Guild of the Dark Wing

"The shadows move with him
In day and in night
The shadows move with us
In death and in life"
-Prayer said by Dark Wing Assassins

Apprentices Of The Shadows

The Guild of the Dark Wing follow the path of a powerful being and legendary assassin, known only as the Master of Shadows. It was said that he could purge one's memory of him from their mind. Stories tell of him being able to control the shadows themselves and that he could melt into them at will, that he was the assassin hired by angels and devils alike when they required a dagger in the night. It is told that he has taken on thousands of contracts, killed mages, devil and demons, even divine beings. The Guild of the Dark Wing are those who seek to follow in the footsteps of the Master of Shadows. 

Unbreakable Contracts

The Guild of the Dark Wing are sure to remain wholly neutral from any nation or organisation. They pride themselves on their dedication to the contracts that they take on. They never relent until a contract is fulfilled and it is said they can never be bought off. Every contract they take on becomes a holy agreement and all contracts negotiated must be drawn by by a Scripter and officiated by a Judge of Knives. 

Church Of Knives

While many criminal guilds are barely organised, usually consisting of a leader and lieutenant, the Guild of the Dark Wing are different. In fact, with their beliefs and conviction in their business, they are closer to a church. The similarities are close enough that members of the Dark Wing are often called the Holy Assassins. There is a structure of command in place for the Guild of the Dark Wing. It ranges from the lowest ranks - such as initiates and apprentices - to the highest rank of Grandmaster Assassin. When a member of the guild reaches a certain rank, they must choose a specific order of training. From here, they will be trained to assassinate specific kinds of targets, such as magic users, fiends or politicians. Some may also choose to go down a less violent route by becoming a Judge of Knives or Scripters, who focus more on the worship side of the Guild of the Dark Wing. They are also both necessary parts of the Dark Wing's business. 

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Structure

1. Grandmaster Assassin 
2. Grandmaster Judge
3. Grandmaster Scripter
4. Judge of Knives
5. Scripter
6. Lord Assassin
7. Guild Assassin
8. Apprentice
9. Initiate

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Culture

Among certain circles, it is said that you shall meet no man more honest than a Dark Wing Assassin. They believe themselves bound by some great power to the contracts they take up and the promises they make. They pride themselves on their dedication to whatever contract they have taken up and have been taught to work towards it with a single mindedness that is often unmatched. For a group of deadly assassins, they are known not to take death lightly. Despite being ferocious, unyielding and merciless killers, a Dark Wing assassin often takes the time to mourn the death of their target. 

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Public Agenda

The Guild of the Dark Wing make a very simple promise: If you have the coin, they will kill for you. They have been known to take on similar jobs, such as kidnapping, theft and spying, but they are adamant that they will never take on contracts that would put them in allegiance to certain organisations or parties, such as becoming bodyguards. The Guild are scrupulous in the contracts they take on and do have certain regulations on what they will and will not do. The most common example is that they will never kill a child.  

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Assets

It it not well known just how extensive the assets of the Dark Wing assassins are, but there have been sightings and rumours of what they have at their disposal. There has been cases of Dark Wing assassin utilising magical items and weapons, and it is believed that they own countless properties across Iserath. None of these things greatly surprise most people, as the price of hiring a Dark Wing assassin is known to be extremely high. 

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History

The Guild of the Dark Wing have kept their history largely to themselves. Some speculate that an organisation that puts such an emphasis on writings must have a written account of their history somewhere. Others say that such writings would be far too incriminating and that the Dark Wing is far too careful to risk having such dangerous material. Regardless, these are both just theories, and it is accepted amongst both schools of thought that the only people who know the truth are the Dark Wing assassins themselves. Besides that, all that is known of the Guild of the Dark Wing is that they follow the path of the Master of Shadows. 

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In shadows we sing

Founding Date

Unknown

Type

Guild, Assassins

Alternative Names

The Guild of Shadows, the Holy Assassins, the Church of Knives

Leader Title

Grandmaster Assassin