Gurions
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Named after Gurion, a famed mystic who preached the group's basic tenets in the Gawaris Desert more than a millennium ago, this society believes that the whole world is nothing more than a gigantic illusion created by a powerful entity (usually called "Ixios the Chainer" in the texts of the society) to keep the souls of living beings imprisoned. Members of this society thus try to break out of this "prison" at all costs so that the souls of humanity can be free to fulfill their "true destinies", whatever they might be.

There are quite a few philosophical differences within the group that are constantly argued by its members. One is which living beings actually house "real" souls, and which are illusory and thus ultimately minions of the Chainer. Some insist that only humans have true souls, despite a few nonhuman members of the society. Others extend this to all sapient beings, while others still claim that all living beings are chained souls.

Another question is what should be done to break out of this prison. Some concentrate on studying mystic texts and improving their arcane knowledge, in the hope of finding a way of freeing themselves, if not the rest of humanity. Others develop destructive spells or more technical methods of causing large-scale damage, hoping to create a "hole" in the illusion that they might slip through (this kind of activity often causes the society to be persecuted by the authorities). And some try to convince as many people as possible of their beliefs, as they think that the illusion of the prison will be dispelled once enough people stop in believing in it.

The Gurions are noted for their disdain for clerics and priests of all sorts, as they tend to believe that these are ultimately servants of the Chainer, if unwitting ones - for if people believe that there are higher powers out there that help them, they are less likely to see the truth as the Gurions see it. Also common is a disregard for human lives among even many of the more benevolent members of the group, as most believe that human souls are simply reincarnated into new bodies.

Adventure Ideas

Designer's Notes & Resources

What if the Gurions are right, and the PCs discover a way to break through the illusion?

Well, then you get to play "The Matrix" in a fantasy environment, of course.

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