Blades of Darkness
A highly-trained organization of assassins within the Nèmto Tribe. Since the Nimýric Empire tried to wipe them out, they have become more of a legend than a known presence.
Culture
Their motto translates as "hiding in the shadows of Belen'a" and describes their preferred modus operandi. They used to attack mostly at night, making best use of the darkness to sneak up on their enemies, neutralize them with a quick cut of the throat and retreat before anyone knew what had happened.
Since the moon's light would interfere with this strategy, they made sure to earn the blessing and goodwill of the Moon Goddess. Upon induction into the guild they were marked with a tattoo of the Faces of Belen'a on the bicep of their dominant arm. Regular worship of the deity was mandatory, and before each mission a Blade would make special offerings in the temple, appropriate for the expected difficulty.
Public Agenda
The Blades of Darkness were sworn to fight for the Nèmto Tribe, not against it. Consequently, they only targeted people that were not related to or affiliated with their own. This meant that they could reveal themselves to the general population, confident that no enemy would learn of the guild.
They were held in high regard by the people they were protecting, and bearers of the guild's symbol were admired for the skill and the oath associated with it.
History
The guild goes back to the tribe's early history. Originally established to assassinate enemies among the neighboring tribes, they became the most treasured asset of the Nèmtode when the forces of the Nimýric Empire arrived in these lands. Unfortunately, by the year 5 FGZ, the invaders had managed to capture a sufficient number of Blades and notice the mark that was shared by all of them. They then began to systematically search every settlement for persons with the same tattoo and execute them in front of their horrified friends and families.
However, the invaders had not expected the rest of the tribe to rise up for their heroes. Regular people outside the guild began to get the Faces of Belen'a tattooed on their arms, knowing that they were signing their own death warrant and ready to lay down their lives in order to help the Blades escape. The Blades rewarded this noble sacrifice by taking out the raiding soldiers, and the hunt was called off less than a year after it started.
But the events had changed the guild forever. They began to operate more covertly now that the tattoos were no longer useful for identifying them, and new recruits stopped discussing their true occupation with their loved ones, let alone other tribespeople. It is unknown whether the Blades of Darkness still exist to this day, even more so since the Nimýrité have retreated from this continent and the Blades' presence can no longer be deduced from aborted attempts at attacking the Nèmto Tribe.
Nixoshtet ge fèfuide a Belen'a
Type
Guild, Assassins
Alternative Names
Qùshvetib Shucude
Training Level
Professional
Parent Organization
Related Ethnicities
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