Twelve Assassins

The Twelve Assassins (often referred to simply as "the twelve") is a secret organisation of assassins as old as Awbor itself. No one is quite sure how the group came in to existence, but by the reign of Bryad XVII, it had become a veritable crime syndicate. Its current status is unknown since the Hindenburg Ground Crew stormed their lair and foiled their coup.

## History

At the climax of the Awbor Civil War, King Bryad I (Pumpkin King), seeing victory within his grasp, hired twelve adventurers to assassinate one of the rival generals. The assassination was a success, and since then Bryad used The Twelve to take care of the dirty work while he stood triumphant in the light of his victory. After the death of Bryad I, the twelve decided to continue in the criminal business, attempting to shape politics and events to their liking, and sponsoring certain criminal activities. Only Bryad the 1st and several key political allies knew of their existence, and therefore the twelve faded from knowledge.

There were rumors that The Twelve were in fact responsible for the death of Bryad I, however this couldn’t be further from the truth. They remained ever faithful to their king, even continuing to follow his commands when he rose again as the Pumpkin King. Silently from the shadows they would slay any threat to his prospering nation and any political enemy of House Bryad that grew too bold.

The organisation reached its noblest moments when under the
leadership of Patch; The Twelve were instrumental in stopping Duristanan the Wyrmbreaker from releasing the elder horror Father Llymic onto the world.

Over the centuries the organisation grew. They pop in and
out of History, with sometimes centuries going by without any mention or proof of activity. But they were still there, hidden in their secret headquarters underneath the Palace itself. They will do anything to further their own interests, and by the reign of Bryad the 17th, they have become a powerful
force in the criminal underworld. Even the smugglers and criminals dealing with them never thought that there was such an organisation present. They were eventually recruited by Zandykuil the Forlorn, a mad sorcerer controlled by Kyuss. Their coup to destabilize Zingherra and spread discord in the Awborian command structure was ultimately foiled with the arrival of the Hindenburg Ground Crew. The remaining members fled their lair, and it is currently uncertain how
much of the organisation remains.

No one is quite sure how the organisation came into being; though how it gained its name is quite clear to those in the know – there can only ever be twelve council members. Whenever one dies they are either replaced by their understudy, or in several notable cases; the assassin who silenced them. This way it ensures that every council member stays on top of their game – lest they wish to be the target for an aspiring underling.

## Notable Members

The Twelve has had many members of the years, some of the more notable include:

* Bryad I (the Pumpkin King) – The benefactor and leader of the guild until his capture and binding into the service of the Lord Malakai in 376AP.
* Patch – Perhaps the most notable (and most mysterious) member of The Twelve. His presence within the guild has been recorded as far back as -145AP all the way up to the modern era. His current whereabouts are unknown.
* Aramis West - The alcoholic assassin with a conscience, who switched sides and joined the Hindenburg Ground Crew. Also the right hand man of Ajax Silverblade.
* Hennet Winterborne - An ex-member of the group who went on to become the spymaster of Rylandaria. He is also responsible for training Aramis West.
* Dracolik - A half-dragon assassin who was Hennet's partner during their time in the guild. He was accidentally killed by Aramis West.
* Devin - A devious halfling assassin, who fought the Hindenburg Ground Crew on many occasions. Despite being resurrected twice, he was eventually killed by Sparrow Treekeeper. Since then he has returned to life as a hellbred.
* Faceless – A doppelganger with a particular talent for poison-use. He was the guild master of The Twelve from 665AP-713AP before being slain by T.W. Badger.
* Zandes - A ruthless assassin with the power to meld into stone, he worked alongside Devin for the Tolstoff twins, before being slain by T.W. Badger on the top of Tolstoff Keep.
* Meris BloodFell – The guild master of The Twelve from 713AP-714AP; he was killed by Ajax Silverblade.
* Merrith Stormguard – A high ranking member of the guild during the reign of Bryad IV; he was untimely killed by Asreal Shackleton.

* Thalian – A member of The Twelve during the reign of Bryad IV. He was slain by John the Bard following the riots through the streets of Caldor.