Scarred Phantoms

The small island south of the Isle of Wizards is home to an order of assassins, called the **Scarred Phantoms**. On it, lies a big temple, the Sepulcher, where the assassins train and pray to their god of death.

The price for the Scarred Phantoms' services is incredibly steep, only because they are sought after in the entire scimitarian continent. Nobles, merchants and spymasters from Arangea, Moreelse, Hithlone, Belsire and Calcabra know that there are no better assassins in this world. There has been no recorded evidence of a person marked by the Phantoms that did not end up perishing, sooner or later.

The Phantoms pride themselves in their political neutrality. They only serve those with the right coin, often costing an entire fortune, although it's been rumoured that one contract may cost something more than coin... a life for a life.

These assassins employ all sorts of skills and tricks to get to their target, ranging from grappling hooks, to bombs, disguises and illusions of all kinds that even the most skilled sorcerer would envy.

Whoever joins the phantoms must abandon his previous life, forever binding himself to them. Despite their alleged absence from politics and warfare, some keen observers of the Hithlone underworld have spotted a man posing as an alchmemist, searching around the Citadel for secrets of the Dragon Empire...

## History

The Order of **Scarred Phantoms** (often simply called “**The Order**”) has its roots in the worship of Corvic, one of the few gods that was acknowledged by most of the human and fey clans throughout the northwest. Although in most places, worship of Corvic is fairly harmless, there has long been a small sub faction that believes that none should feel safe from the icy hand of death, and have worked as assassins specializing in high value targets.

No one knows for sure how long The Order has existed in its current form, but most likely it has been at least two millennia.

The Order has safe houses in a number of northwestern cities, but they have always had one main headquarters in an inaccessible location. It is believed they were driven out of their previous headquarters by the drow, and moved to their current location (The Sepulcher, upon the nameless island) about a thousand years ago.

## Government

The Order is a secretive cult that demands absolute loyalty from its members. Their organization is small, so only requires four tiers; Acolyte (rookie member that does drudge work when not training), Phantom (full fledged assassin), Chapter Master (leader in a particular region), and Grand Master (leader of organization).

## Economy

The Order relies on fees for assassination work for the entirety of their funding. Given the skill of their members, they could easily make large fortunes selling information or providing training, but they see such things as beneath them.

The Order’s fees are astronomical, but its members live spartan lives, spending all their coin on equipment or bribes for other jobs.

The Order rarely works for the obscenely wealthy or for large governments, feeling that even the most immense fees would cause insufficient pain to such individuals. Instead they sometimes work for such individuals in return for the sacrifice of a loved one.

## Foreign Relations

The Order is willing to work for just about anyone, but their main customers are nobles, merchants, and spymasters from Arangea, Moreelse, Hithlone, and occasionally Blesire, Calcabra, Bumi, the drow, or Azan.

The nameless island where The Order is based is a fairly open secret, but no nearby government has made an effort to stamp them out, probably since they are well aware The Order would simply slip away and reestablish themselves elsewhere.

## Geography

The nameless island where The Order makes its home is a desolate rock that is about 50 km wide at its widest, and about 100 km off the coast of the Isle of Wizards.

Several old forts from various time periods can be found on the island, but The Order spends most of its time at “The Sepulcher”, a large fortified temple of unclear origin, though some believe it is Eteran.

## Demographics

The Order is willing to accept anyone who meets their exacting standards and who is willing to leave their old life behind them. Most of them were already killers prior to attracting The Order’s attention, and generally are individuals with a nihilistic outlook or an all consuming obsession with murder.

The vast majority are human though, with a handful of drow or elves.

## Religion

Corvic (known by several different names in the northwest) is the God of Death. His followers see death as a part of the natural circle of life, which aligns well with many Westerling or fey faiths which believe in reincarnation of some sort or another.

The Order takes this view to an extreme by taking on only high value targets that are at the height of hubris. They believe those who have become to powerful often forget that death is something they themselves must fear.

## Military

The Order are generally considered the best assassins in the world, having honed their craft for millennia.

They see no method of spying or slaying as unfair, and will use all sorts of techniques from bribery, seduction, poisoning, explosives, assorted magical abilities, or ancient artifacts.

Many members are spell casters of varying ability, as plenty of magical techniques have uses in their field of work, including illusions, divination, alchemy, and many types of offensive magic.