Editing The Fallen (section)

==Structure==
The Fallen are an interrelated group of families<ref name="R1">''-The Fallen ( A gang of Endbringer cultists. I love the idea of a cult in the Wormverse)-''<br><br>Similar to the Herren Clan, they're a group of families with some members having powers, based around the southern states. They figured out that people with powers tend to have kids with powers, and are making the most of it. This leads to families with strong threads of a particular power type running through them.<br>Coin toss as to whether a given member believes what the cult is saying or not, that humanity deserves to be wiped out, so-and-so deserved to die at the hands of Behemoth, or the world would be a paradise if the Simurgh were to achieve full influence, if we only let it. It's telling, perhaps, that they don't actively interfere when the Endbringers come rolling around, though they might celebrate from the sidelines and try to get media attention.<br>They're loosely based on the Westboro Baptist Church - they want attention and the Endbringers are a sore spot for the vast majority of people around the world, an easy target. Depending on the family and the area, the approach differs. One might commandeer a radio station and and spewing vitriol over the airwaves, praising the latest Endbringer attack for the casualties. Another might call in another family from another area, then raid a small town with two or so heroes (or bait out a hero) to kidnap the heroes and induct them into the family, so there's more powers running through the bloodline.<br>They're hard to stamp out, unpredictable, and tend to live on the fringes of society, where they're harder to track and heroes need to devote far more effort to squirreling them out. There's also a tendency to give more power to the lunatics and assholes, because it furthers their nebulous agenda. In a more abstract sense, shards love conflict, and the fallen are very good at feeding it, so the fallen get rewarded by the shards. Breadth and depth. - [https://redd.it/2fbpza Comments by Wildbow on information regarding secondary characters]</ref> powered and unpowered, based in the American south<ref name="Cast2">'''The Fallen'''<br>''Based in Southern states, the Fallen are a gang of alleged Endbringer-worshippers, though many surmise this is simply a way of garnering attention.  Most members tend toward vandalism and petty theft, with only the more prominent, higher-up members actually committing murder or trying higher-end crimes. Allegedly commit incest to better their chances at giving birth to more capes.'' - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/cast-spoiler-free/cast/ Cast (in depth)]</ref> where they are terrorist cells. Being multiple self-motivated groups with a unifying direction,<ref name="R2.1">Keep in mind, though, that many big cities will leech parahumans from surrounding areas. So the top 75 or so cities in the US have more parahumans. The smaller cities have less.'br><br>Kansas City (#36 in the US) has a higher population, helped by the fact that it's drawing in more people. I wouldn't call it one of the 'smaller cities' for parahuman numbers, as a result. Only St. Louis and Wichita are sorta-kinda bringing in the random parahumans from nearby regions.<br><br>' would peg it as being around the same numbers as Brockton Bay pre-Leviathan fight. Maybe a few more. There's a population of Fallen nearby to blame for the 'few more' - primarily Valefor's mom & that family branch.<br><br>In my notes for Kansas City, the Fallen raided the city to pull off a distraction and then another contingent kidnapped a group of Wards, with intention of marrying them into the Fallen. International attention ensues. This could be a background event or event for the players to deal with. - [https://redd.it/5cuin5 Wildbow on Reddit]</ref> they are made up of a mix of normal and parahuman members.

This independence extends to things like costume choices, some dressing up in elaborate superhero costumes<ref name="I20.y">The Fallen must not have been terribly far behind him, as they arrived less than a minute after he did.  Valefor and Eligos.<br><br>Valefor wore a delicate-looking mask without eye-holes: a woman’s upper face with closed eyes.  Beneath the mask, he had a sly, perpetual smirk with tattoos that colored his lips black and extended from the corners.  The ink depicted fangs poking from thin lips that nearly reached his jaw, the points alternating up and down.  His costume was almost effeminate, with white and silver feathers featuring heavily on flowing white clothes that clung to his narrow body, including a corset that drew his waist in.<br><br>The costume was meant to invoke images of the Simurgh, no doubt.  Crass.  Eligos’ costume wasn’t so fine, suited more for a brawl, but it, too, conjured up thoughts of an Endbringer: the Behemoth.  Obsidian horns that swooped back over his head, heavy armor that resembled rhino hide in texture and claws built into his gloves. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/interlude-20/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 20.y]]</ref> while others largely keep to civilian clothes, only using masks of varying quality<ref>
“Cahoot makes me think of a guy,” Golem said. [...] “And someone wearing those masks that were really common in the late nineties, where there were smiley faces, or cyrano masks, or other wacky, leering faces for masks,”<br><br>“Absolutely,” I said.<br><br>“The Crowley Fallen wore those masks even after they fell out of style,” Rain said. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2019/05/28 Excerpt] from [[Breaking 14.4]]</ref> or elaborate tattoos to distinguish themselves as capes,<ref name="FfF e2">'''Notes on Appearance:''' don’t immediately go to Valefor & the appearance in Brockton Bay for inspiration.  That’s one unit of the family, and this is a different branch.  I would suggest something closer to standard clothing with each person making their own masks (think of the band [[Wikipedia:Slipknot_(band)|Slipknot]] for direction) and bearing heavy tattoos with demonic, endbringer, or religious iconography, reference, and text. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XBqhrlqey9PvHWTjVm-VW5-UJ6ZB6tuc9z6NNmZgoZs The Fallen, for Fallen Son]</ref> like other aspects costuming is different with each Fallen group.<ref name="R3">It should be stressed that some aspects (costumes) are going to be played up or played down depending on what they're trying to do and what family branch you're working with.<br><br>Valefor is a fancy lad and wanted to dress up as he aimed to establish his own independent identity and group, but shouldn't be taken as a representative for his larger group, aesthetically.<br><br>For the degree of crime & violation of the unwritten rules, definite evolution leading through the timeskip, with a couple of distinct groups living on the fringes and acting as the less-publicly-visible core/fallback/backup for the looser group. - [https://redd.it/86hzu1 The Evolution of the Fallen] ([[Wildbow]], Reddit.com, 2018-03-23)</ref>

The Fallen are divided between three main family branches, each roughly corresponding to the "worship" of a specific Endbringer. 
===McVeays===
The McVeays focus loosely on Behemoth, they are genuinely religious and particularly violent.<ref name="R4"/><ref name="II2.1 e2"/> Capes often, but by no means exclusively, have offensive dynakinetic powers.<ref name="R2.3"/> They were unable to recover as a branch after [[Gold Morning]].<ref name="6.2 II">Valefor was out of action, but Mama was in play, Bamet the animal herder was out there, Coronzon the monstrous changer was there, and then there were the Crowley brothers.<br><br>As far as I knew, they were the only Fallen left.  The Mcveay’s were kaput, the Behemoth-worshipers with the strong religious bent hadn’t survived the apocalypse.<br><br>The Crowley brothers weren’t really water manipulators, by and large.  They and their immediate family members tended to riff on the duplication theme, often duplicating things that weren’t themselves. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/04/17 Excerpt] from [[Pitch 6.2]]</ref>
===Crowleys===
The Crowleys emulate Leviathan, and are known for being some of the most visible members being made up of jackasses and trouble makers.<ref name="R4"/> Some later claimed that this was an attempt to spread the word of their message of the approaching [[End of the World]].<ref name="II2.1 e2"/> This branch had a history of prejudice against [[Case 53]]s.<ref name="4.7II e8">“This isn’t an inquisition,” Erin said.  “Rain isn’t responsible for everything the Fallen have done.”<br><br>Sveta ignored Erin for the moment.  “Other Fallen groups have taken us for freak shows.  The embodiments of the end times.  Tom and Jake Crowley.  I know that’s not on you, Rain, but you have to realize they aren’t good people.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/02/20 Excerpt] from [[Shade 4.7]]</ref><!-- Interesting about Tom and Jake, are they important members? --> The Crowleys keep up connections with Biker gangs and other fringe groups.<ref name="II5.8" /> Main branch family members generally have non-self targeted duplication powers,<ref name="6.2 II"/><ref name="FallenforFallen">
'''◈  Cassiel, Caspiel'''<br>[...]<br>'''Powers:''' They can double people and objects.  The doubles have powers.  They’ve been doubling drugs so that people who take the drugs get the high, only to have the drugs disappear from their systems after the time limit is up. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XBqhrlqey9PvHWTjVm-VW5-UJ6ZB6tuc9z6NNmZgoZs The Fallen, for Fallen Son]</ref> just as their totem has his [[Leviathan#After-Echo|Water-Echo]].

This branch got started as a bunch of attention seeking college students, then the Crowleys took over.<ref name="6.7II e1">He sighed.  “Crowleys… we’ve been seeing them like I used to see the McVeay leaders when we’d go visit their compounds or when they checked on us.  The rest of the family never respected them.  That branch started because some university kids wanted attention, and then a bunch of brothers with powers jumped in, played along, and took over.  They almost got killed by the other families before they figured out how to play the politics.”<br><br>“And somewhere along the way, they started buying what they were selling to keep the group together?” I asked.<br><br>Rain shook his head.  “I don’t know.  It never felt like they took this seriously, everyone says they capitalize on the reputation of the other families.  But they had the guns today, didn’t they?  They were for real.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/05/05/pitch-6-7/ Excerpt] from [[Pitch 6.7]]</ref> The branch had a fractious relationship with the rest of the Fallen before things settled down.<ref name="6.7II e1"/> This cultural gap may be why they are the most comfortable setting up shop in cities and other populated areas.<ref name="R4"/>

The eldest Crowley brother was exiled for going too far and committing murder in 2011. He made a brief return as leader of the branch in late 2012 or early 2013, and then killed two of his own family members.<ref name="II2.1 e3"/> Then [[Vince Crowley|Vince]], the middle brother and [[Empusa|Sabrina]], the sister, were known for networking with the other clans,<ref name="6.9e2">Middle brother.  It made sense that he was here.  The other brothers were supposedly present, but this was the guy who was looped in with the Mathers.  The Mathers family traded family members to and from other branches, connecting families and cementing ties.  The Mathers had also kidnapped kids.  Vince Crowley and his sister had been the ones handling the Crowley end of the deal.  They were smugglers, thieves, and general assholes who had dodged the reaching arms of the heroes, while providing shelter to the real monsters, and implicitly accepting some really fucked up stuff.<br><br>The McVeays had been murderers and zealots, the Mathers were kidnappers, among other things, and Vince and Sabrina Crowley had been enablers.  They were smugglers, they’d kept kidnapping victims and sheltered murderers while there was too much attention and heat on them, and they’d almost gotten away with it, despite being up against the whole PRT.<br><br>Sabrina had been caught, as were several sub-cells and supporters of that particular family unit.  They’d disappeared, they’d reappeared after Gold Morning, Sabrina back with her brother, and I knew about them because the patrol blocks were keeping tabs on them. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/05/11/pitch-6-9/ Excerpt] from [[Pitch 6.9]]</ref> trading some of their members for McVeays who needed shelter from the attention of the law and kidnapped or brainwashed Mathers victims.<ref name="II2.1 e3"/> 

Jake Crowley,<ref name="4.7II e8"/> the youngest brother, was a "party animal" with four wives all half his age.<ref name="II2.1 e4">“The little brother,” the guy with the tattoos said.<br><br>“The party animal,” I said.<br><br>“That’s what we’re about!” were the shouts.  There was more of a raucous response from the other reinforcements.  Cries and shouts of ‘party’.  People throughout the crowd were looking.<br><br>“He’ll try to steal your girlfriend before he makes you welcome!” I had to raise my voice to be heard.  The people who were pushing forward made it harder for me to see the couple.  “It’s not worth it.  You can look him up at a library.  Jake Crowley!  Four wives, all half his age!” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2017/12/09/flare-2-1/ Excerpt] from [[Flare 2.1]]</ref>

===Mathers===
The Mathers branch are an outright cult,<ref name="R4"/> patterning themselves after Simurgh, they live at an intentional remove from civilization and migrate to avoid prying eyes.<ref name="II5.6 e1"/> They are involved in numerous illegal activities,<ref name="R4"/> notably abduction and trying to control people with indoctrination and parahuman abilities.<ref name="II2.1 e2"/> Over one seven year period they kidnapped and abducted thirteen Wards and independent capes with the intention of marrying them into the family.<ref name="II5.6 e1">“The Fallen aren’t to be messed with.  They were a minor nuisance for years, with some bad stuff going on in the background, with kidnappings, murders, mutilations of minorities, case fifty-threes included, and a lot of low-level terrorist or attention-grabbing stunts.  The group we’re focusing on now, I believe, are the Mathers.  Each of the major branches took an Endbringer as a theme, and the Mathers took the Simurgh.”<br><br>“The kidnappings were their thing,” Weld said.  “Back in Bet, they would go after isolated capes, ages sixteen to twenty-five.  These capes would be married into the family.  Thirteen incidents over seven years.  Three of the kidnapping victims stayed.  Three died.  The rest escaped, were released, or were freed by PRT intervention.  The PRT tried to go after them, but they moved frequently and they had anti-thinker measures in place.”<br><br>“It stands to reason they still have them,” I said.  Because Rain had been hiding among them.<br><br>“Stands to reason,” Tristan said.  “Looksee, that means you keep cameras off of the Fallen, unless we give the all clear.  We don’t know if it goes through cameras, and your cameras are weird enough it might be more dangerous.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/03/17/shadow-5-6/ Excerpt] from [[Shadow 5.6]]</ref> Three capes died, three stayed, and the remaining seven were able to escape in one way or another.

[[Valefor]] was one member of this branch. His mother is the leader of the Mathers,<ref name="R2.2"/> based near Kansas City.<ref name="R2.1"/> Her power made it dangerous for [[PRT]] Thinkers and other surveillance resources to focus on the Fallen.<ref name="R2.4"/><ref name="II5.6 e1"/> A common custom for the branch was for young members to keep their hair long, as a reminder that they could be 'soldiers' fighting for the family, or 'sluts' only able to give the family more children.<ref name="I4cII e66">Her fingers traced his shoulder-length hair.  “I told you to grow your hair long, back then.”<br><br>“Yes, mama,” he said.<br><br>“Do you remember why?  Any boy of mine that does anything to catch my eye, good or bad,  I have them do it.”<br><br>Rain nodded.  No words would have come out if he’d said anything, so he didn’t try.<br><br>“The girls know it, but the boys sometimes need to learn it.  I’m content to let either be my soldiers, but that requires ''zeal''.  Not everyone has it.  Not everyone cleaves to their role and position.  Everyone has responsibilities, and it takes a soldier to obey.”<br><br>Rain nodded again.<br><br>Her voice took on a different tone.  No less ethereal, but haunting-ethereal, now.  “The hair is to remind you that if you won’t be a soldier for the families, we’ll have you be a ''slut''.  We’ll get children out of you.  If you fail at that, if they’re sickly or disobedient, we’ll geld you like we would any of the farm animals.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/02/22/shade-interlude-4c/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 4c II]]</ref> This branch often swapped members to other branches in exchange for muscle; [[Eligos]] being an example of someone they acquired this way.<ref name="R2.4"/>

Despite their leader's best efforts they were never able to acquire a [[Healer]].<ref>Christine Mathers watched and waited, cradling her injured hand.  A thrall approached to tend to it.  No healing powers -oh, how she had wished to get a healer under her wing- but only medical expertise. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2019/08/10 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 15.z II]]</ref>
===Other branches===
A fourth branch was in the midst of coalescing, focused on some of the newer Endbringers, but were eclipsed when Gold Morning rolled around.<ref name="II2.1 e2">“McVeay, Crowley, or Mathers?” I asked.<br><br>The guy shot me an annoyed look.  “What?”<br><br>“Which family branch were or are you?”  I asked.  I turned to the couple.  “Three branches, each loosely themed after one of the Endbringers.  There was a nascent fourth in twenty-thirteen that was based on one or all of the other three, but I missed the memo on that.”<br><br>“Crowley,” the guy said.  “We were the jackasses.”<br><br>“McVeays were the ultra-religious, more violent ones, loosely themed after Behemoth,” I said.  “Mathers were the ones themed after the Simurgh.  They’re still around too, they did a lot of the kidnappings of kids and capes, with intent to force marriages.  Then you have the Crowleys, who were a little bit more than jackasses.  Stirring panic, scaring people, violence.”<br><br>“To draw attention to the imminent end of the world,” the guy with the tattoos said.  “Do you want us to apologize for trying to get people’s attention and failing?  Or should we not have tried?  We were ''right''.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2017/12/09/ Excerpt] from [[Flare 2.1]]</ref><ref name="5y e4">Betrayal.<br><br>“Why!?” Snag roared.<br><br>“Someone’s gotta represent the fourth,” Secondhand’s voice could be heard from the crowd.  Everything was dissolving into chaos.<br><br>The fourth.<br><br>The fourth Endbringer.  Khonsu.  A time manipulator and teleporter.<br><br>They were Fallen?  Had they been all along? - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/04/10 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 5y II]]</ref> Splinter groups and offshoots from the three main branches are common,<ref name="R2.2" /> these are sometimes collaborations from different branches mixing their approaches.<ref name="R4"/> Any successful insurgency has non-combatants that funnel supplies, weapons and food; the Fallen have a fallback population outside the public eye that lent this support to more visible branches.<ref name="R3"/>

After the [[Mathers Compound Assault]], the fourth branch revealed themselves - the [[Thomais Family]], dedicated to [[Khonsu]].
===Allied Organizations===
Post Gold Morning, and presumably before it, The Fallen associated with groups similar to their own.<ref name="II5.6 e2">“You’re right about this.  We knew something was stirring, but we didn’t have the impression it was this bad.  I’ve been keeping updated on the Fallen, I can’t promise it’s accurate, but you should know the families interact.  There may be one or more of the Crowley sub-branches present.  They also associate with various biker gangs, the various racist factions, and other religious villain groups and ideologues.  Be prepared for any of them.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/03/17/shadow-5-6/ Excerpt] from [[Shadow 5.6]]</ref> Usually violent people on the margins of society, such as motorcycle hooligans, militias like those commonly found in the south, and various fringe racist and/or religious villain groups.<ref name="R4">Fallen? They associate with bikers, fringe religious fanatics, racist groups, southern Militia contingents. Keep in mind the Fallen divide themselves into three rough 'families' and their behavior changes a lot depending on which they're from. If McVeay they're religious and violent, with a tendency toward energy manipulation & offensive powers. If Crowley they're the 'jackass' types, very visible compared to the others, more inclined to insinuate themselves into cities than to camp out in the fringes of society/middle of nowhere. Mathers are removed and culty, doing a lot to keep the branches intermingled and cooperating, with a periodic tendency to abduct potential husbands and wives, or do other really shady shit. Depending on which family you're working with (or which mingling of families, say a Mathers/McVeay alliance), you'll get different mixes of allies and philosophies/approaches. - [https://redd.it/berg9z Wildbow on Reddit]</ref> Their association with the Fallen meant that they would be targeted if victims and authorities failed to reach the Fallen directly.<ref name="II5.8" /> It is unknown what, if any, contact the Fallen have with [[Herren Clan|The Clans]].