Revenants
Overview
The Revenants are secretive, elusive and often remain in hiding until they want to be seen. They prefer to travel off the beaten path and in the trees, overwatching towns and making a decision to either kill those they spot, or interrogate them for intelligence. In Norse Mythology there was a squirrel that resided on the branches of the world tree Yggdrasil named Ratatoskr. He carried insults between The Eagle that sat atop and the serpent Nidhoggr at the roots. The Revenants do not see good or evil but act as a mischievous messenger between groups who are at conflict much like Ratatoskr. They decide if they work to resolve conflicts, escalate conflicts or carry the truth. They have been linked to cryptids walking the forest, Wendigo’s who stalk and trick people’s minds, they carry the smell of rot and decay from those they kill, humans and animals alike. The smell of earth from the forest they wander also invades the nostrils. They only truly trust each other. Those who place weight into materialistic things are viewed as weak and lost in a world that has turned against everyone.
History
The Revenants formed after the mysterious disappearance of the 506th during the raid on the Dark Angels church in Novya. Many believed everyone vanished or died due to some supernatural or mysterious religious powers held by the Dark Angels. This was true to an extent, but some remained. Forever changed by whatever powers that were at work.
May, Bobby, Johnny and Elias returned. They searched for whatever remained of The 506th but came up empty handed. Zeleno was empty, and the once very much alive Mother Base was empty and silent. Everyone hated the 506 and it was decided that while they went and searched for any survivors or answers to what happened they would wear a neutral green armband. They repelled raids on Zeleno and made the necessary repairs to keep it alive in case others returned. Hope was lost until they heard a familiar voice on the radio one day.
Some of the other 506 made it back after a long stint missing. They were found roaming the streets of zeleno, but instead of a joyous reunion it was apparent that they changed.. or both have changed.. instead of being grateful for protecting and maintaining a home for their return they were concerned mostly of the color of armbands we wore. They were more religious fanatics who bent and twisted the gospel to their liking and justification for their actions. After a hostile disagreement it was apparent that we were not 506 and it was time to leave. They used the blood oath as an excuse but had members who didn’t even spend time as a recruit. What they stood for and what they picked and chose to honor was a joke. May, Bobby, Elias, Johnny and Alex left Zeleno, knowing they’d be hunted and killed if found out of spite for them leaving.
They headed west.. To the most western town of Zvir. There the town would provide the necessities that they needed and the Forest would provide the protection that they needed also. May and Elias spent many days fishing at the pond just south of the town, the others were oddly attracted there also. They all decided that they were dead to their past and who they were, the 506 wanted them dead so that’s what they became.. The Dead, they decided that The Revenants was a suitable name for themselves… A vengeful, spiteful spirit or someone to believe to have returned from the dead or from a long absence.
They needed to find out all they could about the 506 and their actions and what their plans were, so they watched patiently and talked to those who they could trust gathering all the intel and knowledge that they could..They all found out they had a knack for it and it came rather easily for themselves. They had to be discreet, they had to blend in. They had to become one with Mother Nature. They all crafted ghillies and wore earth tones to go unnoticed. They had to give up the clothing that made themselves them. May and Elias gave up their maroon beret but the meaning and origin still lives on and is represented on The Revenants emblem and flag. They all had to cover their faces, three layers of concealment, face paint, a ski mask or something similar, and a skull mask. The skull mask is taken off of interlopers who dare wander the west.
Finally they had to give up what they were known for as a group collectively. Materialistic things. Dragons hoard, we had a hoard of loot, we had a lair to protect the loot. If we wanted to distance ourselves from who we were we had to not care about the materialistic things we held so dearly before. Loot doesn’t matter, walls don't matter, nails and four dials do not matter. These things can be taken from you by anyone, and if no one does take them then the storm will surely wash all your things away anyhow. Instead The Revenants focus on what’s important.. Knowledge..Intelligence. People can take what you have.. but they cannot take away what you know.
The Depths
The depths were discovered by May and Elias. It seems the waters are deeper at the pond south of Zvir than what you see. May and Elias joked about where it could lead, a portal? a bottomless pit? To a different world all together? “Helheim,” Elias joked. Elias found the courage one day to find out himself. He dove down deep into the pond and did not return for a long time. He finally surfaced to a distraught May. She said he’s been gone for days but she never gave up, she frantically searched the waters but to no avail. They said the pond was a bog, not allowing those who entered to escape and that the decaying plant life and acidic water does something to you after prolonged exposure. Elias explained that when down there time didn’t obey the rules we applied to it. It only seemed like minutes to himself when it was actually days. The Bog and more so The Depths is self reflections. Who you are, what you’ve done, all those things are down there. People from your past, those you’ve wronged, are all there pulling you down into the cold abyss. You only return if you can mentally overcome yourself. No one is coming.. No one is going to help.. You either save yourself or you succumb to yourself..
The Depths are where the children reside. Strange entities that The Revenants see and hear. Laughing, Crying, Playing. Their names are unknown but we believe that they once lived in the town of Zvir and possibly drowned there. Their story as to how is also unknown. It’s believed they could have drowned there accidentally while playing, or it could be something more sinister. May was the first one to see them, she wandered into the water drawn to them. They were there as plain as day but she knew they were dead. The children decide the fate of the trialists and if they are worthy to become a Revenant and to call The Bog and Zvir home. Native American folk lore call these beings “water babies” The Bog holds the souls of those unworthy of being a Revenant. Your body may return but it claims the most important part of you, your soul and it is forever trapped to roam the cold dark abyss of the bog.
To those who are worthy they still emerge with something taken from them. Elias can no longer feel warmth, he is always cold. His voice shakes and trembles, he repeats words or sentences unable to focus only on the overwhelming cold. He carries “The coldness of Niflheim” Only when angered does the coldness subside momentarily. The fire of the once dragon, “The fire of Muspelheim”
May lost the ability to cry. She will no longer cry for those who are ungrateful for her tears. She does not lack the emotion of sadness or pain but instead it has no escape. She carries it within her with no ability for it to release. It lives within her and is her burden to carry. Her cheek is marked with a scar to show her tears, and if she wished she could shatter the sky.
All Revenants lost. Each one is unique in the burden they carry once they enter the depths.
Some say The Revenants have gone insane, they’ve been isolationist for so long and avoided people that their minds have played tricks on them. Others have said it’s nitrogen narcosis or a rare undiscovered brain amoeba.
The Revenants know that these aren’t true. They’ve been chosen by The West and its former inhabitants to protect The West from outsiders who take from it and do not give. They have a sense of clairvoyance once a better understanding is achieved. They’ve seen Black wolves roam the dead trees and Vanish like a “Shadow”
They’ve seen the one before them named John at the bog fishing. They see things that will come to pass but unable to decipher the meaning of them.
The Revenants lean into Norse and Native American folklore as they’ve become more in tune with Mother Nature and see similarities in Norse Mythology and Native American folklore. They are an unpredictable bunch and outcomes of run ins could vary. Their main objective still holds true though, to find out and collect knowledge no matter how small it might be.
The Emblem
Younger Dryas. The term comes from the sudden long term cold snap that lasted around 1,200 years. It is the most sudden and abrupt change documented in history. For most of The Revenants who started and founded the group the change was just that. Sudden and abrupt, going from one extreme to another.
The color Maroon represents the Maroon berets that May and Elias wore signifying their Pararescue past. It also pays tribute to the blood that was shed protecting and fighting for a place to call home.
The outer shield represents protection of the west. The frog represents The Bog, you can hear frogs chirping but you can see them when looking out over The Bog.. You might not see us… But you’ll see signs of us. The frog stylized as a Skelton show were Revenants. Dead, ghost, bare bones to the former self of who we were.
The four stars are for the four founding members of the group. May, Bobby, Elias and Johnny. They also represent the four major towns of the west. Pustoshka, Zeleno, Myshkino and Zvir. Each founding member has one of those towns tied to them that they have a strong connection to.
- Pushtoshka - Elias
- Zeleno - Bobby
- Myshkino - May
- Zvir - Johnny
For example Johnny is buried in Zvir. On the hillside on the southern end behind the log cabin.
Demeanor
Revenants are normally those who feel outcasted and ostracized. They feel as if they don’t have a home and don’t fit in any particular place. They’ve lost hope and have been let down by the people who still roam the lands. They try to control the tempo and mood of interactions, they speak slowly, solemnly and directly. What you say and what you do matters. Every conversation is a balancing act on a tightrope. Each member has a different demeanor, attitude but choose your words wisely, you could very well be punished for what you say.