"The Silencers? No, I’ve never seen them. But I’ve seen their work. One day, a voice is too loud, a hand too greedy, a mind too rebellious. And then, like smoke in the wind, they’re gone—vanished without a trace. We all know who’s behind it. But we never say their name. Best you don’t either."— Anonymous Guildmaster, recounting a sudden disappearance of a rival, circa NC. 510
The Order of the Silencers is an elusive and formidable organization, operating from the shadows to manipulate the balance of power in
Ragnarok. Known for their mastery of espionage, assassination, and subterfuge, the Silencers hold unparalleled sway over the political, military, and economic affairs of the three great Dominions:
Doubt,
Indulgence, and
Torment. Their reputation is one of fear and control, a shadow government that wields power with invisible hands. To the rulers of Ragnarok, the Silencers are both a vital necessity and a constant threat, capable of toppling regimes or propping up dynasties without ever being seen.
Despite their fearsome reputation, the Silencers do not seek overt control. Instead, they function as arbiters of stability, ensuring that no faction grows too strong or too weak, lest it threaten the delicate equilibrium of the Dominions. The Council of the Veil, the ruling body of the Order, orchestrates these moves like a grand game of chess, where each piece—whether a king, a guildmaster, or an assassin—is maneuvered for the greater good of Ragnarok. The
Lord-Cynic, who oversees the Order, is a master strategist, whose plans stretch across decades, always with the goal of maintaining Ragnarok's balance of power.
To the uninitiated, the Silencers are little more than an urban legend, spoken of in hushed whispers, their existence denied by the very people they manipulate. But to those who have felt their influence, there is no question of their power. They are the ultimate unseen force in Ragnarok, their agents slipping between the cracks of society, ensuring that the wheels of power turn exactly as they desire. Whether through subtle manipulations or calculated acts of violence, the Silencers ensure that Ragnarok's destiny remains firmly in their control.
Origins and History
The origins of the Order of the Silencers are shrouded in mystery, their true founding lost to time or deliberately obscured by the Order itself. Some historians speculate that the Silencers roots are tied to the legendary figure of
Patricia, whose infiltration of the
High Heavens set in motion the Rebirth. Others postulate their emergence much earlier than Patricia, in the aftermath of
Lucifer’s disappearance, when the realms of Ragnarok were thrown into disarray. The Dominions needed a force that could control the flow of information and prevent total chaos, and thus the Silencers were born. However, concrete evidence from either of these hypotheses remains elusive.
During the tumultuous centuries following the Rebirth, the Silencers were indispensable to the ruling elite. By the time of the Dominion War, they had woven themselves into the very fabric of Ragnarok's governance, acting as both protectors of stability and ruthless enforcers of the status quo. The Black Petal Decree, one of their most infamous operations, involved the assassination of
Jesma Al'ella, a noble who threatened to overthrow the government of Indulgence. This decisive act solidified the Silencers' reputation for ruthlessness and cemented their role as Ragnarok's silent guardians.
Throughout the centuries, various leaders and factions have attempted to dismantle the Order, either out of ambition or fear. Yet, the Silencers have always survived, outlasting their enemies through a combination of cunning, patience, and preemptive strikes. Their ability to erase records, disappear threats, and manipulate entire nations has allowed them to endure when other organizations have crumbled. Today, they stand as one of the most influential forces in Ragnarok, their power rivaled only by the Dominion’s ruling elite themselves.
Structure and Hierarchy
At the heart of the Order of the Silencers is the Council of the Veil, a shadowy body composed of the most senior members of the Order. The Lord-Cynic, the highest-ranking figure in the Order, presides over this council and directs the Order's activities across the three Dominions. The current Lord-Cynic,
Urdax Al'Diomis, is a calculating figure known for his strategic mind and willingness to use both diplomacy and lethal force to achieve his goals.
Beneath the Lord-Cynic are two primary branches: the Hand of the Veil and the Eyes of the Veil. The Hand of the Veil is the enforcement arm of the Silencers, responsible for assassinations, covert operations, and the elimination of political threats. Agents of the Hand are highly trained in combat, stealth, and subterfuge, often acting as unseen executioners to ensure the Order’s will is carried out. The Eyes of the Veil, on the other hand, focus on intelligence gathering. They are spies, informants, and surveillance experts, monitoring the power dynamics across Ragnarok and feeding critical information back to the Council.
Initiates into the Order undergo rigorous training, both physical and mental, designed to break down their individuality and rebuild them as loyal agents of the Silencers. Recruits often come from noble families, influential guilds, or even the criminal underworld, though the Order has been known to recruit talented individuals from all walks of life. To become a full member of the Silencers, initiates must prove their loyalty through a series of dangerous and morally ambiguous tasks, after which they are inducted into one of the Order’s branches.
Power and Influence
The influence of the Order of the Silencers is unparalleled in Ragnarok. While they do not openly rule, they control the flow of information, manipulate key political figures, and ensure that the Dominions maintain a delicate balance of power. Their methods range from subtle blackmail and coercion to more overt acts of assassination and sabotage. It is said that no decision of consequence is made in
Ambrosia,
Kroth, or
Savant's Prospect without the Silencers' knowledge or influence.
The
High Legions often find themselves working alongside the Silencers, particularly in matters of national security or covert operations. The Order provides critical intelligence to military commanders, enabling them to act with precision during times of war or crisis. In return, the Silencers gain access to military resources, including specialized weapons and experimental arcane technology. The Silencers also have strong ties to key guilds, using their influence to manipulate trade, secure funding for covert operations, and control the economy.
Within the criminal underworld, the Silencers maintain an extensive network of informants and collaborators. They work closely with the Crimson Curtain, an group of assassins and deranged artistic killers, and the Consortium, a loose alliance of merchants and fences who deal in stolen goods. The Silencers use these groups to control the criminal enterprises of Ragnarok, ensuring that no single faction grows too powerful and that the underworld serves their broader goals.
Culture of Secrecy and Loyalty
The culture of the Silencers is one of absolute loyalty and secrecy. Members of the Order are expected to prioritize the goals of the organization above all else, including personal morality, family ties, or even self-preservation. Betrayal within the ranks is dealt with swiftly and without mercy, often involving public disappearances or mysterious deaths. Even outside the Order, the Silencers inspire a mix of fear and reverence—those who know of their existence understand that to cross the Silencers is to sign one’s death warrant.
Despite their dark methods, the Silencers view themselves as protectors of Ragnarok, believing that their actions—however ruthless—are necessary for the greater good. They see chaos, unchecked ambition, and destabilization as the true enemies, and they will stop at nothing to prevent these forces from tearing the Dominions apart. This belief in the necessity of control permeates every aspect of their operations, from recruitment to execution.
Members of the Order also engage in rituals and oaths that bind them to the organization. New recruits undergo an initiation known as the Veil’s Bond, in which they pledge their loyalty to the Silencers in exchange for protection and power. This bond is both symbolic and arcane in nature, often involving blood
Magic that ties the recruit’s fate to the Order. Those who try to leave—or fail their duties—find that the bond is impossible to break.
Agendas and Objectives
The primary objective of the Silencers is to maintain the stability of Ragnarok by controlling its most powerful institutions. To achieve this, they seek to prevent any one faction, Dominion, or leader from becoming too powerful or destabilizing the current order. The Silencers view themselves as the invisible hand guiding the future of Ragnarok, and their strategies often span generations.
In recent years, the Silencers have taken a particular interest in the cold war brewing between the
Dominion of Torment and the
Karthan Commonwealth. They see this conflict as a potential threat to the balance of power and have worked behind the scenes to ensure that neither side gains the upper hand. By providing critical intelligence to the
Arcane Legion and silencing key figures in the Commonwealth’s leadership, the Silencers have managed to keep the conflict simmering without boiling over into full-scale war.
Assets and Resources
The Silencers command a vast array of assets across Ragnarok. They maintain a network of safe houses, secret caches, and hidden fortresses known as the Black Holds. These arcane research facilities serve as the Order’s primary laboratories, where they experiment with dark magic, test new forms of weaponry, and train their most dangerous operatives. The Juggernauts, mind-wiped assassins, and sleeper agents produced by the Black Holds are just a few examples of the lethal tools at the Silencers’ disposal.
Their extensive network of spies and informants ensures that the Silencers are always aware of key developments in the political, military, and economic spheres. These agents operate in every major city and Dominion, feeding intelligence back to the Eyes of the Veil, who compile and analyze it for the Council’s use.
The Silencers also control vast financial resources, derived from secret dealings with influential guilds and criminal organizations. Their coffers are filled with gold from blackmail, extortion, and covert business ventures, allowing them to fund their operations without relying on external support. This financial independence ensures that the Silencers can act without constraint, pursuing their objectives with cold, calculated precision.
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