Black Remedy

Introduction

The Black Remedy, some would say, was born of necessity — from a realm where Dranoch exploit others, where children are born only to serve as eventual fodder for their starving Lords. Where one husk of a man can only be sated by thousands of the living, merely to sustain himself amidst his curse. Members of the Remedy, known as Ebon Knights, seek not to understand the Dranoch nor integrate them - but instead, to cull them utterly from all facets of Elainian society and beyond.

History

To understand the history of the Remedy, one must know if its founder, Aldrin Sil’Jalus. A half-blood Sil'norai, born to an Elven mother and a human man from Lorien, Aldrin was left abandoned at a young age by his mother and father who desperately fled Veranor to go north. Their escape was always the plan - perhaps by his mother who seduced the human as her ticket away, or perhaps they suddenly determined that their life in Veranor would never be what they wanted it to be. Nevertheless Aldrin was abandoned, a complication not worth the risk, according to them.

And so he was raised by his grandmother; a very old Sil'norai, one with stories from very long ago. And stories from her mother and father, and theirs - of what the world was like before the Court of Dusk ruled as Lords of night. And though he tried in public to not allow these stories to phase him, they did. Aldrin was swayed by the prosperity and heroism of his race - the half he identified with at least - before they were trained to become glorified livestock. He thought on why it was that no one was allowed to leave the realm as a citizen, realizing it was because they were born and fostered only to eventually sate the desires of a Courtier of Dusk or their progeny.

But still, like many other Sil'norai, he bitterly accepted this as reality. He determined not to fight it, for he never could, or so he believed like many others. And instead, knowing of the intentions of his oppressive overlords, Aldrin became one of their greatest servants. A city-planner and developer of great talent, he helped them return Veranor and the Elainian Darklands to a place of great prosperity, bolstering the population and development of the realm by creating opportunities for the civilians even if only to distract them from their inevitable, gruesome fate.

He provided the Dranoch with wealth and with sustenance, and for it he was valued beyond all others. He was given utter protection from the Court of Dusk and was even offered to become a progeny of Gratiana, though he repeatedly spoke of how he feared what the change may do to his mind. As a result, his refusal was spoken until the offer was no longer given, and for him that was well enough.

But while Aldrin was protected, his children were not. They weren’t even his - merely the children left behind by his sister - but he loved them dearly and raised them as his own. A son and daughter, Randil and Raeliel. And despite their youth, they were not exempt from the ravenous and mad hunger of a newborn Dranoch, who invaded Aldrin’s home as he attended court and slaughtered the two young.

It was then - tearfully and with great anger - that Aldrin presented the man who had slain his children, shackled before the Court of Dusk, and demanded his execution for what he had done. Instead, Aldrin was reprimanded for daring to take a Dranoch prisoner, and the murderer was made exempt of any such charge.

From that point forward, he knew the truth of their society; that no matter what, the Dranoch were above and everyone else was below. That there would never be truth, justice, equality or freedom in the clutches of the hellspawn that reigned over them. He began to conspire, and with Gods both darkly and benign he communed; he formed a pact with Wraedan and honed his martial skills, and was given a great weapon with which to slay the Lords above them.

And then, meeting in secret with a Dranoch Lord who sought from him, Dalen Sil’Aenach, Aldrin put his dark blade to the test and killed the Huntsman as he slept.

From that point after, he knew — that it could be done. That the people could be free. He knew.

And the Red Moon rose over Veranor for a fortnight, to both mourn the loss of a Huntsman and to declare the realm a hunting ground for the man who betrayed him - who would go on to kill many more Dranoch in time.

The Following Years

After the death of Courtier Dalen, the Huntsman felled by Aldrin, the fugitive man found himself offered a great deal of deference. Though Dalen was far from the most vile among his kin, still considering himself to be one of the Sil'norai he reigned over, the thought of slaying their dark masters was a thing that stoked a fire in the hearts of many Sil'norai.

Aldrin became their salvation; a man with great power over both fire and souls, the vulnerability and nourishment of the Huntsmen. Many joined him in the Darklands where he fled, and many offered themselves up as adherents to his ideology. All who followed Aldrin who were not skilled enough to become his direct companions were made Famished, and noting the dark sigil left upon them the name of his faction was given: the Black Remedy. A group determined to deprive the Dranoch by any means, through both fire and a tormented hunger.

Establishment

Not long after founding the Black Remedy, the group established a strong base of operations somewhere in the Elainian Darklands - in a realm made especially corrosive to Dranoch by what appears to be Wraedan himself, in order to protect his followers. It is within this pocket of the Darklands that the Citadel Gallows was founded, a great castle that houses the Remedy and contains the secret to their continued success: the Bedchamber, where the dead do not remain so.

It is evident to many that the Remedy, which formed only twenty years ago, has grown extremely quickly and has become an incredibly lethal force within the region. While regarded by the Court of Dusk as a group born of catastrophizing and terror, still now do many of the young souls of Veranor slip from their homes in the night and wander to the Citadel Gallows in order to join the force they feel will liberate them. While the Remedy is estimated to have members in the several thousands, many more are sympathetic to their ideology, and for once in all of Elainian history the Dranoch appear to be genuinely unsettled by the strength of their rising opposition.

Ethics

Endless in Sil'norai society, at least behind closed doors, is debate on the black sigil and its dubious moral nature. There are a few aspects to the black sigil - the thing that turns a man Famished - that many deploy as rationalizations to defend it as merely a weapon of war. Firstly, those who become Famished may still reproduce, and their children will not be Famished. This means that the mass implementation of the Sigil across the population would not doom the Sil'norai to be eternally mute, but would rather act as the great sacrifice of a single generation.

Secondly, it does appear that though the Famished may be deprived of many complex human emotions, they are seemingly devoid of negative emotions and do not appear to derive any form of emotional suffering from much anything. In a society wracked by inequality, exploitation and cruelty, this can be seen as a blessing and many willingly offer themselves to Aldrin in order to null the sorrow of their heart.

However, many fear what Aldrin intends to do upon defeating the Dranoch. With a horde of over three hundred thousand Famished who follow after any who would command them like sheep, and the fact that he himself refuses to become among them, many believe he is seeking a perfect totalitarian authority. Whether or not this is true cannot be known, though this is a sentiment the Court of Dusk frequently capitalize on.

  The Vow of the Ebon Knight
  From Oaths, Order.
  Order is my commitment. Strength is my tool. Belief is my weapon.
  I am one blade among a million, pointed to the forms of our slavers; meant to drive through their necks. To rectify their scourge.
  I am the Cleric that will cure the land. I am the Wraith that will cull the deathless. I am the Revenant that will hunt them beyond the grave.
  From Oaths, Order. With Order, Strength and Belief, we will be free.

Ranks

The ranking system of the Black Remedy is summarized by four tiers of obligation.

At the very entry are the ‘Clerics’, who often serve as operatives within a group meant to achieve specific goals. These goals can involve hunting Dranoch, infiltrating their lairs, acquiring information and most often uncovering their identity. Additionally, Clerics may forward information regarding aspiring members or aspiring Famished, but cannot recruit or make their position known in any capacity.

Above Clerics are ‘Ashwraith’s', often serving as group leaders for Clerics during missions and taking accountability for success and failure on such missions. They will generally investigate the leads of Clerics and determine a Dranoch’s identity, weaknesses, daily agenda and other such things before launching missions to kill them. Ashwraiths are typically the weaponized arm of the Remedy and are most often the ones who see direct combat. They are well-respected even by members ranking above them as well as society, as they are the sect of the Remedy that puts their lives on the line for what they see to be liberation.

Above the Ashwraiths are the rare and prominent ‘Black Revenants’, offered a great deal of Aldrin’s powers over souls and universally known to be exceptional pyromancers. They are Aldrin’s direct council and typically number no more than twelve. Revenants are deployed in the hunting of Cardinals or - extremely rarely - Huntsmen, and it is only the Revenants along with Aldrin who have access to the Bedchamber or the power offered by it. They are capable of commanding any others beneath them and operate with nearly perfect free will within the organization, at least in regards to the creation and pursuit of missions and focused initiatives.

And above the Black Revenants is the Jailor, or Aldrin. This is the leader of the Remedy, who appears to forge a specific and compelling pact with Wraedan in order to cull the Dranoch from Atharen. It is uncertain just what things the Jailor knows or can do, but it is evident that he is not inferior to any Courtier of Dusk, and is viewed by many as a messiah, the one hope for freedom in all of the Elainian Darklands.

Influence

While the Remedy have no formalized legal power, it is evident that within Sil-Elaine the Sil'norai are almost universally inclined to support them or turn a blind eye to their actions, whether due to ideological adherence or fear of what things might happen to them otherwise.

The latter point should be emphasized as many Sil'norai do not support the Remedy wholly; many find the Famished to be a terrifying prospect and the unwilling abduction of civilians in order to make more, terrifies many Sil'norai. Still, a great deal see the Remedy as a better alternative to the Court of Dusk, and so it is not uncommon to speak in support for them behind closed doors.

In terms of resources, the Remedy do not command a comparable military force when one considers the sheer might of the Court of Dusk. The Dranoch of Sil-Elaine are few but mighty and typically command great beasts, as well as the Huntsmen themselves who are nearly infallible even alone in their strength. Still, the Remedy are known for their imperviousness to being compromised and the loyalty of their followers, as well as their abilities that have acted as a great aegis against any Dranoch assault.

As such, while not as powerful as any sovereign nation, the Remedy are particularly well-positioned for a rebel group and pose a legitimate threat to the government of Sil-Elaine.

Aldrin Sil'Jalus

The Jailor.

Aldrin is known, perhaps, as one of the greatest of all men on Atharen - if you take sympathy with his ideology. Or he is a flea, or a source of great upheaval, or a man who wishes to consolidate all beneath him. Whatever the case may be, one cannot deny that Aldrin is among some of the greatest fighters and leaders in history, a man with such power and prominence that he can even share his seemingly divine abilities among his followers en masse. A man capable of striking terror into the thoughts of even the Dranoch Huntsmen, depriving them of their sustenance and challenging them at every opportunity.

Some would say Aldrin has cornered the Court of Dusk; trapped them in Veranor, slowly consolidating the countryside of the Darklands and the people to his cause. There is no question that the Black Remedy has lost its fair share of battles and failed missions beyond counting, yet logistically Aldrin's leadership continues to lead the Remedy closer towards the convictions they seek: the genocide of the Dranoch, and liberation of Sil-Elaine.

In terms of Aldrin's personality, he is sophisticated and cold - formal and commanding by nature, with no propensity to show others any side of personhood or vulnerability. Aldrin is a face for his ideology, masked and obscured, with little desires but vindication.

Abilities and Tools

Core among the abilities of the Remedy are two things: the manipulation of souls, and the control over fire. While as a Cleric only meager introductory abilities are offered, an Ashwraith gains access to diverse pyromancies whilst a Black Revenant is given essentially the full breadth of Aldrin’s fundamental abilities.

The pyromancy, a variant sort of Runic discipline, operates through the Black Sigil which appears to act a conduit for the power. Pyromantic abilities are typically offered to an Ebon Knight in the form of an expansion to their Black Sigil, altering the core of the sign to smolder and light with cinders. Those who receive this alteration to the Black Sigil have their eyes change; a kindling fire will perpetually light like an inner ring of their iris, glowing softly with the luminescence of fading flame.

After receiving the Pyromancer’s Black Sigil, the Ebon Knight will be made to Enkindle one of their weapons. This will create permanent enchantments on these weapons that will imbue them with pyromantic properties, as well as allowing them to act as a focus for Sigilic Pyromancy. The most common such examples involve delayed jets, arcs and lashes of fire spurring from one’s weapon after it is swung or lunged, generally with the fire following the same exact trajectory as the weapon itself. These are brief examples and all of this can be further explored in the Sigilic Pyromancy write-up.

On the same grain, it is important to mention that Ebon Knights are given armor and weaponry that is highly resistant to fire, the materials of which can only be found in the mines guarded by the Citadel Gallows.

Black Revenants may be given specific pyromantic abilities upon acquiring the rank, of considerable power that will determine them and their individual style in manipulating flame. These will need to be approved by a moderator when the rank of Black Revenant is acquired by the character in question.

Finally, an Ebon Knight’s soul magic allows them to plant the Black Sigil upon others, as well as using other’s Sigils as batteries for their pyromancies, effectively allowing the Ashwraith to harvest any Famished nearby to restore their own full might. This is an easy process and though it is exhausting and painful for the Famished, can be done without long-term harm if performed correctly. Typically this occurs by digging into the Black Sigil with a clawed gauntlet and pulling what appear to be cinders from the wound.

Upon achieving the rank of Black Revenant, one is bonded to one of the coffins of the Bedchamber and is therefore given access to the Remedy’s most compelling ability. While one’s soul is bonded to the Bedchamber and dedicated to a particular coffin, even death can be allayed as the dead Revenant is reconstructed piece by piece within the coffin. Their soul helps to reimagine their physical form, and seemingly by Wraedan’s immense power they are remade over the process of a few days.

It should be noted that this is an incredibly slow and excruciating process. Every moment of those days are filled with pain as the body suffers the misery of being rebuilt. As the head is the first aspect to be reconstructed, this immiserating pain is present throughout the whole of the process and is said by Revenants to be an incredibly harrowing experience that can lead one astray.

Yet afterward, risen from the coffin, the Ebon Knight is returned to their former glory and may utilize all of the information acquired before their death. This ability is often used to identify especially dangerous Dranoch, and given the sensitive identities of Revenants themselves, all will attempt to burn off their face before death so that they themselves cannot be identified in the next life.

As this ability can seemingly be performed innumerable times, if only limited by the degradation of the Revenant’s mental health, it has proven to be a key aspect of the organization’s success.

Further, members of the rank of Ashwraith and above are often given mutagens to enhance their precision and reflexes so that they may be less vulnerable to the extremely quick Dranoch. These will settle in over a period of thirty days and can be marginally enhanced at the rank of Revenant.

In regards to the armor and weaponry of the Black Remedy, the Ebon Knight’s arms and armor, the material used is referred to as Elainian Steel by the faction and it is not only highly durable for the purpose of armor and weaponry, but peculiarly resistant to fire to a degree where it becomes largely negligible. Even the coat of the Ebon Knight is infused with a powdery offspring of this substance, keeping them from incinerating their gear and protecting them from deathly harm until their Sigilic Pyromancy guides them toward natural resistance.

Note: The Ebon Knights have their own skill write-up, Sigilic Pyromancy.

Progression

To progress in the Black Remedy, there is a specific process in order to ensure fairness and to reduce unnecessary moderation bloat. While moderators must still be involved as far as approvals go for a new rank in the faction, moderated threads and questlines are unnecessary to progress in the Remedy unless one wishes to become the Jailor.

Ranks and Enhancements

Cleric - Baseline, 0 Points Required At the rank of Cleric, the PC is given access to Sigilic Pyromancy as well as the Citadel Gallows as a place of residency. They can also take on missions in order to progress in rank.

Ashwraith - 100 Points Required At Ashwraith, one is given two unique Pyromantic or Soulbinding abilities specific to them, and is given a set of Ebon Knight armor and weaponry. This gear is elite -- the armor is highly durable and partly resistant to magic, while the weapons are sharp enough to cleave through armor without resistance, forged from calcified Dranoch claws, sharpened and honed. Ashwraiths are allowed to play Aldrin, but with minimal interaction, kept mostly to small conversations and discussions. They may only do this once given initial permission, ensuring they play his character correctly. This translates to having 1 Influence over Aldrin as per the NPC guidelines.

Black Revenant - 200 Points Required A Black Revenant is given enhancements to their gifted abilities, as well as the ability to plant the Black Sigil upon others in order to initiate them into the Remedy, convert an individual into a Famished or for any other reason. They are capable of tapping into some of Aldrin's powers, enabling them to reconstruct their bodies at the Bedchamber if they are to die, and they are capable of developing additional Pyromancies over time and through Help Desk approval. Black Revenants are given the ability to play Aldrin as if he were an NPC with 2 Influence.

Jailor - Moderated Questline Only The Jailor is given leadership of the Black Remedy, access to 'Soul Grasping' and is given all of Aldrin's artifacts and hidden lores.

Accumulation

Progress within the ranks is determined by a simple set of additives. On rare occasions, a moderator may also detract from someone's score due to a mistake they may have caused or the result of a series of events.

+5 Completed Solo Mission for the Remedy -- This can include infiltration, identification of a Dranoch, the killing of a Dranoch, the recruitment of new Ebon Knights, raids on Sil'norai to turn them Famished, willing acquisition of new Famished, the assault, subversion or destruction of an infrastructure or institution of Dranoch power... the list could go on. Please ask a Sil-Elaine moderator for guidance if you have a mission idea that you're unsure of.

+10 Completed Collaborative Mission for the Remedy -- This follows the same mission guidelines for the former reward, but must be done with other PCs also contributing to the mission (generally other Ebon Knights).

+15 Completed Moderated Thread involving the Remedy directly -- This will be issued when the thread is completed.

+25 For the death of a Courtier of Dusk, or any other Dranoch Huntsman -- May be additive with the +15 bonus. As Courtiers of Dusk are moderation-only, this would surely happen within a moderated thread. The character is not expected to go toe-to-toe with a Huntsman, but rather to contribute to their death.

+40 For becoming a 'Deathstalker' -- Or for being one, upon joining. As soon as the player is approved to become a Deathstalker and does so in-thread, this bonus will be applied.

Restrictions

1. An Ebon Knight must follow the guidelines set out in the 'Restrictions' section of Sigilic Pyromancy.

2. You may absolutely not assume that you are of the next rank until a moderator officially approves your request.

3. Both solos and collabs submitted in order to pursue rank progression will be looked at critically in order to ensure quality. If you are trying to use a sheer grinding thread to also progress in the Remedy, you will be denied. A 'mission' for the Remedy is an actual mission - being taught how to fight by an NPC is not going to progress you further in the faction. This same point goes for attempts to pump out mission threads in order to game the system; it will not be tolerated and some or all of your threads may not count at all towards your progression points.

4. Please be aware that you may not split up your solos or collabs in order to turn every solo in a mission line into a +5 or +10 reward. Missions or collabs for faction progression are expected to be complete stories, meaning we're happy to see you split them up in order to achieve the mission's completion at the end, but a single 1500 word solo may not be eligible to be considered a mission. This of course has nuance; if you are doing a five-thread mission, you may be eligible to have some key sections of the mission offer a point reward. When in doubt ask a moderator. If a reviewer blindly over-approves mission progression, a moderator may also revoke some or all given points.