The Brothers Of The Last Wish
A sacred order, determined not to vanquish evil or save souls, but to grant them happiness in their final days. The Brothers of the Last Wish sacrifice their own longevity to grant the dying wishes of others.
Public Agenda
The Brothers make their agendas publicly known, as they are both committed to fulfill the Wish quickly, and often cannot complete them alone.
They wish to provide solace, peace, and happiness to the dying, in whatever way that they can. Although this has commonly been among the elderly, there are no shortage of cases of fulfilling the Wish of a dying child. In some cases, this has been a simple matter, of learning to read and write so that they can leave something behind when they pass, to traveling across the world to bring someone back to their childhood home, to reuniting a lost love after decades of time.
They wish to provide solace, peace, and happiness to the dying, in whatever way that they can. Although this has commonly been among the elderly, there are no shortage of cases of fulfilling the Wish of a dying child. In some cases, this has been a simple matter, of learning to read and write so that they can leave something behind when they pass, to traveling across the world to bring someone back to their childhood home, to reuniting a lost love after decades of time.
Assets
Although driven by religious beliefs, the order does not have the official backing of any particular church. As a result, a Brother's assets are often whatever they may have in their personal possession or what others in the community may offer them.
Divine Origins
The first case of the Last Wish hails to the Second Age. According to legend, a young soldier wanted to bring his mortally wounded brother home to see their parents one last time. First, he prayed to the Six Sisters for help. He prayed specifically to Phoenicia, Sixth of Six Sisters and God of Mercy to spare on them both. He praid to Glokrei to hold back the war, at least for a time, and prayed to Dineth The Destroyer, that he wait before his immortal hand claims the soul of his brother.
It is unclear who answered, but the prayer was heard, and a bargain was made. The brother may live, but for every sun that his brother sees, he would see one less sunrise himself. Although the injured brother still lived, his body would not heal, the pain near constant, perpetually before the gates of death. With great hurry, the soldier took his brother many miles until he arrived home. When they reached and met their parents, the brother was at peace, and finally passed away contently.
The Legend of the Promise of the Last Wish spread quickly, with the soldier, whose name is now lost to time, being seen as both a sainted figure and hero to emulate. Hearing that this was possible inspired some others to offer to make a similar noble sacrifice, of shortening their lives to extend that of another, until a promise is fulfilled. Although it had happened so rarely that it could be dismissed as myth or local legend, it was enough that it inspired some to make that their calling. Joining together, they discovered the oath that must be made, and developed a code of ethics and promise to themselves and others to abide by.
The Brotherhood formed, they would keep the words of the Promise a secret for themselves, but begin their outreach to spread their message, and obtain assistance.
It is unclear who answered, but the prayer was heard, and a bargain was made. The brother may live, but for every sun that his brother sees, he would see one less sunrise himself. Although the injured brother still lived, his body would not heal, the pain near constant, perpetually before the gates of death. With great hurry, the soldier took his brother many miles until he arrived home. When they reached and met their parents, the brother was at peace, and finally passed away contently.
The Legend of the Promise of the Last Wish spread quickly, with the soldier, whose name is now lost to time, being seen as both a sainted figure and hero to emulate. Hearing that this was possible inspired some others to offer to make a similar noble sacrifice, of shortening their lives to extend that of another, until a promise is fulfilled. Although it had happened so rarely that it could be dismissed as myth or local legend, it was enough that it inspired some to make that their calling. Joining together, they discovered the oath that must be made, and developed a code of ethics and promise to themselves and others to abide by.
The Brotherhood formed, they would keep the words of the Promise a secret for themselves, but begin their outreach to spread their message, and obtain assistance.
Tenets of Faith
It is their belief that a soul whose wishes and desires,have been satisfied will rest easier, as well as please the will of Dineth, the God of Death. Altruistic to a fault, these brave souls believe that someone who has the capacity to help another has an obligation to do so.
A promise that cannot be kept should not be kept. Although it may make an old soul happy for a moment, taking on a promise that is impossible will only delay the inevitable, and put them in a deeper pit than they were before the promise was made. A life is a precious thing, that belongs to that person. Therefore, while the order will make rules about what to avoid, it is left to the individual Brother to decide for themselves what the appropriate Promise to make is, what Wish should be fulfilled or not, how much of their lives are they willing to sacrifice for another.
A promise that cannot be kept should not be kept. Although it may make an old soul happy for a moment, taking on a promise that is impossible will only delay the inevitable, and put them in a deeper pit than they were before the promise was made. A life is a precious thing, that belongs to that person. Therefore, while the order will make rules about what to avoid, it is left to the individual Brother to decide for themselves what the appropriate Promise to make is, what Wish should be fulfilled or not, how much of their lives are they willing to sacrifice for another.
Priesthood
Because the Brotherhood is not denominational to a specific religion, it is theoretical that any priest who chooses to be could also be a leader to the Brotherhood. Some religions treat this dual allegiance with suspicion, while others, like the Phoenician Church, openly as being of the same mission and see the positive good.
Official clergy members are often not Brothers, as their mission is to support the wider congregations. Those who feel the call of the Brotherhood often use their position to gather and encourage support to the Brotherhood.
Official clergy members are often not Brothers, as their mission is to support the wider congregations. Those who feel the call of the Brotherhood often use their position to gather and encourage support to the Brotherhood.
Political Influence & Intrigue
No group is without controversy, and the prospect of extending life has caused a number of qualms and conflicts of interest. The Khan of Suka once feigned his death to beckon a Brother to make a Promise to fulfill a Wish, after which the Brother was immediately imprisoned. Unable to fulfill it, he aged twice as fast to ensure the Khan didn't age at all. When this treachery was discovered, there was divine retribution of the highest order. The Brother was rescued by theological cousins in the Watch of the Immortal Flame, while the Khan met the divine scions of both Mastro, The God of Justice, and Dineth The Destroyer, to meter out fierce and appropriate justice.
There's also a matter of what it means for larger debates in theological dogma. The Brothers do not pray to any particular God when they ask their Promise, they only pray that someone, anyone may be listening. That someone answers has given credibility to the Religion of The Divine Balance that all of the entities thought to be different Gods and Goddesses are merely different manifestations of the same divine presense and energy.
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