Dawn of the Fallen Star

We Are the Dawn ... And We Take What Is Offered

Saleh'Alire » Organizations ⭲ Guilds ⭲ Shadow

From the Desk of the Eris'kan Protectorate

Please Be Advised: Extremely dangerous - do not approach; for the safety of our great nation and its people, if you suspect that any resident may be associated with The Dawn, we advise you to contact your local authorities immediately!

— Captain Aymara e'Sylwarin

The Dawn of the Fallen Star is far from being the first of the Shadow Guilds to have been founded in Tolara. It is, however, the most notorious of them all; one part Assassin's Guild, and one part Spy Network, The Dawn has a reputation for being one of the most brutal, bloodthirsty, and unforgiving of all the existing Shadow Guilds currently in operation. This reputation has been made all the more sinister over the centuries by the fact that the organization is sanctioned by (and operates in the shaded interests of) the Imperial Crown of the kingdom of the Milonan Empire.

Founding & Growth

Aware of encroaching members from elsewhere in Tolara, a group of Milonians led by the Rogue Varnar e't Heloril founded the prototypal Dawn in 6428; believing that Di'kae Milona should control its own fate rather than allow themselves to become the unaware puppets of another country, they sought to act proactively in the interests of the Imperial Crown. For the first couple of decades, however, they operated in the shadows unbeknownst to the Imperial Empress. This changed at some point in 6440, however, when the Imperial Crown was made aware of and formally sanctioned their activity. Thus The Dawn became a sort of "open secret" within the Milonan Empire- much to the displeasure of the other kingdoms, who quickly sought to develop (or sanction) their own Shadow Guilds for various purposes.

Type
Guild: Shadow
Training Level
Elite / Veteran
Alternative names

• The Dawn

• The Fallen

Demonyms

• Imperials

• Dark Stars

Since their official recognition, The Dawn's numbers have grown almost exponentially. Today their ranks mostly consist of Milonan Nationalists, with large numbers comprised predominantly of Caenala'Vi- though The Dawn does employ (or at least marginally tolerate) several unaffiliated members of other Sophontic groups who they see as being particularly useful to their cause. Moverover, The Dawn has become an organization with nearly as much power as the empire to which they're devoted to serving. Indeed, their deeds and reputation have transformed them into a of Tolaran boogeyman of sorts over the years; a story parents around the continent now tell their children to keep them in line.

Identification

Banner
The colors first symbolize their connection to Di'kae Milona. The star secondly represents how they view themselves as an organization: As a star of hope rising from the shadows in order to guide the people of their country.

Motto
The Motto of The Dawn, "We are the Dawn, and We Take What is Offered" refers to the fact that the organization largely believes that no information a member gathers during reconnaissance is insignificant to the cause.

Hierarchy & Recruitment

There is no formal or established method of joining The Dawn. In fact, in many cases, individuals who intentionally seek out the organization with the hopes of joining them are quickly killed by one of The Dawn's many employed Assassins; rather than allow individuals to approach them for membership, the organization utilizes its network of Emissaries to keep tabs on individuals of note- or, those people whom The Dawn believe could be useful to the guild.
When such individuals are found, The Dawn uses a number of methods to test the individuals amenability to the Cause. If the guild finds that they pass these rigorous undercover tests, then an Envoy will be instructed to approach them with a concrete offer. Those that accept are quickly inducted into The Dawn as an official member, or otherwise set up as Associates.
Those that reject their offer to join quickly find themselves the victim of an unfortunate accident. But those that accept find themselves shuffled into a relatively simple hierarchical structure.

▼ Imperial Crown ▼

The Dawn technically answers first and foremost to the Imperial Crown- more specifically, the the Imperial Empress herself. However, her power over The Dawn is incredibly limited despite The Dawn operating with her blessing.

▼ Fallen Queen ▼

Next in line of authority is the Fallen Queen; titled after the Imperial Empress, this position is always held by a female. And where the Imperial Empress rules the country itself, the Fallen Queen rules The Dawn with an iron fist.

▼ Assassins ▼

The right hand of The Dawn, Assassins are perhaps the most important members; though their numbers are few, their skills are widely used- both against political enemies of the Kingdom, and against those individuals who would seek to destroy or weaken The Dawn (whether they are nonmembers, or even members themselves).

▼ Emissaries ▼

Those who operate within The Dawn's massive network of spies are known as Emissaries. These individuals collect information that makes it possible for the organization to perform their duties; Emissaries may be stationed in towns and occupy a number of undercover professions- including Slaves, General Laborers, and even Courtesans within foreign courts.

▼ Envoys ▼

The Dawn's support network, Envoys are responsible for maintaining the continuity and stability of the organization. For that reason, Envoys usually consist of petty thieves, smugglers, poisonmakers, and other individuals whose sole responsibility is to increase the material wealth of The Dawn through whatever means necessary. Additionally, Envoys may be used as runners and messengers, transferring goods and intel between other members of the guild.

▼ Associates ▼

Any individual The Dawn works closely with are known simply as Associates. These individuals do not know the inner workings of The Dawn, have no say in guild matters, and are not actual members of the guild. Instead, they are outsiders The Dawn deems useful- either because of a particular skillset they possess, or for other reasons- and have cultivated a detached working relationship with.

Agenda & Objectives

Allies
Immortal Sails

Enemies
Galadriel's Light

Indifferent
Fist of Fate

The primary objective of The Dawn is to secure the safety and power of the Imperial Crown by any means possible. This includes but is not limited to activities such as the assassination of political enemies, maintaining advanced spy networks in every country, and even petty theft in order to secure the stability and continuity of their operations. They also produce and maintain a steady supply of weapons and poisons- some of which are famed the world over.

Maintaining the integrity of both the Imperial Crown and The Dawn, however, is not their only goal. Indeed, the current Fallen Queen has far greater aspirations than that: To see the whole of Tolara bow to the Imperial Empress- and to The Dawn itself.

Assets & Resources

The Dawn maintains its own cache of resources. This includes a large cache of weapons and poisons for use by Assassins, several safe houses for use by traveling members, housing for Emissaries working undercover in various regions, and a wealth of illicit and illegal goods for various purposes. No one is quite sure exactly how much wealth the guild possesses (or in what forms it exists), however, as only the Fallen Queen and the Imperial Empress themselves have assess to such documents.

When The Dawn receives a contract, an appropriate guild member is assigned to complete it- at which point the Guild receives their full payment. The member assigned to the contract receives their cut of the price after its completion, while The Dawn keeps the rest in a private coffer.
At the end of every month, the total funds kept in the guild coffers are tallied together. Payouts are made to Dawn members who receive monthly stipends instead of the traditional cuts. The Fallen Queen keeps 50% of the remaining earnings, and the Imperial Crown receives the other 50%.

Title	Cut	Per
Crown	50%	Total
Queen	50%	Total
Assassin	50%	Contract
Emissary	25%	Stipend
Envoy	25%	Stipend
Associate	5%	Job / Referral

In addition to the payouts members can expect, The Dawn also has several other payment provisions in place. This includes the Widow's (or Widower's) Stipend for the families of guild members killed on the job, as well as an Injury Stipend paid whenever an individual is injured when performing duties for the guild. The Dawn also covers all medical expenses, and the cost of all supplies needed- though members are still expected to maintain their own basic equipment such as weaponry, thieve's tools, and the like.
These payouts among Guild members are strictly controlled. Those caught violating their contracts, or dipping their hands into the coffers without rights, are quickly removed from the guild by the usual means.