"Do you truly believe some strange secret group watches over you? Over all of us?
Worry not my friend, I judge not those who believe such things, for I have heard far more troubling and more ridiculous stories in my travels. If they do exist, would you not be glad to know they only seem to remove those who would harm people like you and I?
I know not if hearing proof of their existence would shock me, but I do believe some of the most rotten individuals, those vile politicians, meet in the deepest underbellies of the most powerful places in the land and conspire to seize power to the detriment of us all. You only need not be asleep to know this truth. Whether these Silencers you speak of exist or not, I am content in knowing these monsters fear its existence.
...What do I believe? I have long learned not to believe everything I hear, though I do entertain the thought of such conspiracies on occasion. Anyways my friend, we shouldn't linger on the subject. I am not keen on discussing of such things in a public place like here. And besides, should they be real, would they not be listening to this very conversation?
...Oh, this sigil? It is of great significance to me, given by an old and dear friend who taught me so much and put all of his trust into me. I owe to him much of who I am today. You wouldn't know him, but he is a historian from the Dominion of Doubt. He gave me this sigil years ago.
His name is Julian..."
Regardless of who one asks, not much is known about the Order of the Silencers. Answers are either unclear, vague, cryptic, or a repeat of the rumors that surround them; many ridiculous, others outright terrifying. Most recognize them in hushed tones as a cabal of powerful politicians, businessmen, wealthy nobles, and information brokers. Their tendrils of influence are an open secret and rumored to span the entirety of Ragnarok and perhaps even beyond; convenient disappearances, assassinations, political extortion, and poisonings to name a few. Most would prefer to deny their existence for fear of appearing paranoid. Very few individuals outright publicly do so for fear of becoming the next target of their ire. Though few take the theory seriously, a commonality between some mysterious deaths in the political world has been the deliverance of a single, black, thorned rose to those believed to have been targeted by the Silencers.
A Shrouded History
The origins of the Silencers are hazy at best, even to the select few who have access to the Silent Archive's oldest documents. All writings about its creation are either non-existent, censored or lost to time, but it is rumored that the Order may date as far back as
Patricia's time. The Silencers are an order that seeks neither glory nor recognition, instead actively working to erase all of their trails and tracks.
There have been many attempts to dismantle the Order by a number of greedy and ambitious individuals in the past, seeing the Order as an obstacle to achieving their goals. One such person was
Jesma Al'ella, who, as the story goes, died in her bed after stabbing herself through the back with a dagger while surrounded by lavish food. Most are wise enough not to believe the official story.
Despite the many plots against them over centuries, the Order has endured, becoming more entrenched in Ragnarok's societies. Nowadays, those who rise to power quickly learn to cooperate with the Order.
There have been many Lord-Cynics—spymasters of the Order—who come from all walks of life. With each exchange of leadership brings change in the Order's methods and image. The Order was once merciless and brutal, commanding order through fear. However, through the last administration of Lord-Cynic Julian Ul'Okkeuron, the Silencers have become far more respected in the political world.
The current Lord-Cynic, Urdax Al'Diomis, follows Julian's philosophy of employing a more diplomatic intervening hand, preferring cooperation over intimidation, though it would be unwise to mistake a friendlier approach for weakness. The Silencer's black rosebushes still flourish.
Power and Information
The Order is believed to have eyes, ears, and fingers everywhere, and is extremely well connected, with direct access to
Ragnarok's most powerful and influential leaders. This lust for power attracts many, and with the Silencer's extensive resources, the powerful occasionally offer information and to the Order for a favor in kind. Some bold individuals will even bribe or threaten them directly. A single warning is often enough to extinguish these lofty ambitions.
Being the most extensive pool of knowledge and secrets in all of Ragnarok, the Order has significant status and plays a significant role among those playing the unavoidable games of politics. They have the power to sway diplomacy whichever way they require, with influence, gold, threats, or even
Magic. Rarely is it known at which point the Silencers have intervened. However, when dangerous individuals rise to power and mysteriously die or disappear, or when deals and treaties at an impasse are suddenly signed, or in the direst of circumstances, when imminent conflicts and wars are strangely always avoided, all clues point to the Silencers.
Equilibrium
For centuries, the Order of the Silencers has acted as a protector of the fragile safety and peace of Ragnarok as a whole. It intervenes whenever great threats arise. From selfish and ambitious souls whose rise to power would harm the wider population, to extinguishing conspiracies and plots to throw
demon-kind and the winder three dominions of
Doubt,
Indulgence, and
Torment into turmoil. Each silencer's move is as carefully planned as the move of a chess piece; always working towards a greater plan. They seek to keep a fine equilibrium between the chaos of change and the stagnation of order without drastically affecting the general population or its internal affairs. Despite rumors of the Order's power rivaling entire governments, it has never shown interest in directly controlling the lives of the average citizenry.
There are some rumors that, even after the
Crusading War, the Silencers and the
High Chalice Inquisition have still been in a constant state of secret warfare behind closed doors, and many assassination attempts by the Inquisition on Ragnarok's soil have been planned and foiled without escalation into a second full-scale war.
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