Ilustrados

Led by the ruthless and authoritarian father-figure known as Maestro, the Ilustrados are a predominantly Silver Ladder Cabal dedicated towards establishing full control over the Supernatural World of Manila. Tracing their history back to the Awakened secret societies in the days of the Spanish Occupation, almost all the Ilustrados come from a complex network of Proximi families with Spanish blood. Rarely do the llustrados recruit from those who do not come from  la familia, and those that do end up in the cabal find that they are treated as outsiders and second-class members. Still, these  mestizo  are often the most dangerous of the Ilustrados as they are more than eager to prove their worth to their superiors.

The Ilustrados are the powers behind the throne, careful power-brokers that sit on boardrooms and shake the hands of politicians in private function rooms. Their influence is that of the  Padrino  system, agreements based on nepotism and cronyism, making sure that their interests are served without being easily traced back to them. This approach has made them quite the target of the local Seers, who tend to frequent similar circles and practice similar tactics. Little wonder then that Maestro is a severely paranoid man who has little in the way of scruples when it comes to taking harsh punitive action to those that threaten him and his Cabal.

Maestro

The Moros Willworker called Maestro is a severe and physically imposing eighty-year old man with a perpetually disapproving scowl. Given to dressing in tailored suits and sporting luxury watches, Maestro is the undisputed patriarch of the Ilustrados. Decades of fighting the other Supernaturals for control of Manila have made Maestro a bitter, spiteful man with a healthy dose of paranoia. On the other hand, it has also instilled in him the kind of discipline and savvy that has made the Ilustrados one of the most feared Cabals in the city. He takes his role as the padre de familia very seriously, and treats his Cabalmates as his very own children. Maestro’s Nimbus is a wave of primal terror that young children experience upon being subjected to the scrutiny of a disapproving parent.

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Originally published in:

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/nmage-manila-by-night-illustrados-the-enlightened-silver-ladder/