Duskbrothers
| Organizations | |
|---|---|
| Guardians of the Grave | Children of the Land |
| The Guild | The 9 |
| Duskbrothers | Starless Knight |
Those who are aware of the Duskbrothers see them as a reclusive group of individuals who share knowledge and resources. At first glance, this seems to be harmless. In reality, they are much more. The Duskbrothers are an organization dedicated to the truth of life and death. They believe in the sanctity of the great cycle and believe that death is the ultimate consummation of life. Many of the members of this exclusive group have no idea of the scope of the organization. Most believe that they are part of a small group since they have contact with few of their members. The reality is much different.
Duskbrothers are organized into three groups. The Order of Dust is the priesthood dedicated to Kalivasha. The Order of Ash is the militant enforcers of Kalivasha's will. The remainder of the Duskbrothers are simple commoners and aristocrats who live their lives and devote their secret heart to Kalivasha's will. This last group is made up of anyone who is a trusted friend of a Duskbrother. Most of them never know more than 4 or 5 others in the group. They never congregate into large groups. Many of them worship at other temples and revere other deities such as Ina Po in their everyday lives. Individual Duskbrothers share their knowledge with others and the network of information grows and spreads. All attempts to infiltrate this group has failed. Spies within their group have always met with death. Apparently, their goddess is very unforgiving.
From their home in Araxanium, the Duskbrothers are the power behind The Guild, the recognized assassin's guild of Traykon. Most of Traykon are unaware of the Duskbrothers but those who are familiar with The Guild often suspect there is a great secret behind the group.
Order of Ash
The militant enforcers of Kalivasha's will, the Order of Ash is known to be a frightening addition to the Duskbrothers. Members of the order must return to Araxanium every four months to submerge themselves in the mystic pool beneath the citadel to keep their Armor of Faith. If they are unable or unwilling to do so they lose all benefits of the Armor of Faith until they rededicate themselves by submersion in the pool for a day. As long as they stay devoted to Kalivasha and return every 4 months, they retain the bonus. This bonus stacks with Monk armor bonuses.
Armor of Faith: When the Order allows an Initiate to join, they take the prospect to a special pool of water blessed by the Kalivasha. The pool grants special abilities to those who submerge themselves for at least 4 hours. The initiate is "baptized" and gains 1d6 + Wis Modifier as natural armor. The initiates skin becomes pale and is as hard as steel to the touch. Upon immersion, the initiate must make a fort save DC (10 + AC Bonus gained) or the initiate dies. Submersion requires all of the body but the person may keep their mouth and nose above water and still get the effects.
Also, the goddess passes judgment upon those who enter the pool and those who are unsure of their conviction or are opposed to the goddess are instantly slain. Those unfaithful to Kalivasha must make a DC: 24 willpower save or suffer a death effect. This save must be made every hour of submersion in the pool. Death in this manner is both horribly painful and totally irreversible.
Magical rings, and bracers stack with the AC bonus gained. Items that give the character a Natural Armor bonus (i.e. Amulet of Natural Armor) do not stack with this ability. Characters that don armor lose this bonus.
Order of Dust
Clerics who are devoted to Kalivasha are members of this order. They gain spells and can access other powers just like any other cleric. What distinguishes this group is their special code and gift of a Mephit familiar to the priests.
Kalivasha demands that her priests follow a strict code:
- Any undead encountered "in the wild" are to be destroyed at all costs. They are abominations and they do not deserve to continue.
- Members of the Order may not create undead without the blessing of a senior member. Such actions are to be reserved for those who have transgressed against the Goddess or her chosen as a form of divine punishment.
- Beings living by unnatural means must be destroyed.
- The Order of Ash is to receive whatever aid the Order of Dust has to give.
Mephit Familiar: At 5th level, the Order of Dust members are granted the service of a Dust Mephit. Kalivasha uses the Dust Mephits as handmaidens and allows her priesthood to befriend one as a companion. These Mephits are not controlled by the members of the Order but are instead inclined to befriend them. These Mephits follow the rules for Familiars for progression and abilities. If the Mephit is destroyed or dismissed, another Mephit can be called to replace it after one month.
Dust Form: At 10th level, members of the Order have the ability to take the form of a living cloud of dust. The cloud flows across the ground like smoke and can flow between cracks or under doors. The priest may stay in this form up to a number of rounds per day equal to their HD. When in Dust Form, they are immune to wind effects but otherwise are incorporeal for damage purposes. They can not attack while in this form.
The truth of Kalivasha
The Duskbrothers believe that the goddess Kalivasha is in fact a sentient statue of divine power that resides beneath Araxanium. This Idol is the true center of the cult. Whether Kalivasha is an Idol or a Goddess doesn't matter because her followers gain divine power either way. The fact of the Idol is a sacred secret to the Duskbrothers and is something they will kill to protect.
