Grim Legion

Introduction

Death can come for you in many forms. Maybe an accident, maybe sickness, some may even die of old age, never for those who call themselves one of the Grim. The Grim Legion is comprised of those who die by violent means. Murder, war and much more can fall under this naturally unforgiving legion. Most who join the Legion are happy to be there for one reason: The Smiling Lord, he makes an offer no wraith (or their shadow) is likely to refuse, revenge.

Current Goals / Mission Statement

The grim legion, although mostly cordial when it comes to other legions, are some of the most ruthless people amongst the dead. When a murderer finds himself dead, and amongst the Grim, he is taken to a council of three along with, if possible, the people he killed. There he is allowed to plead his case and in turn be judged for his crimes amongst the living. If his reasons are good enough he will then be allowed to live although his victims are still allowed to fight him to the death. If the victim wins, all is forgiven. Revenge is much more important than any law. However if the murderer wins, he is judged again, this time with no chance to plea. Then he is ether sent to the forge or allowed to continue his life as one of the Grim.

To make a long story short, to the Grim murder is unforgivable and revenge is the best form of justice (to a point.)

Leadership of the Legion

The Smiling Lord: If you have questions about the man behind the skeletal mask (unless brave enough to ask, and most are not) they are likely to stay questions. He rules the Grim Legion from his thrown of Burning Water, crafted from the souls of people he has punished and surrounded by an army of executioners.

Those who once ruled the Grim did so with a strong and violent fist, using fear as a way to gain loyalty. This has changed with the current Lord, as he is more likely to negotiate with foes and chooses to reward the loyalty and hard work of his followers. His forces, both armies and scribes alike, are now more efficient and serve with more vigor than ever seen under passed rulers.

Hiram, The Master Scribe: One can only speculate Hiram’s reason, centuries ago, for putting to paper the story of his death. Truth of the matter is it started as something far greater. After his story, the first Smiling Lord decided he too wanted his story to be written. This sparked something within Hiram. He decided that the dead needed to have their stories told and for the people who wronged them to be remembered.

After being granted the title of “Master Scribe”, Hiram and his army of scribes went to work on what we now know as the Great Ledger. It is a book filled with stories of the dead, not only from the Grim Legion, from all walks of death. The group does not just sit and file away these tales. They also actively leave the Great Library in search of more stories, searching for the truth.

What no one knows is Hiram’s hidden reason for writing down and thoroughly investigating these stories is that he believes that one day Christ will return, Judgment Day will be upon us and God will use the Great Ledger to decide the fate of many. But, shh that part is a secret.

Military of the Legion

Lucky for the Grim, many people who die violent deaths are soldiers and innocent victims of war, filling their armies with people who are not only trained to fight but ready and willing to take revenge on those who have wronged them. From the beginning this has been their purpose. What better way to wait for the sweet taste for satisfaction then to train?

While waiting for their chances the Smiling Lord pushes his army to be the best. They willingly battle specters and patrol the Byways for anything that needs weeding out. Their dress is uniform grey cloths covered in heavy armor helms meant to look like a human skull. For the solders of the Grim discipline is among their highest qualities. They fight silently and efficiently and those who cannot do this are often “taken care of” by their peers. The Grim Army is truly one to be both respected and feared.

Executioners

These are the Smiling Lord’s personal guard. Silent guardians, their numbers are vast, although no one knows how many there truly are. 50 surrounds the Smiling Lord at all times.

Sardonicai

Those who hold this rank could also be called ambassadors. They are sent out, usually accompanied by a large entourage to other Dark Kingdoms in hopes of gaining allies. They take great Artifacts with them in hopes of winning over the other kingdoms. These are some of the most decorated Marshals within the army and although they do not hold much power, they are granted the most respect.

Black Masks

Most don’t believe the Black Masks truly exist. It is said they are personal assassins to the Smiling Lord. It is said that they have had a hand in both abducting the previous Laughing Lady and removing at least one Smiling Lord from his thrown. But those are just rumors.

Other Members of the Legion

Although it may sound surprising to most, the Grim Legion is not made up entirely of soldiers. There are many other jobs that need to be done any where from pushing paper to infiltrating. Some jobs may look better than others, but each needs to be done every day. The Smiling Lord understands the need to handle personal situations and is rather lenient on civilians, but if a wraith is unable to get her work, done he has no problem replacing her.

The Great Ledger

If a wraith is assigned to work on the great ledger, they have a very interesting task ahead of them. The ledger contains stories, mostly from people who were there, of murders that happen in the Skinlands. After a wraith is heard, these scribes are sent out to investigate the story and to check all the facts and find out the truth behind what happened. Although most legions believe this is a moronic effort, for the grim it means so much more.

Reapers

As a Reaper of the grim, reaping the newly dead souls of murdered individuals is not the only task that must be done. Once a victim’s story has been told it is the job of their reaper to round up all parties guilty of their Enfant’s murder, so that they can be brought to justice.

Infiltrators

This position is regarded as one of the most important within the legion. These people find the truth behind murders of legion members, although their identities usually remain secret. They find and point out guilty parties amongst the dead and living alike, often becoming close to the people around them while plotting their demise all the same. They do not take action against the accused themselves, but rather allow Stygian law to do the rest. Some believe there is more to it, but few would dare to voice it.

Retrievers

This is a group comprised mostly of murdered women. They are tasked with obtaining those who have been found guilty of crime, by the Grim Legion, and bringing them to justice. They tend to abide by Stygian laws but are willing to break them if it suits their purpose.

Opinions

Other Legions

Even the Smiling Lord knows he must have limits. When a person in a position of high power is accused of murder, he will pass off vengeance for the sake of Stygia and not wanting to make the wrong enemies (at least until the time is right). There are only two legions that really receive any sort of distain: The Penitent, because there is never an excuse for murder, not even insanity, and The Silent Legion, because according to the Grim, those who chose to take their own life aren’t much better than those who take it from others.

A general note about the Grim Legion: They tend to dislike supernatural beings of the Skinlands, with very few exceptions.

Vampires

All vampires pose a threat to the Grim. More so the Tremere and the Giovanni who have been known for using unwilling wraiths to do there bidding. However the Samedi are fine in the eyes of the Grim because they will go out of their way to help a wraith seek retribution against the living.

Shifters

The shifters are a threat and should be disposed of. This is the major opinion of the Grim Legion. Some may deal with Silent Striders now and again, but for the most part they want to stay away from them. The Veil is not a concern to wraiths and especially the Garou will not hesitate to murder to protect it.

Sorcerers/Mages

The grim legion has a general disgust for these people, aside from The Hollowed Ones, although, they do not actually help the legion in any way they have in some cases helped the Restless Dead seek revenge on the Quick.

• • Hollow Ones is a modern nights reference and doesn't exist in DA.

Fae

There are few Fae the Grim really pay close attention to. Slaugh being one of them, between bartering information and the use of their nightmare skills the Grim has found them to be useful.

[For additional information about the Iron Legion, see The Book Of Legions and The Hierarchy sourcebooks by White Wolf. A good web source is whitewolf.wikia.com]