Tiger Queen, they fearlessly leapt into battle to defend the weak (and further the power of Draolis.) When the monarchy came to an end, the plutocrats of the Council of Spheres disbanded the unit and tried to send them out into the frontier, manning remote watch posts or sent to recover dangerous Numenera that would certainly lead to their deaths. Even the secrets of Windblade construction were banned save for the researchers at Fort Aventure, who are the only ones still allowed to produce the gliders.

The Black Tigers now find themselves soldiers without a country though still determined to show the 9th World their skill and heroism. All of them wear the Tiger banner patch proudly on their clothing and gather in secret to toast their fallen brothers and plot ways to overthrow the Council. They see the Council of Spheres as a corrupt organization that seeks to weaken Draolis by selling off its lands to decadent nobles and instead chooses to give away their borders to their enemies instead of meeting them with honor on the battlefield.

Though they prefer to recruit from their countrymen the Black Tigers look for those with a sense of adventure and the desire to meet challenges head on instead of shirking their duties and refusing to help. They encourage their members to always look their best, and though many of their members can be considered arrogant and decadent for their ways, their heroism and flare cannot be denied.

Membership Bonuses: Members of the Black Tigers seem to always be able to find lodging in Draolis among those who remember the prestige of their corp. They also receive one free Asset to rolls involving the use of a Windblade.

What factions do you guys think should be added in addition to the Black Tigers? I'm debating writing up a faction for Techo-Unionists and a merchant's guild.