Darkhearts

Darkhearts delve into a kind of knowledge that even the Maester Academes are afraid to explore. They are made up of scientists and researchers whose studies were deemed unethical or too dangerous to explore by people like the Maester Academes, but felt the pull of knowledge too hard to merely turn away from it.

History
Around the inception of the Maester Academes, there was a sub-sect of that same circle who wanted to explore darker, more illicit fields of study. Knowing that this wouldn't be acceptable for the other upper class elites, they agreed to ask for more money than they needed for their approve projects in order to find their side projects. As this went on and on, the Academes eventually caught wind of this and blacklisted the founders.

Stuck with no source of outcome and with the knowledge that there was no way they would ever be able to pursue their studies in the light again, the Darkhearters were about ready to call it quits. Instead, with the leadership of Isaac Price, they went underground and gained benefactors of as much repute as their fields of study. They kept an eye and ear out for people of like mind, being careful to avoid letting on that they were still around to anyone else.

Learning from their predecessors' mistakes, the future Darkhearters became more careful with their studies, making sure that they didn't get caught. Of course, those who know about the Darkhearts still go to them when they need something that they can't get, creating especially close ties with the Undercutters. And even in spite of their attempts to stay hidden, there were some inventions and discoveries that they revealed to the whole world, using them to garner some more legitimate sources of income.

Philosophy
To best help society is to defy social rules and norms. While there is some merit to what the Maester Academes and the other over the table academics circle do, the Darkhearts think that their attachment to law and order is unnecessary - even hindering them from reaching their full potential. They believe that not only is knowledge power, but that anyone who attempts to limit that power is either a fool or afraid and not worth paying any attention to.

For the Darkhearts, there is absolutely no room for morals in the world of science.

Notable Members

 * Jamie Adelaide
 * Founder of the Darkhearts
 * Isaac Price
 * Leader of the Darkhearts during the Expulsion
 * Xian Banh
 * Discovered a method for embalming corpses to make them last longer
 * Harriet Steele
 * Discovered 83 unique purposes for various poisons.