Brotherhood of Shadows

The night was dark and quiet. As was customary for the Holy City. Few people remained in the streets after the sun set, for most were those who worshiped the light of day. Hale watched from his chair on the pavilion as the lamplighters continued their rounds, and the sun's descent painted the remaining low-lying clouds a deep indigo. He was only drawn from his revelry by the soft sounds of his opponent clearing her throat. "Hm?" He questioned, and the hum was more a sigh as he focused his attention back to the board in front of him. The Archbishop Magdalene was looking down at the pieces as well, a look of both mild amusement and pride on her features. Hale understood why the moment he traced the results of the other's turn. Magdalene had set the board for a Bishop's Gambit. Hale looked at her steadily, to which Magdalene only smiled back serenely, the very picture of innocence. Hale sighs, "Has it already gotten to the point in the night where you are playing for puns, Holy Mother?" Magdalene only continued to smile. "Only due to you already starting to lose interest, Lord Protector." Hale snorted. Magdalene had taken a page out of the Most Holy Father's sense of humor, since her promotion, it seemed. "It is my duty to remain--" "Vigilant and aware of our surroundings, for the sake of the Most Holy." Magdalene finished for him, "Yes, I know, and you do a wonderful job. But he is safely in his meeting, and do try to protect your King, lest I be persuaded to amuse myself." "You could ask another to play." "They would likely let me win." Hale stared at the petite woman, before resting his hand on the black pawn. Magdalene was likely to play against the grateful commoners she tended to help daily, or students, rather than other archbishops. Her youth was against her in her dealings with others of her station. She likely wasn't wrong in her assumption. "I can let you win." "Ah, but you, Lord Protector, are a poor liar." Magdalene smile widened, "And your pride won't let you." Hale snorted again, and neared to make a move when the sounds of a woman's scream followed by crashing glass shook the air. Hale immediately snapped to attention, his hand going to his sword, as he rose from his seat. Magdalene's eyes immediately flicked to where the cry had come from, rising from her chair as well. "Get inside, Holy Mother. Stay safe. Warn the others." Hale picked up his shield from where it had rested against his chair, and moved toward the edge of the balcony. Magdalene moved toward the door. Her gaze, however was still focused on the origin of the cry. Her line of sight seemed to be watching something. "Hale, there is--" She was cut off by a loud 'crack', a flash of purple light, and the smell of sulfur. There was the 'thud' of someone landing, hard, on the ground, and the clatter of something metallic clanging beside them. Hale rushed forward, all but throwing himself between the Holy Mother and the intruder, his sword and shield at the ready. He had little need. The potential assailant had cast their teleportation spell blindly. They staggered to their feet, hooves scrabbling against the tiles of the floors, their tail lashing wildly from side to side as they clutched at their head. Magdalene threw open the door and rushed inside, slamming it shut. Hale struck out before they had a chance to regain their senses, the glow of divine magic illuminating the area surrounding them, more than the dim lamplight coming from the inside rooms ever could. The strike was true, and the intruder had to barrel backward in desperation in order to avoid the blow, and the following upswing. They only stayed upright by grabbing ahold of the pavilion's railing. The light, however, was a double edged sword, as it highlighted the features of the intruder. Blue-skinned, a Devil-kin. But young. Only just reaching adulthood. Afraid. Hale's grip on his sword tightened. The momentary pause was all that the youth needed, scampering forward with a snarl on his lips. He didn't attack, however. Instead, he rushed to collect the metallic container that had fallen. An golden urn. One that looked off-handedly familiar. "Hey!" Hale barked, shifting the grip on his sword to attack again, when the youth's gaze met with his own. Gold eyes stared, and lips shaped words. Inky tendrils flowed from his mouth like smoke. Hale felt his limbs lock, as if on cue, only for him to shake his head and force them to go lax. It was only a moment of quiet. It was only a moment of forced stillness. The youth took the opening, immediately, throwing his other hand out in a sharp, Imperial casting of another spell. Darkness fell, flooding over the pavilion. Hale rushed forward, blindly striking out against nothing. The blackness lifted just as soon as it came, but by the time that it had done so, the boy was gone.

Structure

The exact hierarchy of the Brotherhood is unknown to all except its members. It is thought that the Brotherhood is a relatively small group, perhaps only containing less than twenty members, lead by a triumvirate. Of the three leaders, only two have been identified. These two are the brothers, Leonardo and Buscelli, also known under the virtue names of "Hope" and "Sorrow". Their identities were only discovered after Hope, in disguise, was captured by Florin guards of the House Ultime, only to be broken out by his younger sibling and three other members of the group, within the hour. None of the group's appearances are currently known, due to their seemingly collective ability to morph shadows and the faces of others that they have seen. It is thought that the triumvirate makes decisions for the Brotherhood at large, however, it is unknown how much of a sway these three have. It is also unknown if their decisions are considered tantamount. Given the members of the group's tendency to take on missions by themselves, without much communication with others during these times, it is thought that there is at least a level of autonomy.

Public Agenda

The Brotherhood's aspirations are not known in detail, though they do seem to have a two-pronged, vested interest. They are known to associate heavily with and within the Florin Parliament, and are, if whispers are to be believed, even under an economic partnership with the current Duke. It is said that they trade secrets of his opponents for information and gold alike. It has also been reported that the Brotherhood leaked information to the current Duke regarding the sinking of Florin ships sent to retrieve the Queen Estelle and her son during the Cadoran War of the Crown. Their reasoning for this is unknown. Despite the whispers, no actual evidence of this partnership, has ever been found. It is kept a relatively close guarded secret amongst the Florin elite, as no one knows for certain who is communicating with the Horned Devils. The Brotherhood themselves tend to disappear into darkness and smoke whenever glimpsed, and their interactions are unknown. The Brotherhood of Shadows is also known to have a very heavy presence within the Free and Holy City of Orbonne. Their shadow in the Holy City, however, does not seem to be an intrinsically malicious one. Despite whispers of the Brotherhood corrupting select Mother and Fathers of the Holy Church, there have been no substantiated claims of such. Instead, the Brotherhood's aims in the Holy City seem to have a more financial angle: they have taken part in multiple thefts, some centered within the Grand Cathedral itself. After the theft of an urn supposedly belonging to the Hearth-Keeper, Saint Catrina, the Church has extended a request for a Jotnar artifact from the Imperial Arcane Congress. This artifact has been reported to inhibit teleportation in or out of a designated area. It is unknown just why the Devil-kin are so intent to collect religious relics or items with magical properties. It is also unknown why they are so intent on making such a powerful enemy, with regards to the Great Church. It should, however, be noted that the Brotherhood has routinely refused to take assassination jobs, or work with either the Deadmen or the Iron Circle. They have yet to actually draw blood in the grounds of the Holy City.

Assets

The majority artifacts that have been stolen by the Brotherhood of Shadows are considered to be priceless relics by the Great Church. At least two of them, the Urn of Saint Catrina and the Spell-Weaver's blade, the Song of Rest, were reported to have magical properties when handled or wielded by those they were crafted for. None of these artifacts or items, however, have been sold or placed on the market to the Church's knowledge, much to the collective Church's distress. Disregarding the artifacts that have been taken from the Holy City, it is also known that the Brotherhood has accrued much wealth from their noble contacts and patrons within the Florin Parliament. While an exact number is not known, just as the number of clients is not defined, it is reported that the Brotherhood has numerous safe-houses inside and out of the cities they inhabit. After one such safe-house was discovered, it was found that these buildings are well-stocked, employed, and that their nominal owners have the means to live in relative luxury. It is not known how much gold the Brotherhood has collectively, though it would not be wrong to assume that they likely have established multiple accounts with credible banking families, likely utilizing their abilities to disguise themselves.

History

The Brotherhood of Shadows, at least in its most recent form, is still a young organization. It only began interacting with the Florin Parliamentary body roughly 30 years ago. The first few interactions were led by a shadowy matron, who went by the moniker of "Shadow". Shadow, however, faded into the background of the organization close to a decade after it's initiation. In her place, the brothers Sorrow and Hope stepped into leadership. It was under their direction that the Organization grew and started to become more emboldened with their operations.

The Brotherhood's Matron, the Shadow of Orbonne

Some patrons and victims have assumed that Hope and Sorrow are the children of Shadow, though this is mere supposition. They all share their infernal heritage, and cast in the same bardic tradition. Within the last ten years, more Devil-kin have joined the ranks of the Brotherhood, though it is uncertain how these members are chosen. It is whispered that the brothers find Tiefling orphans, or unwanted children, and take them in. While this is mere rumor, it is known that numerous members of the Brotherhood are very young, with at least five of them having not reached adulthood. Their youth makes their relative expertise of arcane magics a topic of quiet academic interest. Some Florin scholars speculate that their innate arcane potential might aid the children in grasping more complex spells more readily.

Demography and Population

The Brotherhood is unique in that it seems to be comprised completely of Devil-kin. It is not known if all of these members are related; it is assumed that they are not, if only due to the relative number of members. It is also unknown if there are two branches to the Brotherhood, or if the members are only apt at traveling between the Free City of Orbonne and the Florin Capital. Some arcane scholars speculate that one of the members might have managed to set up a form of teleportation circle. It has not been determined where such a circle might be, how it was created, nor how it has not been traced. Regardless, the influence of the Brotherhood is split fairly evenly between the Florin Nobles and the Holy City.