Crimson Wings

*"If it's true that **they** are after you, then you're as good as dead anyway." ~ Johnnyn Kart to Mikhael Strand*

**The Crimson Wings** were an order of elite assassins operating from the Green Pearls Archipelago. They temporarily ceased operations after most of their assassins were exterminated by Mikhael Strand, Lithiel of Yandae, Senecius of Striecht and Gladys.

## **History and Methods**

The Crimson Wings were a notorious order of highly skilled assassins of Elven descent, who specialized in public assassinations. It is not known when the order was founded, but they gained a very strong reputation very quickly, and were both extremely effective in executing their targets and exquisitely expensive to hire. The order is said to be run by humans, presumably from the Union, but all known assassins in its employ were of Elven descent.

The specialization in public executions mostly meant that when they were hired it was to show that the client that hired them was both wealthy, powerful and extremely ruthless. The targets would often be notified of their status as soon-to-be victims ahead of time, making the assassination all the more impressive due to members of the order being able to bypass essentially any security barrier.

Members would often collude with the local underworld to lure out victims or gain access to information about the victim's whereabouts before striking. A public place with many witnesses was often chosen, though if the target was deemed too dangerous, or if they endangered the reputation or existence of the order itself, more stealthy tactics could be employed.

## **Assassins**

Members of the Crimson Wings order are abducted as children, usually from the remote Elven populations living on the Rotpearl, and trained throughout their lives, with extreme conditioning attempting to remove all emotion and enforce total obedience. Members are made proficient with a multitude of weapons, catering weapons used to their specific talents while also making sure that each member could hold their own with any available weapon. In addition to weapon proficiency, members would also be trained in the arts of speechcraft, deception and tracking. Training would be complete after about 50 to 60 years at which point trainees receive a special garment adorned with white feathers. Each kill they scored from then on would be marked by coloring one of the feathers with specialized a dye mixed with blood, giving a dark red coloration.

The organization has five known members, only one of which is known to still be alive.

* Talons of the Jay - Specialized in the use of a long-handled blade. She was capable of attacking with devastating precision. She died from being burned to death by Lithiel's fire magic.
* Talons of the Cardinal - Specialized in using three-pronged returning throwing knives. He was the first Crimson Wings member to be encountered by the Nameless Brotherhood. He died by being stabbed in the heart by Mikhael and then being kicked from a castle wall.
* Talons of the Vulture - Specialized in using a long magical chain with a bladed end and could use it to ensnare his targets and heavily injure them. He was sent after Mikhael Strand and Senecius, but was incinerated by Lithiel.
* Talons of the Tit - Specialized in commanding hordes of animals to attack her targets using a special magical whistling ring. She was defeated by the combined efforts of Lithiel, Mikhael, Senecius and Hammer and then captured, spared by Lithiel. She later escaped and attempted to slay them once again by summoning a large sea creature but was unsuccessful and lost a finger in the battle. She was given the moniker "Gladys" and later rebelled against the Wings and joined the Nameless Brotherhood, permanently adopting the moniker as her name.
* Talons of the Hawk - Considered the most elite of the Crimson Wings assassins. He specialized in the use of explosive infusion magic, being able to infuse small objects with an explosive charge. He was the last Crimson Wings member to be sent after Mikhael and Senecius and died when a knife thrown by Gladys pierced his skull.