Brotherhood of Light (bruh · thr · hud uv lite)
The Brotherhood of Light are a group of freedom fighters in Ezir. Labled insurgents by the Magocracy of Ezir, they fight against corruption and evil.
History
The Brotherhood was initially founded as a house guard within one of the wealthy merchant houses of Ezir. They were an elite unit who protected not only their house but also the citizens of Ezir against monsters, brigands, and disaster. Unlike their current incarnation, they were primarily composed of warriors, paladins, and priests.
Over time, the Brotherhood found itself embroiled in the politics of the various factions of Ezir. In response, they evolved a counter-espionage unit, comprised of bards and rogues. This unit began working in secret to detect plots and dangers from their fellow Ezirandi.
By 1000 CE, the Brotherhood had grown to the rank of a National Army, with their number into the thousands. Its members operated in all corners of the country, extending their influence and reach as far as Venidon. They began growing confident in themselves by the honors showered upon them by the People of the Sand; battalion members began to wear tattoos and brands proclaiming their honor in their membership, and they were welcomed throughout Ezir as heroes.
All that would change. In 1002 CE, Siavash Sharjarian and the hardline extremists rose to power in Thaimi. The Brotherhood was disbanded as the national army, with the Caliphate Army established in its place. The Brotherhood, though shaken, remained loyal to the nation.
During The Haphrises War, the Brotherhood remained in Thaimi, taking on their previous role of house guard and refusing to participate in the conflict. In 1020 CE, in the wake of Kethenica's Gambit, The Arcanum Institute seized control of the government, led by Andros Shale. His house guard, known colloquially as the Warpigs, took to arms against the Brotherhood, leading to open war in the streets of Ezir. Due to the influence of magic from the Institute, the Warpigs were victorious in capturing or killing most of the Brotherhood's members, save the counter-espionage unit, who had remained hidden throughout the conflict.
With their ranks decimated, the remaining members of the Brotherhood faced a crisis: they were no longer able to protect the citizens and were branded as criminals. The whole of the organization changed in the months following the war; the central leadership was disbanded and the operatives split into groups of two or three, operating independently, without knowledge of the operations and identities of other teams. Minimal communication would be used to mark operational territory, but each group would work alone. Collectively, the Brotherhood worked against the Arcanum Institute, though methods varied by each team. Always on their minds, however, was the original purpose of the Brotherhood: to protect the people of Ezir.
The brotherhood stumpled upon a plot in the early years of the magocracy: a plot by Maliyet Shale, a student of the Arcanum Institute to usurp the Institute's power and take over the world. Through guile and diplomacy, the Brotherhood managed to get the student expelled from the Institute, then tracked him to Nekhet, a fortress in southwest Ezir. Three operative teams converged upon the fortress and engaged the wizard in battle. During the conflict, two of the three teams were defeated. The remaining operatives were taken captive and tortured, though one managed to escape, mortally wounding Maliyet in the process.
From the shadow, hope
Founding Date
460 CE
Type
Military, Intelligence
Alternative Names
The Brotherhood
Location
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