Seal-Breakers

Seal-Breakers

(Organization)

Leader

High Grandmaster Kothas of Mechitar

Alignment

Chaotic evil

Headquarters

House of the Key, Hold of Belkzen

Goals

Nihilism
Break the Great Seal and free Tar-Baphon

Scope

Global

Structure

Fractious cells

Source: Last Watch, pg(s). 73–77

The Seal-Breakers are a nihilistic sect that seeks to unmake reality itself and has existed, under various forms and names, since the Age of Legend. Its current incarnation dates to the Shining Crusade, and its current goal is to break the three seals empowering the Great Seal in Gallowspire to set the Whispering Tyrant Tar-Baphon free.

History

Tales from the Age of Legend speak of some Azlanti who would reveal the presence of the alghollthus manipulating them in order to unleash the revelation's fury upon an unsuspecting world. The Umbral Leaves spoke vaguely of those who sought to bring back Zon-Kuthon from Xovaikain before he was freed just after Earthfall. Such nihilists can be traced throughout the history of Golarion to at least as early as the reign of Pharaoh Kamaria, who openly worshipped Rovagug, if not to the time of Gormuz itself.

When Archmage Geb founded the nation bearing his name, he also brought the Key of Geb, which contained lore revered by those who sought to break the walls of reality, and allegedly powers that could be leveraged to do so. For 1,500 years, it laid within Geb's catacombs beneath the Cinerarium in Mechitar. After Geb committed suicide but before he returned as a ghost, his advisor Kothas stole the Key of Geb, seeking its secrets to unmake reality, and fled what he believed to be the fall of Geb. Kothas pledged his service to Tar-Baphon, and fled again after his new master was slain by Aroden. When Tar-Baphon rose from the dead as the Whispering Tyrant, Kothas saw in him the means of destroying of the world as prophesied in the ancient scroll, and returned to his service.

When Tar-Baphon was defeated and imprisoned within Gallowspire at the end of the Shining Crusade, Kothas was away from his master, but lost access to the Key of Geb, which had been stored in the Tyrant's vault. He quickly realised the nature of the seals that protected Gallowspire, and founded the Seal-Breakers as a formal organisation to recover the Key of Geb and follow its teachings.

Currently, a Seal-Breaker cell is secretly operating in Vigil, seeking to destroy the seal hidden in the city, as well as any who interfere with them.

Structure

The Seal-Breakers' structure is based loosely on various holy orders and divided into cells of fewer than a dozen members, who are usually aware of the existence of at most three other cells and know very little about their activities. However, all cells are aware of and answer to High Grandmaster Kothas and a succession of two other Grandmasters whom he has installed over the ages, currently Cravus Tullius and Soliennu Varshari. The Grandmasters and their orders can all be recognised by secret ciphers disseminated to the order.

Members

See also: Category:Seal-Breakers/Members

Other known members of the Seal-Breakers include:

• Argen Croate
• Helvarim Kolo
• Iliamaniss
• Larisa
• Verona Aliastor
• Yosiduin

Sites

Kothas established the Seal-Breakers' headquarters at the House of the Key, a prehistoric Kellid catacomb in the shadow of the Cenotaph, a place near enough to Gallowspire but sufficiently hidden from his enemies. Over the years, the House of the Key has avoided scrutiny from the outside world, particularly the knights of Lastwall, due to the Seal-Breakers' secrecy and the distraction provided by the orcs of Belkzen, whose songs have spoken of enigmatic black-clad warriors that carry death with them and can walk among the orcs without being trifled with, according to the mandate of Zagresh.

Relationships

Sometimes, the Seal-Breakers compete against the Whispering Way; at other times, they act as rogue agents or the sword arm of the cult.

References

Paizo published a major article about the Seal-Breakers in Last Watch.