Keepers of Stones

The Keepers of Stones are strange sorts, even among the Hypogean freaks of UnderLondon. Each of them is master of one of the sets of Stones, the pieces of mouldering stonework left over from Roman times - the last remnants of Latin construction which they believe keep the Curse in check.

The Keepers' purviews are also symbolic of the powers they have seized for themselves in UnderLondon. Though they do not directly control anything, everyone answers to one of the Keepers, in some capacity. Civilization in UnderLondon is centered around the Keepers (or, properly, around the Stones, though they may as well be one and the same at this point), who serve as social hearthlights for monsters, with dark, unmanaged tunnels between their bulwarks.

The Keepers all dress identically - long tattered robes, with various pieces of jewelry, and mummers' masks. Each one has a piece of jewelry that acts as a badge within his or her household, given to those who have sworn direct allegiance. Many of the Keepers also have Agents who serve them in an official capacity or another.

Keeper of the Waters

• Aqueduct
• Controls access to potable water in UnderLondon, and access to the waterways (sewers and Thames)
• Badge: A silver pendant with a clear blue stone, like a suspended drop of water.
• Agents: The Nereids, all of whom are quite comfortable in the water. Though there are a few water spirits among them, many of them are other kinds of entities, having been amphibiously transformed through years of service to the Keeper of the Waters.

Keeper of the Fanum

• Temple
• Philosopher and ritualist, controlling access to the Fanum itself, as well as the things of religion: incenses, wines and song.
• Badge: Twining vines tattooed around the arms.
• Agents: The Bacchantes, wild, prowling nearly-nude men and women who are driven mad by the drumming in the deeps that echoes in the Fanum. It is said that the Bacchantes are normal Hypogeans until the Keeper of the Fanum calls them, by the silent drums that only they can hear.

Keeper of the Baths

• Bath
• Controls the brothels of UnderLondon (and some say quite a few of the doxies in London Above), as well as the healing Baths themselves.
• Badge: A bracelet made of strung-together, water-smoothed pieces of marble.
• Agents: The Scarlet, spy-courtesans who serve their mistress' whims in any way she asks.

Keeper of the Arch

• Ruined, abandoned Arch
• Master of passageways and land-travel.
• Badge: A heavy pewter ring carved with a rat's head, with red glass eyes.
• Agents: The Rats, literally the rats that dwell in UnderLondon. A few of the Keeper of the Arch's agents develop beady black eyes and the ability to speak with the ArchKeeper's rats; these agents are just called "Rats" as well.

Keeper of the Gardens

• Gardens
• Food access, and massive tracts of fungal wilderness
• Badge: A simple claywork brooch in the shape of a mushroom.
• Agents: Unknown, though there are rumors of strange Hypogeans who serve the Keeper of Gardens whose internal workings are replaced by parasitic colonies of horrible molds and mildews.

Keeper of the Glass

• Glass Mosaic
• Art and glassworks
• Badge: A braided leather pendant, hung with a piece of broken glass mosaic.
• Agents: The Epicures, a strange coterie of art patrons whose word can make or break artists in the elite circles of UnderLondon (and, some say, London Above as well).

Keeper of the Caldarium

• Hypocaust
• Heat, combustables, smithwork, candles and lanterns
• Badge: A small brass lantern, often hung from a belt or baldric.
• Agents: The Coalmen, soot-stained lurkers in the dark.

Keeper of the Forum

• Gathering Place
• Arbiter and judge, peace-keeper and public speaker
• Badge: An iron slave's collar.
• Agents: The Arbiters, the magistrates of UnderLondon, clad in the finest clothing money has to offer, and iron slave collars.

Keeper of the Wall

• Piece of old Roman wall
• Defense of UnderLondon, and keeping its secrets
• Badge: Rings on the fingers of one hand.
• Agents: The Plaguedoctors, long-coated figures in the plague-masques of old Italy.