Aurora Decretum
Developed by Kaladis Anar
By Decree of the Grey Duke, we never stop, for everything including life has a price.
Hiring assassins, ruthless killers, mercenaries, slavers, rebel mages, bankers, politicians, religious fanatics and anyone who aligns with their aims. They pursue targets, objectives and goals throughout Idalos, focused specifically on where it concerns the Eternal Empire and its surrounding territories. They do have their own goals, and rarely these conflict with the Eternal Empire but not usually openly, as the empire obviously takes a dim view of it.
Operating in decrees made by the Grey Duke, with each decree forming its own structure and hierarchy, having a single commanding purpose until it is complete. Many Decrees he makes are ongoing but some are temporary. Said to be a man both blessed and cursed by the immortals equally, the upper hierarchy of the Aurora Decretum is almost religious in nature, with Saun Priests of the grey duke holding vigil and ceremony to study his commands. While the assassins, spies and thieves operate on orders from the priests, most don’t and wouldn’t engage in this ceremonial behavior, interested instead in accumulating wealth, status or enjoying what they do.
In Nashaki they have a growing presence, operating more blatantly. The only reason any of them are tolerated at all, or not just jailed on sight, is that the Aurora have almost infinite pockets of coin. Everyone has a price, and the bribes the Aurora can bring to a situation are substantial. Though they are known for preferring more aggressive actions, than for example the Makers, they still do not like undue attention. Killing people in the street is usually seen as a foolish act, whereas assassinating a target in their bedroom, and making it look like an accident would be just fine, meaning few questions would be asked.
Strengths and Tactics
Having a reputation for success in assassination, it is not uncommon for people to hire the Aurora Decretum in other parts of Idalos if they want a guaranteed result. The Decree of Promise is perhaps the biggest arm of the Aurora, and constantly on the hunt for new or likely candidates looking to prove themselves, those that do well find riches and fame, those that fail die. When hiring the Aurora success is guaranteed because if the first assassin dies, the Aurora will just send a second, then a third, until the target is actually dead, hence the name the Decree of Promise. They take money up front, but will never give up on a contract unless asked to stop. Even after the person who placed the contract is dead, the Aurora will still continue to carry on their mission if they have been paid, this tenacity strikes fear into their opponents from crossing them openly, because there is always another slave, or young hopefully looking to get lucky, and it only takes one to do so. It should be noted that despite their preference for subterfuge, they are not always the most subtle group you can hire, but they are one of the most reliable because of their methods. They are also not stupid, placing a bounty on a hard target would only mean they lost a lot of people trying, not that they wouldn’t try, it would just cost you a fortune to hire them for it.
Bribes come from the Decree of Means, another large strength of the Aurora comes from their seemingly endless pockets and coin reserves. There are a lot of rumors as to how this comes about, from transmutations, to running a bank, to the fact they have a lot of wealthy clients who seek their services, both in the empire and beyond. The truth is all of these are true, because they are extremely adept at generating different forms of wealth.
Other notable decrees of the aurora are the Decree of Dusk, their intelligence gathering arm, and the Decree of Caste, whereby all slaves handled by the organization gain status and a caste depending how long they have served, many going on to try their hand at assassination or subterfuge. Maintaining this caste system allows them a greater degree of control over small slave populations, giving their slaves a degree of hope at a gradually better life if they comply with their masters wishes. They often use these slaves as hired labor on large contracts, or train them to be assassins or spies, and having a compliant slave population for this is preferred.
Most overt agents of the Aurora are dressed in black clothing with silver marking of the dawn to identify them, many agents are obviously not overt and you will not know by what they are wearing who they work for. The Saun Priests are an obvious exception to this, wearing red ceremonial wear most of the time. Estimated numbers for the Aurora range between 500 and 600, the majority being in or around the Eternal Empire itself, with many agents outside.
The Decrees and their purpose.
Decree of Promise
Payment is a Promise of Success. Never allow a promise to be broken, no matter how long it lasts.
Purpose: The Decree of Promise handles all assassination contracts and so is the biggest decree in the Aurora, listed below are its senior members. Players should note almost always first a slave hopeful will be sent, then junior assassin if he or she fails, before calling on a more senior assassin from the below list.
Birthday/Age: 15th of Vhalar 684, 32 Arcs
Title: Saun priest
Skills: Stealth 73, Blades 77, Logistics 92, Detection 77, Deception 54, Running 81, Endurance 61, Poisons 82, Navigating 66, Intelligence 73, Tactics 82, Strength 42, Discipline 71, Intimidation 70, Ranged Combat 71, Endurance 65
Details: Yun is beautiful, feared and ruthlessly efficient. A human working twice as hard as any Raskithecal to surpass and compete with their number. She is the venom in the organization, where her attention is focused cities suffer and people die. The reason is simple, not only does she have every Saun Priest’s adoration of the Grey Duke, but she loves her work, there isn’t a more committed assassin on Idalos. Invariably if you face Yun, she will be wearing exquisite armor and carrying the finest weapons coin, blood, or contacts can buy. Far more often than not Yun spends her time plotting assassinations, not carrying out, where she enjoys trying to pick the best person for each contract, weighing factors such as personality, experience, difficulty, local prejudices and techniques.
Birthday/Age: 27th of Saun 683, 33 Arcs
Title: Senior Assassin
Skills: Acrobatics 87, Ranged Combat 91, Stealth 89, Disguise 77, Medicine 51, Poisons 73, Lock Picking 82, Deception 63, Pick Pocketing 69, Detection 92, Forgery 81, Thrown Weapons 81 Unarmed 72, Blades 58, Endurance 59
Details: Negwresh is one of the quietest people alive, both in how she moves and how she speaks. Rarely using more than one word answers for anything, most of her actions are subtle, light and lethal when required. Trained since she was a child, she is the most veteran assassin that the Aurora have, being called when multiple attempts on someone’s life has failed, and the fact she is still alive to hold this mantle shows her skill in taking down the toughest of targets. Preferring ranged assassination, she is not above getting in closer, but picks and chooses her timing like a master craftsmen of the art, often preferring a quick neck snap to anything messy, and defending herself with several martial art forms when pushed.
Birthday/Age: 29th of Cylus 691, 26 Arcs
Title: Senior Assassin
Skills: Linguistics 88, Research 71, Stealth 68, Disguise 74, Detection 58, Ranged Combat 76, Lock Picking 54, Etiquette 61, Intelligence 71, Poisons 61, Blades 64, Unarmed 62, Endurance 58
Details: Dune is a very simple woman, she loves killing, more than that she loves killing well. She hates sloppy work and tries to better herself each and every time. It doesn’t matter if she’s killing up close, killing from a far, or setting a complicated plan in motion. If you value your work, you will get on well with her, whatever profession you are engaged in she values qualities of perfection, not abiding tardiness or laziness. A social person outside of her work, her face on a job is always disguised or obscured, only she goes one step further to disguise herself in all contact with her employers, feeling it a necessary and sensible precaution in her line of work. Once an unknown nomad who wandered from city to city with never any place to call her own, one night she watched as everything she ever loved was butchered by a raiding party. Taking meticulous time to revisit the same on the raiders one night, she found to her surprised she enjoyed it, keeping trophies from the event to this day. Her unique, rare southern accent, and the scorpion tattoo on her palm identify her, though because she has traveled so much, she is a skilled linguist able to match many languages fluently when the job calls for it.
Birthday/Age: 109th of Ashan 687, 29 Arcs
Title: Senior Assassin
Skills: Running 76, Stealth 71, Detection 72, Deception 59, Lock Picking 43, Musical 58, Writing 54, Animal Training 58, Resistance 89, Endurance 57, Thrown Weapons 68, Blades 61
Blessings/Curse: Adored by Audrae
Details: Srithac is a loner, he hates people, much preferring a musical instrument or a good book to human company. He grew up in no special circumstances to a working class family in a small eastern fishing village. Finding he had no qualms about hurting people at a young age, he put this to good use, and has been killing people ever since. Rising through the ranks, he found he not only enjoyed it, but had an uncanny knack for survival. Several times Srithac has called himself just plain lucky, the truth is he's been marked by Audrae who has taken an interest in his work, and enjoys following his success rising through the ranks of such a ruthless organization. Of course the mistress of shadows doubtless has plans for this young up and coming assassin, but whatever they are, they have yet to be revealed.
Birthday/Age: 2nd of Zi'da 685, 31 Arcs
Title: Senior Assassin
Skills: Acrobatics 61, Surgery 52, Medicine 62, Stealth 63, Detection 84, Deception 81, Persuasion 72, Lock Picking 64, Disguise 81, Pick Pocketing 71, Seduction 67, Aberration 72, Sociology 52, Psychology 62, Etiquette 77, Blades 61, Intelligence 58, Endurance 42
Details: Miathuxo is talkative, professional when working but social when she can be. An aberration mage of some considerable power, she especially enjoys contracts where mages are involved, having extra motivation! Spending most of her off time practicing medicine at a local shelter for the sick and injured, while Miathuxo's motivations at the shelter may seem charitable, it is also a place where she comes across injured mages from time to time, much to their unfortunate end. Mages aside, her real specialty, are complex plots involving multiple layers of secrecy, exploiting vulnerabilities in complex social institutions or secret societies themselves. Having enough general knowledge to pass most checks or suspicion without any trouble at all, makes Miathuxo adept at blending in with any type of bureaucracy, nobility or administration. She can double as a spy at times, more as a trait of her character rather than a professional engagement. The only obvious tell she is a mage, are her feet when exposed, which are quite obviously shimmering with a darkened energy.
Purpose: The Decree of Promise handles all assassination contracts and so is the biggest decree in the Aurora, listed below are its senior members. Players should note almost always first a slave hopeful will be sent, then junior assassin if he or she fails, before calling on a more senior assassin from the below list.
Name: Yun Kalianne
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: HumanCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 15th of Vhalar 684, 32 Arcs
Title: Saun priest
Skills: Stealth 73, Blades 77, Logistics 92, Detection 77, Deception 54, Running 81, Endurance 61, Poisons 82, Navigating 66, Intelligence 73, Tactics 82, Strength 42, Discipline 71, Intimidation 70, Ranged Combat 71, Endurance 65
Details: Yun is beautiful, feared and ruthlessly efficient. A human working twice as hard as any Raskithecal to surpass and compete with their number. She is the venom in the organization, where her attention is focused cities suffer and people die. The reason is simple, not only does she have every Saun Priest’s adoration of the Grey Duke, but she loves her work, there isn’t a more committed assassin on Idalos. Invariably if you face Yun, she will be wearing exquisite armor and carrying the finest weapons coin, blood, or contacts can buy. Far more often than not Yun spends her time plotting assassinations, not carrying out, where she enjoys trying to pick the best person for each contract, weighing factors such as personality, experience, difficulty, local prejudices and techniques.
Name: Negwresh
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: HumanCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 27th of Saun 683, 33 Arcs
Title: Senior Assassin
Skills: Acrobatics 87, Ranged Combat 91, Stealth 89, Disguise 77, Medicine 51, Poisons 73, Lock Picking 82, Deception 63, Pick Pocketing 69, Detection 92, Forgery 81, Thrown Weapons 81 Unarmed 72, Blades 58, Endurance 59
Details: Negwresh is one of the quietest people alive, both in how she moves and how she speaks. Rarely using more than one word answers for anything, most of her actions are subtle, light and lethal when required. Trained since she was a child, she is the most veteran assassin that the Aurora have, being called when multiple attempts on someone’s life has failed, and the fact she is still alive to hold this mantle shows her skill in taking down the toughest of targets. Preferring ranged assassination, she is not above getting in closer, but picks and chooses her timing like a master craftsmen of the art, often preferring a quick neck snap to anything messy, and defending herself with several martial art forms when pushed.
Name:(Alias) Dune Kazanchiy | (Alias) Neris Kankoshevy | (Alias) K'wne Hatukay
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: RaskithecalCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 29th of Cylus 691, 26 Arcs
Title: Senior Assassin
Skills: Linguistics 88, Research 71, Stealth 68, Disguise 74, Detection 58, Ranged Combat 76, Lock Picking 54, Etiquette 61, Intelligence 71, Poisons 61, Blades 64, Unarmed 62, Endurance 58
Details: Dune is a very simple woman, she loves killing, more than that she loves killing well. She hates sloppy work and tries to better herself each and every time. It doesn’t matter if she’s killing up close, killing from a far, or setting a complicated plan in motion. If you value your work, you will get on well with her, whatever profession you are engaged in she values qualities of perfection, not abiding tardiness or laziness. A social person outside of her work, her face on a job is always disguised or obscured, only she goes one step further to disguise herself in all contact with her employers, feeling it a necessary and sensible precaution in her line of work. Once an unknown nomad who wandered from city to city with never any place to call her own, one night she watched as everything she ever loved was butchered by a raiding party. Taking meticulous time to revisit the same on the raiders one night, she found to her surprised she enjoyed it, keeping trophies from the event to this day. Her unique, rare southern accent, and the scorpion tattoo on her palm identify her, though because she has traveled so much, she is a skilled linguist able to match many languages fluently when the job calls for it.
Name: Srithac Tonne
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: RaskithecalCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 109th of Ashan 687, 29 Arcs
Title: Senior Assassin
Skills: Running 76, Stealth 71, Detection 72, Deception 59, Lock Picking 43, Musical 58, Writing 54, Animal Training 58, Resistance 89, Endurance 57, Thrown Weapons 68, Blades 61
Blessings/Curse: Adored by Audrae
Details: Srithac is a loner, he hates people, much preferring a musical instrument or a good book to human company. He grew up in no special circumstances to a working class family in a small eastern fishing village. Finding he had no qualms about hurting people at a young age, he put this to good use, and has been killing people ever since. Rising through the ranks, he found he not only enjoyed it, but had an uncanny knack for survival. Several times Srithac has called himself just plain lucky, the truth is he's been marked by Audrae who has taken an interest in his work, and enjoys following his success rising through the ranks of such a ruthless organization. Of course the mistress of shadows doubtless has plans for this young up and coming assassin, but whatever they are, they have yet to be revealed.
Name: Miathuxo
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: HumanCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 2nd of Zi'da 685, 31 Arcs
Title: Senior Assassin
Skills: Acrobatics 61, Surgery 52, Medicine 62, Stealth 63, Detection 84, Deception 81, Persuasion 72, Lock Picking 64, Disguise 81, Pick Pocketing 71, Seduction 67, Aberration 72, Sociology 52, Psychology 62, Etiquette 77, Blades 61, Intelligence 58, Endurance 42
Details: Miathuxo is talkative, professional when working but social when she can be. An aberration mage of some considerable power, she especially enjoys contracts where mages are involved, having extra motivation! Spending most of her off time practicing medicine at a local shelter for the sick and injured, while Miathuxo's motivations at the shelter may seem charitable, it is also a place where she comes across injured mages from time to time, much to their unfortunate end. Mages aside, her real specialty, are complex plots involving multiple layers of secrecy, exploiting vulnerabilities in complex social institutions or secret societies themselves. Having enough general knowledge to pass most checks or suspicion without any trouble at all, makes Miathuxo adept at blending in with any type of bureaucracy, nobility or administration. She can double as a spy at times, more as a trait of her character rather than a professional engagement. The only obvious tell she is a mage, are her feet when exposed, which are quite obviously shimmering with a darkened energy.
Decree of Dusk
Be as the night falls, present to see what has passed in the day, but residing under the cover of darkness.
Purpose: The Decree of Dusk is the second largest decree in the Aurora, still of substantial size and strength, it handles all information gathering, misinformation spreading, and stops information getting out on occasion.
Birthday/Age: 66th of Ashan 690, 26 Arcs
Title: Saun priest
Skills: Detection 91, Deception 87, Persuasion 76, Meditation 69, Defiance 73, Stealth 72, Disguise 81, Cosmetology 64, Research 64, Dreamwalking 71, Blades 47, Politics 71, Psychology 67, Rhetoric 71
Blessings/Curse: Adored by Sintra
Details: As with all the Saun priests, Annia Calogera is devoted to the Grey Duke. A devotion many question as to why on occasion, as it seems sincere through all of them, unless he has a hold over his Saun Priests that others do not see. For in Annia he has a fanatical follower, even outside of their private ceremonies, Annia would step in front of an arrow for the Grey Duke, with no thought for her own safety. Known to worship several immortals and be a very private person, she probably has more secrets at her fingertips than anyone within the Aurora, rivalling the Grey Duke himself. Even before becoming a Saun Priest Annia was a skilled information broker, the Grey Duke seeking her out for these very talents to make them his own. While it isn't uncommon for the Aurora to bribe, threaten or simply take an individual into their ranks, how he turned Annia so completely to his favor is a matter many have whispered about, but few if any have worked out for sure.
Birthday/Age: 98th of Vhalar 682, 34 Arcs
Title: Witness
Skills: Animal Handling 81, Animal Training 89, Stealth 76, Running 48, Mount 61, Field Craft 61, Investigation 61, Hunting 72, Blades 51, Psychology 51, Navigation 61, Caregiving 56, Business Management 38
Details: Ritu is of breath taking beauty, but far too interested in animals and nature to spend time using this to her advantage. Using ravens and other birds to communicate far and wide with the spy network in code, Ritu believes she is reinforcing the natural balance, between subterfuge and the warlike tendencies that exist in so many nations of Idalos. Ritu feels that by extending the interests of the Eternal Empire through the shadows, she is avoiding bloodshed where she is able. Ritu isn't naive enough to believe the Aurora are a benevolent organization in any regard, she simply believes the ends justify the means in this case. Taking great care of her birds and other pets, she is rarely without a couple of animals, both for protection and communication, and her animals are extremely loyal given how much care and time she spends on them.
Birthday/Age: 3rd of Cylus 663, 54 Arcs
Title: Witness
Skills: Stealth 76, Axes & Bludgeons 64, Forgery 81, Research 61, Investigation 92, Intelligence 72, Thrown Weapons 62, Discipline 52, Strength 43, Endurance 47, Poisons 54, Resistance 68, Hunting 62, Gambling 49, Etiquette 58, Linguistics 67
Details: There are probably no better investigators on Idalos than Sisulfus, known as one long before he joined the Aurora. Sisulfus had previously investigated crimes against nobles, or rich merchants, ensuring the right person was hunted down and brought to justice by the authorities. He never gets his hands dirty himself unless he has to, but over the years sometimes he has had to, and so has learned to defend himself adequately. Another loner Sisulfus enjoys being away in exotic countries where he doesn't know the customs, and people don't know him; often the one coordinating efforts to find things or more importantly truths and information that others say can't be found. While tracking people is usually left up to the Caste of Promise, tracking information and secrets are definitely Sisulfus's specialty.
Purpose: The Decree of Dusk is the second largest decree in the Aurora, still of substantial size and strength, it handles all information gathering, misinformation spreading, and stops information getting out on occasion.
Name: Annia Calogera
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: HumanCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 66th of Ashan 690, 26 Arcs
Title: Saun priest
Skills: Detection 91, Deception 87, Persuasion 76, Meditation 69, Defiance 73, Stealth 72, Disguise 81, Cosmetology 64, Research 64, Dreamwalking 71, Blades 47, Politics 71, Psychology 67, Rhetoric 71
Blessings/Curse: Adored by Sintra
Details: As with all the Saun priests, Annia Calogera is devoted to the Grey Duke. A devotion many question as to why on occasion, as it seems sincere through all of them, unless he has a hold over his Saun Priests that others do not see. For in Annia he has a fanatical follower, even outside of their private ceremonies, Annia would step in front of an arrow for the Grey Duke, with no thought for her own safety. Known to worship several immortals and be a very private person, she probably has more secrets at her fingertips than anyone within the Aurora, rivalling the Grey Duke himself. Even before becoming a Saun Priest Annia was a skilled information broker, the Grey Duke seeking her out for these very talents to make them his own. While it isn't uncommon for the Aurora to bribe, threaten or simply take an individual into their ranks, how he turned Annia so completely to his favor is a matter many have whispered about, but few if any have worked out for sure.
Name: Ritu
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: RaskithecalCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 98th of Vhalar 682, 34 Arcs
Title: Witness
Skills: Animal Handling 81, Animal Training 89, Stealth 76, Running 48, Mount 61, Field Craft 61, Investigation 61, Hunting 72, Blades 51, Psychology 51, Navigation 61, Caregiving 56, Business Management 38
Details: Ritu is of breath taking beauty, but far too interested in animals and nature to spend time using this to her advantage. Using ravens and other birds to communicate far and wide with the spy network in code, Ritu believes she is reinforcing the natural balance, between subterfuge and the warlike tendencies that exist in so many nations of Idalos. Ritu feels that by extending the interests of the Eternal Empire through the shadows, she is avoiding bloodshed where she is able. Ritu isn't naive enough to believe the Aurora are a benevolent organization in any regard, she simply believes the ends justify the means in this case. Taking great care of her birds and other pets, she is rarely without a couple of animals, both for protection and communication, and her animals are extremely loyal given how much care and time she spends on them.
Name: Sisulfus
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: RaskithecalCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 3rd of Cylus 663, 54 Arcs
Title: Witness
Skills: Stealth 76, Axes & Bludgeons 64, Forgery 81, Research 61, Investigation 92, Intelligence 72, Thrown Weapons 62, Discipline 52, Strength 43, Endurance 47, Poisons 54, Resistance 68, Hunting 62, Gambling 49, Etiquette 58, Linguistics 67
Details: There are probably no better investigators on Idalos than Sisulfus, known as one long before he joined the Aurora. Sisulfus had previously investigated crimes against nobles, or rich merchants, ensuring the right person was hunted down and brought to justice by the authorities. He never gets his hands dirty himself unless he has to, but over the years sometimes he has had to, and so has learned to defend himself adequately. Another loner Sisulfus enjoys being away in exotic countries where he doesn't know the customs, and people don't know him; often the one coordinating efforts to find things or more importantly truths and information that others say can't be found. While tracking people is usually left up to the Caste of Promise, tracking information and secrets are definitely Sisulfus's specialty.
Decree of Means
Be generous and expect a large return.
Purpose: The third largest active decree, the Decree of Means handles all the financing of the Aurora, except slavery. This covers banking, transmutation, blackmail, and other mercantile activities.
Birthday/Age: 21st of Saun 672, 44 Arcs
Title: Saun Priest
Skills: Business Management 88, Negotiation 78, Forgery 79, Intelligence 62, Writing 56, Appraisal 62, Blades 62, Mirage 65, Psychology 62, Detection 66, Logistics 62, Tactics 71, Mathematics 81
Details: Jan Thom is a bastard, there isn't an easier way of saying it. He's an ingenious bastard, but nevertheless that doesn't change the fact. He's in business for the Aurora because otherwise he'd be owning half a city by now, or dead for trying to. All of his income is heavily audited, that doesn't mean he isn't rich, because he still finds ways to line his considerable pockets. Brought into the organization when he was clearly rising in wealth at an alarming rate, he's the textbook type of person the Aurora recruit, skilled at what they do, but lacking the morals to mind their methods, and not stubborn enough to die rather than serve them. Jan Thom is as selfish as they come, in that nobody else matters to him but himself. The strange thing is the Grey Duke also holds a place in his heart, but given his personality nobody knows why. No Saun Priest has ever been disloyal to the Grey Duke, which baffles everyone not a Saun Priest. In his off time Jan is known to enjoy games of skill and cunning, but shuns games of chance. Almost never alone, Jan is known to enjoy large Lotharro minders guarding his wellbeing, rumors have it he sometimes enjoys their company for more than security!
Birthday/Age: 81st of Zi'da 681, 35 Arcs
Title: Baroness and Banker
Skills: Business Management 74, Negotiation 69, Appraisal 82, Blades 59, Shielded Combat 57, Endurance 54, Etiquette 64, Vinting 78, Mathematics 73
Details: The Baroness has always been wealthy, born and raised to a wealthy family called Agalon in the North, her family own many vineyards and are responsible for several different well known vintages. When the Aurora gave her the opportunity of running a bank she naturally wondered why, for the Aurora it gave them inroads into a wealthy northern family, for the Baroness it skyrocketed her personal wealth to new heights. A lover of fine gemstones, fine jewelry and fine swords in equal measure, Catosha will often be seen wearing several of the best when out in public, so much so her guards and handmaidens are usually wearing what she doesn't use herself. Having a string of servants and those waiting on her beck and call, there is always another servant for another task, often having seemingly minor tasks which separate her staffs roles. One notable thing about Catosha for an Aurora is, she cannot stand slavery and will free any in her employ immediately. The Bank of the Four Winds is completely free of an indentured servants or slaves, and is known to attract some of the most skilled, expensive financial minds working there as a result, something the Aurora have profited from greatly.
Purpose: The third largest active decree, the Decree of Means handles all the financing of the Aurora, except slavery. This covers banking, transmutation, blackmail, and other mercantile activities.
Name: Jan Thom
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: RaskithecalCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 21st of Saun 672, 44 Arcs
Title: Saun Priest
Skills: Business Management 88, Negotiation 78, Forgery 79, Intelligence 62, Writing 56, Appraisal 62, Blades 62, Mirage 65, Psychology 62, Detection 66, Logistics 62, Tactics 71, Mathematics 81
Details: Jan Thom is a bastard, there isn't an easier way of saying it. He's an ingenious bastard, but nevertheless that doesn't change the fact. He's in business for the Aurora because otherwise he'd be owning half a city by now, or dead for trying to. All of his income is heavily audited, that doesn't mean he isn't rich, because he still finds ways to line his considerable pockets. Brought into the organization when he was clearly rising in wealth at an alarming rate, he's the textbook type of person the Aurora recruit, skilled at what they do, but lacking the morals to mind their methods, and not stubborn enough to die rather than serve them. Jan Thom is as selfish as they come, in that nobody else matters to him but himself. The strange thing is the Grey Duke also holds a place in his heart, but given his personality nobody knows why. No Saun Priest has ever been disloyal to the Grey Duke, which baffles everyone not a Saun Priest. In his off time Jan is known to enjoy games of skill and cunning, but shuns games of chance. Almost never alone, Jan is known to enjoy large Lotharro minders guarding his wellbeing, rumors have it he sometimes enjoys their company for more than security!
Name: Baroness Catosha Agalon
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: HumanCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 81st of Zi'da 681, 35 Arcs
Title: Baroness and Banker
Skills: Business Management 74, Negotiation 69, Appraisal 82, Blades 59, Shielded Combat 57, Endurance 54, Etiquette 64, Vinting 78, Mathematics 73
Details: The Baroness has always been wealthy, born and raised to a wealthy family called Agalon in the North, her family own many vineyards and are responsible for several different well known vintages. When the Aurora gave her the opportunity of running a bank she naturally wondered why, for the Aurora it gave them inroads into a wealthy northern family, for the Baroness it skyrocketed her personal wealth to new heights. A lover of fine gemstones, fine jewelry and fine swords in equal measure, Catosha will often be seen wearing several of the best when out in public, so much so her guards and handmaidens are usually wearing what she doesn't use herself. Having a string of servants and those waiting on her beck and call, there is always another servant for another task, often having seemingly minor tasks which separate her staffs roles. One notable thing about Catosha for an Aurora is, she cannot stand slavery and will free any in her employ immediately. The Bank of the Four Winds is completely free of an indentured servants or slaves, and is known to attract some of the most skilled, expensive financial minds working there as a result, something the Aurora have profited from greatly.
Decree of Caste
Be our lifeblood, maintain potentials for the other Decrees. Keep your quota of slaves healthy, strong and compliant.
Purpose: Finally the Decree of Caste, the smallest active decree in the Aurora, handles the buying and selling of slaves. The best are trained into assassins, which often make up the first wave of assassins sent on a contract, before the more professional assassins are called in if they fail.
Birthday/Age: 47th of Ymiden 653, 63 Arcs
Title: Saun Priest
Skills: Psychology 88, Torture 72, Interrogation 69, Business Management 62, Teaching 82, Blades 62, Trap Making 71, Animal Training 65, Mathematics 61, Detection 58
Details: Extremely methodical, Duong is boring when he is not talking business, when he is talking slaves he is like a walking dictionary of suppliers, buyers, sellers, and who employs them. He can tell you how to train slaves in great intricate detail, if such a thing were possible he is a consummate professional slaver, treating people like numbers on a sheet to keep accurate record of. As with all Saun Priests his allegiance toward the Grey Duke is supreme, carrying out his duties calmly and concisely. True to his personality he has an attention to detail others lack, but lacks all imagination necessary for anything like art or even casual conversation, some people believe this is why he has his face painted and carries so many tattoos, in an attempt to understand art. When he is not working, you can usually find Duong relaxing on a beach or in a garden, and doing as little as possible.
Birthday/Age: 25th of Saun 672, 44 Arcs
Title: Slave Master
Skills: Teaching 69, Intimidation 71, Etiquette 78, Psychology 61, Torture 54, Detection 63, Business Management 64, Blades 48, Trap Making 54, Tactics 53, Negotiation 59, Whips 49
Details: A harsh disciplinarian, Eigonza is a lifelong slaver given status and power within the Aurora to ply her trade at the decree's whims, allowed to keep a sizable population of slaves for herself. Formerly one of the most successful free slavers in the eternal empire, when she grew too powerful she was given a choice, join or die. She chosen to join, while she isn't happy with the arrangement, she respects the firm way in which she was told. That is seeing every single subordinate at her side brought to the point of death, then allowed to live, brought to the point of death, then allowed to live, repeated for each comment she made that wasn't: yes i will certainly work for you. Now she is part of the Aurora, she enjoys a lot more freedom of movement within the Eternal Empire, so it isn't all bad. Officially she supports the Empire by trading slaves where they are needed and making a sizeable profit in the meantime, most of which she turns over the Aurora, skimming a good percentage for herself.
Birthday/Age: 41st of Ymiden 674, 42 Arcs
Title: Slave Master
Skills: Torture 92, Intimidation 82, Business Management 74, Whips 88, Axes & Bludgeons 52, Teaching 59, Psychology 52, Poisons 61, Alchemy 54, Persuasion 52
Details: If Eigonza is harsh, Cadoseia is cruel, frequently pitting her slaves against each other in fights to see who comes out on top. Though she does use this to judge slaves that will be of more use to her, or to thin her herds, she also just does it for sport when she's bored. What balances these losses out is a strong business acumen, finding and identifying some of the best buyers out there. She used to be a warlord, and often will find raiders, mercenary groups or other warlords, knowing how to talk and deal with them. Frequently using her cattle, as she calls them, to experiment on for new poisons or alchemy, she then sells the results of her work to the highest bidder, which gives her skill that bit more of a boost to make it a profitable side business. One thing you can definitely say about Cadoseia is she likes to party, drink and wear clothing that looks like it should be in junk heap. Being in her employ is never dull!
Purpose: Finally the Decree of Caste, the smallest active decree in the Aurora, handles the buying and selling of slaves. The best are trained into assassins, which often make up the first wave of assassins sent on a contract, before the more professional assassins are called in if they fail.
Name: Duong Vannak
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: RaskithecalCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 47th of Ymiden 653, 63 Arcs
Title: Saun Priest
Skills: Psychology 88, Torture 72, Interrogation 69, Business Management 62, Teaching 82, Blades 62, Trap Making 71, Animal Training 65, Mathematics 61, Detection 58
Details: Extremely methodical, Duong is boring when he is not talking business, when he is talking slaves he is like a walking dictionary of suppliers, buyers, sellers, and who employs them. He can tell you how to train slaves in great intricate detail, if such a thing were possible he is a consummate professional slaver, treating people like numbers on a sheet to keep accurate record of. As with all Saun Priests his allegiance toward the Grey Duke is supreme, carrying out his duties calmly and concisely. True to his personality he has an attention to detail others lack, but lacks all imagination necessary for anything like art or even casual conversation, some people believe this is why he has his face painted and carries so many tattoos, in an attempt to understand art. When he is not working, you can usually find Duong relaxing on a beach or in a garden, and doing as little as possible.
Name: Eigonza
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: HumanCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 25th of Saun 672, 44 Arcs
Title: Slave Master
Skills: Teaching 69, Intimidation 71, Etiquette 78, Psychology 61, Torture 54, Detection 63, Business Management 64, Blades 48, Trap Making 54, Tactics 53, Negotiation 59, Whips 49
Details: A harsh disciplinarian, Eigonza is a lifelong slaver given status and power within the Aurora to ply her trade at the decree's whims, allowed to keep a sizable population of slaves for herself. Formerly one of the most successful free slavers in the eternal empire, when she grew too powerful she was given a choice, join or die. She chosen to join, while she isn't happy with the arrangement, she respects the firm way in which she was told. That is seeing every single subordinate at her side brought to the point of death, then allowed to live, brought to the point of death, then allowed to live, repeated for each comment she made that wasn't: yes i will certainly work for you. Now she is part of the Aurora, she enjoys a lot more freedom of movement within the Eternal Empire, so it isn't all bad. Officially she supports the Empire by trading slaves where they are needed and making a sizeable profit in the meantime, most of which she turns over the Aurora, skimming a good percentage for herself.
Name: Cadoseia
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: RaskithecalCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 41st of Ymiden 674, 42 Arcs
Title: Slave Master
Skills: Torture 92, Intimidation 82, Business Management 74, Whips 88, Axes & Bludgeons 52, Teaching 59, Psychology 52, Poisons 61, Alchemy 54, Persuasion 52
Details: If Eigonza is harsh, Cadoseia is cruel, frequently pitting her slaves against each other in fights to see who comes out on top. Though she does use this to judge slaves that will be of more use to her, or to thin her herds, she also just does it for sport when she's bored. What balances these losses out is a strong business acumen, finding and identifying some of the best buyers out there. She used to be a warlord, and often will find raiders, mercenary groups or other warlords, knowing how to talk and deal with them. Frequently using her cattle, as she calls them, to experiment on for new poisons or alchemy, she then sells the results of her work to the highest bidder, which gives her skill that bit more of a boost to make it a profitable side business. One thing you can definitely say about Cadoseia is she likes to party, drink and wear clothing that looks like it should be in junk heap. Being in her employ is never dull!
The Grey Duke
Name: The Grey Duke. Real Name: Cason Mere
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: Raskithecal Created by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: ? None know for sure.
Title: The Grey Duke
Skills: Shield Fighting 82, Blades 81, Interrogation 61, Negotiation 56, Leadership 92, Endurance 81, Strength 76, Tactics 89, Logistics 73, Intelligence 87, Rhetoric 81, Deception 91, Detection 65, Persuasion 61, Seduction 72, Business Management 73, Rupturing 76
Blessings/Curse Adored by Zanik | Favored by Raskalarn | Condemned by Moseke | Hated by Ziell
Details: A genius savant, the Grey Duke is known to only a handful of people, he is a one man army, with a silver tongue, quick blade and tactical mind. The Duke is blessed and cursed by immortals alike for his meddling in their affairs. It is said most of his body is mutated or malformed by these curses, and lesser inflictions under his enchanted armor, which rarely if ever is removed. If this man seems too much to be true, it is because he is the beating heart of the Aurora by which all else hinges upon, his Saun Priests are devoted to him to the point of fanaticism. Because the entire Aurora would fall into ruin if he were to die, his real identity and whereabouts is the most carefully guarded secret of the organization. As a result none know where he comes from or what his real motives are. If you ever were to face him, it is highly likely he would try to rupture away and escape, leaving you to face a room full of his assassins.
The few that know him would say his personality is that of a critical thinker, both ruthless and sociopathic. With his intelligence and tactical awareness being far above the average person, the Grey Duke is nearly always working on a greater scheme or plan with each action he takes. He would have no need to say it, only point to those at his feet, but if you were to ask him he would say: I am the Aurora.
Name: The Speaker, Real name Tirus Naun
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Race: HumanCreated by: Kaladis Anar
Birthday/Age: 1st of Saun 681, 35 Arcs
Title: Saun Priest and Speaker
Skills: Persuasion 92, Rhetoric 89, Disguise 54, Blades 59, Negotiation 68, Leadership 67, Endurance 42, Strength 49, Navigation 52, Mount 59, Unarmed Combat 43, Stealth 61, Sculpture 52
Details: The Grey Duke will never appear in public and just rarely to his Saun Priests. A man known as the speaker has personal contact with him, and often carries his words or messages to those who need it directly, going where his Master cannot. Tirus Naun is usually obeyed as if he were the Grey Duke, rarely giving out his name, as it helps mask his Masters whereabouts that bit further if he remains anonymous. Having a masterfully eloquently voice, the Speaker is known to be a professional, with time rarely to spend on anything but his work, when he does get a moment he enjoys sculpture to relax.
Locations in Nashaki
The Undermarket
Name: The Undermarket
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Details: The undermarket lays just below the streets in the north east quarter of Nashaki, open to view from the top in several places, much of it isn’t dark. Ramps lead down into what is one of the busiest and friendliest markets the city has to offer. Specialising in harder to find items, collectables, oddities, trophies and decorations, the market gets a lot of strange traffic, eccentric collectors, and people who know exactly what they want, that one item. Visitors from outside of town looking for a reminder of it, or people looking for that special gift are also a common sight here. The main feature that suits the Aurora is the fact it has so many twists and turns, side rooms, locked doors or passageways make it an ideal place to call their own. Once you come to the undermarket, it’s extremely easy to get lost in there, so if you don’t want to be found, you’ve come to the right place. Private meetings are easy to have in the many hidden alcoves or locked passage ways, and people looking for trouble have been known to simply disappear. Connections beneath the city are rumoured, and though this is true, nobody knows just how many passageways exist beneath the undermarket, or how deep they actually go.Created by: Kaladis Anar
Solace Inn
Name: Solace Inn
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Details: Solace Inn is found just outside the southern gate of the city, made of white stone and a sturdy interior, it is one of the most lit buildings anywhere on Idalos. Inside the inn everything is illuminated and nothing goes unseen. Completely run by the Aurora, the only visible man or woman dressed in their black and silver colors, sits in a deserted ground floor dining room eating alone. The dining individual is frequently rotated, and is always eating, even those involved have not yet discovered why he or she always needs to eat, but it does single them out to visitors as a point of contact. In reality the diner being here alone is a minor decree by the Grey Duke to keep a face in Nashaki. You might also find the Diner to be intimidating and standoffish, this is a test to see if you can hack basic intimidation before you even join or deal with the Aurora.Created by: Kaladis Anar
Having seemingly private areas above which do have patrons in, booths exist for secluded seating. Simple rooms exist for people to stay at as well, having few amenities but being clean and well kept. Taking a cue from the Maker’s Hall, Solace Inn has peep holes built into the walls for listening and spying on guests that choose to stay there, meaning nowhere in solace inn can be considered all that private.
The Unnamed Smithy
Name: The Unnamed Anvil
Created by: Kaladis Anar
Details: The unnamed Anvil is a primary source of income for the Aurora in Nashaki. The owner is always under a long contract with the Aurora to make weapons exclusively for them, whoever it happens to be at the time. Essentially a slavery contract for whoever works there, the Aurora of Caste consider it an elevation from a common slave, to a privileged slave, given certain rights and considerations that regular slaves are not, such as more protection from criminals or theft, especially in regards to the Aurora’s own property! Existing in a poorer part of Nashaki to the west, the Anvil openly has its goods on display with no obvious lock. Nobody comes in or comes out of the Anvil usually, daring not to disturb the building, only an outsider would try to rob it and they wouldn’t get to the other end of the street before they had an arrow or two in their back.Created by: Kaladis Anar
Joining the Aurora takes getting noticed, different Decrees have different requirements. Their pockets are very, very deep and bribes substantial when appropriate. Potential candidates are sometimes highly motivated to join, with threats to leave them penniless, enslaved or much, much worse if they don’t take the gold. The Aurora don’t play nice when they want something, so don’t expect them to. Making yourself more trouble than you are worth, is one way of dealing with the problem of forced recruitment, you can expect more than one visit from the decree of promise if you do.
Joining as a Slave If you are a slave you can be noticed just by being there, the Decree of Promise might try to recruit you as an assassin, or the Decree of Dusk might want you as a spy. If you fail your training, and survive, they might use you as a slaver in the Decree of Caste. Otherwise the Decree of Caste can keep slaves to use as a labor force when they can make a profit.
In the Decree of Promise potential assassins are trained for one season, then tested once, the target is watched, and the assassin is watched. Whether they kill the mark or not, the person watching will decide whether they are good enough to join. Quality isn’t as important as quantity, even so, you can’t be a bundling idiot and join. If you show some tact and recognition of your training, that is usually enough. Then you get your first live demonstration, sent after your first real target, and you are not expected to come back while the target is still alive. More than one failed assassin has fled obviously or a slave has used the excuse to run, and usually these failed assassins or slaves make great tests for new potential members, to see if they are good enough to join. The Decree of Promise consider runaways training resources, one that the Decree of Dusk keeps careful track of.
The Decree of Caste will sometimes recruit successful slavers for senior positions, this is true of all the castes, this is in addition to taking those former slaves they found suitable to become slavers themselves, usually putting these elevated slaves under a more experienced hand.
The Decree of Dusk train much like the Decree of Promise, after a season training in the Decree of Dusk, you are tested for your ability to extract secrets, by whatever means you are skilled at. If you fail you can find yourself rejoining the slaves as either a slave, or a slaver. If you succeed you are assigned a city, an alias, given instructions on what to do next, and how to contact the Aurora when required.
The Decree of Means will recruit merchants but prefer recruiting opportunities, bankers, politicians, city council members, guild members or others in positions to sway a good deal of coin there way. The Decree of Means is probably the nicest decree to be contacted by, though this term shouldn't be applied literally, they will still happily break your bones one by one for crossing them. Only people being recruited by this decree will often find hefty bribes of slaves, gold, and other materials offered, perhaps more than once to by their allegiance before harsher
History
317: Founding and Intent. The Aurora were founded in 317, amid mysteries and shadows, long lost records that all but the Saun Priests and Grey Duke have forgotten. It is almost certain a spirit or magic of some nature was involved in their founding, records hint at such, but they never outright describe enough for anyone to be sure. Over the centuries more misinformation has been spread about the organization by the Decree of Dusk, than truth exists, making finding any accurate history a longshot.
431: Torias Kaven. The Lord of the East who declared himself ruler of all Eastern Idalos. A warlord attempting to usurp rule over the Eternal Empire and other local rulers, his band attacked from the south, in a vicious attempt to overthrow ruler after ruler, his lightning fast attacks by horse were hard to counter, or hard to predict where he’d strike next. It was only down to an Aurora informant, that the empire and other rulers of the day were able to track and capture the warband in an ambush, by infiltrating his warband and helping influence where he would strike. Torias Kaven was hit by the combined force of several armies and surrounded, his warband died fighting to the last man!
512: The Aurora Collides. The first meeting between the Makers and the Aurora did not go well. Finding an organization in Nashaki that could match their own influence did not sit well with the leaders of the Aurora, and every attempt at penetrating this organization has met with frustrated failure. What the Makers have in patience, the Aurora have in tenacity, they still send agents to infiltrate the Makers even hundreds of arcs later, and those agents are still found and still killed time after time.
672: High Saun. High Saun was a celestial event which saw great boons fall upon the Grey Duke’s Saun priests, in a spectacular event they set the desert alight to burn their enemies before them. Hundreds of tribesmen were caught unawares by a singular precise act. None know how this was achieved, which immortals were involved, which suffered as a result or how to replicate it. What is almost certain, is that it was done to shift the balance of ether and increase the magic volatility of a very specific point in the hotlands that this tribe was aware of. To what end has not yet been discovered! The sight of the act is one of the many hushed secrets that the Saun Priests and the Grey Duke especially hold.
Player Information
This faction is available for anyone to plot with, write with, join or anything else. No NPCs except the Grey Duke need moderation here, but please give them some consideration for their abilities, and secrecy. If you could replace any you kill off, and leave an obituary up holding the ones you replaced, that’d be great.