Cichuelizon: Tethered Assassins

We feel as one. We strike as one. As one's blade grows sharp, so too do the rest. And so we continue to hone the edges of our souls, so that the tethers may one day fall.

— Cichuelizon oath

A mere tale, to many, the Cichuelizon are a group of assassins tethered together unwillingly by the god Gaeonmot. Despite being almost entirely unknown, they have impacted world events on more than one occasion.

Seek-oo-ay-lee-zahn

Founding Date

3383 33/2

Type

Secret, Occult

Alternative Names

Those of Many Thighs

To Kill a God

Each of the Cichuelizon is plucked away in their sleep, never to return home again. In a dream they will meet Gaeonmot, appearing before them as a bubbling pale blue heart emitting myriad black orbs from its every orifice. A tendril of sandstone will reach out, and tether the recruit's very being to the rest of the group— so that anything felt by them is felt by the rest. A simple image is given to them— that of Gaeonmot's own death, at the hands of the Cichuelizon— before the unfortunate recruit is dropped back into the world somewhere unfamiliar. Soon after, they are contacted by another member of Cichuelizon— via touch.

Do not despair, comrade, for we can feel you as you can feel us. Listen well, and you will find your way home.

— A first contact

A Shared Skin

The members of Cichuelizon feel everything as if they all shared the same body. If one is in a desert under searing heat, the rest, too, feel its warmth. If another is cut by a blade, all feel as if they, too, had been cut. Rather than wallow in despair of the torturous existence this can often bring, they have used it to their advantage. Cichuelizon's ranks are able to communicate across long distances instantaneously by simply tracing words on their thighs, making sure, of course, to note who they wish to speak to— otherwise the message is assumed to be addressed to the whole.

Most want nothing more than to end their curse— and wish to achieve this goal by fulfilling Gaeonmot's wish— an agonizing death. Cichuelizon's ranks reside throughout the world, within caverns and hidden rooms known only to their members, accessed through occult means no ordinary thief would understand. One must phase through a certain wall, while also memorizing a particular set of runes— in this way, even if a thief possessed the knowledge of this location, and of how to phase through objects— they would find themselves horrifically disassembled without the required runes. And none but the Cichuelizon possess this knowledge.

Here they study the occult, of Gaeonmot and beings who have had contact with them, of the plane in which their master resides— and how to kill a god. Seldom few ever attempt to return to their old lives, in fact, they would be unable to— falling into dreams before reaching their old homes, once more awakening somewhere new. This only increases the urgency and fervor of their search— which most believe to have been Gaeonmot's goal.
To make matters worse, Gaeonmot cannot be killed by normal means— of this the ranks of Cichuelizon were already certain— but through their research they have discovered that the god has tethered itself to a variety of seemingly random beings throughout Qet. If they discovered the means through which to meet the god in their realm, and felled it— Gaeonmot would simply be reborn, having spread its very being across Qet in order to reform after death.

Mob Rule

There is no official power structure within Cichuelizon, no council, no head— no leaders.
Instead, most members act on their own— as they cannot easily keep secrets from one another, they are naturally dissuaded from doing so.
In line with this, a general consensus is often reached before action is taken— for if one member risks their lives, all will feel their pain should they fail.

Magic and iron

Cichuelizon assassins employ both traditional weaponry and eldritch magic in their work. Popular are spells that allow one to sneak into places no ordinary human could, by melting into a puddle or gaining transparent skin.
Some, even, deal in profane curses— slowly weakening their targets or leading them to areas in which they can more easily subdue them.

Unhired assassins

In order to free themselves from their own tethers, those of Cichuelizon must first sever Gaeonmot's own tethers to their mortal plane. This is, at first glance, a simple task. One must find a being that is tethered to the god, and puncture their heart with a ritual dagger. However, there are hundreds of such beings— animals, monsters, and humans among them. In some cases, tethers are even in positions of power— rulers of towns, religions, or nations.

In order to find them, the members of Cichuelizon must turn to scrying rituals involving mirrors made of polished obsidian and wax, fragile things that melt and shatter after less than a minute. These will only work when within an area where the target has been seen or mentioned, as well— so notable figures are much easier to find, while ordinary tethers are incredibly difficult to track down.
Not to mention— tethers do not know that they are tethered. They do not know of Gaeonmot, of the Cichuelizon— they can be anyone, even innocents. Yet if Gaeonmot is not destroyed, how many more will be tethered to the Chichuelizon? Those lives are risked, too— be it through suicide or the often deadly work carried out by the secretive group. Members would inevitably disagree on stopping, and tethered innocents could not be spared if even one continued to kill. Many simply stop asking these questions before long, there's a job to be done, after all.

I can feel a rope tightening around one of our throats as I tighten another over a stranger's neck. It feels like a morbid trade. If I were to let go, would my comrade find their neck freed, too?

— An assassin's thoughts

Historical impact

Since their inception over a century ago, Cichuelizon has changed the face of the world on multiple occasions. For example, they had killed a mine owner in Nqet— which supplied raw material to the local military. This led to a lack of weaponry, and a city fell under the heel of another nation soon after. In a recent example, the head of one of the Four Families of Romtol was found to be a tether— and found themselves a mere puddle, falling into the sewers where they met the pointed end of a ritual dagger. Their body was never found, and it was believed that another family had done away with them— sparking a brief civil war.

Roles

Members of Cichuelizon are generally separated into three primary roles;

• Scholars: Who study the occult, and develop eldritch magics used by other members.
• Field workers: Who recover eldritch texts, occult items, and experts from the outside world. They also are responsible for scrying and locating targets.
• Assassins: Who carry out the unsavory deed of destroying tethers, and train others.