Blood-Assassin

Within the heart of the nation, the Blood-Assassins are held close to the bosom of the Emperor. These new killers have taken root, their dark paths illuminated by Imperial Graces, and in turn, they are subservient only to the Emperor.

Otan, and subsequently the rest of Xùyì, was taken by storm by the Blood-Assassins. Strange masked killers, with clothing that bled seamlessly into shadows, drew the attention of the nobility. Their swords, black, eldritch blades that absorbed the light, distinguished them from other hired killers. Every bandit, rogue, and child born of evil looked to these rumors with fear and longing. Rumors spread that the old ways were dying. Illicit traders were found slain in the highways, bandit camps, and gambling dens filled with the corpses of their patrons. The dark machinations of this profession appealed to the youths of Otan, who were raised on stories of wars fought between the clans just before their lifetimes. Looking at the brutality shown by these Assassins was like looking at their birthright. For others, it was the social upheaval surrounding their rise that spoke to them. Genuine fear that their movement was undeniable, the eyes of those who passed by revealed what the mouth kept silent.

Freedom to be rid of their fated callings, and the choice to become anything or anyone within the sown chaos brought enjoyment to those who were burned by the hierarchies and birth orders. Salvation was found in the shadows, becoming one with death. Where the echoes of what is, and what must be, merge into one, the hidden blade separates the truth and the lies. When the sword becomes an extension of the will, when life and death become meaningless. Only then comes peace.

For all the skullduggery surrounding these dark arts, their schools have sprouted like weeds across the lands of Otan. The honor-bound schools of swordsmanship and those dedicated to life and light see the emerging assassins with contempt. Local rulers distrust them. Those who pander to the old ways despise them. Yet their power in unimaginable, for they are the eyes of the Otamika, the tools of the recently named Spymaster over all Otan. Wherever their schools open, the flowers of change are watered with the blood of the corrupt. Local lords and their entourage are tested for disloyalty, and though the people are not directly aided, they are often better cared for due to their unseen presence. Those with an aptitude for this lifestyle are summoned into the fold. Despite many objecting to their actions, the loyalty shown by these assassins goes beyond that of the pride-fueled warrior caste.