Took long enough thanks to some real life issues, but finally here's the next section in my series of more in-depth faction layout suggestions.
4.4.4 Dark Brotherhood
Being illegal, feared, and despised, the Dark Brotherhood is not easy to approach and become a part of. Though a skilled and determined investigator may identify a hideout or its members, questions will be denied, and may result in the character being marked for death as a threat. Instead, the player must get the Brotherhood to come to them. Their attention is gained through murder; each death is worth a certain number of points (unseen by the player), depending on factors such as how important they were, what the relationship was between them, how much evidence was left behind, and so on. More skillful and "pointless" deaths have greater value. Once a certain score is accumulated, a messenger is sent to find and contact the killer. Due to the Night Mother's power and connections to such things, the Dark Brotherhood can much more easily find murderers than the guards for this purpose. These messengers are forbidden to report to authorities, and even travel knowing that they may be killed. Though killing a messenger will not incur the Brotherhood's revenge, it will prevent the individual from ever joining outside of special circumstances. They may peacefully decline the offer at the time, and join later if they change their mind. Because random murders do not take away from hired business and all death pleases Sithis, killers are left to their own. Those who hire themselves out as professional assassins, however, will be targeted as soon as they are discovered. It should be noted that extremely skilled and careful killers, who leave virtually no evidence behind, may operate without the Brotherhood ever discovering their identity. Members do not pay quotas; instead, a portion of their pay for a job is kept by the questgiver. Criminal backgrounds are obviously not a hindrance to joining, but existing faction relationships or fame that make an individual too suspicious or noticeable, may incur tests of loyalty and/or skill. Those who accept an invitation are not immediately shown to a hideout, but are instead introduced to another member who will grade them.
The duties and goals of the Dark Brotherhood are fairly simple; they receive contracts to kill, and carry them out. Such matters can easily become complicated, however, and must often be handled with care. Secrecy is of great importance, if not for the murderer, than for the organization as a whole. Members are required to make sure that they have either escaped from or killed all pursuit before returning to the sanctuary, lest they potentially be targeted themselves to protect the location's secrecy. The Brotherhood generally has no allies, but rarely has true enemies either. Their hidden and dangerous nature makes it unwise to attempt offensives against them, and their nature as mercenaries makes blame indirect. They remain widely despised, however, and if revealed will often be arrested or killed on the spot, though confident members may use their status for intimidation. The identity of those who hire them is kept a careful secret within the organization, only known by the highest ranks, though it's that individual's own responsibility to keep their ritual secret to authorities, as they will receive no protection. Members of the Dark Brotherhood can choose to either devote themselves to the cause, living within the sanctuary, or to maintain a normal life outside. Because of the supernatural factor of their infrastructure, as provided by the Night Mother, the Brotherhood enjoys some protection from threats such as betrayal or infiltration, but also has some harsher rules upon its members. Layers of secrecy separate each level of the Dark Brotherhood, making it frustratingly impossible for law enforcement to ever touch its higher ranks.
Ranks behave as follows. The strict hierarchy of the Dark Brotherhood makes promotion less optional than other guilds, and based more on individual talent than more political factors.
Murderer: Murderers of the Dark Brotherhood are little more than the name implies; people with the capacity to kill the innocent. They are introduced to a representative of the Brotherhood, who gives them the lowest priority contracts available. With temperament confirmed, these tasks are to verify that the Murderer can not only kill, but can do so within specific boundaries, and stay both alive and secret. The representative will deny any knowledge of the character if the law follows them, and will give no help if they are caught. Promotion requires several successful kills, which must be performed according to any given requirements and without leading law enforcement to secret areas or individuals. If a Murderer is arrested they may return to the representative to continue service, but their unseen "score" will be reset.
Operator: Upon promotion to Operator, the character will be given the location of a Dark Brotherhood safehouse. This is not the sanctuary, but rather a gathering point where they and other Operators can rest and resupply, typically a building which the guards have been "encouraged" to stay away from. After confirming skill, this rank exists to test trustworthiness, with a character having to be not only willing to kill, but to have no qualms with the crimes of others when faced with the chance to identify and root out numerous murderers. Aside from low-grade contracts, Operators are given the task of greeting new recruits in the form of other murderers whom the Brotherhood has spotted. Just as the player is approached, they present the offer to join by giving the name of the representative. As is the nature of killers, some will be hostile. This further weeds out those unwilling to condone mass murder, and those unable to defend themselves. Promotion requires a number of successful meetings (regardless of outcome) and more low rank contracts, as well as an oath to Sithis and the Night Mother before being shown the sanctuary, essentially warning the player that revealing this secret will be met with zero tolerance.
Eliminator: With promotion to Eliminator, the character finally becomes a true member of the Dark Brotherhood. They are given the location of the sanctuary, a secluded and protected location with enough space to live in, should the character so choose. If they decide to claim quarters as their own, containers within will be marked as theirs. While most members are forbidden to steal from one another, members of the Black Hand may go through belongings if they are suspicious. Likewise, conflict is not allowed within the sanctuary; however, a member has more leeway to murder another outside its walls. Upon doing so they are interrogated as to their motives, and if the answer satisfies, they will not be punished. Members of the Black Hand are again above this. Eliminators are given a unique visor blessed by the Night Mother, with a Detect Life effect that only marks other members of the Dark Brotherhood, allowing members to be sure they don't kill each other by accident, not knowing their identities. Contracts (given now by the sanctuary caretaker instead of the representative) are more difficult, but still relatively basic. Promotion requires a good success rate of both making the kill and following contract rules, and to kill a town guard. The name of the guard is given by the caretaker when promotion is requested, and chosen based on those who have the lowest disposition toward the faction, effectively removing a potential threat.
Assassin: Recognized as being skilled enough to be a valuable member instead of fodder, Assassins are given their own identifying robes, as well as access to information about special ambush areas. These are locations where several Brotherhood members are stationed in secret. If an Assassin or higher rank is being pursued by a stronger force than they can handle, they can lead the chase into an ambush area, where the other members will attack the pursuers, protecting both the Assassin and the secrecy of the sanctuary. In order to keep from being routed by a superior force, these locations are rotated frequently. The member being chased must be wearing their robes in order to be recognized. Assassins are the most numerous rank in the Dark Brotherhood, between short-lived newcomers and elites. Promotion requires a good success rate in contracts, as well as two additional tasks. First, they are given a contract of higher difficulty and must execute it flawlessly. Second, they must defeat a provided undead creature in direct combat.
Punisher: The rank and file muscle of the organization, Punishers are given more difficult contracts than Assassins, as well as special assignments. Instead of being sent to the Dark Brotherhood via ritual, these assignments are designated by the caretaker of the sanctuary. These usually involve removing direct threats to the Brotherhood, either individuals such as guard captains who are taking things too far in fighting the Brotherhood or former members who have betrayed its trust. To aid in this they are given access to sanctuary poison sellers; because of difficulty in making it and other high-ranking members also buying them, lower ranks cannot buy the limited supplies. Promotion, along with standard contract success, involves being allowed into a dark labyrinth beneath the sanctuary, where they must find and dispatch three wraithlike creatures which are also hunting them back.
Executioner: Executioners are the highest rank of "normal" Brotherhood killers, given difficult contracts and priority in supplies. They are also the Dark Brotherhood's enforcers; when at war with another faction or needing to wipe out a larger group as a contract, the sanctuary's Executioners are sent as one to annihilate the target. Many Executioners choose to live entirely within the sanctuary, as the less stealthy nature of their bloodbaths makes it much more difficult to lead a double life. Adventurers typically do not advance to higher ranks, as doing so requires that one devote themselves to the cause of the Dark Brotherhood. Promotion is only available with an extremely high success rate in contracts, particularly in following all orders to the letter. From there they are engaged in two rituals. The first is a religious bloodshedding ceremony binding them to the highest ranks of service to the Night Mother. The second is a carefully orchestrated "false murder," basically faking the death of the individual being promoted, slaying their old life to create a new one in service to the Brotherhood. In game terms, this eliminates most faction and interpersonal relations, effectively "starting over" in terms of how the world sees the individual. This cuts free legal pursuit and general obligations. While people who knew the character well enough will recognize them if they meet again and old opinions will be restored, this only happens on a face-to-face basis, maintaining a degree of anonymity. This service is only performed once.
Dark Brother: Upon reaching the rank of Dark Brother, characters are given a new set of unique robes, which identify their rank. They must be wearing them to receive benefits or perform the duties of their rank. While most of the killers of the Dark Brotherhood stand on fairly equal terms other than which contracts they are assigned, Dark Brothers are a distinctly superior rank. Sanctuary caretakers are only of this class; if there are none available, that sanctuary will be closed down until a replacement is found. Dark Brothers receive contracts from Speakers, and aside from special circumstances are the only ones outside the Black Hand they interact with. Because most Dark Brothers do not advance any further, there are often several in each sanctuary. Any of them can perform as a caretaker, even several at once. These duties include handing out contracts (either directly assigned or given when a member asks for work), procuring supplies for the sanctuary (other members can sell or donate them if they wish, but if no one else provides shop services, it becomes one of the caretaker's required duties), monitoring the actions of members and whether they need promotion, demotion, or punishment (a desk within the sanctuary has paperwork that keeps track of this), and resolving urgent matters. If another member fails in a contract, a Dark Brother will step in to clean up their mess. If someone is considered a threat to the Brotherhood, they can assign a Punisher or Executioner to eliminate them, without the need for an official contract. Though lesser members are expected to respect and obey the authority of a Dark Brother, they are not above punishment if they abuse this power. They do not typically perform contracts, but instead retain a small portion of the payment for each job. Promotions are not requested; instead, if a Speaker needs a new Silencer, they will approach the Dark Brother that they feel is most qualified. Though better job performance will increase the odds of being chosen, the opportunity will not come up at all until an opening appears.
4.4.4.1 Black Hand
The Black Hand is the ruling body of the Dark Brotherhood. Aside from details given below, each rank has its own unique robes, for Silencers to wear on missions and Speakers to wear on visitations (Listener is covered in more detail below). As long as they are wearing their identifying robes at the time, the Black Hand is more or less above the rules of the rest of the Brotherhood; Silencers may kill a brother without repercussion, a Speaker can search the private belongings of a sanctuary if they are suspicious. If this authority is abused, however, the rest of the Black Hand can vote to have that individual dealt with.
Silencer: Known as the talons of the Black Hand, Silencers are the most feared and elite assassins of the Dark Brotherhood. They are also some of the least visible, as they no longer take orders from the sanctuary caretaker, and in fact are encouraged, if not outright ordered, to no longer enter the sanctuary. Instead, they either live in the lair of their Speaker or their own private home. A Silencer reports only to their Speaker, whom even they may not know the identity of, as most orders are given in the form of dead drops, and in person visits may be done while masked. Silencers are given the most difficult contracts, which the Dark Brothers never even see, at the personal behest of their Speaker. Performance is expected to be at its peak, with the general rule of "come back successful or don't come back at all." The next orders will not be received until the target is dead, and if they repeatedly fail to eliminate them, the Silencer may be forcibly retired. As long as they perform adequately, however, the rewards are ample. They are considered the tool of their Speaker; any actions they take, and anyone they do or do not kill, is the Speaker's responsibility. They can even be ordered to murder another Speaker without judgement, as the most valuable aspect of a Silencer is that they are expected to flawlessly execute any order given, and be skilled enough to succeed. Because they communicate with no one within the Brotherhood other than their Speaker, almost no one knows the identity of Silencers. This position is held indefinitely, until for whatever reason the Speaker must be replaced, at which point their Silencer is approached by the other Speakers of the Black Hand and given the offer to advance. If they do not wish to, another Silencer will be chosen to fill the void.
Speaker: The Speakers are main decision-making body of the Black Hand, and by extension, the Dark Brotherhood. At any given time there is no more or less than four Speakers, with each of them given authority over a certain territory, specifically any sanctuaries within it. Paradoxically they are also the most public face of the Brotherhood, despite being shrouded in secrecy. When a new Speaker is named they are given the identities of the other Speakers and the Listener, information that must obviously remain secret or be swiftly met with death. The two main duties of the Speakers is receiving and distributing contracts. Information on who has performed a ritual to summon the Night Mother is received from the Listener, who can deliver them in whatever way is most convenient for both parties. This may be chosen as dead drops, or even in person under the guise of a casual visit, assuming both lead double lives. Often the Listener will live as a merchant, making it easy for the Speakers to pick up "packages" without suspicion or obvious connections. The Speaker must then personally visit each of the listed individuals, in order to officially create a contract for assassination and to receive payment. During these visits they are required to disguise or mask themselves to avoid being recognized. Once contracts and payments are received they are delivered to the caretakers of each sanctuary in that Speaker's territory to be handed out to individual assassins. Even these deliveries are often done stealthily, to protect the anonymity of the Black Hand. The most difficult contracts are saved for the Speaker's Silencer, whom they will have their own personal method of contacting.
Aside from this basic duty, Speakers also place votes on matters of importance within the Brotherhood. This happens rarely, as the Brotherhood is mostly self-sufficient and meetings compromise secrecy, but failure to attend when it does happen is not tolerated. These meetings may be done in response to emergency, such as the death of the Listener, or to grant permission for a Rite of Purification, in which a Silencer is sent to wipe out a sanctuary suspected of treason. Though they rarely get directly involved in a sanctuary's functions, Speakers must remain aware of what goes on in them, in order to interfere when necessary and keep things running smoothly. Aside from contracts they can also assign their own tasks to their Silencer, who will perform them unquestioningly, though the Speaker will have to answer for any problems these tasks cause. Above all else Speakers must work to preserve the secrecy and security of the Dark Brotherhood as a whole, especially the Black Hand, as without it local authorities would be quick to wipe them out. With this in mind a Speaker can and will go to great lengths to protect the organization's security. Promotion only occurs if the Listener dies or retires, in which case the Speakers assemble and petition the Night Mother to choose one among them to become a new leader.
Listener: The Listener is the highest-ranked individual of the Dark Brotherhood, with only one per Black Hand, and as such typically only one in the entire region. Despite this, however, they have very little direct interaction with their followers. The main function of the Listener is to receive the base information about all the contracts that have been requested of the Dark Brotherhood. To do this they must go to a certain location at a certain time, upon which the Night Mother will directly whisper the information to them. The Listener, who meets with the Speakers upon appointment and organizes drop points with them at that time, then gives this knowledge to the Speakers, who meet the clients and create the contracts. Much to the chagrin of every law enforcement agency, this supernatural interaction is impossible to intercept, ensuring that the Dark Brotherhood is alive and well as long as the Listener is. As such, they are extremely important to the Brotherhood, and their identity is its most carefully guarded secret, known only by their Speakers. To maintain this secrecy the Listener has fewer duties than their followers, typically keeping a complete double life when not working for the Night Mother. Despite their rank, the Listener is just as subject to the harsh rulings of the Dark Brotherhood, and if they perform foolishly or poorly (not attending to their duty, entering sanctuaries and compromising their identity), the Speakers of the Black Hand can vote to replace them, either by retirement or death. Though most management duties are handled by Dark Brothers and Speakers, the Listener can give advisories or attend meetings of Speakers to make their opinion known, and it will be listened to.
While the Listener does not perform contracts, on rare occasions the Night Mother might make her personal whims known. These are often extremely sensitive and important matters, entrusted to the Listener alone. As every member of the Black Hand is greatly skilled, the Listener is quite capable of performing their own assassinations. When the Night Mother desires this, the Listener is granted a one-time use power that, when used, allows them to don the Night Mask. This mask cannot be removed until sunrise, when it disappears, and unlike conventional disguises cannot be seen through. Like the standard Dark Brotherhood visor, it has a unique Detect Life effect which only marks the target, and from a great distance. As well, the mask has an obfuscating power, which effectively creates an invisibility effect that increases the further away the individual is from another person, disguising not only appearance but even tracks. This essentially allows the Listener to arrive in an area seemingly from nowhere, and vanish into the night as they slip away from pursuit. These missions are holy murders that the Listener will stop at nothing to accomplish, as if the target is not dead by sunrise, the mask will take their life. This is typically the only time that the Listener will wear their unique robes, which receive a temporary enchantment for the Night Mask's duration.
4.4.4.2 Expelled/rejoining
The Dark Brotherhood is not as casual about joining and quitting as other organizations. Murderers may choose to walk away at any time by speaking to the representative; once secrets begin to be learned, however, it's not so easy. The ranks of Operator to Executioner simply do not have the luxury to quit, as the Dark Brotherhood will not allow people to walk in, see the sanctuary, and walk out. Lesser infractions may be met with ritual atonement, physical torture, or other punishments, while more serious crimes against the Brotherhood can lead to a sentence of death, from which point the character, if they escape alive, will forever be considered a target. Those of rank Dark Brother or higher have proven themselves trustworthy and devoted to the well-being of the organization, and are permitted to safely retire by talking to a Speaker and dealing with succession issues. A person, once retired, will never be approached or their lives meddled with by the Brotherhood, but they will always be observed, and eliminated if they should choose to divulge its secrets. If a high-ranking member is incompetent, they may be forcibly retired, and potentially killed if they refuse. Those who retired by choice can choose to return by using the Secrecy: Contact skill to summon a Brotherhood messenger. They will be restored to the Rank of Dark Brother, even if previously a higher rank, and will again have to wait for an opening to advance, though they will be a priority choice.
» Fri May 27, 2011 5:27 am 
