Kagë

"My Lord, the Kagë are coming for you! You must escape!"
"It would be pointless, if the Kagë are coming - then I am already dead"
— The last words of Lord Alren

The Kagë are a powerful group of assassins and warriors, with headquarters located across the Nars'kah. Due to the nature of the organisation, not much is known for sure about the Kagê - and the information that is known is mixed in with legend and folklore. The only thing known for sure is that, in exchange for a hefty amount of coin, they will assassinate anyone you choose - be it a great King or lowly beggar.

History

Founding

The Kagë were not always an illegal assassin's guild, there was a time when they acted as a political terrorist group - furthering their own goals as opposed to those who gave them money. The Order originated in Malim, one of the Kingdoms of Nars'kah that is located to the east of the Adrac'h Desert. In 1231, there was a devastating civil war in Malim. The Sultan of Malim had been poisoned, and the nation was divided as the Sultan's two sons went to war over who should inherit the title. The Kagë Temple, which had a long tradition of training highly skilled warriors for the army, was destroyed by Prince Humayd in an effort to demoralise the fighters and prevent them from getting invovled - it backfired. In response, the warriors of the Kagë sided with Prince Ahmed, the other son, and helped him secure the title of Sultan in 1238 - primarily through the assassinations of every major leader of Prince Humayd's forces. After the civil war had ended, the Kagë felt they could no longer return to their spiritual life, having developed a taste for shady assassinations. It was at that point, following a rousing speech from the leader, that the Kagë became a guild of highly trained assassins.

Growth

Despite the illegal actions, Prince Ahmed discreetly granted them relative freedom for years as thanks for their assistance in the civil war. The Kageë took this opportunity to grow and develop, training more assassins and renovating an old fortress for use as a headquarters. Within a few years, the Kagë had gone from being an order of religious warriors to a group of elite assassins - used only by the wealthiest clientele. At the height of the organisations power, they owned fortresses across the continent - establishing the presence of the Kagë in every country in Nars'kah. They had thousands of assassins working for them, operating the largest assassins guild in the world - and they remained untouchable thanks to the aid of Ahmed, now the Sultan of Malim, who coerced neighbouring kingdoms to leave the guild alone. Politicians, Merchants and Bankers would drop left and right, with no trace but the Noxen Flower beside the corpse - the calling card of the organisation. The Kagë had incredible influence over politics in Nars'kah, some might even say they ruled the continent - but it did not last.

Dissapearance

In 1267, Prince Ahmed died of a horrific illness. With no direct heirs to speak of, the title of Sultan was passed to his young nephew - Prince Jahmal. Unlike his predecessor, Jahmal was a devout and pious man who had no desire to aid the actions of the Kagë - who had turned their backs on the religious order that they originated from. He ordered the fortresses of the Kagë to be attacked by the army, and every assassin executed. Soon after, the army arrived at the doors of the fortress - expecting the fight of their lives against elite warriors. Nobody was there. It was the same for every fortress and safehouse across the continent, the Kagë had disappeared - yet the Noxen flower was still found by corpses. The Kagë had retreated from public view, quietening their operations and only taking the most profitable of contracts to avoid discovery. But despite their reduced operations, their reputation grew even more. With the added mystery of the order, they became to blend with legend and folklore - people would say that their soldiers could walk through walls, summon demons from the underworld and turn invisible in the blink of an eye. This mythical feel has been enhanced by the increased use of the ritual of summoning - a rite for hiring the Kagë. Its origins are unknown, but somehow it always seems to work.

Clothe yourself in rags and go out into the Adrac'h with coin
Light a fire of the Noxen plant, breathe the smoke deeply and say:
"Elrën, Elrën - bær lok tay'n amathi ocas"
You will pass out and awake with a Kagë soldier before you
Hand him the coin, name your target, and the deed will be done

Present Day

Currently, the Kagë still primarily operate around the Nars'kah region - although there have been calling cards found in several nearby Senterren provinces. The Order remains in the shadows, but is the most notorious criminal guild in the region. In Nars'kah, it is every wealthy man's fear that one day they will look over their shoulder and see a Kagë warrior - and they often do.