Mystery, Myths and Bloody Price
The clash between the Capitolians and the Green Sisters of the Potter and Temple District remains one of Edenlon’s bloodiest and most enigmatic chapters since the Great War. This was no mere skirmish for territory or financial sway, but an ideological struggle, fueled by ancient beliefs and novel technologies. Indeed, it was this very conflict that so severely depleted the Capitolians’ strength, driving Gracius Valataro to the brink of paranoia.
The Green Sisters are neither a typical gang nor a settled community. They are a mysterious, nomadic sisterhood, often equated with the Romani by Edenlon’s inhabitants. They move within the Potter and Temple District but claim no fixed territory, their presence ephemeral—appearing and disappearing as they drift between hidden alleys, forgotten temple ruins, and lush, wild gardens. Their roots trace back to ancient traditions of healing and mysticism, and it is believed they still venerate the Old Gods, an overt heresy in atheistic Fergeria. Edenlon’s citizens often label them as witches, fearing their purported powers and arcane rituals. While any analytical mind would dismiss such claims, rumors wield immense power, and the Green Sisters do little to dispel them, seemingly benefiting from the mystique. This sisterhood is ruled exclusively by women, true sisters not necessarily by blood, but by a profound bond, shared ideology, and mutual support. Their hierarchy is informal, built upon wisdom and seniority. Whispers abound of the Green Sisters possessing extraordinary abilities. Some are said to manipulate aether in ways incomprehensible to others, employing it for healing and to craft unique objects that defy mechanical logic. This is particularly significant given that green is also the color of aether, further amplifying their mystical image and alleged connection to this potent energy. Their ultimate aim is to achieve harmony with nature and to spiritually cleanse Fergeria of its “technological plague” and corruption. Their methods are often radical, their actions aimed at protecting ancient aetheric energy pathways and sacred sites from a corrupted civilization.
The war between the Capitolians and the Green Sisters was far from a simple street dispute; it was a collision of two worldviews. As the Capitolians sought to consolidate power and expand their influence in Old Capitol, they encroached upon lands the Green Sisters considered their sacred paths and places. The Capitolians coveted control over the artisan workshops that produced unique goods, along with potential, unknown sources of aether or rumored mysterious forces. The Green Sisters, in turn, viewed the Capitolians’ actions as a desecration of their holy sites and a threat to their unique way of life. They vehemently refused to submit to gang dominance, deeming it a “plague” and a “harm to Edenlon’s soul.” Speculation also arose that the conflict ignited over the Green Sisters’ extraordinary objects or secrets tied to aether. The Capitolians, eager to strengthen their position, may have sought to acquire their technologies or knowledge of aether, which the Sisters considered sacrilege. Lucius Valataro’s monocle, allowing him to see in darkness, stands as a testament to these battles and proof that the Capitolians stumbled upon something beyond their comprehension.
The conflict itself was brutal and unconventional. Rather than open street battles, it was characterized by ambushes, mysterious disappearances, and psychological warfare. The Green Sisters, intimately familiar with every hidden nook of their districts and rumored to manipulate vegetation and aether, employed guerrilla tactics. They launched surprise attacks, utilized traps, and even, according to whispers, influenced the minds of their enemies, inducing hallucinations or paralyzing fear. Their attacks were unpredictable and often seemed bolstered by inexplicable phenomena, leaving the Capitolians disoriented and terror-stricken. The Capitolians, accustomed to brutal street brawls, were surprised and bewildered by the Green Sisters’ methods. Their ranks dwindled under mysterious circumstances. Many gang members who clashed with the Sisters returned traumatized, recounting tales of invisible adversaries and sinister occurrences. The war proved incredibly costly for the Capitolians, both in human lives and resources. The absence of a visible enemy and the unpredictability of the attacks severely eroded the gang’s morale. It was during this period that Lucius Valataro acquired (or took from a fallen foe) his aetheric monocle—a stark memento of the intensity of these struggles. This conflict deepened Gracius’s paranoia. Unable to comprehend or anticipate the Green Sisters’ actions, he began to see conspiracies in every shadow, and each unexplained incident only solidified his conviction that the enemy was omnipresent and not entirely human.
The conflict with the Green Sisters left the Capitolians bleeding and weakened. It forced them to withdraw from the Potter and Temple District, ceding it to the Sisters’ domain. Yet, the price was immense: the gang lost many of its best people and a significant portion of its resources. Gracius’s paranoia deepened, with the fear of an “invisible enemy” and the Green Sisters’ unpredictability becoming an integral part of his psyche. The Capitolians’ weakening also made their territory a tempting prize for others, particularly the Docker Boys, who now intensified their operations.
The war with the Green Sisters is not merely a bloody page in the Capitolians’ history, but also a dark warning of the forces at play in the shadows of Edenlon—forces whose origins and motives are deeply rooted in mysticism and antiquity, rather than in the city’s industrial reality.