Caliginous Church
A society of assassins that navigate throughout Arethil under the name of the Church. Adept in subterfuge and magic of the darkest sorts, these assassins are for hire. Often are found completing various types of contracts for those who have the coin. The Church doesn’t discriminate against species. Humans, elves, orcs, goblins and whatever else are welcome to join as long as they have an identical twin. Obviously, some species are unable to produce twins, and this will make them unable to offer children to the Church. Regardless, anyone who practices the religion of Menessis will live in the Citadel of Ash whether or not they can become an assassin.
While the Church devoutly follows Menessis, it’s hard to lead a major religious cult if you aren’t getting paid. Long ago, it was decided that the Church would utilize the gifts of knowledge that they were given to carry out services that could get them paid. There’s a lot of reasons as to why people would make a contract with the Church to get things done. The first is because as the Church is hidden, so are their records. No trail can lead back to the purchaser of the contract as their identity is often kept secret as well. The assassins, if caught, have no information of the client. While it’s rare for an assassin by the Church to fail, if they did happen to be indisposed, the Church does promise that the job will be completed even if they have to send every assassin under the church until the job is done.
Major political figures, such as the Kings of Tyr, are often rejected no matter how much coin is offered— often because the Church doesn’t like to waste good blood on something so futile. This isn’t to say that the Church hasn’t taken a contract to rid a major political figure before, but if they had, then it was because the payout was massive and it also benefited them in other ways. Should also be noted that not every contract is about assassinating someone, plenty of lower-ranked contracts deal with help in dealing with the supernatural or acting as a undercover body-guard.
Location
Isles of Sheketh, on the main island, close to the Sheketh Portal Stone. Inside a massive dormant volcano that is in between three smaller yet active volcanoes, is the Citadel of Ash, a city made completely out of obsidian and harden magma. The School of Shadows, Library of Oblivion, and the centerpiece statue of Mother Meness were the names of fallen assassins are carved into. Because of the shroud of volcanic smoke, ash, and mists from the ocean of Fjirstaf, the Citadel rarely sees sunlight as if it’s always night.
Hierarchy
Cardinal: Only a woman can achieve this rank, and she often shows her faith by burning her skin in lava until every part of her skin is the same black as shadows except for the face. Is believed to communicate with the Mother and will share the Mother’s wisdom once a year during a winter lunar-eclipse, which is the written birthdate of Mother Meness. Was once a archbishop. Assumes a leadership role in the entire Church, their word is law. The current Cardinal is Cardinal Solace. (AAA-rank)
Archbishops: very high ranking assassins who are only sent out onto the field under the most dire circumstances. Have accumulated many contracts under their name and now spend their time in assisting the Cardinal. Will most likely have three shadowkin. (AA-rank)
Bishops: For men and women, this title is given to the highest-ranking assassins, the top seven. Most likely has at least shadowkin, some may even have three. (A-rank)
Vicars: For women, high-ranking Assassins. May be under consideration receive another shadowkin.(B-rank)
Priests: For men, high-ranking assassins. May be under consideration to receive another shadowkin.(B-rank)
Brother and Sisters: standard assassins. (C-E ranks)
AAA-rank: cardinal status, often not put into the field but kept at home to protect the Citadel
AA-rank: archbishop status, like the Cardinal, they are also not going on missions around Arethil but are expected to help protect the Citadel.
A-rank: Bishops, sent on some of the most dangerous missions of all time, are often the ones slaying kings and queens but usually sent to take care of the assassins that have mutated into terrifying monsters.
B-rank: Priests and Vicars, often the ones sent out to get rid of other assassins before they fall completely into aphotic psychosis. Will often carry out serious missions against powerful kingdoms.
C-rank: this is where a lot of assassins end up in, often given missions that reflect assassinating minor nobility or wealthy.
D-rank: true assassination missions are given but only ones that are for seedy-people that people want gone, often gives little resistance to the assassin themselves.
E-rank: body-guard missions and handling supernatural phenomena tend to be the most common contracts given.
Archbishops: very high ranking assassins who are only sent out onto the field under the most dire circumstances. Have accumulated many contracts under their name and now spend their time in assisting the Cardinal. Will most likely have three shadowkin. (AA-rank)
Bishops: For men and women, this title is given to the highest-ranking assassins, the top seven. Most likely has at least shadowkin, some may even have three. (A-rank)
Vicars: For women, high-ranking Assassins. May be under consideration receive another shadowkin.(B-rank)
Priests: For men, high-ranking assassins. May be under consideration to receive another shadowkin.(B-rank)
Brother and Sisters: standard assassins. (C-E ranks)
AAA-rank: cardinal status, often not put into the field but kept at home to protect the Citadel
AA-rank: archbishop status, like the Cardinal, they are also not going on missions around Arethil but are expected to help protect the Citadel.
A-rank: Bishops, sent on some of the most dangerous missions of all time, are often the ones slaying kings and queens but usually sent to take care of the assassins that have mutated into terrifying monsters.
B-rank: Priests and Vicars, often the ones sent out to get rid of other assassins before they fall completely into aphotic psychosis. Will often carry out serious missions against powerful kingdoms.
C-rank: this is where a lot of assassins end up in, often given missions that reflect assassinating minor nobility or wealthy.
D-rank: true assassination missions are given but only ones that are for seedy-people that people want gone, often gives little resistance to the assassin themselves.
E-rank: body-guard missions and handling supernatural phenomena tend to be the most common contracts given.
Rules
Early Years:
Identical twins are taken at any age before ten, as the older they get the harder it is to erase their ignorance. Only identical twins shall be taken in to absolve the sins of the parents. Fraternal twins, according to Menessis, do not share a soul that needs to be brought together. The twins are baptized in the blood of Menessis lambs.
When the twins are taken in, they are given new names, names that act as their name under the religion of Menessis. Often is a name taken from the teachings of Menessis, such as Mercy or Cross, or previous religious figures, like Saule from Sister Saule, the devotee who helped to heel Mother Meness’ skin. The future assassins are not required to forget their names or lives prior to the Church, but they should recognize that that was a time of ignorance and now they are chosen to be enlightened. Often gives many a big ego boost, despite Menessis teachings relating to patience and other good practices.
[thanks to Bees? Here’s a lil link if you want a cool code name LINK)
The twins are then put through rigorous training, and often the assassins that do better have spent more time at the School of Shadows. They are taught subterfuge (Disguise, stealth, infiltration), alchemy, basic college magic so they can develop their skills with using portal stones and begin the process of learning blood and shadow magic (blood and shadow magic are the only arcane disciplines taught, along with the sub-discipline of illusion magic which utilizes both blood and shadow magic. These arcane practices are unique to the Caliginous Church.) Honing their physical abilities through learning hand-to-hand and armed combat; and building up their stamina with parkour and climbing buildings, cliffs, and trees. Reading and writing, manning a boat, riding horses, and other survival skills are taught at a early age. They are taught two languages: trade tongue and shadon, all other languages learned will come from the passion of the student and not from their instructors.
Around the age of twelve to fifteen, the twins are then tested to see where their strengths lie. Those who are exceptional will have the test when they’re twelves, but for others who joined the school later may wait to take the test until they’re fifteen. It is around this time that they will be given a mentor who will further hone these strengths and put into teams of two to four. Every two years, the upcoming assassins will face various tests/tournaments to help the Archdiocese gauge their strengths.
Around the time they’re eighteen, and if deemed that they are ready by their mentor, the twins will be pulled from their teammates and will begin the Trial of Bonds. This trial forces the twins to not only show off everything that they have learned and tell of their accolades, but partake in the final fight: fighting against each other until only one twin is left breathing.
The Vow of an Assassin:
Once a victor has been declared, a series of dark magical rites happen. The bishops will perform a bonding of souls, giving the victor a complete soul. Their deceased twin will then be merged into their shadow, this ritual makes the body lose its corporeal shape and transform into a being of darkness that will reside in the victor’s shadow. This is not to be considered a sad time but a time of happiness as now the twins are connected as Mother Meness would have wanted.
Once the rites are completed, the victor will be taken to their first communion. They will drink the blood of Meness and offer their own blood and flesh to be consumed by the shadowkin. One of the six shadowkin will accept the tribute of the victor, and together they will vow their servitude to the Mother. The Cardinal herself will make the mark of the Mother on the victor’s forehead with blessed Menessis ash.
Now considered an assassin under the Church, the assassin will be given a ranking. The highest ranking to be achieved is A, whereas the lowest is E. These rankings are used to decide what contracts will be given to whom. If the Church has received a multitude of contracts and is unable to fulfill them with an assassin of the matching rank then the contract can be given to a group of lower-ranked assassins to complete together.
Identical twins are taken at any age before ten, as the older they get the harder it is to erase their ignorance. Only identical twins shall be taken in to absolve the sins of the parents. Fraternal twins, according to Menessis, do not share a soul that needs to be brought together. The twins are baptized in the blood of Menessis lambs.
When the twins are taken in, they are given new names, names that act as their name under the religion of Menessis. Often is a name taken from the teachings of Menessis, such as Mercy or Cross, or previous religious figures, like Saule from Sister Saule, the devotee who helped to heel Mother Meness’ skin. The future assassins are not required to forget their names or lives prior to the Church, but they should recognize that that was a time of ignorance and now they are chosen to be enlightened. Often gives many a big ego boost, despite Menessis teachings relating to patience and other good practices.
[thanks to Bees? Here’s a lil link if you want a cool code name LINK)
The twins are then put through rigorous training, and often the assassins that do better have spent more time at the School of Shadows. They are taught subterfuge (Disguise, stealth, infiltration), alchemy, basic college magic so they can develop their skills with using portal stones and begin the process of learning blood and shadow magic (blood and shadow magic are the only arcane disciplines taught, along with the sub-discipline of illusion magic which utilizes both blood and shadow magic. These arcane practices are unique to the Caliginous Church.) Honing their physical abilities through learning hand-to-hand and armed combat; and building up their stamina with parkour and climbing buildings, cliffs, and trees. Reading and writing, manning a boat, riding horses, and other survival skills are taught at a early age. They are taught two languages: trade tongue and shadon, all other languages learned will come from the passion of the student and not from their instructors.
Around the age of twelve to fifteen, the twins are then tested to see where their strengths lie. Those who are exceptional will have the test when they’re twelves, but for others who joined the school later may wait to take the test until they’re fifteen. It is around this time that they will be given a mentor who will further hone these strengths and put into teams of two to four. Every two years, the upcoming assassins will face various tests/tournaments to help the Archdiocese gauge their strengths.
Around the time they’re eighteen, and if deemed that they are ready by their mentor, the twins will be pulled from their teammates and will begin the Trial of Bonds. This trial forces the twins to not only show off everything that they have learned and tell of their accolades, but partake in the final fight: fighting against each other until only one twin is left breathing.
The Vow of an Assassin:
Once a victor has been declared, a series of dark magical rites happen. The bishops will perform a bonding of souls, giving the victor a complete soul. Their deceased twin will then be merged into their shadow, this ritual makes the body lose its corporeal shape and transform into a being of darkness that will reside in the victor’s shadow. This is not to be considered a sad time but a time of happiness as now the twins are connected as Mother Meness would have wanted.
Once the rites are completed, the victor will be taken to their first communion. They will drink the blood of Meness and offer their own blood and flesh to be consumed by the shadowkin. One of the six shadowkin will accept the tribute of the victor, and together they will vow their servitude to the Mother. The Cardinal herself will make the mark of the Mother on the victor’s forehead with blessed Menessis ash.
Now considered an assassin under the Church, the assassin will be given a ranking. The highest ranking to be achieved is A, whereas the lowest is E. These rankings are used to decide what contracts will be given to whom. If the Church has received a multitude of contracts and is unable to fulfill them with an assassin of the matching rank then the contract can be given to a group of lower-ranked assassins to complete together.