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The Order of the Faceless Priests
The Revelations
The truth is whispered among the deaf but there for us to hear. Shadows and reflections hint of the shape and nature of the hidden reality only a few of us can see. It is a prison and we are trapped. It is a dream from which we cannot awaken.
This is the path of Truth. It will tear the veils of illusion that shape this world and keep us captive. Join us and you shall see what lies underneath. Learn our ways and you shall awaken in your own dream so you can shape it at will.
Despite their might, the Gods too can be fooled and they are blind to the deception, as they cling to their possessions. But the Whisper defies the lies and for that they hate him. For that we listen.
We hear the Faceless Whisper and the Truth he brings with him. To be among us, it is not enough to follow him, for through us his Will is done. We are the Weavers of Lies. We are the smile that hides the dagger. We are the poison in the tip of the fang and it is our duty to move the pieces in our Master’s game.
Others have heard the Whisper and they call themselves the Faithful Ones. They are mad in their devotion. They hide like rats, afraid of prosecution. They are pathetic. They are weak, broken by lies that serve the Truth. Others have heard it as well and raised themselves above the eager clackers. For them, the Whisper may have other plans, for he has many arms that make his reach infinite and we are but one.
Unlike the Faithful ones, we are not mad. We are imbued. We hide in plain sight. With layers upon layers, we weave illusions of our own. We wear masks everyone wants to see and use them to rule over their worldly affairs. With that power we can carry out his will better than any of his sewer rats. The very lies that keep us captive shall keep us safe until the time comes to escape this prison.
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Behind the mask, we do not exist.
Behind the mask, we have no face.
Behind the mask, we have no name.
And from the Shadows we wield His Power.
History
For some, Truth is revealed in madness and reason is restored through torture (http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=31432.0). To survive both is to be imbued.
Others hear the calling despite their peaceful nature and moral upbringing. Their actions lead them to a path of deceit and their touch poisons those who trustingly put their lives in their hands. They are precious to the Whisper.
Only those who prove themselves can enter our Shrine and only a few of them shall be called to serve the Whisper in our ranks.
The Order of The Faceless Priests is a faction among many within our Master’s church. We all serve his purposes and through him, we find our own.
Rules
1. The Whisper only speaks to those who prove their worth.
2. You are to hide in plain sight and carry the dagger in your smile. Layers upon layers, always two steps ahead of our enemies, using them, joining them, leading them until it is time to dispose of them.
3. Among us, you must always remain distrustful for you will never be trusted.
4. Among us, you must never reveal your identity for no one will reveal his or her own to you and you must hide your face for all other faces will be hidden from you.
5. If you reveal your quest to any soul living or dead, you will not be saved from madness. There will be no turning back. There will be no redemption. There will only be despair, as terrible as only our Master can cast.
Ranks
Eager Clacker
A follower of the Whisper who is yet to answer the Whisper's call. They hide their faces with red clacker masks.
Acolyte
One who has not yet seen the truth yet has started to walk the path that will lead them to it. Acolytes hide their faces with a green clacker mask and must prove they are worthy of the teachings of the Whisper. They are to present themselves as commoners and use this average role in society to gain information and execute our orders.
Inquisitor
One who has been imbued with the power to serve the Whisper. They can hear and see the truth in the works of our Master. Inquisitors hide their faces with a black clacker mask. They shall acquire certain power and influence over trivial matters that will server our purposes. They are to command respect and trust and his word shall outweigh that of simple peasants.
Priest
One who has seen the truth and learned the ways of the illusions that keep us trapped. They hide their faces with a veil of shadows under a dark hood. Their influence in society shall be grand. They shall wield the power to turn the tides within the masses. They will join and infiltrate those who hunt us and fear us and help them learn only what we wish to teach them.
High Priest
One who knows how to perform the Rituals of Revelation and has the power to imbue and train lower members of the Order. Their faces are hidden in darkness. They will use their wealth and renown to move the pieces as our Master’s hand.
Hierophant
The one who leads the Order. He hides his face with the darkest shadows. His wisdom is great and he was chosen by the Whisper to carry out his Will. From the darkness he pulls the strings that move our puppets’ limbs, wealth and names, yet neither light nor shadow will ever reveal the webs of our Master’s Will. Such is his power.
OOC Guidelines
Is the Order a sect of the Black Flame?
- The Order is a faction of the Blackflame. It is formed by citizens of different circles who carry out special tasks given their skills, position in society, and knowledge. They perform the rituals in his name and do whatever is asked of them by the Whisper. They are not his only followers but unlike others in the church, they perform an active role.
What kind of character can join this guild?
- To join your character does not need to be or become the next Lord of Darkness (in fact, avoid that approach at all costs). This guild is dark and they will butcher people constantly to find what they are looking for but you don’t have to start out as a demon or end up like one (black horns, flaming eyes, smoking nostrils, aura of darkness, etc., it gets old real quick). The idea is to let your character go through a process of transformation and corruption. All you need to do is have a personal reason to join the Blackflame and then a reason to be a part of this faction. Here are a few examples: a) trying to find the meaning of their existence; b) feeling betrayed by other religions; c) having a mental state that affects their perception of reality but does not keep them from functioning in society; d) having suffered a great loss or injustice; e) suffering a physical injury that affects their senses; f) being fascinated by death; g) needing to acquire power for their own purposes; h) feeling overbearing guilt and needing to find a way to reverse the situation they brought upon themselves; i) being extremely greedy; etc, etc.
Roleplay
- Roleplay and respect other players. RP Nazis are not fun but good roleplay is expected at all times. Knowledge of the settings is a must, especially regarding religion and laws, stay in character and react to what is thrown at you. You are expected to have a story that justifies your interest in the guild. Saying “being evil is k00l. 1 r 90nn4 pwn u!!!” won’t get you far.
- Your character must be a Blackflame follower before joining this guild. This means they have to gain access to the Blackflame Shrine and/or know all there is to know about the Blackflame and respect the guidelines set by the developers regarding how to RP it properly. It is a secret cult so you must never reveal your allegiance to it. That applies to all members of the cult, not only those that join this guild.
- Use your character description wisely, i.e.: to describe what others can perceive by looking at or being in the presence of your character. Empty or default descriptions will be frowned upon. Obvious “fear me, I am oh so evil” descriptions should be avoided as well. Members must have a cover and raise no suspicion of their allegiance to the guild or the cult and depending on their rank, have their characters gain a legitimate position in society that enables them to act in the name of the Whisper.
- Godmodding stinks. Do it and you’ll be fed to the powerlevelers.
- The teachings of this guild will allow your character to develop certain skills and powers but everything has to be within settings and in compliance with the statement above. We favor the deceptive arts of illusion and the schools that enhance one’s perceptions, as well as the skills of stealth in combat.
- RP fights and PvP are optional and neither is frowned upon.
- Since members have to hide their allegiance with the guild and pretend to be respectable citizens, engaging in quests, GM events and RPs that fit with their public persona is encouraged. For the same reason, breaking the law and ignoring the consequences of their IC actions is bad. Bad roleplayer! Bad! Furthermore, characters that join this faction are will always cover their faces in their gatherings. Nobody is to reveal their identity but to the Whisper himself. Given the importance of the tasks they will perform, they are not to know whom they are working with, only who they work for. Claiming knowledge of or revealing each others’ names IC will be frowned upon (unless the players are willing to have their characters face the IC consequences of betraying the Whisper).
- Guildchat is OOC by default. No need for brackets there unless stated otherwise during RP.
- Use your RP to learn and teach. Set the example of how to keep IC and OOC separate and engage with newcomers who might benefit from the experience.
- Massrecruiting is like a bad 80’s haircut or a cheesy Aaron Spelling soap. Never resort to it or it will come back to haunt you. Guild recruitment is not to take place in anywhere but the Blackflame shrine and private or secluded areas. Witnesses shall be silenced. Mistakes shall be punished.
- Feel free to contact us OOC via /tell or PMs if you have any questions or need help with your character’s story. However, you will need to RP your way in as well as become a BF follower first.
- We welcome enemies and victims (love them to death). Feel free to hunt us down and bring us to justice if your character figures out who we are and manages to survive the night. Also feel free to contact us to work out plots with your guild/organization/character.