The Quellers

> "The Arcane poisons the mind! It is hubris, my brothers, hubris which allows a man to think he could wield absolute power without being corrupted! Hubris, which lead us to believe we could live beside these black devils, hubris that convinced us we could control their destructive powers! Repent! Repent and redeem yourselves! Repent and cleanse the world of their blaspheme!"
>
>

> -Sermon given by Suppress Ultimatus Barrow Crue during the Arcana Genocide
>
>

The Quellers are a religious cult created during the Age of the Crescent Moon that believes Arcane magic will destroy the world and should be suppressed at all times. The Quellers briefly rose to power during the Arcana Genocide when the temple to Kord in Navinstein, a large city in The Kingdom of Bedivere, was destroyed using arcane magic. The leader of the Quellers at that time (called the Suppress Ultimatus) Barrow Crue used the attacks as leverage to convince Czar Hervi III to outlaw arcane magics in Bedivere. Acting as inquisitors for the Czar, the Quellers rounded up and imprisoned hundreds of mages under the pretense of extradition, when in reality the magicians were actually being executed. During the Arcana Genocide the Quellers were allowed to continue their inquisition throughout the entirety of the the Plains of Man, reaching as far south as Terrlaque and as far west as Farregid. As a result of the Quellers' ruthless destruction of arcane practitioners very few sorcerous bloodlines remain in Logres, and both Necropoli in Bedivere were burnt to the ground.

## Organizational Structure

The Quellers are lead by one ruler known as the Suppress Ultimatus. The Suppress Ultimatus is said to be pure in body and soul, having cleansed him/herself completely of pride. The Suppress has the power to excommunicate any and all members of the Quellers, and thus his orders must be followed absolutely by any apostate. Just under the Suppress in the hierarchy of the Quellers is a council of twelve Pentultimati, clerics which are in charge of the various chapters of the Quellers across the land.

Underneath even the lowest apostate are the Omegas, arcane practitioners who have renounced their abilities and seek redemption for their hubris. Although forever tainted by their dark powers, the Quellers welcome them as free laborers and servants, occasionally making use of their powers when the Pentultimates give special permission.

## Known Practices

The Quellers believe that arcane magic is the result of the people of Logres becoming so entranced with vanity and pride that their psychic energies rip holes in the universe allowing them to commit impossible acts. In order to avoid such a thing happening to them, no apostate, save the Suppress and the Pentultimates, is allowed personal possessions, and all who join the Quellers must donate whatever worldly items they own to the order.

The Quellers are also known practitioners of self flagellation, believing that the pain of self harm will purify them of vanity and pride. During the Arcana Genocide the Quellers supposedly used enhanced interrogation techniques on known magicians to extort their knowledge of other magicians in hiding. As such, the stereotypical view of a Queller is one of a mentally unstable sado-masochist.

## Conspiracy Theories

There are several conspiracy theories associated with the origin and past activities of the Quellers. The most famous theories are as follows:

### The Arcane Cycle

Some believe that the Quellers were founded during the Age of Chaos by a group of anarchist magicians then known as the Prismatic Shards, and are themselves responsible for the arrival of the infamous Red Shards of Vecna out of Alik Bahir. The theories holds that all three organizations are lead by one, enduring entity, probably an Archlich. Advocates of this theory believe that the lich survives on the souls of powerful magicians, and goes through cycles of creating and destroying large populations of mages in order to feed their phylactery. There has never been any evidence for this theory other than the fact that the decline of the Prismatic Shards coincides with the rise the Quellers. It is worth noting, however, that the arrival of the Red Shards of Vecna from Alik Bahir did occur at roughly the same time as the Quellers' falling out of favor with the public.