Messengers of the Sages

Shion Village's secret and politically independent organization, the only group that can come and leave the hidden village anytime, as long as it is related to official missions.
By heeding the signals and ambient magical currents, they dispatch heralds so as to avoid possible political unrest and avert calamitous events in the near and distant future.

Structure

The organization is divided as follows:
The augur is the leader and main seer of the organization. By sending messengers and spies posing as human commoners and politicians, they're apprised of a nation's current affairs; and by sensing the ambient arcane currents, they can predict bountiful seasons, as well as disasters, at a near perfect accuracy.
Below the augur are the oracles, mainly found at religious edifices like shrines, cathedrals, and temples. They're one of the 2 groups that are telepathically connected to the augur, who speaks to them about the coming events; oracles relay the information to religious leaders so as to make preparations for the future in the form of rituals.
On the same level as oracles are the warblers, who dominate the political world as advisors to regents and rulers, as well as messengers appointed by the local government. They're the second group that are telepathically connected to the augur, relaying the predictions to the ruler along with the commoners and nobles' worries to back up the claims.
The last group are the executioners, who take an active role so as to accomplish or avoid premonitions, known in the organization for their military prowess; often disguising themselves as soldiers, bodyguards, or hitmen. Their military ruse gives them the chance to back up their call to combat, often ordered by their superiors, the warblers and oracles.

Culture

They operate strictly undercover, they fabricated their own dissolution events after The 10-Year War passed, giving them a near mythical status for people ignorant to their current existence.
Despite the altruistic actions they take, most of the organization's members do these tasks to ensure their families' survival, and by extension, themselves. By developing a tight-knit companionship with each other, they seek motivation and encouragement to keep going forward.
A common pastime they have are hangouts at a random member's personal quarters, often drinking alcohol and having lively matches of koi-koi, go, and shogi; without an ounce of regard for the neighbors' sleep schedules.

Assets

Hiding in the Aster Palace, is the augur's manor, with secret passages leading to the palace's private quarters and hallways.
The manor has a garden with concealed access to the village's outskirts, the connection to the ambient arcane currents flow freely in the area, in which the augur attunes.
Their coffers are brimming with treasures and currencies, local and foreign, to fund their undercover missions.

History

Long before the current nations were established, the founders of the Yokai Village were bestowed the power of foresight, this caused them to peer into the distant future, in which they saw war and famine.
To stall these upcoming events, Izanagi scoured for able people to found an organization; although stationed at the palace, they served no lord and were given certain liberties of operation to ensure their actions remained impartial. After that, Izanagi appointed his 2 eldest children, Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu, to attune to nature and predict calamities and bounties.
Their most difficult mission was preventing the 10-Year War, one half of the organization infiltrated the Brymm Kingdom and its allies, while the other were at the Albarnian faction and its sympathizers. Their predictions and pleas fell to the late Brymmian king's deaf ears, as the war raged on, causing countless casualties.
Reflecting on her underlings' failed mission, Amaterasu felt unfit to lead, so she asked Suzaku to succeed her as the organization's leader. The vermilion bird rejected her proposal out of respect, but the sun deity insisted in them taking her place, so Suzaku finally agreed to be her succeeding augur. Knowing this, Tsukuyomi quit the organization as well, giving Suzaku the plans of feigning the organization's disbandment.
2 years after the war's end, Suzaku's mind was invaded by a grim premonition. The bird perched at the garden at night to see into the future, which only appeared in bits:
"Raging oceans, burning lands, bitter blizzards, meteoric rains"
A cold sweat ran on the bird's temple as they saw more visions: A dying white flame, standing strong amidst a storm. 3 shadows, red, blue, and black, appear behind the fire, ever present, defying the winds alongside it. Before the flickering flame and the 3 shadows stands a lunar eclipse, disappearing in the darkest of nights, yet feeding the white flame with what little moonlight emitted.
Suzaku commanded every one of the organization members to scatter across the world and spread the omens; as well as investigating every single person to see if they match the description of the visions.

Founding Date

Unknown

Type

Secret, Brotherhood

Capital

Shion Village

Alternative Names

The Omens (Kazumura only), Shadow Heralds

Training Level

Trained

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Demonym

Harbinger(s)

Government System

Electocracy

Power Structure

Autonomous area

Economic System

Traditional

Location

Shion Village

Related Species

• Shape-shifters