Though it claims direct descent from the teachings of Aristotle, the Society of Virtuous Pagans first appears in history during the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363 AD) as an attempt to preserve many of the non-Christian documents that had already begun being suppressed under Julians predecessors. During the brief period of toleration for pagan rituatals, ideas, and philosophies under Julian's reign, thousands of documents were safely rescued from the flames of ignorance or outright hatred and preserved for future posterity. When it became apparent that Julian's successors would not carry on his policies, the Society went underground, secretly preserving such items as it became increasingly clear that the last strongholds of Paganism in the Old World were dying.
When Rome was sacked in 476 AD, the Society moved its documents to the obscurity of Britannia, and continued to operate from that location up to the time of Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century, who became aware of, and violently persecuted, the members of the society. Those dark days saw the near extinction of the organization, but it had largely recovered by the Age of Reason.
During the reign of Queen Victoria, the society began once again to establish foreign branches, or "Lodges." In the heydey of popularity for secret societies experienced during the Victorian era, the Society saw a considerable rise in membership, even if most of the lower ranking members had no idea just how serious the intentions of the Society were.
The largest branch outside Europe is located in Shanghai, established around the end of the Taipei Rebellion. Here, enlightened multinational membership continues to meet, publicly under the guise of a friendly philanthropic lodge, but secretly, continuing its work in the preservation and study of ancient texts and artifacts deemed "heretical" by various political and societal establishments.
The goal of the Society has shifted in modern times - as enlightened governments have accepted that great learning can be gained through these documents, the potential that they can be misused and abused has, likewise, increased exponentially. As such, the Society sees itself as a bulwark of neutral study and preservation, quietly hiding away or working against the exposure of the more dangerous knowledge it guards until appropriate methods can be developed to deal with these threats. For some items, of course, such as the Black Book of Lu Feng, and the Necronomicon, the knowledge can never be shared; nevertheless, such items are preserved where possible, so that they may be understood, and countered, as the need arises.
In recent decades, the SVP has become increasingly worried about Fu'Xian, whom it believes is far more than he claims to be, and in the strange activities of Japanese Military Intelligence, which seems to have developed an interest in the occult. Though still ostensibly neutral in politics, Society contact has already been made with individuals who have knowledge of such matters, and the Society has recently placed FC Julian, private detective, on a retainer, asking him to investigate matters that concern it.
The lodge in Shanghai is run by the esteemed Colonel Wellington-Bodley-Smythe and includes a variety of august members. Nevertheless, very few inhabitants of Shanghai are aware of the SVP's true mission.
