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.