Hands of Dusk

The Hands of Dusk is an organized religious cult and terrorist group operating in Atrea. The group and their charismatic leader Koi have thus far served as the primary antagonists to the Coyote Adventuring Party. The Taurus chapter is the only group to have made an appearance, although it has been stated that there are others located all over Atrea.

## History

### Formation and Goals

The Hands of Dusk was formed sometime before the year 487, as interrogated members of the group have claimed that the Tauruan Conspiracy began as early as 485, meaning that the Hands of Dusk have to have been formed sometime before that date. The group formed as a Tabaxi native reaction to the Sobrian colonization of Dormoon, seeking to drive the Empire out of the region, as well as killing or expelling the large population of Sobrian colonists and other immigrant populations. After this would be achieved, the Hands of Dusk seek to rebuild the old Tabaxi Civilization. At an unknown date before 487, the Tabaxi Koi claimed to receive a vision from Dusk, and assumed leadership of the Taurus chapter of the Hands of Dusk.

### Tauruan Conspiracy

Sometime around 485, Koi and his chapter of the Hands of Dusk began conspiring to destroy the city of Taurus using many crates of explosive beetles and a piece of the god Dusk. While it is known that they were able to smuggle these crates into the city over the course of several months, it is unknown how the group came into the possession of a remnant of Dusk. The plan was conducted with the utmost secrecy until Wyatt Second overheard details of the plot while conducting a routine delivery in Bitter Creek. After his release from jail with the aid of the Coyotes and his brother Wennett, the new protaganists were able to successfully disrupt, expose, and defeat the Hands of Dusk in their conspiracy to destroy the city. In the course of a week the Hands of Dusk took heavy casualties, suffering the loss of two "Bishops" and several dozen killed, captured, and wounded. Combined with the loss of possession of the Dusk remnant to the hands of one of the Coyotes, this caused Koi to flee the city to an unknown destination.

## Ideology and Religious Beliefs

The Hands of Dusk (at least the Taurus Chapter) believe that the god of power, Dusk, has tasked them with the destruction of the Sobrian Empire in Dormoon and the reconstruction of the Tabaxi Civilization. Members claim that Koi received a vision from Dusk commanding him to enact "justice", which grants Koi significant religious legitimacy in the eyes of the everyday religious follower. However, a significant number of the Hands of Dusk members join primarily in the pursuit of the group's political ambitions. The group holds a widespread disregard for the lives of not just those they view as outsiders, but also the many Tabaxi that would stand to be killed in the wake of their ambitions, deeming their loss to be something of a necessary sacrifice in the pursuit of their ends.

#### Other Chapters

Interrogated members of the group have revealed the existence of other chapters of the Hands of Dusk, separated by deep theological schism that prevent their unification into a larger entity. Outside of this almost nothing is known about them, however it can be inferred that they do not believe Dusk to be partial to the Tabaxi people as the Taurus Chapter does. It is unknown who leads these chapters, how large they are, or what activities they are involved in.