"Bregan's Secrecy"

I made this topic for a friendly reminder to any UD player to avoid metagaming with us (the guild of Bregan D'aerthe). How do I mean? Let me explain it:
Some of you asked about our status in Underdark, and once and for all I want to clear this.
As you can read the Guild section we are a hidden mercenary group.
What does it mean? It means, that the most of the people know us, as the "Mercenary guild" and they don't know our true identity and our true name. They give us jobs, golds, quest, and tolarate us. They know (or just heard some rumors) this group was led by me, Jarzyr.
Only a few ones in the higher circles (Yathrins and above) know who we really are.
Our hidden status stems from the fact that our name is hidden, so this way, the very essence of our guild become hidden as well.
(In the guild only the first and second lieutenants have the right to pass this kind of secret to the Yathrins or the higher ranked "trusted" persons.)
So, please avoid pretend that you know us, if you haven't RPd this out with us.
How can you RP this out? There is two way:
First: you meet with me, and spot my BD signal on my armor. (Spot check on me) - this way, the spot check is only the first step... The second is, you have to be familiar with the Menzoberranzan Lore ICly. I mean, if your character never was there, then it's impossible him/her to know anything about the Bregan D'aerthe.
Second: We talked about us to you. (This means that you are a "trusted", or high ranked someone)
(Third: it is only in brackets - you hear about us from someone else - But you cannot be sure in this info because it comes from second-hand, so this way you also have to RP out with us in the first two ways)
So please avoid to use OOCLy known information from us ICly, cause this way you'll ruin the fun of our RP. Thank you and feel free to have fun with us!

You are only hidden so long as you can keep that secret IC, also keep in mind you may be sold out at any time anywhere by anyone you've told ever IC or who may have overheard you telling it to another. The power of secrets is in the fact that they are secrets. Tell one character the wrong thing at the wrong time and it all comes crashing down o nyour head, rightfully so in most cases.

All trust is foolish

There are a lot of instances where your guild or members of it have "advertised" who you are. And those who hear this spread on the information to their allies and anyone willing to buy the information for a good price.

So it can actually spread like wildfire.

And let us not forget that secrets spread from many sources including OOC metagaming and it gets blurred very quick. Often the metagaming is unintentional, it just happens. Especially when we play multiple characters in the same setting. Now that I have started playing a Priestess of Lolth character, I find myself metagaming knowledge that as a player and my character Nanga has known for 8 months now. Many times I have to stop and think which of my characters knows this information. And try to change my rp. It is just the nature of our little world we play in called Dalelands Beyond.

In short, there are no secrets...

The problem is there's been a lot of advertising for mercenary services, and perhaps even the occasional suggestion that it's linked to a larger organization, but the actual name of the guild, and the explicit explanation of who exactly they are is something kept under wraps. I think this is a case of unintentionally adding more information to what your character knows, usually.

For example, my character always mentions he's a mercenary working for Jarzyr. Sometimes people ask to see his papers, which has the crest on it, and then I think they assume that their character recognizes exactly what's going on, when that wasn't necessarily meant to be the case.

But yes... secrecy is very difficult here, in general.

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but the actual name of the guild, and the explicit explanation of who exactly they are is something kept under wraps.

Not very well, at least not when Bregen D'earth memebrs and associates picked fights, and bragged about it before getting stomped into oblivion by one or more House Jaelre members awhile back. There was also the fact that some of your confidants in the know betrayed your trust on multiple occasions ,even those you had long terms contracts with.

Evocati wrote:

Not very well, at least not when Bregen D'earth memebrs and associates picked fights, and bragged about it before getting stomped into oblivion by one or more House Jaelre members awhile back. There was also the fact that some of your confidants in the know betrayed your trust on multiple occasions ,even those you had long terms contracts with.

i think we have to do, what our guild do the best it's assassinate... people that endanger our guild...

Well it wasnt my character that leaked the info. Thats all i gotta say. But yeah there have been some betrayals. Most people dont know IC anyway. But having multiple characters is not a very good excuse for metagaming in my opinion. I used to have 10 characters on this server, i am down to 5 and i dont metagame. The bregan isnt as secrect as the harpers, but really if you feel like your getting metagamed for any reason you should send a tell to that player and talk it out ooc if you can. Or ask them IC how they got the information.

Wait, you're more than a merc guild?

.__.

Well, techinically Bregan D'aerthe is also a method for males to get "outside" the Lloth/Female dominated society and really "shine".... So.... not something you want ALL the females to hear about. If any are smart enough to realize what Bregan D'aerth translates to....

Stop spoiling it...

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As you can read the Guild section we are a hidden mercenary group.

If you are hidden then why did you in the past go around claiming to be Bregan D'aerthe? I mean honestly, my toon knows because she was flat told that Jarzyr was the head of Bergan D'aerthe in this area. This was many months ago, but that does not take away that she knows.

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Only a few ones in the higher circles (Yathrins and above) know who we really are.

This is just not true. To many of your members have bragged about this and it is a pretty open secret. Also, you all wear the same cloak... So, I mean that kind blows the whole secret member thing.

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Our hidden status stems from the fact that our name is hidden, so this way, the very essence of our guild become hidden as well.
(In the guild only the first and second lieutenants have the right to pass this kind of secret to the Yathrins or the higher ranked "trusted" persons.)
So, please avoid pretend that you know us, if you haven't RPd this out with us.
How can you RP this out? There is two way:
First: you meet with me, and spot my BD signal on my armor. (Spot check on me) - this way, the spot check is only the first step... The second is, you have to be familiar with the Menzoberranzan Lore ICly. I mean, if your character never was there, then it's impossible him/her to know anything about the Bregan D'aerthe.
Second: We talked about us to you. (This means that you are a "trusted", or high ranked someone)
(Third: it is only in brackets - you hear about us from someone else - But you cannot be sure in this info because it comes from second-hand, so this way you also have to RP out with us in the first two ways)

If you want this to be a secret now then I can understand, but to say that people are meta gaming if they don't do the above is rather misleading.

FuzzieBunny wrote:

If you are hidden then why did you in the past go around claiming to be Bregan D'aerthe? I mean honestly, my toon knows because she was flat told that Jarzyr was the head of Bergan D'aerthe in this area. This was many months ago, but that does not take away that she knows.

I've never told you or your toons that I'm the head of the Bregan D'aerthe. Why? Cause the head of the Bregan D'aerthe is Jarlaxle.
What I maybe mentioned to you, that I'm leading the mercenaries here, or something like that, "they working for me" or such. But our name... I don't think so...
So if you heard about us from someone else then the third point comes in picture....

(Third: it is only in brackets - you hear about us from someone else - But you cannot be sure in this info because it comes from second-hand, so this way you also have to RP out with us in the first two ways)

The misunderstanding here, as in many other cases coming from the fact, that as mercenaries we aren't hidden groups, we are here, and we act like mercenaries... but our name is a whole different thing... Our name, and with our name our true identity is hidden. Thus, our name is what only known in the higher circles, not our existence. It seems I didn't emphasized this sufficiently. Sorry for this.

FuzzieBunny wrote:

This is just not true. To many of your members have bragged about this and it is a pretty open secret.

Please tell me the names who have bragged to you or the others (if you want to keep it privately then in PM ofc). I think I should know about it. But if you cannot prove it with names, then please don't say such about us. (No offense I'm really curious)

FuzzieBunny wrote:

Also, you all wear the same cloak... So, I mean that kind blows the whole secret member thing.

Why? As a mercenary band why cannot they (we) wear similar cloak and uniform? Don't really get it... why does this blows the secrecy of us. There is no any specific signal or emblem on it what says clearly that "Who wears this cloaks is a member of the Bregan" like the red cloak of the Dabel'kiths... then? (Thus if you examine it closely we aren't wearing same cloaks, just almost the same - The different members have three different cloak models... only the color of them are the same...) furthermore the similarity of the uniforms only proves that they work for me... or have some connection with me... but if you don't know me, and who I really am, then what are we talkin' bout? (Or reversing the question: If you know who I'm and my "secret" then why would it blow something what you already know? Cause If you really know me, then you know my char is from the Bregan...)

FuzzieBunny wrote:

If you want this to be a secret now then I can understand, but to say that people are meta gaming if they don't do the above is rather misleading.

Misunderstanding again. I never said that you or anyone who won't follow the above mentioned three example will be a metagamer. What I said, or rather tried to ask that please avoid using OOcly known information ICly, cause that will be metagaming. Then I mentioned three examples of how you and everyone can get this kind of knowledge about us. (Of course as always in life there may be exceptions about this "rules".... but somehow - with this three examples in this case- I had to show the situation) It seems in this case I was not quite clear why once again I apologize.

And of course this Bregan cannot be the same Bregan as in Menzoberranzan, cause here the circumstances are quite different too.
My goal really is not the teasing, or defamation of other people's RP, but I wanted to elucidate the misunderstandings. (and not to cause further confusion... but it seems this is harder then I first tought ^^') I hope this post are not offended anyone. Oh and thanks for the feedback!