The Messengers of the Unending Memory

In the dark of night, they come out looking for those who need to hear its voice. The messengers are a secretive and mysterious group that operates in the shadows of the Twigs, preying upon the local populace and taking people, only to return them a few days later unharmed with no memory of what happened to them during their abduction. For those close to those taken though they say that they are changed but can't put their finger on how. Like a person snuck into their home and replaced every piece of furniture with an identical piece, it's the same but not. The group believes in the power of memories, and specifically in the power of the Memoria intra objectum to a fanatical degree and those that have heard their whispers say they mention a particular memoria that does not end and has no beginning.

"I know he's my husband, I know his smile and his touch and his scent. But now, when he smiles at me, it's like looking at a stranger wearing his face. His touch is familiar but it feels foreign, like he's a stranger pretending to be the man I love. And his scent... it's the same cologne he's always worn, but it's as if it's coming from someone else. I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong, that he's not the man I married. It's driving me insane, and I don't know how much longer I can take it." - An anonymous victim of the Messengers of the Unending Memory.

Public Agenda:

It's difficult to say what the public agenda for the Messengers is, as they are a secretive and mysterious group that operates in the shadows. It is likely that they have a specific goal or purpose in mind, but it is not known to the general public. Some speculate that they may be seeking to uncover the secrets of the Memoria intra objectum or to use its power for some unknown end. Others believe that they may have a more sinister motive, using the fear and confusion caused by their abductions to further their own agendas. Whatever their true purpose, the Messengers remain shrouded in mystery, only revealing themselves to those they choose to take.
Their second name though is one that has caused some friction in the communities upon which they prey, on occasion people have reported hearing a whispering coming from nowhere claiming to be the messengers here with a gift, they then speak out a phrase that only their lost loved ones would know. Because of this there are some who seem to believe that the Messengers seek the preservation of memory which has led those to believe that they can commune with the memories of those long past giving hope to those who have lost loved ones.

Public Perception

Lower Class

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The lower classes live in fear of being taken by the messengers, a kind of boogeyman to frighten children into being good, though many adults harbor the same irrational fear in the dead of night when walking dark alleys. Those who have had family members returned often end up in Asylums or worse so it seems their fear is very justified.

Middle Class

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For the most part the messengers only operate in the Twigs so they have little interaction beyond the occasional story that makes its way up from bars, pubs and taverns via the various entertainment troupes that do the rounds in the city. For them the Messengers are merely a source of amusement.

Upper Class

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With absolutely zero interaction with any of those affected the Upper class care little about the messengers, if they've even heard of them.

History:

It is said that the Messengers of the Unending Memory have been operating in the shadows of the fringes of Arbor for centuries, possibly even before the city was founded. Some dark shape that hounded even The First Ones . Of course confirming this is difficult with even the Great Weave lacking anything to do with the messengers, though some have made interpretations of shadowy figures in the fringes as signs of their presence. The best source of information is those that have been taken by them, though what information they have is extremely limited as all of them without fail report that they have no memory at all of ever leaving. In fact many say that they never left at all and can recall with perfect clarity memories of the time they were away and with a few minor discrepancies where their presence is concerned are 100% accurate reporting back about this.

Attire / Common Garb / Quirks:

Very few people ever lay eye on the messengers but there have been a few rare sightings either during kidnappings or when people are returned. The reports claim seeing people in black long black robes and the sound of thousands of ticking clocks coming from their direction, all slightly out of sequence. The sound itself is disconcerting in its seemingly random patterns, until you learn to listen for the individual ticks and understand the cacophony of noise for what it is. One person who had an extremely close encounter managed to remove the robes of one in a scuffle. When the robe was parted, embedded in the man's skin were dozens of clocks, all ticking away, and all set to slightly different times. Of course, one drunken mans ramblings are hard to use as definitive proof...

Structure and Hierarchy:

If there is any kind of structure within the Messengers it is unknown to anyone save themselves, the rare sightings have only provided more questions rather than answers. So how they are organised and if they even have a leader is largely a mystery and is likely to remain as such for the foreseeable future.

Notable People:

None

Territory:

Operating in and around the Twigs

Notable Structures:

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

The Whispers