The Exiles

"It was during this period of brief respite following the slaughter that two of the men who had come to our aid removed the tarnished metal masks from their faces, revealing them to be covered in the still white glowing brand of the Exiles. They remained at the outskirts of our camp as we tended to the wounded and began preparations to burn the dead, seeming to be in a different world than the rest of us. Both would die fighting in the next attack, one from an arrow through the heart, and the other catching an axe to the shoulder. As I sat, attempting to mend the latter's wounds, he was smiling. His final words whispered to me in his quiet, raspy timbre were 'We are the Light'"

Structure

The Exiles have no defined order, save for their leader, given the title High Judge. Prisoners escorted to Hearth to undergo the ceremony to become an Exile are given over to the Judge to plead their case before he decides whether or not they're deserving of the rite.

Public Agenda

Provide an alternative to capital punishment while still effectively combating the Unsidhe.

Assets

A citadel called the "Halls of Repentance" located in the Flame Ward of Hearth. Access to the Great Beacon for the branding ritual. Tithe wealth.

History

Formed shortly after the death of the first incarnation of Rona, the Exiles stand as a joint holy order and punitive measure. The second Rona enacted the branding ritual as a way to reduce crime in the Kingdoms, without sacrificing his people's ability to combat the Unsidhe via capital punishment. Instead, they were to be given a brand, heated and anointed within the Great Beacon itself, which grants full immunity to the magic of the Fae, at the expensive of drastically shortening one's lifespan. They must then speak the oath of the Exile, swearing to never cease their crusade against the Unsidhe, and that they shall not know the warmth of another fire other than the Great Beacon. The only way to be released from the oath is to die, or successfully slay a Fae. The organization persists to the present day, with close to no changes, punishing the worst dregs of society.

Little is known of the full oath made by the Exiles, but several of their tenants have been recorded.
1. You are not permitted to speak to the unmarked. 2. You are not permitted to stay in a settlement for longer than a season, as to not distract you from your holy mission. 3. You are not to partake in the pleasures of the flesh.

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Demonym

"Exiled" "Marked" or "Branded"

Location

Hearth

Notable Members

• Loken the Redeemed

It is unknown what causes those marked with the Brand to die so quickly, though some believe it is linked to an overabundance of magic coursing through their system. The very magic which gives them protection from the Unsidhe seems to slowly cause their health to deteriorate.