Familia Autha

"Brothers and sisters, we cannot forget that while the Lightbringers are powerful beings, they are not immune to the darkness. We must always remember that while the moon rises each evening, it also falls in the sky each night until it vanishes. Why not make it vanish forever?"

— Father Tugroth Earthkeep, AV 1591

Familia Autha was a cult that existed from around AV 1585 until its destruction in AV 1608 by the hero Tumult Zegule. It sought to destroy what it called the "Lightbringers," the deities Metsli and Elena, by casting the sun and moon into the void of Brantis.

A Dark Council

Sometime around AV 1585, a group of seven individuals met in a secret lair somewhere in the mountains of Greth. They had been summoned there by a human named Tugroth Earthkeep, who held office as secretary for the lord of the city Oderbeck, which rested at the foot of the mountains. Earthkeep claimed that he had been visited by Iartus, the deity of shadows, and that Iartus had given him a message from the Abyss, Brantis itself. Brantis promised Earthkeep great riches and power if he were to gather a large following of magic users and to then assist the Abyss in consuming the deities of Galactus. Earthkeep, then, had asked these seven others to help him gain a following. They would begin by bringing down the Lightbringers, and continue on to consume each deity one by one. When all the deities had been consumed but for Iartus and Tixan, a new order would be created and Earthkeep and his followers would rule over all Galactus.

Vast Shadow

Earthkeep and his seven disciples, over the next years, gathered a large group of followers willing to destroy the deities of the world. Those who joined were restricted from leaving the secret cavern in the mountains. They were told they must conserve their power for the great Darkening. Clad in matching black robes, the members of Familia Autha followed a regimented schedule involving several prayers to the Abyss each day. Higher-ranking members were allowed to leave in order to recruit more followers, and soon the Familia had a shadowy grip on the world at large. Word soon spread about the Familia's recruitment, and many folk became frightened of the Familia's vicious reputation. While the Familia Autha grew, Earthkeep travelled the world in search of a way to bring down the deities. Eventually, having found a way into the Citadel of Silence despite its dangerously high security, Earthkeep found his answer buried among the books in the archive.

Pulling the Anchor

Earthkeep's solution was simple: find a soul anchor for any deity, and then feed it to the Abyss. The biggest obstacle was acquiring one. Many were hidden deep in secret locations with powerful guardians, while others were in the hands of the deities themselves. Earthkeep began by sending scores of Familia members across Galactus, following what leads they could to find an anchor's location. Meanwhile, Earthkeep's most trusted disciples began to work on tricking a deity into appearing before them, so that they could attempt to snatch the anchor from the deity's own hands.

The Tides Recede

In early AV 1608, to the world's surprise, Familia Autha seemed to vanish from the face of Galactus. Perhaps, as some hoped, they had finally vanished into the Abyss where they had sought to banish the deities. No one quite knew where they had gone or why they had so suddenly disappeared. Eventually, after a few cycles with no indication of the Familia's return, folk began to grow curious. It was at this point that an air genasi by the name of Tumult Zegule decided to investigate. Gathering a small band of warriors, she set a course for the mountains of Greth. Searching each peak thoroughly, Tumult finally discovered a hidden entrance on the side of a cliff. Entering the passage and bursting through the ebony doors at the end, Tumult entered the Familia's lair. There, she found a strange sight. The floor of the room, stained red in places, had a large ritual circle drawn in chalk across the center. On the edges of the room, a few shadowy figures scurried to reach for weapons and ready spells. Familia Autha was still alive, but had obviously suffered a grievous blow from some other being. Scorch marks across the floor indicated where fire and acid spells had been thrown. As the remainder of the Familia rushed to attack Tumult, her band of warriors entered the room and made quick work of the enemy. The group of heroes combed through the rest of the lair, finding only a few stragglers who were soon dispatched. Upon trying to question one Familia member, Tumult received no answer except for a thin laugh. Tugroth Earthkeep was nowhere to be seen.

Familia Autha

Location

Mountains of Greth

Leader

Tugroth Earthkeep

Founded

AV 1585

Destroyed

around AV 1608