Shadow Smiths
The Shadow Smiths are a Patronist secret society associated with the cults of the living Patrons Wurth Harkin and Shank Moswen. Investigators, inquisitors, whistleblowers, and grey hat hackers, the Shadow Smiths represent a balance between Wurth's promotion of innovation and technological expertise with Shank's proactive, vigilante attitude. Shadow Smiths are also members of the Patronist clergy who serve as the interface between these two sects.
Structure
The Shadow Smiths are not an officially recognized sect within the faith of Ancestral Patronism, but many religious sites dedicated to the Harkinite tacitly support the presence of Shadow Smiths within their faith community. In light of this and the sensitive nature of their activities, Shadow Smith cabals operate in cells so that the activities of one group will not incriminate other members or draw unwanted attention to the organization as a whole. Cells communicate with one another by go-betweens and, in modern times, heavily encrypted communications channels.
Public Agenda
The Shadow Smiths represent the Code of Evermorn's insistince upon proactiveness in matters of life or death for the human community carried to its logical conclusion. Members of the secret society may be called upon to investigate sensitive topics related to the faith and take action when the more mainstream Patronist hierarchy might be unwilling to because of legal, political, or public relations concerns. At the same time, the Shadow Smiths are still members of the broader faith and, as such, promulgate the important spiritual lessons recorded within the Ancestral Codex - albeit with a more proactive perspective that more contemplative sects, such as that of Izetsu, might engender.
History
The origin of the Shadow Smiths dates back to the very founding of the Cobalt Protectorate, when Wurth Harkin, Shank Moswen, and Catherine Jyormund were still flesh-and-blood human beings in the then tiny village of Gondsholm. In those days, the trio were close friends who enjoyed exploring the Arcopel ruins nearby, blissfully unaware of the danger present. During the invasion of Evermorn by Iron Talon slavers, Catherine perished and the other two were driven into servitude under Chitiquish masters.
The trauma of this event bonded the two friends in their shared desire for bloody retribution, and, while other ancestral Patrons and Matrons joined their cause in the escape and, later, the formation of the Protectorate, that shared history came to shape the cults which formed in their wake. Wurth's followers tended to be more intellectual and artistic, prefering a degree of physical safety that tended to spur them to inaction; Shank's followers tended to be war hawks and barely-contained crusaders who yearned to mete out justice without the stultifying limits of discourse and decision. The Shadow Smiths formed out of the greater Patronist tendency to emphasize balance between extremes, the thoughtfulness of one precursor group being balanced by the willingness to act by the other.
Type
Secret, Religious sect
Ruling Organization
Founders
Parent Organization
Related Ethnicities
Comments