Pathkeepers

The enigmatic protectors of the Golden Paths, these robed blindfolded monks keep themselves apart from all others. Ignoring the ways outside world until they intrude on the Pathways, even when the stones of the Pathways were being stained with the blood of battle, their focus was maintaining the integrity of the Pathways. Fading in and out of the Mortal Realm they avoid direct conflict with even the most violent intruders into the Pathways. Only interacting with outsiders for food and cloth in whispered dealings, the Pathkeepers were considered harmless by the other peoples.

Ignored by the other nations as a race of harmless monks, they were left alone and even respected for their dedication to their work. When the Nexus Accords were crafted, the Pathkeepers were included as a neutral third party. Charged with the ongoing maintenance of the Golden Paths they were granted exclusive control of the Golden Paths. They were the ones who insisted on the military exclusion zone that were to surround the Golden Paths. As well, they were granted the right to propose and collect transit fees to be approved by the Nexus Council for the maintenance of the Pathways.

While the Nexus Accords only apply to the Golden Paths leading to Nexus, as Civilization spread they were granted de facto authority over the other Pathways. Even in the Golden Paths between Darkwood and Val'Dorath, the Elves and Orcs left the Pathkeepers to their work. To other cultures they see to be a function of the Golden Paths not a people unto themselves.

The image of their harmlessness was destroyed after the First Enforcement. Their ability to remove thousands of individuals en masse from the Mortal Realm proved they were not just simple monks. They never attempted to leverage that ability into more power, which made them even more suspect.

History

The Pathkeepers are not native to the Dancing Spheres. When the Maelstrom formed, ships plying the Astral Sea were drawn in to it without warning. Among those that were draw in was a flotilla of an Far Realm vessels were drawn in and crashed on the darkside of Burning Sands. Taking advantage of the crash, their slaves revolted and slaughtered their oppressors. When the dust settled they found themselves trapped on a frozen wasteland in damaged ships unable to return to the Astral Sea. Freed from their oppression they were consigned to a terrible fate of being frozen to death on the unending glaciers. However they soon found the Golden Path to Menzorastar. In what seemed to be a cruel twist of fate the Curse of Poison awaited them on the other side of the Pathway. Turning to the Golden Path as their salvation, they were able to leverage their planar knowledge to escape the Mortal Realm to the Ethereal Mists.

But the Ethereal Mists was not a refuge. The land of hungry dead where no growth is possible, the it was a temporary sanctuary that allowed them to further learn the magics that created and maintained the Golden Path. With this new knowledge they cobbled together a functional astral clipper. They futilely attempted to escape the Maelstrom they were able to take refuge in another Golden Path. Realizing that the Golden Paths were the only thing that could survive the Maelstrom they set about colonizing them.

In the Accords Era, they began to interact with the people of the Mortal Realm. Using their mastery of Planar Magics and their Ethereal Strongholds that encompassed the Pathway Metropolises they were able to extract armies worth of individuals from the @mortal . As well, they created the Blood Bounty. Both to remove potential challengers to their dominion of Planar Magics as Sorcerers could develop such magic without research, and to use their blood to craft the Magekiller weapons and reinforce the defenses of their Astral Fortresses.

Culture

Pathkeeper society is built around control of the Golden Paths. They feel it will give them the security that will prevent their enslavement ever again. Creating strongholds surrounding the Golden Paths in the Ethereal Mists that allow them to anchor strongholds in the Astral Sea that resist the Maelstrom.

Settlements

Pathkeeper Settlements do not exist on the Mortal Plane. They build a massive stronghold on the Ethereal Mists where they can observe the Mortal Plane without being detected. The Ethereal Strongholds also serve as anchors for their ever expanding Astral Fortresses. From there they seek a way to break free of the Maelstrom and return to the Astral Sea.

Astral Fortresses

Anchored to the Ethereal Strongholds, the Astral Fortresses are massive structures magically shielded against the Maelstrom. Using the magics reverse engineered from the Golden Paths and the blood of Sorcerers they hold back its destructive power. Living within the stasis of the Astral Sea, the Pathkeepers have a measure of immorality while they remain in theAstral Sea. As well, the souls of the Pathkeeper dead reside within the Astral Fortresses, free from the destructive power of the Maelstrom

Ethereal Strongholds

Extending in each direction from the Golden Paths, the Ethereal Strongholds, these massive constructions act as an anchor for the Planar Magics that maintain the Astral Fortresses. As well, they act as observatories into the Mortal Plane, where they perpetually monitor the Mortal Plane for threats to their power and independence. Striking from their strongholds their Ghostfaced Assassins, can move in and out of the Mortal Plane to sabotage, subvert, and assassinate targets to protect their hegemony.

Religion

The Pathkeepers see Spirits, Saints, and Gods simply as powerful entities not worth reverence. Within their Astral Fortresses and Ethereal Strongholds, the difference between the living and dead are nearly imperceptible. The only difference is their need for food and their ability to travel to the Mortal Plane.