Krasue (Overview)

## Introduction

The Krasue, also known as the House of the South, are a type of Revenant. They are the most dreaded unliving assassins across the entire globe, having founded a ritualistic death cult that offers souls to their ancient goddess.

## History

* **Arrival of the Jiang Shi-** The Krasue where founded as an offshot of the eastern Jiang Shi migration. When their fleet passed the straits of Malacca, a group of Jiang Shi lead by *Kishar the Hag,* sensed a special connection to the southern jungles they where passing. The other Jiang Shi where seemingly blind to this and where unwilling to break course. After several conflicts Kishars followers forsake their oaths of loyalty and broke off the main fleet at night. A few weeks later they set foot in the main land of southern asia.
* **The Spirit Pact-** According to the ancient text, the first Krasue made a pact with the spirits of the southern jungle; allowing humans and undead to settle in their shadow as long as they venerated them. In reality the arriving Jiang Shi already encountered human civilisation. The powers hidden in jungles and the practices of the local mortal necromancers lead Kishars host to develop a unique form of sorcery. They bound the spirits of the dead into the land itself, therefore gaining controll over the elements. They integrated in the animistic cults of mortals and it was during this time they recieved the name "Krasue".
* **War against the Khmer-** As centuries passed, the Jiang Shi across all of eastern asia adapted to their regions and formed new factions. The Yunsong in ancient china where by far the largest and most powerful and they still carried on their ancient grudge against *Kishar* and her followers. Over time the tensions between them and the Krasue grew, especially since they craved their powers over the elements. A renegade House of the Yunsong began to move southwards and initiated military conflicted against the loose confederation of spirit worshippers. These northern enemies would found the Khmer Empire and their military experience quickly proved valuable. While the Krasue managed to hold on to the less urbanised jungles due to their connection to the land, the Khmer quickly took over the larger cities. They where even more eagier to erect new ones, building large spiritual anchors that weakned the spirits possessing the land. The Khmer where among the greatest builders and artisans the south ever saw and they used unliving statues to patroll their borders, an art they carried on from their northern cousins.
* **Unlife in the Shadows-** The Krasue would have emerged victorious where it not for the constant and hidden support the Khmer recieved from the north. The Khmer also forged alligances with the western Vetala and the Ghouls stalking the southern jungles. They transformed the mortal soceity through new faiths like buddism and hinduism while destroying Krasue cults and forcing women into a position of servitude. It was also during this time that the Krasue where demonised in the eyes of the public, which lead to their modern perception as "half-rotten filtheating ghosts". The Khmer learned how to controll the spirits themselves and their Godkings harvested monsuns to water their fields, supporting a much larger population. The Krasue where forced to act in small cells as agents, assassins and guerilla fighters. They defended their homelands as best they could but their reign over mortals largely ended around this time.
* **The Sundering-** At the height of the Khmer conflict the Yunsong managed to capture *Kishar* and sacrifice her in a grant ritual that would become known as *The* *Sundering*. They cast a great curse onto the Krasue that severed their bonds to the spirits and made them unable to influence or commune them. In addition the light of the sun and the touch of the natural world would hurt them, forcing them into eternal night. This event drastically transformed the entire House of Krasue; forcing them to abandon their spirit cults and quests for reconquest. Instead they began to worship their old patreon goddess again under a cultural disguise, invocing *Irkalla the Night Queen* under the name of *Mae Xasai*.
* **Founding of Angkor Khat-** The remaining Krasue began to seek out the ancient ruins that strechted all across southern asia, many of them Khmer cities they themselves had destroyed. There they found shelter from the sunlight and a basis to operate from. Through hidden tunnels and umbral portals they connected these ruins to form what they refer to as *Angkor Khat,* the "City of Death". Their new Death Cult and Quest for vengeance aswell as the skills they had learned through the centuries long war made them a much more formidable foe. Within a few centuries they managed to collapse the Khmer Empire and over time any that sought to take its place. They refrained from ever taking influence in the mortal soceity again, instead pushing their influence outwards to fight against the Yunsong and those that shared their royalist mindset. With the Covenant recently arriving in eastern asia, their gaze now shifts more and more towards europe.

## Culture

### Faith

The Krasue worship *Mae Xasai,* the Mother of Death. She is seen as the primordial creator of the universe. Their holy texts known as the *Songs of Serenity,* contain a detailed story of how her ancient paradise was snatched from her hands by her son, known as (...). Many Krasue believe that life encaged in the flesh is being trapped in the wrong kind of existance, and that death is a great liberation. The Afflicted are eternally caught between these

### Skuld Offerings

Since the dawn of time the Krasue offer their services as assassins to others as part of a contract they made with their godess. Everyone knowing the true **name** of the Krause is capable of summoning them through an esoteric ritual known as the "Skuld Offering", which involves the drawing of circle in ancient thai runes and a ritual sacrifice. The Krasue will appear in their mistform and strike a deal with their summoner. While their divine decree forces them to accept the murderous contract, nothing stops them from taking the un/life of their summoner after the deed is done. This makes such a deal incredibly dangerous and incentivises summoner to offer a good payback to the assassin.

### Taking Names

Since most Krasue deeply detest being summoned and since the practice has largely been adopted by the Houses enemies; they developed an intricate tradition of hiding their name and identity. Like all Revenants, Krasue feed on souls and it is common to bind them into their own flesh after taking a life. Most Krasue surround themselves with either their most beloved or despised victims and have learned to assume their appereance and voice at will.

This does not only make them efficient infiltrators, it also allows the Krasue to leave their old identity behind and take a new one. For some this has turned into an obsessive need, forcing them to adopt a new persona every few months. It is not uncommon to utterly loose ones true self in this process. For those that walk the path of the *Facedancer* being confronted with aspects of their former lifes causes intense disphoria.

### Turning

The Krasue believe women to be closer to the spiritual world and their mother goddess; while also associating them with greater mental strength and endurance, physical grace aswell as adaptability to ones surroundings. Their ancient naturalistic cults only allowed women to unite themselves with the spirits of their homeland and they carried this tradition on into the Victorian times. While the Krasue are much more favourable towards mortal women and their struggles in general, they only embrace those marked by death and thereby *Mae Xasai* herself. These "deathmarks" are chronic illnesses that are certain to take the womens life.

While such women are watched as soon as the disease manifests itself, it is only when she looses all hope that a Krasue agent will approach her during a lonely night, revealing her true fate. Should she accept the agent will turn her in an instant and both of them will leave as mist. The first twenty years of every young Krasue are spend in one of their hidden fortresses, undergoing extreme forms of mental, physical and spiritual training. These involve heavy expose to aggressive spirits and other umbral forces, exposure to deadly toxins and chemicals aswell as ancient forms of combat and stealth.

## Kith

* **Deathbringers** are spread across the entire globe. They where founded in China when the progeny of captured Krasue where trained to function as court assassins and agents. For centuries they where bound to the service of the Yunsong before the end of the Han dynasty allowed them to spread across the entire globe. Deathbringers follow the same Death-Cult as their parent House, however they turn both men and women, viewing them as euqal infront of the face of death. They offer their services to anyone able to summon them and are much easy to be treated with than regular Krasue. Deathbringers have abandoned their quest for vengeance and are entirely focussed on devoting themselves to their cult.
* **Shinobi** are an almost entirely male group of japanese Assassins. Long ago they made a pact with the Senshi, allowing them to overtake the Hattori Clan in return for offering a tribute in assassins each season. These highly trained Shinobi are bound to the will of their patreon clan through strange rituals and serve them with undying loyalty, being employed as spies, agents, warriors or skilled murderers. In addition to their agility and physical prowess they have developed a unique type of death magic, draining others of their lifeforce or cursing them.
* **Vishkanya** are a branch of Krasue that established themselves in India. Like their southern counterpart they are an exclusivly female order of assassins. Unlike other Krasue Kiths the Vishkanya focus on seduction, manipulation and beauty; making most use of their Illusion powers. Since the ancient times they operate as personal assassins and agents of the indian royalty, waging a covert war against their enemies. Most Vishkanya operate under the guise of cortisans and noble lovers, allowing them to get close to their targets with ease. New Vishkanya are selected as mortal children, they undergo an extreme training that turnes all of their body fluids toxic when they are Turned as adults. This allows them to bring death with a simple kiss.

## See also

* Krasue
* Krasue (Rules)
* Opinions