Umtrahd Ruul

Beneath the dense jungles of Roreg Logh, the assassins of the Umtrahd Ruul practice in the teaching of death. Meaning "Forgotten Hand" in the Hauad, the cult follows the ancient ways of Dorrod Muth, from before the god transitioned into what he is known as today. Led by the fanatical Thyron Parashel, the Umtrahd exists to teach the ways of final peace to the unwilling world, accepting payment along the way. None are above the reach of the Hand, and periodically the cult likes to remind A'therys of this fact.

## History

The rise of the Umtrahd Ruul is kept just secret enough to serve its mystique. While Parashel proselytizes his views and his organization, nothing that could be held against the group ever comes from this. As far as any can tell, the group is quite ancient, existing long before Thyron led them from "oppression" in AU 255. Quick to silence any who would call them mere "assassins," the Umtrahd made a name for themselves in the dark places of the world, taking paid contracts on unsuspecting people the world over. Members join from everywhere as well, regardless of the organization's roots in Roreg Logh, and are immediately swept into the fold. The Hauad is the official language, and all are expected to learn as much as possible. The few assassins therein that have spoken about life among the Umtrahd say only that it is like a family; all should be trusted and relied upon, but none may leave once joined.

Also quite clearly important, and corroborated by Thyron's publicized sermons, is the almost neurotic preoccupation with funerary rites. Each assassin is fully trained as a Loghec priest, and is expected to not only give last rites to their targets, but also to ensure that proper care is taken with the body while it is in their "care." Should an assassin fail in this, the assurance that the soul of the deceased has not safely transferred to the care of their master Dorrod Muth, then his death is required by the law of the Umtrahd Ruul. The organization is welcoming to all comers that dedicate themselves to their creed, but is sharply critical of failure, often to a violent or even deadly degree. But even still, the group welcomes ever more brothers and sisters into its fold. Some are drawn by the darkness they offer as a shroud; some feel a desire to teach the ways of death as the Umtrahd can only do; others only wish for food and shelter, and take up the mantle out of necessity. In any case, the shadow beneath Roreg Logh grows always, and the Hand is never far away when a mortal wishes another dead.

## Structure

The cult is organized into four parts. At the top sits the Conclave, a group of unknown individuals that receive and dole out contracts, as well as guide the organization as a whole. The leader of the Conclave is Thyron Parashel, referred to as the "Hallowed One" as Dorrod Muth once was, and it is he who makes the wishes of the Conclave known. Beneath the Conclave are the Vaasthri Muth and the Oriyddi Muth, the "Words" and "Eyes" of Dorrod Muth respectively. The Vaasthri are the administrative branch of the cult, which carries out the necessary precautions associated with and assignment of the contracts handed down by the Conclave. They also are in charge of finances, such as it is, and the payment of the assassins that carry out the bounties. The Oriyddi are in charge of the assassins themselves, including their induction and training. They handle the affairs of Pariadh Fel in general as well.

The final segment of the Umtrahd is the assassins themselves, those who carry out the actual fulfillment of contracts. Each is given a private space within the caves, as well as clothing and food as they need. The assassins are divided into three groups themselves: the Pyrtho, the Rhumon, and the Skyfft (Panthers, Serpents, and Wolves, respectively). The Pyrtho are mages who use evil magics to kill, as well as the healers that assist in physical rehabilitation should a contract go awry. The Rhumon consist of the quintessential assassins one reads about in stories, proficient in stealth and poison. Finally, the Skyfft are the classic warriors, who have no need for stealth in their kills so long as they have a large weapon and armor to protect them. Each group is utilized equally in assignment by the Vaasthri, as each is uniquely qualified for the various bounties set upon the people of A'therys by their enemies.

## Rules

For a shadowy group of cultish assassins, the Umtrahd has a very strict set of rules by which its members must abide. These rules are summed up primarily in the "Account of the Faithless," a set of five instructions that provide the punishments for their respective crimes against the cult. The Account is printed on the first page of a special version of the Book of Echoes that each assassin is given on entrance. The book's traditional text was long ago altered by Thyron himself, and he claims it to be the "original" from before the old priests rewrote it to be less violent.

1. To dishonor the Hallowed One is to dishonor Dorrod Muth. Blood shall be the price of disloyalty.
2. Dorrod Muth protects you in the shadows of the Urth, as he does your brothers. To cast your family into the light or forsake those in need is to forsake Dorrod Muth. Blood shall be the price of treachery.
3. To disobey those superior to you is to disobey Dorrod Muth. Blood shall be the price of sedition.
4. Dorrod Muth grants what you need to survive. To steal from your family is to steal from Dorrod Muth. Blood shall be the price of avarice.
5. To disallow a mortal to journey with Dorrod Muth to the Underworld is to disavow the precepts of the Umtrahd. Care must be taken, and last rites performed in all cases. Death shall be the price of apostasy.

 Upon passing the entrance trials and receiving their copy of the Book, initiates also recite an oath that binds them to their new family. It is spoken in the Hauad, no matter where the initiate is originally from, but the words have been transcribed below for ease of reading.

"Through the shadows of the Urth I move, masked and unknown. My brothers stand beside me, but my actions are apart, the final strike my own. The Depths I serve, the Hauad Logh I revere, a merchant of death boundless in reach. My blade is the only certainty, its stewardship my own, the calmness and beauty of death are mine to teach."