‘And a bright light shone from the stone hand of Caedmon, the lost God. The statue having lost most of it’s features from the passage of time, it’s only discernable feature left was the crest about the shoulder of the Horned Eye of Caedmon. The triangular shaped stone was smooth and warm to the touch, a small diamond glistening in the middle. A voice spoke, booming and ominous upon removing the amulet. “My children are many and strong in the shadows, take great care that leading them will send you down a path of shadows. Accept it and become stronger than any living being, deny it and crumble to dust at my feet. The choice to make is yours, the power to give is mine.”

I told Sir Ursus not to take the amulet, to leave it be in it’s resting place. But he would not listen. We now trek to his place of hiding to remove the amulet and return it, and to destroy that which Ursus has become. ’

- Arch-Danath Maccalas of the Dark Step Tribe

Full Item Description
The Amulet of the Damned was a device created by the lost god Caedmon, or one of his more powerful of followers. It is a dark stone of flecked white that is smooth like a river stone, caressed over the ages by nature. A small diamond seems to have grown directly in the center of the stone, a natural beauty from natures vault.

History
Its original purpose behind its creation was to allow the wearer to control the undead minions that flocked to Caedmon’s call. When Caedmon was alive and twisting the fate of the mortals below to his whim, the undead began flooding to his call in the hopes of reward beyond death. While there were the intelligent Souless and wraiths able to control their undead minions, a living mortal could not. So the Amulet of the Damned was needed.

Through the creation of captured souls and a trapped piece of heartstone, the amulet gave the wearer the ability to control the undead, unerringly. Every command was followed obediently, even if it meant their destruction. A follower by the name of Trai Calis commanded the undead armies of Caedmon during the War of the Gods, fighting back the mortals on the island now called Isle de Sangellaso. The Island of Blood. However, his greed took over him and he tried to go beyond the boundaries of Caedmon’s control. During the War of the Gods, Caedmon fought for his divine life and failed. When he disappeared, Trai’s control over the undead wavered and his fate was sealed. He still controlled the undead, but he began to waste away himself until one day he awoke and the sun hurt his eyes to view it, and food and water failed to quench his belly. The Amulet of the Damned and the souls within had taken control over him and had slowly turned him into that which he controled.

Unable to control the undead horde, they immediately tore him to pieces and hide the amulet in a destroyed temple of the now lost god, Caedmon. Every century a hapless innocent will find the amulet and gain control of the dead for a short time, until they themself turn to a decaying husk.

A few have been able to wrest control even after their death with knowledge of their mortal life still usable. Mages and priests of the dark gods said they still had answers to their questions, replys to their prayers. It is a horrible day indeed when a dark soul is turn by the Amulet of the Damned and they are able to withstand the horde of undeath that wishes to repay them for their indenture.

Magic/Cursed Properties
The item gives full control over the undead. Commands will be followed without reluctance and with complete obedience.

The wearer feels completely refreshed the moment they wear it, feeling warm and revitalized. It will also heal all minor injuries, but only the first time it is worn.

It is a given fact that once the amulet is worn and control of the undead are forced to obey, the wearer must keep the item on or suffer the wrath of the undead they have commanded. Any undead they have not commanded will have no other feelings of hatred toward them, so will not actively hunt them.

Cursed
The item is cursed. Trai Calis had worn the amulet for a total of one hundred and three days before he began to change. Once the amulet is worn, the body will slowly begin to die. The wearer will not feel this happening as they will always feel refreshed. Once the item is worn for one hundred and three days, the change is complete. They awake to a frightful dream of their heart stopping and their breath not coming to their lungs, even on command. They awake to find their life has changed.

The item can be removed but their change from living to undead can not be reversed. Once the item is worn and the undead are commanded, their fate is sealed as once they take the amulet off, the undead that were commanded seek vengence.

This setting is within my world of Hewdamia.

The dark God Caedmon came to the realm of Hewdamia with a purpose. What the purpose was, only he knew as he kept it close to him and took it to his oblivion during the War of the Gods. In his wake he left a swath of confusion that to this day holds a mystery to the knowledgable.

When the Gods argued, Caedmon began to work in secret. He slipped away and began building gates in remote places of the world, hidden from the questioning eyes of his fellow Gods, away from meddling mortals. These massive stone gates depict scenes of horror and terror beyond what anyone had seen. These gates were doorways to another place, possibly from where Caedmon originally came from.

These gates open to the world of the Demons and their kin. Caedmon had originally planned to open the gates and unleash a swath of destruction so encompassing, that the Gods would fail to stop it. The gates were dubbed the Demon Gates and they stood ready to unleash a hell on the world only Caedmon had ever seen before. He placed keys throughout the world to be used when he was ready, but before that time came, he was thrust into a war between the Gods that ended his existance.

It is thought, or rumored, that Caedmon traveled from world to world unleashing this hell on the worlds he visited. Some whisper he was a Demon God trying to usurp the power of the others. The truth, no one knows and can only be speculated by those insane enough to deeply study the dark God’s teachings.

Effects of the Gates
The Demon gates are not limited to operating only while open. A side effect that the God Caedmon had not foreseen was the amount of desire the demons force through the gates, even while closed. A few have been able to filter through over the centuries but that pales in comparison to the deadly power that flows through the closed gates.

Those who have stayed near the gates, whether aware or not, have come away changed. Even a simple evening spent in the shadow of foreboding gates changes a person forever. Thoughts and voices are often heard in the minds of those that are within 100’ of the gates. These voices are fleeting at first, but build up over exposure to the gates. At first, only a whisper of noise can barely be detected and will often be ignored as the wind or odd noise. The longer one spends around the gates however, the voices get stronger and more persistent. The voices become personalities of their own soon demanding the attention of those they infect. Silent words of death and murder filter through the mind turning into detailed visions and thoughts of death and horror, often dealing with loved ones or friends.

This is enough to make anyone crazy and desire to flee from the area. Spending a day away from the gates will clear the mind of the voices, but will never clear the thoughts that they had during their exposure.

Those sleeping near the gates for an extended period of time are not so lucky. Visions and detailed murders grasp at their subconscious, forever tainting their mind. As their exposure to the gates increases, so does the frequency and the detail of the horrible nightmares. Vivid nightmares about riding a cresting waves of Demons, surging out from the gates or towers frequent the dreams. Most often with massacres of entire kingdoms running with the blood of those murdered.

This begins to slowly change those who spend time near the doomed gates. They begin to become angry over the most mundane of things, arguing frequently with others, and coming to blows after only a short period of time has been spent near the gates. The images of murder and destruction begin to change their ideals and they begin feeling the urge to reproduce these vivid omens. No longer seen as nightmares or dreams, but omens or portents from a higher source, the fallen God Caedmon perhaps.

Eventually if not controlled by a stronger force, they will turn on anything to satisfy the bloodlust that fills their veins, and the anger and hatred that fills their soul. Any demon or being capable of withstanding the overwhelming effects would capitalize on anyone in this state in an instant, using their weakened mind to control for their own purpose.

Documents written in an old text tell a tale of physical deformation as well with extreme exposure to the gates. But the journal ends with indecipherable scribble as the scribe was obviously insane when the journal was completed.

This is of course an entry into the setting of Hewdamia, and while it does not require previous reading of any of the other submissions to understand there are some that could help shed light into this.

The six demonic legions are extremely structured compared to their seemingly chaotic nature. While to the outside, those looking in to the hate and rage filled beast of nightmares all that is seen is a lust for blood and death and suffering. While that is true to some degree it is all for a purpose and all for a reason.

To shed some light into their mentality one must understand their warped view of the universe and their place in it. The demons of the unknown off world follow the preaching of Ishchali to usher in a Hel on a chosen new world. He has a chosen purpose, and that is to lead them, his chosen children, into a new era, a new Aamina-Ala. Loosely translated from a demonic script into safe elevation or safe heaven. He travels from world to world, slowly gathering his followers to create his Demon Gates to open a chaotic suffering on the world. This bloodletting and soul suffering is used as a tool to find the last world, the place of silence and peace, where his children can shake their chaotic shawls of blood and transcend into euphoria. Each new gate that opens brings them closer to this Aamina-Ala.

Their religion dictates and states that they must impose suffering on to the weak to ensure their place in Aamina-Ala. That is all they know. They believe in their God King to the last shred of their being. In following this edict from their God King and their religious they have swept through the worlds that have opened before them like a reed through water. They cause pain because in doing so brings them one step closer to their safe heaven.

Because of this, they have created a very strong military force that they have thrust on each unsuspecting world one after the other taking what they see fit and destroying the rest in their search for euphoria. The rank structure as follows however is still based on their class. The higher your class in the demon society the more you command, the more you do, and the more power you wield.

When the demonic armies are not ravaging other worlds, conquering and then burning them out, the demonic legions can get restless. Often times when one commander of a legion feels that they can better their position by removing a rival or a superior, the legions will march against one another. This regicide is common place if they are not focusing their energies on other worlds to send into the tumult of chaos.

When the legions march against one another the rest of the legions not involved and the nobles just sit back and watch in enjoyment. They know that should the attacking commander fail in his attempt to uproot his rival and enemy his fall from grace will be swift, public, and painful. The winner will usually get approved respect from their superiors and if a position of higher power is available can often be given the reward of power.

While this seems like their entire culture would collapse and close in on itself the timing for these personal battles are important. The can never be done before or during an assault against a world. Simply because all attention must be given to the task at hand and anyone risking the movement toward Aamina-Ala. Once the assaults through the new gates are complete, while the rival could be at their weakest, is it only allowable to endure such a venture. Anything else that could jeopardize the progress is swift and certain death.

The Order of Hierarchy is the rank in which all demons fall under in their society. Even slaves have a place and purpose, if not just to entertain, feed, and be used as tools.

The Legions are the military force which drives the demon might. They are grouped by legion ranks of use and success. The More successful a legion or its units, the more troops they will get in return for their service. The best units usually have the highest troop numbers but also a higher death and loss toll.

Commanders of the Legions Only nobles, or Da`Sregt can lead and command a legion, with one exception. The nobles do not trust any of the lower caste to wield such power and have them do so without supervision of a noble who is not ambitious enough to turn that legion on their Da`Sregt leaders. However, the Commander of the Legions will always be a noble and it will aways be Legatus Legionis Eligos. There is one exception to this, and that is the Commander of the Fifth Legion.

First Legion of the Sepulchrum Umbra Also known as the Grave Shadow Legion, is a sight to behold. They are usually the first units in, other than scouts, and are there to test the enemy’s forces. The reason for their nick name is that they have the highest casualty rate among the legions, but many a young demon jumps to the occasion to be among, what they claim, to be the most prestigious. In all reality they are a group of undesirables that the nobles tend to want to ignore, what better way than to send them in the first waves of assaults.

Second Legion of the Atrum Luna Also referred to as the Legion of the Dark Moon, it is a unique and almost rare legion among the army of the demons. It consists of a hundred units devoted to magic and psionic use. It is almost entirely commanded by the Atistaur and only has fifty units as support for the special units. The fifty units consist of a few nobles but are mainly filled with Minotaur and Centaur as fast moving support and guard units.

Third Legion of the Vitiosus Vulgus Contrary to their name the Vitiosus Vulgus, or the Vicious Horde, is not that large a troop. In fact they are the smallest of the six legions but make up for it in their duties. The Vicious Horde is a selection of scouts, assassins, and fast roaming assault groups that circle the legions preying on units lacking enough support or that lag behind the armies mass. They are the largest concentration of Centaur and Harrotaur in the legions.

Fourth Legion of the Validus Armo Also known as the Strong Arm, they are just that, the muscle of the Legions. They have the toughest, angriest, and most horrific demons among the fighting legions. This entire legion has a thirst for blood that outshines that of more than two combined, sometimes three. They are always eager to fight and jump quickly when the call to arms is raised. This is one of the deadliest legions to command as they quickly jump on their commander if they show a sign of weakness.

Fifth Legion of the Exercitus of Vesica Also known as the Army of Blades, is one if not the best group of troop units in all of the six legions. It is not due to luck, magic, or even divine help but the skill of its tacticians that make the Fifth Legion such a resource. The current commander is a minotaur who calls himself Legatus Suuhai. His continued talents have led a few nobles to wonder what he could accomplish as Legatus Legionis Eligos’s second.

Sixth Legion of the Nequam

Description:
They stand at roughly 5’ 3”, the shortest of the derevo tribes. They have dark skin and angular features, at times seeming gaunt and in ill health. While their skin is dark, tanned from exposure to the sun, it occasionally has an ashy appearance to it. This is associated with a powder, similar to talc, that the find in the islands caverns. Their eyes are small and uniformly grey with dark hair. Their teeth are filed to points in a ceremony of age, when the youths are fully accepted into the clan as family.

History:
When they were cast out of their ancestral homes they fled the wrath of their cousins and went east, to the coast and beyond. Vamiar-Gretalia took his people to their new home with the hope of building up their tribe strong enough to return and take what he felt was rightfully theirs. They built small, shallow boats and fled to the isolated islands off the coast. There they spent many years in seclusion that led to their first attempts at cannibalism to survive. Part of this change was due to the lack of edible food on the island as well as the hidden secret they unearthed in their search of their new home.

The island where they chose as their new home weren’t as deserted as once thought. There were abandoned temples dotting the islands expanse, large stone temples hidden by the overgrowth of the forest as if nature itself tried vainly to hide their existence. They searched the island yet found no one. Nothing moved on the island except the occasional biting insect and the occasional lizard and wild boar. One of the dangers of the island is the Burrow Dragons, a large lizard like creature that digs its home in the ground to wait for passing prey. The emptiness is the main reason they began resorting to cannibalism. The temples were not deserted however, not all of them.

The largest temple on the island was positioned at the top of the centermost peak. The cool air kept the gretalia at bay for only so long until they could not hold their curiosity in any more. When Vamiar entered the temple with his protective guard what they found was never spoken of again. The temple enclosed about them like a tomb, the entrance closed off to them completely. No light broke through a single crack in the stone walls, it even seemed as if sound itself was denied entry as their voices were soft and dull, stopping long before a usual echo. They traveled through the corridors with a single vine taunt branch used as a torch. They traveled until the torch was completely gone and then traveled by touch.

When fear began breaking their hearts, they fell into a room alight with treasures and warmth. The diffuse light had no source, but was everywhere at once. The glitter of gold was unimportant to them; the artwork fell on dead eyes as they couldn’t find the beauty in them. What gathered their attention and horded it, was a dais of bone and blood. Erected in the center of the treasure, blood could be seen draping off the edges and on to the gold beneath it. What was not seen were six upright tombs held open by a dusted skeleton, fallen to the age of time.

Vamiar knelt before the alter of bone and began praying a prayer that had never crossed his or any of his peoples lips before. It bespoke of power and age, of strength and blood. The six guards that followed Vamiar into the temple also knelt, only they encircled him as if in reverence and began a low hum to echo his prayers. A voice spoke in the heads of the guards, telling them to follow their leader to the grave, that the rewards of the afterlife would surpass that of the flesh. To accept this they took their Khanjar daggers from their waist and sliced their own tongues, lest they speak of their pact and betray their leader.

Vamiar also heard a voice. It was booming in his head, encompassing. It threatened to separate his skull in two yet it soothed his ills and his fears at the same time. It learned his sorrows, his fears, his loss, but most of all; his hatred. It took this in and used it. Learned from it, and gave it back to Vamiar. He told him of his rightful place of power was at It’s side, as the Hand of Redemption, the Caller of Ash, and the Taker of Blood. It showed him the truth of power and the way to gain it through the blood and soul of ones enemy.

As eager as Vamiar was to get this power and gain his revenge on his cousins, the voice spoke of patience. To build their strength so their enemies would not be able to repel them. Reluctantly he agreed, but as he listened to the voice he began to see it had the truth he had been searching for when leaving his banished home with his kin. The worship of the Lost God had begun anew and It’s power increase with ever sacrifice, every poor soul who washed up on the beach from a ship wreck or sailed searching for treasure from the stony temples, all fell before the tribal rituals of the gretalia and Vamiar. Ages have past since their arrival; they have used their boats and those stolen from those who were foolish enough to come to their home. They reach out to other coastal towns, raiding for the flesh. Sacrifices and for food, all is needed in their venture for revenge. One thing has not changed in the many years of their banishment, Vamiar and his six guards still walk the island preaching their practice and calling out that the Coming of Blood is near.

Religion:
They practice a form of tribal religion based on their beliefs that the temple gods decree. They found these abandoned temples in the jungles and began learning the script, deciphering the rituals and incantations written on the stone walls. What they didn’t know is, the temples were prisons built to house demons and the religion of Caedmon. The main temple within the islands center has a Demon Gate below it. The voice Vamiar heard in his head was that of the Dark Lord, one of the four faces of Ishchali. It used the Demon Gate as a way to enter Vamiar’s mind and alter his beliefs.

Description
The helm is made from a bluish and silvered metal that is encrusted with shards of ivory. The silvered helm covers only the top of the head, leaving the face and jaw exposed, and a thin leather strap secures the helm to the wearer. The ivory shards inlaid into the helm rise up as small spikes and seem as small bones when viewed in other than the brightest of lights.

When scrutinized it seems to be the work of a simpleton. The ivory shards seem attached with a solvent instead of mounted in the metal. The bluish and silvery metal seems to have been a blend of semi quality metal and some oily substance that gives it a slimy appearance, as if it was sloughed with oil. The helm always seems a tad too small or even a bit too large, and no amount of adjusting the straps fixes the fit. But it will never fall off.

Magic/ Cursed Properties
To the unwary, this helm seems to benefit any fighter who wears it. It projects a distinct aura of magic like the other items in the st, but due to it’s nature it never reveals its properties. When first worn, their combat abilities appear to increase. In a system of points this can equate to a bonus to strike, parry, and or damage. When the real effects begin to take their hold on the wearer however, the desire to remove the helm fades until they will fight to keep it.

When worn the beginning effects slowly work their way in. They begin to show only when signs of high excitement are apparent, like conflict and fighting. The wearer gets a huge boost of adrenaline and gets excited about the physical nature of combat. They slowly begin to crave the adrenaline rush that they experience only when in combat and will begin seeking confrontation out everywhere until they get to the point of needed that feeling, like a drug addict shown their focus of getting their high, they reach out for it and force it to happen.

While this is a feeling like adrenaline, it has no physical effect on them. It just implants a need and desire to have that feeling in them. Which is small at first, but because of the nature of the item it grows into a violent need. They become reckless in their actions and do not care how they have to get this feeling infused, they only know that in order to get it they have to get violent.

They begin attacking random people, until it isn’t random anymore and they attack everyone they see. The unfortunate who wear the item will forever be hounded by this desire unless proper measures are taken, usually divine intervention helps. Those in the area of the wearer of the helm also begin to feel edgy and agitated, their adrenaline also increasing to higher levels than normal. They begin to stress and need that fix like a junkie needing drugs.

While they may not become as violent as the harbinger of this affect, they will actively seek out dangerous ideas to get their fix of adrenaline. If simple adventurous actions do not sate their desire they may end up trying their hand at stealing, or possibly killing.

This has been sitting on a napkin for about six months and I feel it is unfinished but I do not know what else to add to it. Comments and advice welcome. Please remember that this is part of a set and most of the history information is in the main codex.

Full Description
Demon’s are one of the most feared creatures known, yet they are not of Hewdamia. They are from somewhere else. No one knows exactly where they come from, but a few know how they get here. There are doorways, or gates, scattered across the lands in remote parts of the world where these creatures are able to enter the world. Before the War of the Gods, Caedmon created these gates and hid them from the prying eyes of the other Gods, lest the find out about them before he could use them. It is not known whether Caedmon knew of the Demon’s before coming to Hewdamia, or if his main purpose to coming here was to bring them to destroy the world. Before he could activated the gates and allow the swarm of Demons to come through the gates, the War started and he eventually died. Now the gates sit cold and inactive. A few were damaged in the Great War and allow a single Demon to come through on rare occasions. There a few keys scattered about the world though that Caedmon hid in the event he was unable to open them. These keys are coveted by his continued followers.

Demons have social castes that they fall under. When they are born, they are born into these castes and forever stay. They are never able to better their station. Each one is content to stay in their caste but is more than willing to fight up the chain to a more lucrative position. These castes are the Nobles, the middle class, and the slave class.

Da`Sregt (Day re jet) - Noble
The Da`Sregt is the ruling caste to their race. In their mind they are born perfect and fitted to rule. They are by far the more intelligent and most powerful of their race. They are not demonic or horrific creatures. In fact, they are very angelic looking and beautiful. Their skin color ranges from ebony black, deeps reds, to pearlescent white.

They have a better than average intelligence and are as strong as most animals of burden. Their skin color ranges from deep reds, or endless blacks. They have frightening visages with large teeth and glowing red eyes. Some have wings while others have multiple arms. All have a similar look to them however. While on the world of Hewdamia, they live where they can, choosing the depths of the world or other remote parts of the lands where most mortals choose not to travel. They rarely gather in large groups as it attracts attention, but they will gather followers or hire mercenaries to form armies to attack anyone they see as easy prey. Their goal is to open the Demon Gates and destroy the mortals, taking over the world. They are immune to fear and can only be hurt by weapons of high quality and magic. This is a side effect from their travels from their world.

The nobles of demon kind are different from the rest of their kin. The top three demons of nobility are singular in nature. They have one ruler with two demons who reside below him. They alternate between the three of them constantly fighting with one another, but never to the death as their existence is unique. The nobles do not age so they are forever in their caste. The other nobles below them however, are born and raised to fight. Seldom do they fight one another, but have been known to try and supplant a brother or cousin above them for power.

Every noble demon born of a certain caste is all called by the same name, with an added surname of their choosing. These are usually to strike fear into their enemies or show of their deeds. Regardless of this self given title, they are all of the same blood and therefore of the same name. When describing these demons, singular tones will be used to describe them but only in the sense of their particular caste of demon kind, not them personally.

There are approximately seven different nobles with the Three ever present. The Three seldom die, and only at the hands of someone or something. When they are replaced, the remaining members of the Three ake them into hiding and process their future into the ruling Three. When they emerge, they are not ever immortal as was their predessessor.

Ba`craht (Ba crate) - Middle Class
The Ba’craht are of the middle class. They supply most of the warrior and commanding class of the demon kin. They protect the nobles and rule their armies. Their generals are of this caste and willingly stay within its confines, knowing that to be greedy is to end up in the pits.

The Ba’craht are what are most commonly thought of as demons. They are hideous beasts who smell of death, blood, and rage. They are intelligent but animalistic in nature, almost feral. Someone are humanoid in appearance with animal features, while others assault the senses with visual attrocities to plague the mind for years. Every demon born of this caste are warriors by nature. They all relish in the battle for blood, fighting among the ranks to be the first in battle. They have some of the best military minds of the demons as they spend their entire life by the edge of a weapon.

They have few social responsibilities or desires outside of gathering for death. During the time when a call to the Pits are given, this is the only time outside of battle that they will usually spend a large amount of time gathered together. This is mainly due to a lack of trust at what the other demons of your station are thinking. Regardless whether it is natural to them to compete and kill for power, they still fear gathering in large groups lest it be there last.

There are approximately ten demons of the Ba’craht caste, all of which have some purpose for war. Whether they are the generals of the Legions or guards of the Three, all of them are bred for war and destruction. Unlike their noble masters, they take on individual names ot try and bring a quality to themselves that shows their worth. Similar in the nobles surnames, their names usually inspire fear or show their deeds of many battles. Usually the longer the name the more prestige they carry.

Fel`Krethsh (Fell kretch) - Slave
The Fel’Krethsh are the slave caste of the demons. They are the workers that keep everything the way the masters want it. Should a need arise for more at the Pits, they gather hunts and bring them to the Pits, keeping them full for their masters.

Most of the Fel`Krethsh are animalistic in intelligence. They understad command and the wants of their masters, but no nothing but to appease. They are the small imps in the night, the horrible shadows that stalk dreams and nightmares. They are what people fear in the dark with no name.

There are approximately ten demons of the Fel`Krethsh, most of them being half breeds. A few however are truely horrendous and seldom are found on a field of battle. A majority of the Fel`krethsh are the fodder and shock troops of the demon hordes. No real organization to them they are grouped together and given a spot to kill. They do not stop until they are given an order by their masters and will continue to kill, even when there is no one left of the enemy. They will begin to turn on each other all to appease their masters.

The religious higherarchy is all broken down into seven distinct titles. These are as follows.

Deacon
Priest
Pastor
Bishop
Primate
Prelate
Pontiff

For each new rank achieved, the priest receives a new title in certain circumstances. When they reach a certain level of knowledge and skill however, they will continue to hold the title of Pastor until raised to that of a Bishop by their superiors. The same is done with the title of Archbishop (Primate) Prelate, and the Pontiff. Only one Pontiff will be named at a time and only ten Prelates may be named at one time. There are only five Archbishops (Primates) holding title at any given time as well. Bishops have no set number of available slots.

Deacons are still young and fresh into their studies and are always still students. Priests have completed their initial studies of the church and are now allowed to hold service in small temples as well as assist Pastors in their clerical duties at larger churches. Pastors are usually a few years into their time spent with the church and have duties in charge over the larger churches in the larger cities. Bishops have been given the sole duties of teaching others in their time spent within the church. They also are known to teach in the academies various studies of expertise. They are also known as the law enforcement group of the church, dealing out justice relating to the church. The Primates are in charge of larger areas of the church and have broken them down into zones of influence; there are only five of these in office at one time. The Prelates are only ten in service in the main church in the central church. They are advisers to the Pontiff and the administrators to the church. They are the only group who elect the Pontiff. The Pontiff is the main religious leader in full charge of the church. They are elected for ten years and are rarely elected for another term. They have full voice in the church and create the laws that are followed.

Each religion is a seperate entity to itself. However they are ruled and therefore agreed to be governed by a single high priests, the High Pontiff. They rotate throughout the other religions between their Pontiffs to rule for a period of two years, this gives every religion the possibility to set decrees for the churches.

In which they have agreed to set standards, even though they do not see eye to eye on religious beliefs they do agree that should they result in a religious war and allow choas to ensue, much to the followers of Sethalis delight, that they gods may turn their backs. So in the interest of self preservation they agree to disagree yet to do so in an organized manner on the outside.

On the inside however, the churches dislike each other and will rarely show it publically. Privately however, many small battles between churches has happened right under the eyes of many kings and rulers without them knowing.

Description
The Jongleurs Sanguine is a unique death cult that parades themselves off as being part of the Theater for Confused Arts. This guild of artisans have nearly worldly fame as being some of the best at what they do, when it comes to art, music, and play acting. However, what a majority of the population does not know is that some of the members of this theater are actually skilled assassins that hide behind one of the most liked and well respected guild.

The Jongleurs Sanguine, a guild of highly infamous and skilled death cult. Painted in white masks and other caricatures, they deal out their commissioned acts with mute silence, often leaving a calling card of singular meaning. A white lilly or white silken scarf is among the more common items left behind.

History
A man that goes by the name of Janus Sanguine originally founded the organization. After a being left out in the Etolin desert to die and his near impossible life sapping trek back to fertile land, Janus was a changed man. He came back speaking in odd tongues about the god of Death. When asked if he meant Kasal he only looked on in mute silence, and then laughed. He returned to Kerrabar and began working in the shadows, learning what he could of his new god.

He founded the Jongleurs Sanguine after a night of drunken prayer. When times were difficult in the beginning, selling his new talents to prospective clients he learned the concept of action without a face. He needed to hide in the open without drawing attention to himself. He changed his name to Janus Sanguine and opened the Theater of Confused Arts on Star Lake. He search for others like him and began gathering a network of skilled like minded assassins capable of seeing the death god for what he was, salvation.

The Jongleurs Sanguine was born officially. In the dark of night they worship an unknown god of the dead. None of the members speak of him at all, only Janus when they are in closed prayer. Tales of sacrificial rituals leak from the early days of the organization but have soon since trickled off in the wake of a string of seemingly random deaths.

Religious Aspect
While not actually a religion, Janus calls their cult the Divine Sanguinary after his preaching of a godlike thirst for blood that he has been given. This thirst for blood is more a ritual than an actual lifestyle. The followers of the sanguinary are not vampires by any means. They are ritually baptized in a pool of blood and made to drink the blood of their first guasto, or victim.

Once a month they gather in pits dark and quiet to please their death god by the actions they have done. The jobs they take are done in a fashion that follows strict rules set by their book of Holy Scripture. This tomb was penned by Janus’s hand but done so at the aid of an unseen voice, or so he has said. It is written in Janus’s own blood and depicts a hellish world once the Dark Father is appeased. This tells a tale of fire and ash, the food of the chosen, to be the prize once the Dark Father comes to the lands of men.

They practice ritualistic mutilation for self cleansing, usually in the form of cutting on oneself. This calms their nerves and erases the nightmares that plague them in the night. The nightmares are of the enemies of the Dark Father lurking about every corner wishing to end their purpose.

Deep inside their organization they are a death cult, bent on following the teachings and guidance of the Holy Scriptures and High Priest Janus Sanguine. They are however a guild of trained assassins that use this funding to further their cause. They agree to take the jobs they will, and will only do so if it furthers the Dark Fathers goals.

Excerpt from the Holy Scripture
“And Lo! The flesh turns to ash and is food for the Dark Father and the fires that rise up are his drink to quench his thirst. The taste of virgins shall be his entrée and his appetite is lustful for the sanguine of men and shall outlast even the Souless of the childgod Sethalis.

The Burning Door shall open and a new world shall be ushered into the lands of the unfaithful and it shall be shaped into the Dark Fathers image and all not worthy of his gaze shall crumble to nothing. Those who follow his words and walk his path shall rise above the ash and feast on the wicked to become like gods themselves.

The coming of the Dark Father will be heralded when the twin brothers collide and the overseer of the world can no longer see. The door shall open and the Dark Father shall walk through and the world shall know pain and rebirth.”

Additional Information
They are contacted in odd manners, one of which is to leave a dead fish on the steps of an abandoned warehouse, and another is to drop alms to a beggar in the market district. None of which goes directly to a member of the guild, but someone watching those locations, and others, then follows the person to see if they are legitimate. Those leaving the alms know to arrive at the theater within a few days and they will get their chance to plead their case to the guild of assassins. When they are contacted they are usually pulled on stage in front of the entire audience to join in the fun of the skit or comedic event, most of the time at their expense. They are then told to go to a specific location while being escorted back to their seat after the show or during a certain day and time. It is then that the contracts are agreed to and payment is given.

They are very cautious and thorough in the trailing would be moles. To this day every single watchman, guardsman, hire or secret police sent in to hire the guild has come away with nothing.