The Ruain Collective

[Prodigy]

Name of Faction: The Ruain Collective

Number of Members (Minimum of 5): 7 active, 30+ interested

Type Of Faction: Crime Family

Ethnic Background: Irish Catholic

Name of Character running the faction: Atlas "Genesis" Crowe

Your Discord # (ex: gamer#4210): lorekeeperprodigy

Your SteamID: STEAM_0:0:808934409

Your Server playtime: 1w 5d 40m

Do you acknowledge and agree to all faction rules as detailed on the server rules page?: Yes

Do you acknowledge that your faction discord will be owned by us?: Yes

Provide an example of the unique Roleplay your faction will bring to the server/what type of roleplay we can expect from your faction:

• The usual crime would still occur. Due to the thoughts of diplomacy in the faction, we will be encouraging weekly trades of drugs, firearms and other services we can possibly provide such as people for security, event organization and creating catalogs for items in other factions.
• Through the front business, Emerald Isle Entertainment, we aim to stimulate casual citizen roleplay that both regular citizens and hardened criminals can have fun with. This includes, but is not limited to: an established boxing circuit with a real time ranking system, a public paintball league with Kill/Death tracking for showing off to your friends, game shows like Family Feud and Deal or No Deal, etc.
• Due to the background of our group, we will also engage slightly with rituals, promotions and punishments that could be viewed in a cult-like manner.
• Aside from our front business, during the night we will host feasts and music nights. Due to our Emerald Isle Entertainment connections with boxing, we will also have public fighters for our entertainment while we wine and dine.

Provide examples or event ideas to promote activity within your faction and keep people interested. (Reference your unique RP from the question above):
Emerald Isle Entertainment

• A boxing circuit with a ranking system based on wins and losses, persisting based on character
• A paintball league with a Kill - Death ratio for showing off to others
• Game shows like Family Feud / Deal or No Deal

The Ruain Collective: Traditions

• Punishments that include partial crucifixion for wrongdoings in the street.
• Promotions that are similar to Christian tradition with the use of blood and oil.

The Ruain Collective: Day & Night Socializing

• Nighttime feasts and music to create connections and make merriment with friends and allies alike
• Working as a group to move to other events made by other people in order to make them feel truly alive

Organization Backstory

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mfq7...1gJ9Q/edit

If you're interested, DM me (lorekeeperprodigy) for the Discord link and I'll happily bring you in as a friend until we're launched!

Events Currently Run:

1. 03/30/2024 - Emerald Isle Fight Night #1
2. 04/06/2024 - Emerald Isle Fight Night #2
3. 04/13/2024 - Emerald Isle Fight Night #3: The Gloves Are Off
4. 04/20/2024 - Emerald Isle Fight Night #4: Burning Aura
5. 04/24/2024 - Emerald Isle Paintball Night #1
6. 04/27/2024 - Emerald Isle Fight Night #5: Night Alive
7. 05/01/2024 - Emerald Isle Destruction Derby #1: Training Wheels
8. 05/04/2024 - Emerald Isle Fight Night #6: League of Luxury
9. 05/11/2024 - Emerald Isle Destruction Derby #2: Metal Mayhem

Edited Sunday at 06:00 PM by Prodigy
Edited for removal of most cult-like aspects. Functioning primarily as a crime family that has a cult past.

[JSwanson]

+1 - It's an incredibly creative idea that seems like it would really spice up the servers RP; the application itself is very well made, the lore included

[Lemon]

+1 - Good backstory, good app, we could use more interesting roleplay

[Canadian-bacon]

Cults historically don't do well or don't fit with the Mafia RP dynamics. How will this be different? Is it better suited as a gang?

[Prodigy]

It can function as a gang. The cult dynamic is mainly there for flavor, a way to create interesting roleplay. We don't intend to functionally do business much different than other families on the outside, but we want to utilize the cult aspect of things to stoke in-family roleplay in unique ways that I believe a cult only could.

For clarity, there's no intention to go out on the street and attempt to crucify people or judge them for not believing in what we do. Instead, we'd like to foster a more inclusive roleplay of sermons that border on the edge of cult-y, the creepy speeches that make you wonder how the man gets followers. Rituals for those who believe in what we do, to truly get them immersed in the roleplay. I heard about former cults that were very abrasive with how they did things and I'm not a very abrasive person. Rather, I'd like to create roleplay scenarios that people might not otherwise be exposed to. People reading scripture on the street (scripts given to new hires to earn money for spreading the word), public events like our Wonkaland Fight Nights where we attempt to spread our word through Southside's language of violence and ceremonies that aim to both include those outside of the faction in a taste of what they could have with us and celebrate and reward those who have tenure with us.

I had a system in mind where I would compensate people in the form of 'Divine Deeds'. It was mostly comprising of stuff like the above where they would read scripture on the streets and gain money from us and assist in recruiting for their efforts (a special way of both recruiting and giving people something to pass by, similar to NPCs that would boost your immersion in other games), speaking to people and not even bothering to recruit them but rather make connections and boost their social confidence (we'd even provide conversation starters, topics to discuss, activities to do) and running the various events we have in store such as the boxing gym where our fighters can come to train or be recruited into the ranked circuit we have planned or the game shows we have dupes for thanks to Willy Wonka.

I would like to say we'd function as a cult in name only. My plan is not to intrude on people's roleplay with horrible actions like mass sacrifice or witch hunts, but I would like to help make this server more immersive with something that could serve as background noise to them at worst (passing our people by) and something to indulge in that's a break from their normal mafia gameplay loop at best (being a roleplayer and 'drinking the Kool-Aid' so to speak).

Forgive me for typing a lot, I just want this to work. If you have any other questions about what we can do to help adjust to Mafia's climate, please don't hesitate to let me know. Thank you for replying!

[Seansx]

Honestly, this is a solid application. Your time is a little low, but I’m curious to hear what your experience on the server is.

[Prodigy]

Sure, this'll be super fun to go through.

Sombras De Parana (Joseph Johansen): This was the first family I jumped into the game with. They were super friendly, funny and enjoyable to be around, so it felt like it was perfect for someone like me who really loved the social aspects of these kinds of games. When I was brought in, I was a hardcode grinder. The normal gameplay loop sort of spoke to me because it was something I could easily do while working from home. I'd consistently pay double my kickups, but on top of that, I loved to volunteer for security work. It gave me a chance to really put my character out there.

Eventually, I was even being invited to the dinners themselves and got to enjoy myself with other families. This was a great time and it was the first time I got to put myself out there as what would be known as 'Certified Best Voice'. I have an announcer like voice and I use it a lot to my advantage, being able to capture attention with a voice that's unique, clear and fun to be around.. at least according to others. On this game, the voice does a lot to make the man, it seems. I worked with Sombras for a while, but eventually, I moved into my next horizon.

C.C.N.G. / Colombo (Cazzo "Abominio" Testa): This was the second family I hopped to, and this time, I was equipped with experience in grinding. Getting my hands on the C racket meant I was an absolute menace and I'd still keep up with doing double kickups. However, at the same time, this is also where I got to really shine. I was consistently talking to people, getting my name out there and making a splash within the family and outside of it. I'd start getting recognized by my voice alone. However, it wasn't until I met up with Ruler that I realized I could be doing so much more. To that end, I began to expand my horizons.

I'm a huge fan of the Hajime No Ippo manga. I've also been a fan of boxing for over seventeen years. So over the past few months of seeing boxing relegated to something familities did internally, I thought to myself: why not built out the system for an actual ranked circuit? Of course, it'd be a good bit of work and would require dedication, but I love giving that out in spades already to my family, right? Why not do it for myself?

14K Triad (Atlas "Genesis" Crowe): And then we land on my current character, the one I've dedicated the lion's share of my time to now. Working alongside Ruler, I've been making a name for myself in the city with a lot of different things. Spoke to Willy Wonka about building amazing creations for our business Wonkaland. But I do have to say my crowning achievement has been Wonkaland Fight Night. We're going to be holding the second one tonight (April 6th, 2024), but the first one was amazing. 17 consecutive exhibition matches of families and citizens alike just jumping in the ring for a good ol' fight. Something they could chill out with and feel there were no consequences over.

It really made me feel like when it came to organization, I really could do something a bit different.

 

The enjoyment people felt that night - it's something I wanna replicate. People having dumb fun, people coming onto the server and taking a break from the mafia grind to come and have some laughs with friends in a different way than normal. To facilitate that and be able to indulge in both sides of the coin. That's what I want to do, not just for the server, but honestly for it's people. I view the faction as a vehicle for great roleplay that I can share with everyone and give them a place to say 'Hey, if you want to really roleplay and have a hell of a time, I'll give you the place to truly get into character and indulge.'

If you have any questions about what I do or just wanna talk to me, my DMs are always open or you could reply in here and I'll try to respond quickly. I super appreciate you saying it's a solid application! I'm a writer as well so I really enjoyed making the small snippet of background for the cult's lore and writing through all of our activities.

Have a great day!

[Seansx]

4 minutes ago, Prodigy said:

Sure, this'll be super fun to go through.

Sombras De Parana (Joseph Johansen): This was the first family I jumped into the game with. They were super friendly, funny and enjoyable to be around, so it felt like it was perfect for someone like me who really loved the social aspects of these kinds of games. When I was brought in, I was a hardcode grinder. The normal gameplay loop sort of spoke to me because it was something I could easily do while working from home. I'd consistently pay double my kickups, but on top of that, I loved to volunteer for security work. It gave me a chance to really put my character out there.

Eventually, I was even being invited to the dinners themselves and got to enjoy myself with other families. This was a great time and it was the first time I got to put myself out there as what would be known as 'Certified Best Voice'. I have an announcer like voice and I use it a lot to my advantage, being able to capture attention with a voice that's unique, clear and fun to be around.. at least according to others. On this game, the voice does a lot to make the man, it seems. I worked with Sombras for a while, but eventually, I moved into my next horizon.

C.C.N.G. / Colombo (Cazzo "Abominio" Testa): This was the second family I hopped to, and this time, I was equipped with experience in grinding. Getting my hands on the C racket meant I was an absolute menace and I'd still keep up with doing double kickups. However, at the same time, this is also where I got to really shine. I was consistently talking to people, getting my name out there and making a splash within the family and outside of it. I'd start getting recognized by my voice alone. However, it wasn't until I met up with Ruler that I realized I could be doing so much more. To that end, I began to expand my horizons.

I'm a huge fan of the Hajime No Ippo manga. I've also been a fan of boxing for over seventeen years. So over the past few months of seeing boxing relegated to something familities did internally, I thought to myself: why not built out the system for an actual ranked circuit? Of course, it'd be a good bit of work and would require dedication, but I love giving that out in spades already to my family, right? Why not do it for myself?

14K Triad (Atlas "Genesis" Crowe): And then we land on my current character, the one I've dedicated the lion's share of my time to now. Working alongside Ruler, I've been making a name for myself in the city with a lot of different things. Spoke to Willy Wonka about building amazing creations for our business Wonkaland. But I do have to say my crowning achievement has been Wonkaland Fight Night. We're going to be holding the second one tonight (April 6th, 2024), but the first one was amazing. 17 consecutive exhibition matches of families and citizens alike just jumping in the ring for a good ol' fight. Something they could chill out with and feel there were no consequences over.

It really made me feel like when it came to organization, I really could do something a bit different.

 

The enjoyment people felt that night - it's something I wanna replicate. People having dumb fun, people coming onto the server and taking a break from the mafia grind to come and have some laughs with friends in a different way than normal. To facilitate that and be able to indulge in both sides of the coin. That's what I want to do, not just for the server, but honestly for it's people. I view the faction as a vehicle for great roleplay that I can share with everyone and give them a place to say 'Hey, if you want to really roleplay and have a hell of a time, I'll give you the place to truly get into character and indulge.'

If you have any questions about what I do or just wanna talk to me, my DMs are always open or you could reply in here and I'll try to respond quickly. I super appreciate you saying it's a solid application! I'm a writer as well so I really enjoyed making the small snippet of background for the cult's lore and writing through all of our activities.

Have a great day!

Seems like you have a good bit of experience through different ethnicities, what about your highest rank? A lot of people want to be the don, the boss, but it's a lot of work and a lot of people aren't ready for it, even those that have been consig or underboss for a year prior to that so I'm curious what you have managed. Also, why Wonkaland and Willy Wonka as faction leader names/business names, sounds a bit mingy and I'd suggest reworking that tbh. Also doesnt fit with irish cult narrative.

Edited April 6 by Seansx

[Prodigy]

2 minutes ago, Seansx said:

Seems like you have a good bit of experience through different ethnicities, what about your highest rank? A lot of people want to be the don, the boss, but it's a lot of work and a lot of people aren't ready for it, even those that have been consig or underboss for a year prior to that so I'm curious what you have managed. Also, why Wonkaland and Willy Wonka as faction leader names/business names, sounds a bit mingy and I'd suggest reworking that tbh. Also doesnt fit with irish cult narrative.

In Sombras, I was a Made Man. In C.C.N.G., they were asking me constantly to be a Made Man but I told them I wanted to stay lower on purpose and give them money since I was simultaneously working on Atlas at the time (I wanted to foster RP with both in different ways, so I didn't want the promotion).

Willy Wonka's a guy who makes a lot of our dupes so we just liked letting him have the name and Wonkaland was to give him a bit of a 'name' brand. However, if it came down to us changing it in order to be considered for the faction, I'd do so in a heartbeat. We really don't want to be mingey, it was a cute name and homage to give for all of the great creations that he's given us.

However, as far as it being a lot of work, I'm genuinely prepared for that. It isn't the first time I've had to lead large groups. While my experience IRL probably doesn't do me a whole lot in terms of Mafia experience, I am a manager for a cyber security team and have been for a few years now. Delegation, taking on work my employees can't do at a time in emergencies, one-on-one meetings to give hard judgement or amazing praise - this is stuff that I've done for a while in my life. I don't doubt it'll be a lot of work in the sense of organization, but I'm a very meticulous person that thrives on paperwork, so I really feel confident going into this.

If it helps at all, the person as my second-in-command 'Ruler' was formerly the second-in-command of Sanzensekai if that means anything. He has a lot of experience in running a faction and we're good friends, so he intends to help guide my hand and work alongside me as needed. He's actually in this thread as well as 'Lemon'. He's the one most dedicated to this faction, second to me. If you're looking for amazing experience in leading, he's going to be there with me every single step of the way.

I hope that addressed concerns!

[Canadian-bacon]

Willy Wonka ?

[Prodigy]

Just now, Canadian-bacon said:

Willy Wonka ?

Yeah, I forget his full name. He was the guy who made all those helicopter dupes before they got nixed, if you remember that.

[Seansx]

I'm gonna be honest, just watched your boxing event in game and it was very... uh... boring. What else do you have to showcase?

[Prodigy]

49 minutes ago, Seansx said:

I'm gonna be honest, just watched your boxing event in game and it was very... uh... boring. What else do you have to showcase?

It's a very fun time when people put their guns away! However, the event is what truly emphasizes everyone being allowed to have fun. Unfortunately, most of our matches were run after you had already left, so you likely didn't get to enjoy it all! I hope to see you there next time and we can talk while I do my announcements! Here's what we went through:

Wonkaland Fight Night #2 Results:
Exhibition Match #1: Mike vs Pusher [Winner: Mike]
Exhibition Match #2: Mike vs E-RI [Winner: Mike]
Exhibition Match #3: Mike vs Milkman [Winner: Mike]
Exhibition Match #4: Mike vs The Commissioner [Winner: Mike]
Exhibition Match #5: Mike vs Chris Tucker [Winner: Mike]
Exhibition Match #6: Mike vs Genghis Khan [Winner: Genghis Khan]
Exhibition Match #7: Hard R vs John Taiwan [Winner: Hard R]
Exhibition Match #8: Hard R vs Queef the Almighty [Winner: Hard R]
Exhibition Match #9: Hard R vs Genghis Khan [Winner: Genghis Khan]
Exhibition Match #10: Mao Zedong vs Method Man [Winner: Method Man]
Exhibition Match #11: Genghis Khan vs Pusher [Winner: Genghis Khan]
Exhibition Match #12: Gloves vs Piss Clown [Winner: Gloves]
Exhibition Match #13: Gloves vs Charlie [Winner: Gloves]
Exhibition Match #14: Gloves vs E-RI [Winner: Gloves]
Exhibition Match #15: Sharquita vs Pusher [Winner: Sharquita]
Exhibition Match #16: Sharquita vs Gino Graveyard [Winner: Sharquita]
Exhibition Match #17: Sharquita vs Mr. Giggleshits [Winner: Sharquita]
Exhibition Match #18: Sharquita vs E-RI [Winner: Sharquita]
Exhibition Match #19: Mao Zedong vs Ricky Arbuckle [Winner: Ricky Arbuckle]
Exhibition Match #20: Ricky Arbuckle vs The Shredder [Winner: The Shredder]
Exhibition Match #21: Sharquita vs Gloves [Winner: Sharquita]
Exhibition Match #22: Sharquita vs The Shredder [Winner: Sharquita]
Exhibition Match #23: Sharquita vs Mike [Winner: Sharquita]

Ranked Match #1: Mike vs Gloves [Winner: Gloves]

I really hope to see you next Saturday. Maybe as a fighter? Come sign up with us!

[Lucid Mangos]

I would love to see an Irish faction actually make it for once in the city. Last few factions have failed miserably, +1 good luck, that is if you get accepted

[Baselsamarah]

Extremely solid +1, Prodigy has been working hard trying to improve genuine RP, setting up events and trying to bring the community together. 
 

With his own faction I am more than sure he and his team are able to create a more welcoming & positive atmosphere on the server. 

[Creambru]

+1 Solid idea and i would love to see this come to fruition in hopes we get an actual official active boxing league 

 

[Jdot]

+1 really good roleplay and amazing boxing matches

[Toast]

I like the idea. +1

[Thomas]

+1 I think this is would be very beneficial to the server. I think this could be a faction that lasts a long time. Seems like it has a lot of creativity behind it and I think it spice up the RP a bit.

 

[Unsatisfied]

+1 I think a cult faction sounds like it'd create good rp experiences on the server. The only issue is if drugs, crime and gambling are sinful what racket would you be aiming for? I see in your comments you mention it would act like a normal gang, but does having a drug racket fit into the whole no sin lifestyle of a cult?

[Prodigy]

Just now, Unsatisfied said:

+1 I think a cult faction sounds like it'd create good rp experiences on the server. The only issue is if drugs, crime and gambling are sinful what racket would you be aiming for? I see in your comments you mention it would act like a normal gang, but does having a drug racket fit into the whole no sin lifestyle of a cult?

"To err is human, to forgive divine," - Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

Historically, you can think of many cults that have absolutely bathed themselves in sin. Their traditions are not about the absence of sin but rather the expulsion of it through holy rituals, sacrifice and other methods that help to deepen the bond between the member and the leader. Narcotics, gambling - they are not simply vices to indulge in. Rather, they are opportunities to spread our word. To reach otherwise tainted souls who would follow word that is not ordained by the Ruain Collective. We seek to bless them with knowledge, guidance and ultimately free them of the shackles of their mortal sins.

They do not act without consequence. They sin for the sake of something. For the sake of furthering the goal of the Ruain Collective to spread far and wide. Everything is simply a means to an end, and when sin runs so rampant in Southside, why would I not have my children commit these sins for the sake of widening our wingspan?

When they have a man of God to forgive them, His voice.. they have their Cardinal: Genesis.

Character flourish aside, we have ways to commit to these lines of roleplay without compromising what the cult is about. After all, when you think of a cult, they often have 'excuses' for how they can commit such atrocities. It is often for a higher power or for the sake of some end goal they have. We are not much different, it's simply contextualized around Catholicism.

I think it'll be an interesting angle to take. Thank you for the amazing question, I loved answering it! If you have anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!

[Unsatisfied]

6 minutes ago, Prodigy said:

"To err is human, to forgive divine," - Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

Historically, you can think of many cults that have absolutely bathed themselves in sin. Their traditions are not about the absence of sin but rather the expulsion of it through holy rituals, sacrifice and other methods that help to deepen the bond between the member and the leader. Narcotics, gambling - they are not simply vices to indulge in. Rather, they are opportunities to spread our word. To reach otherwise tainted souls who would follow word that is not ordained by the Ruain Collective. We seek to bless them with knowledge, guidance and ultimately free them of the shackles of their mortal sins.

They do not act without consequence. They sin for the sake of something. For the sake of furthering the goal of the Ruain Collective to spread far and wide. Everything is simply a means to an end, and when sin runs so rampant in Southside, why would I not have my children commit these sins for the sake of widening our wingspan?

When they have a man of God to forgive them, His voice.. they have their Cardinal: Genesis.

Character flourish aside, we have ways to commit to these lines of roleplay without compromising what the cult is about. After all, when you think of a cult, they often have 'excuses' for how they can commit such atrocities. It is often for a higher power or for the sake of some end goal they have. We are not much different, it's simply contextualized around Catholicism.

I think it'll be an interesting angle to take. Thank you for the amazing question, I loved answering it! If you have anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks for answering! I really like where your head is at with it all. You clearly have thought through all the reasons why the cult would be doing what it's doing. I think you have what it takes to create a fun and engaging cult faction.

[Prodigy]

We have officially edited our business name from Wonkaland to Emerald Isle Entertainment. Something a bit more green, something a bit more our scene!

We had another fantastic night as well with our Paintball League! We ran our first official event today just wanting to try it out and we had an amazing turn out!

Total Participant Census: 88 players among 10 matches

Match #1: 5v5 Red vs Blue | Winner: Red
Match #2: 6v6 Red vs Blue | Winner Blue
Match #3: 9v9 Shirts vs Suits | Winner: Suits
Match #4: 8v8 Shirts vs Suits | Winner: Shirts
Match #5: 8v8 Shirts vs Suits | Winner: Shirts
Match #6: 4v4 Shirts vs Suits | Winner: Suits
Match #7: 4v4 Shirts vs Suits | Winner: Suits
Match #8: 2v2 Shirts vs Suits | Winner: Suits
Match #9: 1v1 Red vs Blue | Winner: Blue
Match #10: 1v1 Red vs Blue | Winner: Blue

Edited April 11 by Prodigy
Mention of the new business name for those interested!

[Charles]

-1 The cult aspect isn’t really something that the server needs. They usually grow to become mingey and will cause problems with other factions and will be the ultimate destruction of it or it goes inactive because most of their members get banned. I’d rebrand… 

 

 

Also you’re Irish…

Edited April 11 by Charles

[Prodigy]

2 minutes ago, Charles said:

-1 The cult aspect isn’t really something that the server needs. They usually grow to become mingey and will cause problems with other factions and will be the ultimate destruction of it or it goes inactive because most of their members get banned. I’d rebrand… 

 

 

Also you’re Irish…

While I don't think I agree with your second point of being Irish being a negative, I would like to make it clear like I have in previous posts. I've heard of how abrasive the cult followings of the past have been, how mingey they can be. I refuse to be that kind of person. Anyone who has met with me in-game knows that I am not personally the type to ever commit such things. The cult roleplay is purely meant to be inward - a bonus for those who have joined the Collective. To bring people into the cult roleplay involuntarily would be an annoyance to the general public. They're not consenting to that sort of thing, so I refuse to make them bend to that. This is a mafia server first and foremost, so going out on the streets and committing atrocities in the name of some god is not the kind of roleplay I am intending to foster.

Our aspects as a cult stop at our front door and do not go outward. If we spread our word, it will be through sermons and speaking to others in persuasive ways rather than downing on others, hunting them down or killing for the sake of wanting to commit violence. I hate these things and would hate if they were done to me while I was minding my own business in the game. My mantra is 'If I don't want it done to me, I will not do it to another person.'

Despite the reputation of cult-like factions on this server, I don't rebrand because I'm confident I can make it work. Instead, I aim to challenge the notion and turn it on its head. I aim to be the example of how to actually run a cult faction without being a group of miscreants who harass people and make an ass of themselves in public places. It won't be instant, but every single faction on this server has the people who act out because they want to be stupid, that is unavoidable and it'd be naïve to believe we'd be able to perfectly screen every member. No one ever truly can.

I won't ask you to change your opinion now. In fact, I hope you stick around and watch as our faction grows in the hopes that you'll believe not all cult-like factions (or Irish, for that matter) are not bad! And if not even that.. maybe just make an exception for us in the future.

Thank you for your feedback and if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask!