Masked Legion

In ages past, a desperate Aldrastian Emperor formed the Masked Legion after the devastating loss of his armies. Faced with the imminent loss of the empire, and those under its care, he instructed his agents to gather the lost, the hopeless, the dispossessed, for one final push. Though dubious of his intent, and indeed his ability to leverage such a force meaningfully, they did as their emperor bid. These final conscripts were put through alchemical and magical procedures intended to make them the ultimate fighting force for the empire. Miraculously, this initiative succeeded, and donning masks and robes to hide what they have become, the Masked Legion marched forth, crushing all opposition before them.
While the initial push bore fruit, the Hearthland quickly found its military needs unable to be met simply through levying those members of society who it turned out were hardest to track - and often bore psychological burdens that made them less effective besides. So began the Blood Tithe. The thing a parent fears most in the remote regions of the empire - a knock on the door, a child's bed emptied. The child is put through the same procedures and training, raised to be a soldier from the ground up instead of 'overwritten' with the training regimen. The result of the new form the Masked Legion took was resounding success. The elite arm of the imperial military, under the aegis of the Masked Legion the Aldrastian Empire has never been defeated in war.
The Masked Legion rarely remove their all-concealing robes and cloaks, though deserters - and those who have bought their freedom after a long period of service - sometimes discard their uniform in exchange for attempting to look more like privacy-minded travelers. But the mutations suffered by those that survive induction to the Legion are rarely subtle, and it is rare that they can safely walk the streets of any city without some form of concealment.
While criminals awaiting execution are often offered the chance to volunteer to join the Masked Legion, in practice this is only a trickle compared to the torrent of manpower siphoned from each generation of imperials. The procedures the conscripts are put through also render them less susceptible to future poisoning - they had already been through alchemical hell, what are a few more drops of toxin to the ocean of transformations?

Attributes
Strength: 10
Agility: 9
Intellect: 10
Will: 10
Characteristics
Perception: Equals Intellect+1.
Defense: Equals Agility.
Health: Equals Strength+4.
Healing Rate: Equals a quarter of Health, rounded down.
Size: 1
Speed: 8
Power: 0
Damage: 0
Insanity: 0
Corruption: 0
Languages and Professions: You speak Aldrasti, the language of the Empire, and can sign in Kampferi, the silent language of the Masked Legion.
Talents
Darksight: You can see in areas obscured by shadows and darkness within medium range as if those areas were lit. Beyond this distance, you treat darkness as shadows and shadows as lit.
Alchemical Constitution: You are immune to poison, and all negative effects derived from alchemies.
Expert Masked Legionnaire
Upon reaching level 4 as a Masked Legionnaire, you either learn one spell or gain Vitae Reconstitution. You also gain 6 Health.
Vitae Reconstitution: As a triggered action, when you would enter the Dying state, you may heal damage equal to your Healing Rate and remove the fatigued or impaired affliction. Once you use this talent, you cannot use it again until you complete a rest.

Related Organizations

• Aldrastian Empire