The Gallows Post was a vampiric Covenant, now extinct, that acted as messengers and traveling guards.
History[]
The origin of the covenant is unknown, though for most of its known history it remained a potent but apolitical force.[1]
During the reign of Ieldra Æthelgifu, the self-styled Blood-Queen, the Gallows Post enjoyed a period of stability, with neonates readily flocking to their banner and business booming.[2] Their primary concern was the death of the mortal poet Christopher Marlowe, who was killed for knowing too much — after all, if he could be so easily held for questioning and killed without pretext, what was there to protect them?[2]
The kindred of the Gallows Post were firm supporters of Parliament during the reign of Charles I, whose belief in the divine right of kings they denied.[3] The Post’s elders remembered the bloody atrocities of the Crusades quite well and, as such, had come to believe that any god-granted power belonged in the hands of kindred, rather than kine.[3]
Over time, members of the Post began to take messages that would take them out of England, in preparation for the English Civil War, which the covenant saw coming, unlike the majority of kindred society, much of which was devastated by infighting and hunters during Cromwell’s rule as Lord Protector.[3] They would only return with the return of Charles II to England in 1660. [3]
Among their number was a Turkish Daeva named Kismet, who distracted the remnants of the court with his tales, particularly of his sire, Kamilah, while enemies of the Gallows Post were quietly defanged or eliminated.[3] Eventually, the Daeva charmed himself into the position of Prince, where he quickly became known for his strictly meritocratic leanings regarding his choice in advisor, something that infuriated elders of all covenants, including the Gallows Post.[3] Regardless, they continued to back him, stymieing the delivery of missives detailing attempts to oust the Prince.[3]
The covenant took a blow to their reputation when Kismet vanished following the Great Fire of London.[3] The Invictus and Lancea et Sanctum vied for power, with the latter succeeding as Tarquin St. John ascended to the position of Archbishop.[4] St. John proceeded to refuse members of both the Gallows Post and the Weihan Cynn from his masses.[4]
As witch trials begin around the end of the 17th century, the Archbishop attempted to use the hysteria to root out his enemies, a tactic that saw his and the Lancea et Sanctum’s star wane, resulting in his removal and elimination by a group of Gallows Post-backed Invictus.[4] One of the group’s number, Paul Michael Hill, took his place.[4]
Despite backing the new Prince, the Gallows Post continued to obsolesce, with powerful elders preferring to take their own guards, and the roads being far easier to travel due to advances in infrastructure.[5]
Factions[]
Besides the rank-and-file messengers, there were two known sects of the Gallows Post, and one further group that was rumored to be part of the covenant.[1]
The first, the Sparrows, were informants and fixers who prepared the way for the other members of the covenant, keeping abreast of political elements in the city and keeping track of safe houses and the like. They ensured the destination was secure.[1]
The second were the Hounds, who had mastered the roads and wilds, defending messengers and travelers.[1]
Finally, whispered only in rumor were the Foxes, highwaymen who preyed upon travelers. Those who did not hire the Gallows Post often tended to vanish at their hands.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 266
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 265
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 260
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 261
- ↑ CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 262