The Disinherited

"'Life's not fair, is it? You see, I? I will never be king. And you? Will never live to see the light of another day.'""~ Scar, 'The Lion King'"

Overview
Among the many regions and sovereign nations of Ealsimorr, there are a multitude of systems by which creatures of all intelligent races ascend to superiority over their fellows. Whether by blood, wealth, or faith, someone always seems to rise to primacy, and invariably there is someone left in second place, either waiting for their chance to rise or assured it will never come.

The Disinherited is a network of these same failures and disappointments. The second-in-line. The rejects. There is no real organization to the group, no official standard of membership, no mission statement. Wherever there are people in power, the people who want that power gather together to help each other out. Through this alliance, they are able to influence Ealsimorr in a far more substantial way than they would keeping to themselves and envying their siblings' titles.

Organization & Iconography
There is no system of leadership within The Disinherited, and indeed any semblance of organization is likely the work of coincidence rather than planning. Members convene throughout all the major urban centers of Ealsimorr, but rather than meeting in "chapters" of any fashion, gatherings tend to arise as social engagements convened through rumors and whispers among members in the area. Normally only five or six members will ever be in one place together, not counting their various retainers and hangers on, as any more might draw undue attention. Large public galas are a natural exception.

The primary function of The Disinherited is largely social. Many members are accustomed to an aristocratic lifestyle but would otherwise be shunned by members of their own class. The meetings of their fellow bastards afford an opportunity to carouse with other nobles without pretense. Secondary to this impulse is the natural advantage afforded when so many individuals with close proximity to power are gathered. Once friendships have been forged over drinks and a mutual sense of entitlement, favors begin to flow. Expectant heirs to business empires can offer riches to penniless scions, and fops who hold the ears of certain courtiers can whisper to the aid of their new business partners. Marriages can be arranged and carried out in secret, as can expedient assassinations. All over a few rounds of pricey drinks.

Association with The Disinherited is denoted by use of their sigil, an iron crown struck through with a golden crack. Members seeking to discretely signal their presence to others--or expectant members hoping to make the acquaintance of a new chapter--will simply appear in public with the design somehow displayed. The most common variants are a small pin or signet ring, though the design has been incorporated into brocade patterns, rather daring footwear, or sometimes a literal crown, as in the case of Odessa Greytower's veil.

Membership
As stated above, there are no official requirements to be considered a member of The Disinherited. Normally membership is simply a matter of common acknowledgement among members already operating in an area. Many the unlucky noble has worn their cracked crown brooch to party after party, never to be acknowledged by the others on account of their involvement being considered a liability for one reason or another, and left to wonder whether The Disinherited even exist at all.

Generally speaking, to be considered for membership, one must be in line to inherit an aristocratic title. This is far and away the most common quality of Disinherited operatives. Also appearing are those in line to inherit a substantial fortune or similar material boon, with or without an associated title. There are members who have come into their family's title but find that it lacks any real material advantage and must depend on other Disinherited to gain any influence. Fallen aristocrats who were literally disinherited are very much in vogue, as are bastard children. There is the occasional nouveaux-riche cash cow who is permitted to party with the bad-boy aristocrats in exchange for the wealth of coin they often bring, but class prejudice runs deep, and these members are usually kept at arms length until they are needed. Very general, the rules for new members, but the key is always a close proximity to wealth and/or power and a vested interest in disrupting the status quo to get closer to that wealth/power.