Anaphexia

Anaphexia

(Organization)

Leader

Yasmardin Senir

Alignment

Neutral evil

Headquarters

Monastery of the Veil, Ustalav

Goals

Assassination, veneration of Norgorber

Members

Assassins dedicated to Norgorber

Source: Rule of Fear, pg(s). 56

The Anaphexia, or Anaphexis, are a hidden order of assassins disguised as an order of silent Pharasmin monks.

Headquarters

The Anaphexia live in the former Pharasmin Monastery of the Veil, nestled high in the Hungry Mountains of the Ustalavic province of Ulcazar. Beneath the Monastery, a vast network of catacombs holds countless shelves of lost gospels, scandalous memoirs and uncensored histories. The assassins of the order guard this secret knowledge, as well as the existence of the Anaphexia, zealously.

Philosophy

Much like the Red Mantis Assassins, the Anaphexia are dedicated to a higher power: the god of thievery and murder, Norgorber. They specifically venerate his aspect as the Reaper of Reputation and master of all secrets; the assassins are sworn to keep for all eternity the secrets that they know.

Each Anaphexia agent sacrifices his own tongue before leaving the monastery, leaving him mute. No secret slips from the Anaphexia agents while they are on a mission or while conducting routine business under the guise of being Pharasma priests. Upon an assassin's successful return, high-ranking members of the order use regeneration to restore the cultist's tongue. In the rare case in which the assassin returns empty-handed, he is left a mute as a punishment. Only Bishop Yasmardin Senir, leader of the order, retains his tongue outside the walls of the Monastery of the Veil.

History

According to the records of Cryptgate Cathedral in Kavapesta, the Monastery of the Veil was founded in 3882 AR by a group of Pharasmin monks who sought to better prepare themselves for death and protect the greatest works of their faith by isolating themselves. In 4144 AR the desperate Countess Robeskea called upon the priests of the monastery to save the lives of her sons, stricken by the plague known as Whithers. She received no reply. The monastery refused her messengers entry. When she finally traveled with her unconscious sons to the monastery, the bishop denied her, repeating his order's mantra "we live only for death". The countess sons died on the monastery door soon after. What followed is a mystery of blood and shadow. The countess courted the cult of Norgorber and set them upon the monastery. The monks were exterminated and the cult claimed their library of mysteries. In the catacomb-libraries of the Monastery of the Veil the leader of the assassins found something the Pharasmins had kept secret for centuries. He emerged with a new charge and a single word: "Anaphexis".

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.