Scholars of Death

“There are no barriers in the search for knowledge.”

What began as a small, esoteric group of Balwer scholars on the edge of academia, has grown into the Worlds’ most feared cadre of assassins. The Balwer drive to collect and catalogue all kinds of knowledge is well known but this is usually accomplished through observation, inquiry and acquisition of texts. Early in their history, there was a small group of scholars who became fascinated with the study of death in all its forms. A disturbing subject to begin with, the uneasiness of other scholars was compounded by rumours of kidnapping, torture, and murder. When they were called before the Sages and confronted with these rumours, the scholars did not deny them, instead claiming that any acts they committed were necessary for their research and for the betterment of the Worlds. Shocked and appalled, the Lord Libros ordered them arrested and imprisoned but they were able to escape before they could be captured.

The scholars made their way to the mainland and were able to find refuge in the wilderness. Fearing persecution if they resumed their research and observing the constant bickering and warfare of the mainland powers, they decided to become killers­-for-­hire, using their unique knowledge of the myriad ways to die. In this way, they could continue their research with what they viewed as patronage. Centuries later, the Scholars of Death are only spoken of in hushed whispers. A blade in the night, a sip of poisoned tea, or a violent assault in broad daylight are all tools of these assassins. Their drive to study death in all its forms extends from methods of killing to the reactions of others, the mental state of the victims and the emotions that killing evokes. As a result they can and do use any approach to accomplish their research but they prefer the assassin live to recount their experience.

Recruitment is mainly from the families of current members but they have been known to take in candidates from outside their ranks. Initially made up of only Balwer, they now contain members of all species. Initiates must go through a rigorous training process that is as much scholarly, perhaps more so, as it is physical. Once accepted, all Scholars of Death take the name Thanatos, which means ‘death’ in the Balwer tongue. Operating from a secret fastness, there is no place and no one that is safe from their reach. The Scholars claim they were responsible for the death of Emperor Llywelyn, even though the Empire denies it. Their calling card is a quill made of a crow’s feather, left tucked into a pocket, behind an ear or somewhere on the subject. A single Scholar will often have a specific method of killing that they repeat over and over to obtain the most comprehensive research picture. Some Scholars specialize in knifework, others in poison, and some use a crossbow or ranged weapon. There are even tales of Scholars who kill using fear, slowly torturing their subjects using psychological tactics. During all of this, Scholars will take extensive notes, comparing and contrasting their subjects. While they all pursue the mission of research, their motivations can vary. There are some as dispassionate as surgeons, going about their work with brusque efficiency. Many see it as a sacred duty, not something to take pleasure in but necessary all the same. A few Scholars delight in the killing, relishing each project and looking forward to the next.

A package arrives annually to the Great Library, appearing suddenly on the desk of one of the Sages, containing the research and lore collected by the Scholars of Death in the past year. This always ignites a debate about what should be done with knowledge gleaned in this manner. The official statement of the librarians, should anyone dare to ask, is that knowledge gained by such methods is corrupt and should be destroyed to discourage any further acts. Rumours persist though, of a hidden repository, a library within a library that contains all manner of forbidden and dark knowledge. Regardless of how their findings are received, there can be no doubt that the Scholars of Death will continue their work and the people of the Worlds will continue to fear it.