Chainers

The Chainers

“Chains are the destiny of the weak, and fire is their only freedom.”

Overview

The Chainers are a powerful and ruthless group of slavers operating along the frontier of Gorundia. Specializing in the trafficking of half-orcs, they exploit Gorundia’s unenforceable anti-slavery laws in the frontier regions to smuggle captives into the Dominion, where slavery is legal and a cornerstone of the economy.
Fanatically devoted to **Pyremius**, the Oeridian god of Fire, Poison, and Murder, the Chainers combine brute force, religious zeal, and a cunning logistical network to dominate the slave trade. They view slavery as an act of power and dominance, aligning with their god’s ethos of survival of the strongest.
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Religious Ties to Pyremius

The Chainers’ worship of **Pyremius** forms the backbone of their organization. Pyremius’s doctrines of destruction, betrayal, and domination provide ideological justification for their work, and his symbol—a flaming chain—is branded onto their captives.
Rites and Symbols:

The Chainers brand their slaves with a flaming chain symbol, marking them as property.

Their leaders carry daggers shaped like tongues of flame, a sacred symbol of Pyremius.

Clerics and Propaganda: Clerics of Pyremius among the Chainers preach that enslaving others is a divine act, burning away the resistance of the weak and binding them to their fates. These clerics are instrumental in maintaining morale and unity among the Chainers.
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Operations and Logistics

The Chainers face significant challenges in their trade due to the illegality of slavery in Gorundia and the rugged frontier terrain. They have developed a clandestine and highly efficient network to ensure their operations thrive:
1. The Burning Trail: The Chainers’ smuggling routes, known as the **Burning Trail**, use hidden paths through dense forests, abandoned mines, and underground tunnels. These routes allow them to bypass Gorundian patrols and move their captives discreetly.
2. Water Transport: Although Gorundia has limited navigable rivers, the Chainers make use of remote and difficult-to-monitor waterways. They employ flat-bottomed barges and rely on black-market dockworkers to move slaves along tributaries.
3. Chainholds (Safehouses): The Chainers maintain a network of fortified hideouts known as **Chainholds**, located in caves, abandoned ruins, and dense forests. Each Chainhold is overseen by a **Keeper**, often a priest of Pyremius.
4. Bribery and Intimidation: The Chainers bribe frontier officials, blackmail local lords, and assassinate anyone who opposes them. Their influence extends into local markets, where complicit merchants supply them with food and equipment.
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Dominion Ties

The Dominion serves as the Chainers’ primary market, where slavery is both legal and economically vital. The Chainers deliver their captives to massive auction houses in Dominion cities, particularly half-orcs, who are prized for their strength and resilience.
1. Auction Houses: Half-orcs are sold as laborers, gladiators, or personal bodyguards. Some slaves with unique traits, such as magical abilities, are sold in shadowy black markets.
2. Noble Alliances: The Chainers work closely with Dominion nobles who ensure discretion and protection for high-value transactions.
3. Economic Importance: The Dominion views the Chainers as critical to maintaining their economy, ensuring that local authorities tolerate or even protect their operations.
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Frontier Conflicts in Gorundia

While slavery is illegal in Gorundia, enforcement is practically nonexistent on the frontier. This creates opportunities for the Chainers to operate but also puts them at odds with Gorundian authorities.
1. Corrupt Border Lords: Some Gorundian lords, such as [REDACTED], turn a blind eye to the Chainers in exchange for bribes or political leverage.
2. Marshal Braga’s Opposition: The Chainers face resistance from figures like Marshal Braga, who views slavery as a moral stain and a threat to Gorundian sovereignty. Braga may task adventurers with disrupting the Chainers’ operations.
3. Half-Orc Resistance: Half-orc communities on the frontier have begun organizing resistance movements to fight back against the Chainers. Marvelous and Wonderful, two notable half-orcs, may have personal ties to these efforts.
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Key Figures

1. The Flamecaller: The Chainers’ enigmatic leader, a high priest of Pyremius, who wields divine magic and commands absolute loyalty. The Flamecaller sees the slave trade as a holy mission, spreading Pyremius’s influence through fire and chains.
2. Chainlord Varrek: A half-orc turncoat who betrayed his people and rose to prominence within the Chainers. Varrek acts as an enforcer and strategist, using his knowledge of half-orc resistance movements to crush rebellions.
3. Mistress Iysera: The Chainers’ master of logistics and overseer of the Burning Trail. Iysera ensures the efficient movement of slaves and coordinates the network of bribed officials, Chainholds, and river routes.
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Tactics and Strategy

Raiding Parties: The Chainers disguise themselves as mercenaries or traders to infiltrate Gorundian territories. They raid remote villages or ambush caravans, targeting half-orcs and other vulnerable groups.
Propaganda and Fear: By spreading rumors of their cruelty, the Chainers instill fear in the frontier’s inhabitants, discouraging resistance.
Cultural Manipulation: The Chainers exploit the fractured nature of Gorundia’s frontier, manipulating rival lords and factions to weaken opposition to their trade.
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Legacy of the Chainers

The Chainers embody the darker side of frontier life—where greed, cruelty, and religious zeal collide. Whether they are destroyed, driven underground, or allowed to thrive, their actions leave a lasting scar on Gorundia’s frontier and its people.
Symbol: A flaming chain, representing Pyremius’s doctrine of domination and suffering. Motto: “Chains are the destiny of the weak.”