The Voice
The religious and secular leader of the island. His word is law. Responsible for the spiritual well being of the islands inhabitants and for enforcing the laws of their gods.
Traditionally he spoke the will of the gods but in recent generations it’s said that he hears the word of the gods. This position once belonged to members of the Visage family but that has been largely forgotten… except of course by the Visages.
The Oracle
A soothsayer, one who hears the word of the gods and whispers it to the Voice. Said to be able to see the future and the past.
Traditionally she worked hand in hand with the Voice to see to the health and abundance of the island and it’s inhabitants. Recent generations have forgotten that the Oracle ever existed. Only the Visage family has produced an Oracle and not every generation has had one.
Dagon’s Whore
The recognized mistress of the Voice, a position coveted by many as it is a place of prestige, her children are called the Children of Dagon and are considered to be Founding Sons and Daughters though they are bastards. While she is a mistress specifically to the Voice she is often given to one of the Founding Fathers to show the Voice’s favor.
Traditionally a position coveted but seldom actually filled for many of these women are killed usually by jealous wives.
The Darker Truth
Dagons Whore was originally meant to denote those women who had survived and had living offspring of the Deep Ones. Two such women have existed throughout all of Cresline Cay’s history. Both of the Visage family, so many generations back that it is no longer a remembered truth. The whereabouts of their monstrous offspring is unknown. This meaning of the title however has been lost to time and now the other is more common place.
Children of Dagon
The offspring produced by Dagon’s Whore. These children though bastards are considered Founding Sons and Daughters. They are raised by their mother though at the age of majority the sons are taken in by the Voice. Her daughters remain with her and some are chosen later to become Dagon’s Whore themselves. There are no known living Children of Dagon at this point.
Founding Families
Members of the original families that founded Cresline Cay. Visage, De la Poer, Grimland, Keane, Beaufort, Beaumont, Laurent and Potts.
Traditionally there were once nine Founding Families but the Shteynhoyz family has been wiped from the histories and memory for their loss of faith.
Founding Fathers
The head of each of the Founding Families. But the group of men are often called so to indicate the group of them. They form the council that advises the Voice.
Matriarch
The wife of a Founding Father. Responsible for all duties within the household excluding disciplining Founding Sons.
Founding Sons
The male offspring of the Founding Families. The eldest of which is trained to take over for his father starting at the age of thirteen.
Founding Daughters
The female offspring of the Founding Families. The eldest of which is trained to take over the duties as a Matriarch of the Founding Families after she first bleeds.
Deep Ones
The favored race of the gods. A fish like race of humanoids that dwell in the depths surrounding Cresline Cay. Most of the population of the island believe them to be myth. The Founding Fathers know better. Since the founding of the island they have offered one male and one female to the Deep Ones to breed with. It is unknown to the Island what happens with the children born to the Deep Ones. The human males are devoured by the females that breed with them while the human females are taken to the asylum and are never seen on the island again. The children born to the human females are typically still births, sometimes those children will live for a few days before dying. There are no known living offspring of these unions.
Beyond the Tide
This is just what Islanders call anything off the island.