The Silver Imperium

The Silver Imperium is a mysterious mercenary organization that has been involved in a number of high-profile assassinations. Since its inception, the Silver Imperium has shaped the course of empires and civilizations from the shadows, yet none seem to know for what their purpose is. There have been plenty of theories explaining why they have been doing this, though none within the organization are keen on talking. That being said, with recent events once again placing a spotlight on the organization and its efforts, research into their origins have yielded much more fruit than in the past.

History

Inception

In the aftermath of the Age of Collapse, the last few Tribunal agents who survived on the continent of Drezomira learned of the events that took place on Elysia, an island reduced to ash and corrupted by foul magics from the Tribunal's leadership. In learning of the events of the Collapse, these individuals decided that the world could not be allowed to operate without some form of oversight. Ironically, the group had believed they were attempting to correct the mistakes of the Tribunal, yet were marching on the same path as their former leaders.
The initial mission of the group was simple, and perhaps even noble: when word spread of a potential threat to the safety of reality, the threats would be silently dealt with, ensuring that none could be allowed to get close to doing the same damage that any of history's worst minds had done prior. They had even hoped that by doing this, the repeated disappearances of individuals might discourage others from following down the same paths. Humans, unfortunately, are naturally inquisitive and curious, and instead saw the repeated disappearances as being part of a conspiracy that needed unravelling. As a result, the organization developed a form of mystery about it, one that its leaders were keen on cultivating. In their mind, an organization that mysteriously found itself involved with many of the world's greatest conspiracies would keep people far too occupied to look at what the group might actually be up to. This strategy has proven quite useful, granting the Silver Imperium near-total anonymity.

War in the Dark

For centuries following its inception, the Silver Imperium carried out its mission. Aided by the anonymity gained from the conspiracies that surrounded them, the organization ensured that thousands of potential threats never saw the light of day. Whether they were political leaders or arcane researchers, the organization put down any and all who might plunge the world into another era of darkness. But, as time went on, the organization's goals began to change, and that initial mission became little more than a phrase, a weak justification for the atrocities carried out under their banner. As a result, their anonymity began to slip, as many of the people who kept to the shadows soon found themselves crossing paths, or even crossing blades, with the dreaded Imperium.
The criminal underworld of Yrnath began to take notice, as many of the jobs contracted out to them seemed to already have been handled by the time they arrived. Some would also find their clients mysteriously killed before they were able to collect on a job, robbing them of the rewards. The leadership was stressed about the continuous close calls, and had sent spies into the many criminal hubs, in hopes of avoiding a direct encounter. This encounter would occur regardless, as an agent of the Imperium was overpowered and subdued by an assassin of the Blueskull Company. The description of the agent was soon spreading throughout the many criminal organizations that populate the world, and it became all but certain that the Silver Imperium's operations would be discovered.
In a desperate attempt to stave off what they viewed as an inevitability, the leadership of the Silver Imperium believed it necessary to wipe out the criminals before they have a chance to spread what they know any further. On the night of 14 Septes, 7E 149, they mobilized a majority of their operatives to strike a bar in Celere connected to the Blueskull Company. Their operatives, once inside, attempted to kill the occupants but soon found themselves significantly outnumbered. While they had been able to kill a dozen or so Blueskull members, the Imperium had lost nearly eighty operatives. Insulted by the attack, the Blueskull Company declared war on the Imperium, in a campaign that became known as the War in the Dark. During the conflict, any known operative of the Silver Imperium became a "kill-on-sight" target, leading to a number of violent public executions. With each death, the leaders of the Blueskull Company grew ever closer to discovering the location of the Imperium, which would allow them to finally deal with the organization that had foolishly attempted to cross them.
Rather than simply allowing the Blueskull Company to find them and win, the Silver Imperium enacted a very risky plan. They would leak the location of their leadership through a courier whose identity was already compromised, which would lead the Blueskull Company into a trap. One of the newer leaders, Vyreet of Clan Grey-Stone, suggested that they might be aware of the plan, and believed it important to select a member of the organization to be sent to a separate location. He believed that this was the only way to actually ensure their success, as should the plan fail, there would still be a recognized leader to continue the work. Believing him to be foolish, the rest of the leadership dismissed his fears. Vyreet, still believing this to be the correct course, chose himself to be moved elsewhere and redeployed to the other side of the world, along with his wife and daughter.
Eventually, the plan was executed, and Vyreet's fears were realized. The Blueskull Company, realizing the plan had been a trap, opted instead to deploy a few infiltration experts days in advance to disable any kinds of defenses the Imperium might have prepared. Then, on the night of 15 of Septes, 7E 152, exactly three years after their conflict had begun, the Blueskull Company sent in a lone assassin to handle their leadership. There were no survivors.

The Age of Shadows

When word spread of the attack, Vyreet realized the changes that he alone needed to make. He forced the organization to cease all operations, and the identities of all spies were erased from record. All agents who were able to be recalled were, and those that won't had their ties with the organization severed permanently. In addition, much of the history surrounding the organization was erased, including the names of the organization's former leadership. The Silver Imperium retreated into the shadows, waiting until the world at large had forgotten about them. For Vyreet, this was the only way the organization would survive into the future.
This plan would turn out to be a success, thanks in large part to the lengths Vyreet went to keep the organization on lockdown. No other individual would be granted authority over the organization, save for his wife and daughter. She would be instructed in how to best lead the organization, as well as how best to teach her future child about the work. This way, leadership within the organization stayed completely within the family, limiting the potential weak points to within his immediate lineage.
The total lockdown of the Imperium would eventually be lifted at some point in the early 400s of the Seventh Era, with the first confirmed sighting of an operative in the year 7E 431.

Reality's Shield

6E 5 - Present

Alternative Names

The Imperium