Tzadikim Nistarim

(*Hebrew:* zah-dee-keem nee-stah-reem)

Aliases: The Hidden Ones, the Nistarim.

The council of 36 Wizards who protect the world.

Originally formed as a resistance against the of tyranny false gods in Mesopotamia, the first Nistarim held no interest in glory or honors, seeking only the freedom of their friends, family, and neighbors from an oppression that no number of swords could possibly overcome. They resisted the addition of "righteous ones" to their title, but word carried quickly of the thirty six wizards who, rather than subjugating the people had used the incredible power at their disposal to set them free.

To this day, the members of the council themselves only as the "hidden ones" but before long, the name Tzadikim Nistarim had spread further than the wizards themselves could hope to contain.

While many in the supernatural community believe that the Nistarim and their Shambles guard the supply of Sa out of greed, their true motivation is the preservation and betterment of humanity - both goals that require the subduing of supernatural threats and the preservation of the finite resource of magic.

> *Ernmas of the Celts: "But names and reputations are powerful tools sir. Why would you reject a name like that? One that the enemy knows and fears? One that inspires confidence and loyalty?"*
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> *"Because, young lady, someone who is comfortable being called righteous would never be a suitable candidate for the task set before us.*
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> *"We are not those who are righteous. We are those who are necessary and we must always remain hidden."*
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> *Ernmas: "But, what of your name? Isn't that important to you? That people know what you've done? How much you've sacrificed?"*
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> *"You want my name, young lady? Obviously you haven't been paying attention. I haven't had a need for that sort of vanity in centuries.*
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> *"Imagine how much good we could accomplish if nobody cared who got the credit."*
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## The Council of Thirty-Six

In the half-dozen millennia since their founding, the power of the Nistarim has only grown as apostles emerged to study their ways and join the fight against the monsters which haunt the world.

Composed of the most powerful wizards in all of creation, the council of the thirty-six meets for three months, once every three years. It is during this time that the Ascension Codex is evaluated, the phylacteries of the Shambles inspected and distributed, and the course of the Milchamach Enosh adjusted.

## The Shambles

Tasked with carrying out the will of the Thirty-Six, the Shambles are the Nistarim's most powerful servants. The Shambles are generals and enforcers, guardians and executioners; they are the slayers of dragons and the usurpers of faerie queens and few supernatural entities remain who would willingly stand against their power.

Loyal acolytes and devoted students, the a prospective wizard is elected by the council and once so nominated she is summoned to the Reliquary. There, she is offered a choice: to have her name stricken permanently from the Ascension Codex and take up the burden or to simply walk away and return to her life.

If she accepts, she is presented with a phylactery. If the wizard is able to both channel and either cooperate with or subdue the spirit within she is granted the title of Shamble and a demesne which is hers to defend until her death.

While offering an exponential increase in power, for the most part, Shambles are loathe to resort to tapping their phylacteries save under the most dire of circumstances. Doing so allows the powerful spirit within to inhabit them, cutting off their control of their own physical body and leaving those incapable of imposing their will upon the spirit (which only a handful have ever managed) at best an advising whisper in the spirit's ear or at worst a helpless observer to whatever method the creature chooses to employ to resolve the situation.

### Phylactery

Many of the creatures against which the Nistarim have set themselves are truly immortal - entities of such indescribable power that even death itself dares not raise its hand against them. However, these are often the very monsters that the Nistarim originally joined forces to combat and over the millennia the Hidden Ones have grown adept at not only removing them from play, but also bending their might to the benefit of humanity.

The defeat of ancient gods is no simple feat, requiring that one of the Nistarim's most powerful acolytes (if not one of the Thirty-Six themselves) make the greatest sacrifice imaginable - oblivion. The ritual binds the wizard and the monster which she seeks to contain together, consuming not only the physical bodies of both but their very souls into something new. This new spirit is bound within a physical object, creating the phylactery.

Any object can become such a vessel. Books, amulets, hatpins; anything purely material will suffice and though the Nistarim prefer objects with greater durability and which require intentional use desperate times have resulted in some rather unique combinations such as the Morrigan of Mab.

While a phylactery can theoretically be destroyed, such an event has not yet taken place and the exact consequences remain purely theoretical. Most likely, the spirit within would simply cease to exist but on the few occasions when a phylactery has been damaged badly enough the power and personality of this spirit within has begun to leak out, often to disastrous consequences.

## The Reliquary

A hidden hall where the Nistarim conceal their most prized relics and dangerous prisoners. The exact location of the Reliquary is unknown but many suspect that it occupies a pocket carved out of the balla anamacha similarly to the Celandine - neither a part of the World, nor the Otherwhere.

### Ascension Codex

A great tome which lists those among the apostles of the Nistarim thought worthy of joining the Council of Thirty-Six. When the council meets, the re-evaluation of those named within the Ascension Codex is the very first business to which it attends. Their names and deeds are weighed and if they are found still worthy their position in its pages is adjusted. On the mournful occasion that one of the thirty-six falls, the spells woven into the Codex reach out in that very instant to the next name, calling that apostle to join the council.

It is through this powerful tome that the council ensures that no matter what tragedy befalls the Nistarim, they will never be without the best among their number to lead.

### The Sepulcher

The Shamble Phylacteries are among the most powerful objects in all of creation. When no bearer can be found for these objects, they are entombed within the Sepulcher until a deserving Shamble can be found. Some, such as the Marduk'Tiamat and the Henutmehyt'Sekhmet have lain fallow for thousands of years.

## Milchamach Enosh

[*mill-hhamahh ee-nosh*]

The ongoing war for mankind engaged by the Tzadikim and their apostles against the monsters and false gods who threaten humanity.