Order of Mysteries

"Kid, if you see a priest who doesn't wear any symbol for a god? Report it to the captain. Those folks are never good news... why? Oh kid, they're either hiding it or they're one of those mystery monks. Now quit asking questions while you're ahead."

— Carthan Mohl, Imperial Guardsman

It is known the gods have touched the world directly across the ages, and even bequeathed a measure of their divine power to mortals. Among the many priests, warriors, and monks on the Exalted Island, there are a select few who dedicate their lives to pursuing the truth of these events. They eschew connections to any other divine order, and focus their efforts on a broader view of divinity beyond and above any individual deity. Their work is done cautiously, with a concern for secrecy, as they believe the knowledge they seek may be used for dreadful goals. They call themselves "the Silent Order of Divine Mystery", often shortening it to "Order of Mysteries" or the "Silent Order".

While the Order operates carefully with regard to secrecy, and few know exactly what it is they do, many local militia or guard organizations are aware of the Order's existence and knowingly give their agents a wide berth. Adventuring groups often may run into contact, or even conflict, with members of the Order of Mysteries, as they often wind up seeking the same targets. Even so, few are truly aware of exactly what goals the Order pursues - even those in the Order of Mysteries are sometimes worried about what they are doing with all they find.

In truth, it is in fact quite a mystery itself what the organization may do with the knowledge and relics they possess.

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Structure

There are two aspects of the Order of Mysteries, which drive them to act in the world of Erisdaire: their insatiable curiosity, and their drive to retrieve divine secrets. Thus they divide the Order into two distinct branches: known internally as the Seekers ("Quarites") and the Keepers ("Teneras"). The Seekers are a more active force out in the world, tracking down the grains of truth found in legends. When they determine there is in fact an artifact of divine origin, or a record describing actual divine intervention on the mortal world, the Seekers are willing to do whatever it takes to secure these objects and information. By contrast, the Keepers are tasked with operating secret vaults across the continent where knowledge and objects are kept, and studying lore to direct their brethren to suspected relics and knowledge to further the study.

While the organization has been built similar to any other divine order, there are three people at the top of the structure who share importance. The Quarite Superior, Tenera Superior, and the Medea Superior are given an equal level of command over the Order, though the first two are left to run their respective branches. The Medea Superior is responsible for the well-being of the Order as a whole, and has limited power when issuing instructions or requests to members of the branches. Their primary role is to settle disputes on how to proceed, when they may occur.

Each vault location has a Custodian elevated from among the Keepers, who is responsible for maintaining the vault's collection and its secrecy. It is believed the primary protection a vault has lies in its secrecy, rather than any obvious physical or magical defenses. Physical defenses can be recognized, and magical defenses can be detected fairly easily by those who use divination magic; in both cases, breaching the defenses become a matter of time. Therefore, the Custodian is charged with keeping the location secret by any means necessary.

Type

Religious, Other

Alternative Names

The Silent Order
Order of Divine Mystery