Order of the Rose

Location

A peninsula in the Middlelands serves as the base of operations for this mysterious order of mages and scholars. After the formation of the order they quickly built out their ancestral city and fortified it even further beyond anything that is normal for the Middlelands.
The fortress features walls thicker than a person is tall, inscribed with necromantic runes from top to bottom.
 

Inhabitants

Members

The members of the order a varied. Coming from all across Hyperborea, the mixture of different backgrounds, schools of thought and methods of training unites the continent into one institution.
This naturally leads to conflict, which is often solved by academic debate in front of whoever is willing to listen in and give an opinione, which in turn may lead to the next challenge for debate. Withing the buildings belonging to the order, one may find not only the scholars and "subjects" of their studies, but also a wide variety of different adventurers working for the order.
 

Undead

These undead are the subject of study for the historians and scholars of the order. In the lands of the order they are protected from any attack against the undead, unless officially sanctioned, for example after the violation of the law.
Over the years many supposedly sentient undeads have made their home within the fortress, assisting the order in their research and lending them their accumulated wisdom. It is notable, that within the fortress the rules of nature governing the undead are seemingly laxer than elsewhere, allowing vampires to walk in direct sunlight, ghosts to not fade away and so forth. It is theorized that this is a direct effect of the artifact the group possesses.
 

Commoners

Most of the commoners living in the city are still associated with the order. Many of them are related to members, having followed them to the city, or are doing business with the order.
 

Purpose

The order claims that their lies in the uncovering and preservation of history. To do that they go beyond the regular methods of archiving and recording of history, employing necromantic practices, utilizing the unique nature of the Middlelands to facilitate that, as well as a mysterious artifact they possess.
A large amount of sentient undead seem to flock to the fortress, requesting their protection in exchange for the information and skills they bring.
 

History

The order was established a few centuries ago, the exact dates are not recorded. They quickly fortified their home city beyond anything that is common within the Middlelands. Early in this development they started to send out their historians to investigate the ruins of our past. Often also sponsoring those that dared to venture further into those same ruins.
During these earlier times they seem to have uncovered a necromantic artifact. At this point they seem to have shifted their methods and focus onto the appropriation of this necromantic energy, learning to use it for their own purposes.
Despite the order's fondness for sharing all the most important details about the history of any nation, they are severely tight lipped about their own history.  

Noteworthy People