Brotherhood of Shadows

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Tauren Kai-Jere

Entry in the 2006 Nexus Organizations Contest.

History

The Brotherhood of Shadows traces its roots back to the days when the unholy twilight first fell on Knightlund. Most farmers were forced to leave their homes as the unnatural gloom quickly killed off their crops and began diminishing the size of their herds. More importantly, the dead began to walk the perpetual sunset killing and devouring the mortals they came across. In a matter of months, the fertile heart of Knightlund was a desolate shell of the land it once was. At the center of the evil that overtook the region was the cursed keep of the undead Solamnic knight Loren Soth, whose selfishness ultimately destroyed his homeland. This no man's land soon became known as "Nightlund."

Very few people elected to try and defend their homes and livelihoods against the darkness that fell on the region in the wake of the Cataclysm. A notable exception to this rule was the port town of Belmonte. Located approximately fifty miles east of Maligoth on the southern shore of the Vingaard River, the walled river town of Belmonte was an access point for ships bringing supplies and trade goods from Kalaman to the people of Knightlund. It was only through the negotiations facilitated between the merchants of Belmonte and Kalaman by the local sheriff that trade enough to support the town's reduced population continued.

Sheriff Eric Grey rallied the people of Belmonte during those early months of darkness, keeping merchants and trade ships trickling in and the undead and other monstrosities out. About a year after the Cataclysm, Sheriff Grey led Belmonte's stalwart militia to victory over an evil necromancer and his undead minions. However, the sheriff stopped his men from putting the wizard's lair to the torch. Instead the sheriff saw a unique opportunity.

He ordered the men with him to collect what they could of the necromancer's spellbooks and artifacts and bring them home with them. Seeing no end to Belmonte's uphill battle against the evil that surrounded them, Sherriff Grey had decided to try and fight fire with fire. Each of the men with him in the necromancer's lair that day swore an oath of secrecy. They promised to tell no one, not even their wives and children, of the things they were planning to bring into their homes in the hopes that the tools of dark magic were simply that, tools that could be used for good by desperate men.

For Sheriff Eric Grey this proved true. With a little luck, an unquenchable resolve, and the use of every intellectual resource he had, Grey taught himself the basics of High Sorcery over the next ten years. He used what he learned to help defend Belmonte against the walking dead that haunted Nightlund's twilight and passed on what protective magics he could to his secret cabal of men.

Under the guardianship of Grey's secret brotherhood, Belmonte survived, even flourished in the darkness. Near the end of his life, Grey began to experiment with teleportation magic and spells that would allow him momentary control of the weakest forms of undead. Following Grey's death in 20 A.C., his successor in the militia swore to take the sheriff's fight into the dark heart of Nightlund.

Over the centuries the members of Grey's Militia were careful to avoid detection by the Orders of High Sorcery. Those that were discovered by the Conclave were usually mistaken for renegades and killed. The loyalties of a Militiaman were to Nightlund, not to the magic they wielded. Over the centuries, Grey's Militia spread into Nightlund proper and even some regions of central Solamnia, where they began to operate in secretive bands and cells. Their skills in magic increased with their growing numbers. The most powerful members of the brotherhood could not only manipulate the undead in combat and summon deadly shadows to their sides, but they could even use the darkness and shadows of Nightlund as protection and as a means of traveling great distances unseen. Many scholars of obscure arcane lore believe that first shadow dancers appeared in Nightlund during the Age of Despair.

During the War of the Lance Grey's Militia became known as the Brotherhood of Shadows as they frequently using hit and run tactics to harass the Blue Dragonarmy. Following the Chaos War, the wizards of the Brotherhood were amongst the first to turn to wild sorcery. In fact, many found that their control of the shadows was stronger then it had ever been before.

The War of Souls and its conclusion marked a turbulent and important period in the history of the Brotherhood. During the war, many high ranking members of the organization lost their lives battling the angry spirits and undead creatures tormented by Takhisis's closure of the River of Souls. A number of Shadowmasters were actually killed by their shadow companions who suddenly turned on them for no reason. After the war however, it seemed the Brotherhood's work was coming to an end. The death knight Soth was destroyed and the twilight that had smothered Nightlund for centuries was gone.

Settlers began returning to Nightlund, intent on reclaiming the farmlands and manors lost to the Solamnic people since the Cataclysm. However, the evil was not quite defeated. Vampire lords refused to relinquish their ruined castles. Dark clerics of Chemosh worked fervently to return the perpetual twilight and drive the living away. Unquiet spirits still haunted ancient battlegrounds and graveyards and a mysterious cypress forest had sprung up overnight in the shadows of the Dargaard Mountains.

Although the all encompassing twilight is gone from Nightlund, pockets of darkness persist. The Brotherhood of Shadows will continue to fight in that darkness until it is defeated.

Goals/Motivations

The Brotherhood of Shadows works tirelessly to eradicate the last of the undead from Nightlund and to protect the citizens of the region from outside forces that would harm them.

Headquarters/Areas of Influence

The Shadows operate primarily in the Nightlund region of Solamnia, although cells do exist in other areas of the country. The Brotherhood of Shadows has no permanent base of operations. However, at least one Shadow can always be found in the town of Belmonte. The Shadows that call Belmonte home often refer to themselves as the Grey Militia.

Leadership/Organization

The leadership of the Brotherhood is very fluid and democratic. A typical cell is composed of two to ten men (called Shadows) led by a Shadowmaster. The Shadowmaster is generally the most experienced member of the cell, often nominated by the other Shadows. Shadows that are members of one cell often have little knowledge of the Brotherhood beyond their own group, beside what their Shadowmaster sees fit to tell them. When multiple cell work together, the respective Shadowmasters nominate a leader for the duration of time they must cooperate called a Nightmaster.

Members of the Brotherhood of Shadows are typically bards, fighters, rogues, sorcerers, and rangers who specialize in hunting the undead. Clerics are uncommon and wizards are exceptionally rare in the Age of Mortals. Most members now embrace mysticism and wild magic. Many members also become shadow dancers or hunters of the dead.

Allies

Given the tenacity with which the Shadows battle the undead they have often helped and been helped by individual clerics and paladins of the Holy Orders of the Stats throughout history, most notably the churches of Majere and Mishakal.

In the Age of Mortals cells of Shadows will help cells of Steel Legionnaires if it suits their purposes. Given the secretive nature of both organizations, such alliances are formed carefully and without the Shadows generally revealing their true allegiances and powers to the Legion.

Enemies

The Brotherhood of Shadow's primary enemies are the undead, making them natural enemies of the Church of Chemosh. However, the Shadows have little tolerance for any organization or people that could threaten the well-being of the citizens of Nightlund. They hunt down dark clerics, bandits and evil humanoids with equal fervor.

Since many of the Shadows practice wild forms of spectramancy and necromancy, they are very careful not to reveal their presence or activities to members of the Orders of High Sorcery. Having recently learned of the presence of the Tower of Nightlund from the shadows that haunt the cypress forest, members of the Brotherhood take pains to avoid the area for fear of being detected.

Membership

Anonymity is one of the greatest weapons in a Shadow's arsenal. Typically, members of the Brotherhood try to look and act just like anyone else. However, when they do meet en mass they usually dress in blacks and grays and are careful to conceal their faces with hoods and cloaks when they must act openly.

Some veteran Shadowmasters have been known to wear five-pointed Solamnic sheriff's stars made of onyx.

Joining the Organization

When the Shadows are seeking to recruit someone (people very rarely seek out the Brotherhood) they look for brave Solamnic patriots who are willing to work outside the norms of society to do good. To join the Brotherhood of Shadows, the potential recruit (or Darkling) must first prove he is trustworthy to the Shadows who are considering him for membership. Often this means the Shadows test him by entrusting him with small secrets over a period of time. They will by no means reveal their true nature or purpose to the Darkling during the recruiting phase. Should the recruit prove untrustworthy he could potentially expose the Brotherhood to the world and endanger the Shadows.

When the cell's Shadowmaster is satisfied that the Darkling is trustworthy, the Shadows ensure that the recruit is put into direct conflict with the undead or some other evil. Other Shadows are present during this test (always in secret) to monitor the Darkling's progress and to help if absolutely necessary. These tests are often designed to show the dark magic and sorcerery are not necessarily evil, but simply tools that any man can use for his own purposes. Usually the other Shadows only reveal themselves after the Darkling has proved his bravery and loyalty to his friends and love of his country.

When the Shadowmaster is satisfied the Darkling meets these requirements, the members of the cell will reveal themselves to recruit and begin his formal training as a Shadow in the Brotherhood.

Most Darklings are the son or daughter of an existing Shadow. The Brotherhood has remained a well kept family secret in many Nightlund families, with the Darkling traditionally being brought into the Brotherhood when they are a young adult.

Costs and Benefits of Membership

All members of the Brotherhood of Shadows are required to swear an oath of secrecy to each other, putting the well-being of Nightlund and Solamnia ahead of their own lives. They are made to promise never to use dark magic for evil and to punish those who do. Above all they are never to betray the identities of their Brother Shadows to the world. Breaking this oath ensures a swift death.

However, members of the Brotherhood have access to an extensive network of experienced wild magicians; primarily necromancers and spectramancers. All members are well-schooled in the arts of stealth and deception and given basic combat training.

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