House Dimir
Structure
There are at least two levels of the Dimir: the overt level, the face of the guild the general public of Decem Factiones is allowed to see, and the covert level, that which consists of the inner guild and the members Decem Factionesians suspect exist but rarely, if ever, see.
Overt Level
The Dimir are just like any Decem Factionesian guild, serving a public purpose for the good of the city. They often serve as couriers, investigators, reporters, and archivists. They serve twin purposes: to give the rest of Decem Factiones a "friendly" face of the guild and to be the street-level eyes and ears of the Dimir. Many entry-level candidates to the Dimir guild begin as overt agents until they can prove their trustworthiness.Covert Level
The Dimir are a network of agents, spies, assassins, and mind mages. The covert level of House Dimir uses secret symbols, runes, and signals to communicate, often in plain sight. Covert Dimir also employ various mysterious forms of mind magic, such as telepathic communiqués that are erased from memory as soon as the operation is completed.Clandestine Level
But there is a level of Dimir hidden even from its own members. At its lowest level, the guildmaster Lazav and his direct contacts guide and manipulate the operations of the guild. Members of House Dimir assassinate, extort, and destabilize without knowing who made the order or why. Orders pass through thought trails and mindcouriers, leaving no trace of their connections with this deepest level. This bottommost level of the guild is protected by Lazav's memory wards, powerful one-way enchantments that allow contacts and witnesses to receive their orders but prevent permanent memories from taking hold.Culture
In the dark, slick corridors of the Undercity lurks the unfathomable network of the Dimir guild. House Dimir is Decem Factiones's dark but open secret: the people know Dimir exists but they pretend it doesn't. The Dimir's role in Decem Factiones is to provide covert services that other guilds can't or won't, using secrecy as both weapon and defense. Dimir is hidden even from itself, using pockets of covert agents who are aware of only a few other contacts. Dimir agents leave no trace, destroying memories of witnesses to their crimes, and even going so far as to eliminate their own memories of assignments.
Public Agenda
House Dimir is all about secrets and misinformation, even where it s own members are concerned. Any given Dimir agent knows of no more than a handful of alley-way contacts and dossier drop spots. One agent knows another only by a code name, or receives communications only at a particular meeting spot at a specific place and time. Every self-proclaimed expert with an opinion on the matter has a theory about the guild's intentions, and all those guesses about Dimir's motivations and pursuits contradict each other, frustrating any attempt to get to the truth of things. The public face of Dimir remains inscrutable, which some interpret as the best evidence that the guild's true plans mean something dire for the Decem Factionesian populace.
To House Dimir, knowledge is power. The guild hungers to learn everything it doesn't already know, especially the weaknesses of it s adversaries, and to exploit those weaknesses for its own gain. Conversely, the house holds its own secrets tightly, because it doesn't want its enemies to turn the tables. The Dimir lurk in the shadows, methodically gathering the knowledge they need to remake Decem Factiones to their advantage.
House Dimir's progress toward its goals depends on a web woven from meticulously gathered intelligence. Unpredictable behavior by other guilds can destabilize that web. When the Boros take sudden, forceful action inspired by an unexpected burst of zeal, the Dimir can be caught off guard. The Selesnya behave predictably on the whole, but the members of the conclave are so numerous that it can be hard for the Dimir to keep track of their activities. Of all the other guilds, the Izzet and the Gruul concern the Dimir the most; their erratic methods of decisionmaking, combined with their unflinching approach to danger, can quickly undermine any Dimir strategy designed to contain them.
Type
Guild, Assassins
Leader
Leader Title
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments