Whispering Way

The Whispering Way is a cruel and secret organization and philosophy promoting undeath that has been active for thousands of years. The tenets are whispered one to another and never written down. The symbol of the Whispering Way is a gagged skull.

History

The Whispering Way is one of the oldest active organizations on Golarion, its origins stretching back to the Age of Darkness. Because of the organization's dependence on oral tradition, much of its early history is either lost or forgotten. In the organization's nearly 10,000 year history, it has been credited with introducing several types of undead to Golarion. The primordial ancestors of all modern vampires—known as strigoi—are said to have first entered the Material Plane through a portal from the Shadow Plane opened by the Whispering Way. Agents of the Whispering Way may also be responsible for the creation of the first fexts on Golarion.

Tar-Baphon

In 3203 AR, the organization's most powerful member, Tar-Baphon, rose from the dead as a lich and initiated the Whispering Way's golden age. Styling himself as the Whispering Tyrant, Tar-Baphon began for the first time to make the organization's vision of an undead utopia into a reality. He easily conquered Ustalav and the Hold of Belkzen and then began invading the neighboring countries in the hopes of attracting the attention of the god, Aroden. The Whispering Tyrant believed that humanity's rise during the Age of Enthronement was linked to the god, and that be defeating him in battle, Tar-Baphon could not only bring an end to all humans, but drive a stake into the living heart of Golarion itself.

The Shining Crusade

Tar-Baphon's plan did not work. A collection of mortal states and peoples initiated the Shining Crusade and the defeated the Whispering Tyrant in 3827 AR; Aroden's attention remained focused elsewhere. The lich-king was imprisoned under his fortress of Gallowspire, and his armies were crushed in battle. Since this time, the Whispering Way has slowly rebuilt itself. Some members continue to accumulate personal power while others search for ways to free Tar-Baphon from his prison at Gallowspire.