The Thirteenth Rib
Far below the black sands of the Ghiratep Desert, in a massive subterranean network of caverns known as the Devil's Well lies the sacred city of Kharj. In the Third Age this was the communion site between the exiles of Infidia, and the mysterious, dark powers known only as the Lords Who Lie Below. Through this infernal pact the Sultans rose to prominence, conquered Infidia from its native inhabitants, and establishing a territory that would come to be known as the Seven Kingdoms.
While the history, culture, and significance of Kharj is vast, the city's most notorious, and feared reputation is that it is the home of an elite order of assassins, and royal retainers known as the Thirteenth Rib.
Origins
Immediately following the conquest of the lands of Infidia was a brutal civil war between all of the capital cities of the continent known as the Year of Ourborous. It seemed as no surprise to the common man and foreign powers of Infidia's sister continent that those willing to cohort with devils, and demons in order to rise to power would turn on one another in short order. Many believed that the rise of the Seven Kingdoms was destined to be one of the world's finest examples of hubris and comeuppance to ever grace the annals of history. News of the war on the northern continent of Oerth brought a satsified, and smug delight to all ears knowing that the same carnage and bloodshed that had been sowed by the so-called "Sultans" of the Lords Who Lie Below was so visciously being reaped in their own cities, and palaces; But to the chagrin of all who thought the Seven Kingdoms would collapse beneath the egos of its power-mad Sultans... the war very abruptly ended. Sensing the futile and self-destructive nature of their struggle, the seven Sultans returned to Kharj, where they had first plead to their dark masters, and in the Devil's Well wrote a new pact with their lords of sorrow, and contempt from which the Thirteenth Rib was created to restore balance and order to the Seven Kingdoms of shadow. The Sultans each agreed that their first-born would be inducted into the Rib to serve as a shared reparation for the battles waged during the civil unrest between their kingdoms, and having set to order these agreements under the tutelage and black hands of their mysteriou masters a palace was constructed in the deep caverns of the Devil's Well of Kharj called the Houses of the Cage. Legends of the first master of the Thirteenth Rib say that she was a soul resurrected from the fires of Hades by the Lords Who Lie Below, and was once the finest killer that hell had ever seen; But such myths are likely only the propaganda of the Sultans whose greatest weapon over their slaves is their terror."You are a blade belonging to the Thirteenth Rib, and the Lords Who Lie Below. The Sultans and their royal families may sheath you, or order you to draw blood, but they cannot wield you. Keep this secret safely hidden in your heart, for there will come a day where you will be charged to strike down the false-masters, and it is much easier to kill the man who believes he has power where he has none."
Purpose
The Thirteenth Rib are protectors of the Sultans, and their families. From the moment an heir to the throne is born a member of the Thirteenth Rib are assigned to safeguard them against those who would seek to injure the royal family through a rite known as the Accord of the Caged Soul. The accord is a necromantic ritual taught to the Thirteenth Rib by devils that is performed upon infants that binds their vital eccense to the assassin. If need be a member of the royal family can 'breath' through the lungs of their assassin, sense what they touch and feel, share sight, and even memories, no matter the distance so long as they are on the same plane of exitense. A rite of Accord can only ever be performed once on a living soul, and only at a young age when the weave of magic imbued upon them is strongest. Such precautions are necessary because Infidia is a ruthless land, and the Sultans rule it through might, terror, dark magic, slavery, and virtually every other strategem of domination, and intimidation which their power, and influence can afford. Whether it is pacts with demons and devils, artifacts imbued with the power of mass mind-control, or simply the culling of rebellious slaves, the Sultans and their royal families are responsible for heinous crimes, and suffering within their kingdoms, thus making them the target of (deserved) retribution from both foreigners, their own courts, and citizens alike. The Rib also serve another function in the lives of the royal families. They ensure the reigns of might throughout the Seven Kingdoms are held in balance. The Sultans are incredibly powerful individuals with influence throughout the continent of Infidia, and even connections beyond the prime material plane. If they were to turn their might, and ambition towards their neighbors in the Seven Kingdoms, the conflict would lead to an endless civil war that would, ultimately, strip the kingdoms of their power and leave them vulnerable to attacks from the likes of the Magisterium, Iskandar, or a rebellion from their own slaves. Instead, the Sultans combat, and fight one another by proxy through the talents of the Thirteenth Rib. All assassination attempts, subterfuge, schemes, and machinations between the Sultans, and royal courts must be chartered through the guild. In this way, a tenative 'peace' is possible in Infidia. Should any member of the royal courts seek outside assistance, or fail to appropriately charter their contract through the Thirteenth Rib and be discovered, their assigned retainer shall deliver the killing stroke, whether they be a babe, or a Sultan. Such matters are conducted with an extreme prejudice to deter the Kingdoms from falling into self-imposed ruin.Training
"Your time in the Houses of the Cage will teach you many skills necessary for defending your Accord, and answering the contracts of the Rib, but do not forget that these are the arts of death. Those you train with are not your siblings. Those that teach you are not your mentors. They are all opponents, and the first lesson you must learn is to never trust your enemies."To ensure that the members of the Thirteenth Rib remain loyal to the Lords Who Lie Below, and the tenants of their guild, children destined to serve in their order are brought and reered in the Houses of the Cage before they have ever known even the comfort of their mother's breast. They are sculpted, and desensitized to both love and anger. Pity, remorse, and empathy are carved from their beings except in the acts necessary to deceive its lack of precense. They are stripped of any notion of personal rights. They are denied even such concepts as gender or a name, taking on instead, monickers and titles fitting the royalty that they serve, and living as nonbinary blades of death in the employ of the artistocracy of the Seven Kingdoms. Iniatates of the Rib are separated at first into pairs. These pairs sleep, bath, eat, exercise, and train together. Nearly all contact with the outer world is removed. Even their instructors appear to them only as silhouettes projected upon a silk screen. In these formative years the bond between these pairs is carefully, and patiently tested in subtle ways; Such as only one meal being delivered after a difficult day of exercise, or a harsh note condemning the other being secretly placed into a pocket. The reactions of the pairs are graded meticilously, and when the children reach the age of ten their initiation to the Thirteen Rib is a battle between them to the death in a ceremony called the Long Night of the Soul. They are locked in the room with a single knife, and the only two ways of escape are betrayal, and death. Beyond this threshold, the neophyte assassin joins those that survive the Long Night and begin their training with martial weapons, and hand-to-hand fighting styles. It only when they have mastered these that they will begin to collect contracts from Rib and be allowed to journey into the world beyond the houses of Kharj. They are given very little guidance or tutelage as to how to navigate this world, or how to complete their assassinations, but before they can graduate and take on their roles as retainers of the royal courts they must successfully kill, and assassinate ten of the very aristocracy they may one day serve; And the Thirteenth Rib take special pleasure in pairing the royalty of the Seven Kingdoms with an assassin who took the life of one of their own family.
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