Aka: “The Nobility”
Current relationship with Equinox: Neutral
The Noblesse Oblige is a secret society in every sense of the word. Incomprehensibly powerful and influential, the Nobility have operated in the shadows for centuries. Yet while their reach is as vast as their wealth, the Noblesse Oblige take no real interest in economics, industry or politics. Instead the Nobility believe their ancestors swore an oath long ago to craft a paradise for all humanity and that it is their goal to bring this about. For the Noblesse Oblige this oath isn’t a metaphor but a very literal remit to shape the world in their image. The use of the paranatural is one means of achieving that goal…
For the Noblesse Oblige, shaping paradise is not only a privilege but a responsibility and one which requires vision and artistic talent. To that end, the Nobility have constructed a complex network of noble houses all built around the worship of their founders – prominent writers, playwrights, artists and musicians throughout history. These artisans are seen as something greater than human but less than a god and their influence on human history and culture is seen as a source of inspiration for those who seek to treat the whole of existence as their canvas.
So why haven’t the Nobility achieved their goal? The first reason is that there is very little consensus among the organisation itself as to just what exactly paradise looks like. Internal politics amongst noble houses stifle progress at every turn. Secondly, the Nobility understand that despite claiming to descend from legendary artisans – not everyone within the organisation is built for a life of greatness or gifted with the ability to influence the paranatural. Finally there appear to be constraints placed upon those lucky few, that prevent their goals from easily coming to pass.
For all their noble pretences, Equinox views the Nobility as a paranatural cult, pure and simple. Given these feelings, it is perhaps unsurprising the Nobility and Equinox have a tempestuous relationship. On more than one occasion in the past, both organisations have fought one another for paranatural phenomena but on other occasions they have been reluctant allies – often when the two have a common enemy. After all, both organisations understand the threat paranatural phenomena can pose to humanity and both have humanity’s best interests at heart. The only difference is that the Nobility have grand plans which, as far as they are concerned, outsiders are not welcome to be a part of.
In the modern day, the Nobility and Equinox share limited lines of communication with one another but relations are ultimately cold. The Nobility are more than happy to send their enforcers and retainers to assist the Institute in its endeavours but they did not afford Equinox’s members the same luxury. Still Equinox knows the inherent danger posed by being on the wrong side of the Nobility and so maintains cordial relations with the group, despite the difficulties this sometimes poses…
References and Inspiration:
The Noblesse Oblige are heavily based on the Mage Association from the Fate Franchise and the Diamond Orders from Mage: The Awakening.