Table Societies in the Heirophancy

[Jubal]

The so-called 'table societies' - literally, of those who share food - are a crucial feature of the old Heirophancy and an important albeit hidden part of its private and public life, especially in the cities and the upper echelons of society. These are initiatory organisations, none of which officially exist, though some are more genuine secrets and others more open ones: they are joinable both by Syarami Heirophants and non-Heirophants alike, and create networks of sworn friendships and mutual aid which can cross social, faith, and gender divisions. These bonds are generally taken very seriously by members, and depending on the society's intiations and oaths can produce significant sets of obligations (some scandals in the cities may involve members of a table society helping guilty parties out of moral or legal troubles, for example).

Societies are usually known by the names of fruits or flowers, which can often be important parts of identifying fellow members. The Leaves of the Olive are the famous exemplar of a Society and the one usually attributed to folk heroes in popular songs, though precisely because of this notoriety, the Leaves may no longer actually exist or may have been re-founded in mimicry and have several disconnected networks or lodges laying claim to the name. Less well known but still in the open secrets category include the existence - but never the membership - of the Asphodel and the Grass-Knot, both based around the capital and sometimes speculated (truthfully or not) to be involved in everything from games riots to politics to trade.

Table societies have no formal structure or leadership beyond their oaths, and as such rarely act as a true collective - though rarely does not mean never, and table societies in the largest cities especially may turn into a mixture of political clique and information-gathering network if an especially active member is capable of using their influence in the society to turn the at times considerable human resources involved to their benefit.