Brotherhood of Rooks

The Brotherhood of Rooks were born in the imperial protectorate of Wehnimer's Landing in the year 5112. Their benefactor at the original time was a mystery, and they seemingly sprung up overnight, first appearing as hooded figures wearing dark bird masks with razor-sharp silver beaks. For many months these Rooks terrorized shopkeepers in Wehnimer's Landing, using intimidation to get them to sign up for protection or face risking their shops and livelihood or even their lives. It was later discovered that the Rooks were merely using magical items to maintain their bird-like visage and help them to move quickly and unseen throughout the town.

The Rooks have primarily been self-contained to Wehnimer's Landing, but have had some small incursions into Solhaven where they conducted a number of bank heists, attacked ships from Vornavis bringing supplies to the Landing, and were even involved in a smuggling operation arming krolvin warships with weapons and armor to raid imperial towns along the Great Western Sea.

The Brotherhood operates on various levels of secrecy, and many times, fellow members are even unaware of the identity of those who serve alongside them. It is said the ranks of the Rooks are filled with the likes of merchants, tradesmen and commoners, all the way to pirates, bandits, and thieves.

It has since been learned that the Brotherhood of Rooks has had connections to many imperial criminals, such as Elithain Cross, Drangell, and Stephos DeArchon. Because of their criminal activities within the Empire, even on a small scale, and their proximity to imperial lands being based out of Wehnimer's Landing, they are deemed an unlawful organization in the eyes of the Sun Throne.

Their former leaders have included Drangell, Alendrial DeArchon who had been called "Mother", and a man who called himself Rysus. Rysus died during the events of The Rone Resurgence, poisoned by a substance provided by Praxopius.

In 5119, a new leader emerged: a masked woman whose identity was not known but who called herself "Mother." It was presumed that Mother was well-known in and around the Landing and would be recognized if her face was seen. Many adventurers believed her to be Alendrial DeArchon reprising her role, but it was ultimately revealed in 5/5121 that it was Casiphia.

Their symbol is of a red outline of a rook.

Timeline of Rook-Related Events

Timeline of Rook-Related Events

Date	Rook Leader	Relevant Link	Summary
5112	?		Rooks appear in the Landing.
Lumnea 18, 5115 (06/18/2015)	Drangell	Edwina Kidnapped!	Drangell and his Rooks kidnap and harm multiple Landing citizens and adventurers.
Lumnea 25, 5115 (06/25/2015)	Drangell	Rumblings in Town	Activity increases among the factions of the Rooks.
Lumnea 5115 (06/2015)	Drangell	A Dance with Drangell	Drangell captured in a bane coffin; Rooks accused of stealing an empty bane coffin.
Koaratos 5, 5116 (07/5/2016)	?	Rooting out the Rooks	Khylon proposed a new set of laws in Wehnimer's Landing intended to weaken the Rooks.
Eorgaen 29, 5117 (12/29/2017)	Rysus	Dinner Tomorrow, Mystery Tonight	A scream leads adventurers to find a woman near a corpse with a red rook tattoo, saying that he made unwanted advances before an unknown figure appeared in a blur and killed him.
Lormesta 9, 5118 (01/09/2018)	Rysus	It's A Mad World	Puptilian and Dinaden confront the vigilante, who tells them that he intends to rid the town of darkness and bring his justice upon the Rooks and others.
Lormesta 12, 5118 (01/12/2018)	Rysus	Town Council Candidate Debates 5118, Night 1	Town council candidate Malluch Burdos, responding to Wolfloner, names the Rooks among the greatest threats to town since they're citizens and cannot merely be bled. Candidate Alendrial DeArchon, responding to Dame Evia, acknowledges that she temporarily led the Rooks, but rather than leading them into crime, war, or bloodshed, she healed wounds and hearts as few have tried.
Lormesta 22, 5118 (01/22/2018)	Rysus	On the Seventh Night of Not Really Rone...	Explosions rock Burrow Way; loresongs reveal the vigilante Rone attacking Rooks with a new form of explosive device and demanding information on the whereabouts of the "dying king."
Lormesta 27, 5118 (01/27/2018)	Rysus	A Proposal by Stephos	Stephos DeArchon reveals Rysus has been dying ever since he was cursed by Naimorai Kestrel when the Rooks attacked the Hendoran outpost over Dennet Kestrel's suspected abductions of citizens.
Charlatos 24, 5118 (05/24/2018)	Rysus	Fall of Rone	Rone attacks Rooks and they retaliate, sparking a street skirmish. During the clash, Rone is slain and dragged away by a follower to be resurrected; adventurers follow the blood trail and discover that he was using Drangell's old hideout.
Phoenatos 25, 5118 (08/25/2018)	Rysus	Rysus' Resolution and the Sparrows' Setup	Rysus, seemingly well, publicly criticizes the possibility of Ta'Vaalor building an outpost and Mayor Lylia appointing former Imperial Thadston Andrews as the town marshal.
Phoenatos 27, 5118 (08/27/2018)	Rysus	The Rooks' Red Glare	Rooks take to the roofs to demonstrate opposition to Vaalorian influence, burning an effigy of Qalinor Vaalor.
Imaerasta 1, 5118 (09/01/2018)	Rysus	The New Rone's Mission	The second vigilante Rone attacks the Rooks and they retaliate, sparking a street skirmish.
Imaerasta 19, 5118 (09/19/2018)	Rysus	Prax's Private, Perilous, Poisonous Plan	Rooks abduct and kill militiamen to lure Rone and a clash starts; Rysus kills Captain Stormyrain as a further lure, playing into suspicions that Rone is Thrayzar. During the battle, Rooks briefly abduct Leafiara, but let her go after Rysus threatens that she needs to find more of a cure for him. After all sides withdraw, the Alchemist Praxopius reveals that he delivered a poison to Rysus through her, having lied that it was a cure for Rysus' curse, and that it healed his legs but made him grow erratic and violent.
Imaerasta 20, 5118 (09/20/2018)	Rysus	Butcher's Dozen	Rone kills the twelve Rooks who killed militiamen the night before, one being revealed as a double agent within the militia; Rone himself is unmasked and proven to be former militia marshal Thrayzar.
Imaerasta 24, 5118 (09/24/2018)	Rysus	Giving Justice the Rone Around	The Rooks and Rone continue their clash.
Imaerasta 25, 5118 (09/25/2018)	Rysus	Rooks and Pawns	Adventurers defend Praxopius' wagons from Rooks at his request, but the wagons are revealed to be empty diversions as he had secretly delivered pylons to the docks.
Imaerasta 28, 5118 (09/28/2018)	Rysus	Developments in the Bleaklands	Adventurers defend Praxopius as he collects samples of the Bleaklands as information needed to cure Larsya's artificial aging, while Rooks attack the Hendoran outpost hosting the Bleaklands portal.
Jastatos 6, 5118 (10/6/2018)	Rysus	Long Live the King	The Rooks bring Rysus forth on the streets and surround him, presumed to be no longer willing to follow him (but not explicitly stating reasoning), then lay daggers at adventurers' feet and join with many in stabbing him to death.
Lormesta 9, 5119 (01/09/2019)	Mother	Rook Rebirth	A loresong over bodies at the docks reveals the rise of new Rook leader Mother, killing those who won't accept her leadership.
Lormesta 18, 5119 (01/18/2019)	Mother	Motherhood and Brotherhood	Mother and the Rooks pass out food in Shanty Town, where she declares that the days of Rysus and Drangell are over and the Landing's children and poor are not pawns but its future. She invites all militia members, Mayor Lylia, and Leafiara to a future meeting and says there's no need for the militia and Brotherhood to wage war when they seek the same goal.
Fashanos 1, 5119 (02/01/2019)	Mother	Reprise, not Reprisal	Mother reiterates that she's been rooting out those who were loyal to the ways of Rysus and Drangell, including having "orchestrated" Rook sympathizer Beldrin resigning from the town council. She declares the Brotherhood will no longer unnecessarily bleed the Landing's own citizens, but advance the Landing's freedoms by doing what others cannot bring themselves to, and hopes the Rooks and militia can seek peace as she can bring information to an alliance.
Koaratos 18, 5119 (07/18/2019)	Mother	Not Disean Eye to Eye	Mother confronts a farmer whose crop has survived Raznel's blight and warns him not to price gouge the less fortunate during a plague.
Koaratos 22, 5119 (07/22/2019)	Mother	Good Moaning Militia	As adventurers and the militia protect most of the Landing from Raznel's forces, the Rooks defend Shanty Town.
Phoenatos 3, 5119 (08/03/2019)	Mother	Fall Together Now, Concert of Chaos	As adventurers, the militia, a newly revealed third vigilante Rone, and Thrayzar protect most of the Landing from Raznel's forces, the Rooks defend South Ring Road and Shanty Town.
Phoenatos 18, 5119 (08/18/2019)	Mother	Firewalkar	Adventurers and militia protect the Landing from Raznel's forces as the Rooks offer covering fire throughout the town; Mother briefly takes the field.
Phoenatos 31, 5119 (08/31/2019)	Mother	Rook and Sea For Yourself	Mother extends an offer to Mayor Lylia to protect shops from theft and aid with food deliveries in exchange for one Rook ship per month for a year being exempt from inspections. (Later, she declines the offer.)
Imaerasta 13, 5119 (09/13/2019)	Mother	Tangled Web We Weave	During a clash with Raznel's forces, her arachnids abduct citizens throughout the town; Rooks save Leafiara from being among them.
Eoantos 12, 5119 (11/12/2019)	Mother	Binding Agreements	In coordination with Marshal Thadston, who had struck a deal with Mother, the Rooks lay an explosive ambush for Disean's forces. After an initial clash, the Rooks join Thadston for a staged display and supply him with fake poison to feed to a bound Casiphia, luring Disean himself into a successful trap.
Eoantos 25, 5119 (11/25/2019)	Mother	A One-Night Planned	Marshal Thadston, currently in the process of evacuating citizens due to the possibility of an impending Raznel attack, names Stephos DeArchon and Mother as having respectively pledged ships and wagons to escort citizens.
Eoantos 26, 5119 (11/26/2019)	Mother	Last Stand	As Marshal Thadston prepares to evacuate lingering citizens who were unwilling to go, he's met with opposition from militia members Puptilian, Leafiara, and Maags, as well as Wolfloner. The Rooks and Mother join in more strongly, saying they remain happy to evacuate the willing but it's their choice, the Brotherhood won't remove them against their will, and will burn Stephos' ships if citizens are pulled from their homes.
Olaesta 15, 5120 (04/15/2020)	Mother	What's Good for the Goof is Good for the Grander	As Adjudicator Vlashandra and Grand Magister Octaven of the Hall of Mages plan to host a questionable trial of the lost-in-time Pylasar, Mother asks Mayor Leafiara what to do about it--but she wants to let it play out in case the Hall has a way to bring him back. However, having heard Captain Shinann make an earlier case that Octaven should be on trial for attacking the Landing in 5117, Mother agrees that perhaps we can host our own trial--and it might look different.
Olaesta 18, 5120 (04/18/2020)	Mother	Purple Pros and Purple Cons	The Rooks show support for Pylasar during his trial, first by giving Mayor Leafiara purple flowers to pass out, then by staging a rooftop display wearing purple robes--and killing Octaven's familiar and shattering several of her communication orbs.
Ivastaen 8, 5120 (05/08/2020)	Mother	Three-Way Tree-Way Rollout	Rooks warn Mayor Leafiara of the Fist's forces approaching, then they and adventurers defend the town.
Lumnea 2, 5120 (06/02/2020)	Mother	Walk It Off	Having recovered Walkar's remains from Vlashandra, adventurers bury him once more and cries of "For Wehnimer's!" go up around town, including from a Rook atop Moot Hall.
Koaratos 11, 5120 (07/11/2020)	Mother	Gamble on a Preamble Ramble	Rooks and adventurers observe as the Blood Son, Malluch Burdos, arrives in town and begins to preach the teachings of Grishom Stone.
Koaratos 17, 5120 (07/17/2020)	Mother	On Borrowing Time	Mayor Leafiara attempts to request smoke bombs from Mother for help with isolating Malluch for questioning, but Mother counteroffers the Rooks capturing him themselves. She relays that the Rooks intend to turn away an approaching caravan seeking Malluch either peacefully or by force and asks that, in exchange, the mayor tell the town guard and militia to stand down from intervening if it comes to force. Leafiara declines, saying the militia isn't under her command.
Koaratos 18, 5120 (07/18/2020)	Mother	Hot Summer Nights	Rooks gather on the rooftops and the caravan coming for Malluch is attacked and burned near the Sentoph; he blames the Rooks, but afterward, back in town, Mother says they never left the roofs and will work to uncover who did this.
Koaratos 22, 5120 (07/22/2020)	Mother	Five-Star Slaying	Malluch approaches to preach again, but Marshal Thadston says they're not welcome--while also warning the Rooks to stand down. With the gates blocked off, Malluch's disciples sneak into town, but are met with warning shots and then Rook arrows to the eye, sparking a four-way battle between militia, Rooks, acolytes, and adventurers.
Phoenatos 9, 5120 (08/9/2020)	Mother	Implications, Operations, and Consternations	Rooks watch, but ultimately make no moves, as the Order of the Silver Gryphon leads an escort of Malluch's followers to Ivas' temple.
Phoenatos 13, 5120 (08/13/2020)	Mother	Blood Mine, Conga Line	Mayor Leafiara pardons Malluch before his followers can begin a riot in town, which allows them to gather at the Deadfall Forest. Grishom Stone appears and welcomes two into the forest, but Rook snipers warn against going further. They begin to fire and a few adventurers join the attack as the Rooks kill off eight followers. After the rest enter the forest, Malluch sends the bloodguards into town to kill eight Rooks in exchange for the lives taken; however, instead they take seven lives and briefly abduct Leafiara to send a message.
Imaerasta 1, 5120 (09/01/2020)	Mother	Streets of Rage	A group of unknown thugs set fire to Murdos Burdos' shop and clash with adventurers and Rone in the streets. Approaching ships explode, sending the Rooks rushing toward the docks, and Mother says it was their ships and they'll work with others to discover who the attackers, likely also responsible for burning Malluch's caravan, were--while assuring that they'll regret testing the will and reach of the Rooks.
Imaerasta 2, 5120 (09/02/2020)	Mother	Salvage the Situation	Salvage from the night before washes up, revealing elemental essences, statuettes, coins, and a shard of blood marble.
Imaerasta 13, 5120 (09/13/2020)	Mother	A Rone Cold Ultimatum	Mayor Leafiara seeks an alliance with the vigilante Rone, but she tells the mayor to publicly denounce the Rooks or not waste her time. Leafiara asks for leads to pursue, but Rone criticizes her and leaves.
Imaerasta 15, 5120 (09/15/2020)	Mother	Barring Further Problems	The Rooks' urchin Acorn brings the names of Amos' fireflies. Elsewhere, Thadston gets into a drunken bar fight at Helga's and chases an opponent into Burrow Way. Rooks warn him to leave, but after he doesn't, they fire warning shots into his arm and leg. Many adventurers including Mayor Leafiara fight them off--along with the unknown bandits joining the fray--and get Thadston to safety.
Imaerasta 18, 5120 (09/18/2020)	Mother	By the Books Die the Books, Lie the Hooks Why the Rooks	As a ship with Amos' cargo approaches, a Rook asks a dockworker for protection money and gets declined. Rooks fire a pylon on the ship from the River Tower East and adventurers move to attack them, but as the ship redirects to the Black Sands, it's met with an ambush by Rooks buried beneath the sand. Adventurers fight them off and the ship arrives with four-armed ogres brought for sport.
Imaerasta 22, 5120 (09/22/2020)	Mother	First Orders of Business in Order and Business	Marshal Khylon, having been newly appointed by Mayor Leafiara, asks militia Captains Stormyrain and Shinann for plans on dealing with the Rooks, along with asking for plans about other problems faced by the town. Stormyrain suggests requesting a meeting with Mother to determine whether she needs to be taken down or helped to regain control of a possible split within the Rooks causing the incidents of the past week.
Imaerasta 23, 5120 (09/23/2020)	Mother	Rooking Forward	Captain Stormyrain and other town defenders meet with Mother, who says the Brotherhood was protecting itself after Thadston attacked their own at Helga's, but they have no ongoing vendetta, haven't initiated attacks against adventurers or the militia, will try to avoid full conflict in the streets, and are fighting for Wehnimer's in ways that the militia and town guard can't because of legal boundaries. Stormyrain concludes that she has what she needed from the meeting.
Imaerasta 27, 5120 (09/27/2020)	Mother	Rough and Tumble, Tough in Rumble	The grey bandits, now known as the Knave's men, clash with Rooks, militia, adventurers, and Rone all throughout and beneath town as they set fires to shops and unleash shadowy figures wielding hand pylons.
Imaerasta 30, 5120 (09/30/2020)	Mother	Khylon's Last Battle	Knaves ambush Sir Cryheart and Magister Raelee halfway to Solhaven and simultaneously launch a coordinated attack in the Landing using impersonation militia uniforms. Marshal Khylon and the real militia don war paint and he orders a one-night pass for the Rooks, who lay covering fire, but a Knave trap corners him into a giant explosion that kills him and leaves the barracks in ruins.
Jastatos 1, 5120 (10/01/2020)	Mother	Re-Rout	Rooks and other townspeople pay respects at the destroyed barracks, with the Rooks saying they had mixed opinions on Khylon but mourn all losses in Wehnimer's and will help end the conflict.
Eoantos 2, 5120 (11/02/2020)	Mother	Secret Agent Thad	Thadston brings information that the Knave has been hunting the militia down and claimed territory on the north side of town, while the Rooks have claimed the south side and the two factions and are fighting against one another day and night. Meanwhile, Barnom Slim has claimed the west side, and the blood cult has claimed the Brass Tower.
Eoantos 20, 5120 (11/20/2020)	Mother	Given the Rooks of Things	The Knave ambushes Frontier Days merchants using impersonation Rook uniforms, sparking a clash against adventurers, town guards, and the real Rooks.
Eoantos 21, 5120 (11/21/2020)	Mother	Slim Pickings	The Knave's forces set fires throughout town and the blood cult joins in the attack, so adventurers and Rone mobilize against them while the Rooks provide covering fire. Meanwhile, Barnom collects slain Knave mercenaries and resurrects them as zombies, but is met with attacks from all sides.
Eorgaen 2, 5120 (12/02/2020)	Mother	Tunnel Vision	Amos offers a plan to retrieve the abducted Thrayzar from Jantalarian fighting pits. After he leaves, Acorn offers the alternative that Mother is trying to locate Thrayzar as well so the town need not rely on the help of Amos--who he says is dangerous, having funded the armigers hired by Guard Captain Dunigan rather than their being financed by town coffers.
Lormesta 29, 5121 (01/29/2021)	Mother	Eclipsing Troubles	The Knave's forces clash with Rooks, Barnom's golems, adventurers, and Rone, but sketches found among them reveal that they're looking for the bleakstone statue Thadston needs to be rid of the bleakwalker possessing him. Mother offers aid with finding the statue in exchange for aid with a planned strike against the Knave.
Fashanos 5, 5121 (02/05/2021)	Mother	Statutory Searches	Acorn brings information that Vlashandra has holed up in Drangell's old lair. A small group of adventurers follows the intel, fighting through Knave forces as a larger group of adventurers battles heavier Knave forces in the streets, and retrieves the bleakstone statue.
Fashanos 6, 5121 (02/06/2021)	Mother	Riled Wild West	Mayor Leafiara, Dergoatean, and Hapenlok lead groups in coordination with Mother to intercept expected weapon shipments to the Knave, while the blood cult stages its own large scale attack. Rather than Knave mercenaries, the interception groups find themselves clashing against armigers while Rooks make off with a shipment of hand pylons as all groups including the Rooks return to town to stave off the blood cult. Afterward, Mother says it wasn't a trick and they were working from information gleaned from hideaways of Walward, a former Rook ally.
Charlatos 5, 5121 (03/05/2021)	Mother	Ah, She Stole Her Face, and Now We're Beleaguered	Vlashandra sends her forces to attack town, wanting the statue back, but adventurers, Rooks, Rone, and armigers drive her off.
Olaesta 3, 5121 (04/03/2021)	Mother	Try, Triad Again	The recovered Thadston meets with adventurers about how to move against the factions claiming territory. By the end of the conversation, they've concluded that Barnom Slim can be tabled temporarily, the blood cult is the first target, and the Knave and Rooks should be hit simultaneously.
Olaesta 10, 5121 (04/10/2021)	Mother	The Top Brass Have No Bloody Heart	Adventurers, Rone, and Rooks clash with the blood cult through the streets while Hendoran soldiers cover the grasslands and armigers defend the square, all in service of allowing pylon fire through to assault the Brass Tower in a final attack.
Olaesta 19, 5121 (04/19/2021)	Mother	A Delicate Lichuation	With the blood cult defeated and Barnom Slim not a threat at the moment, Thadston collects thoughts again on how to strike at the Knave and Rooks.
Ivastaen 4, 5121 (05/04/2021)	Mother	For the Frontier's Future	Mother details plans to interrupt the Darkstone Bay Consortium's shipment of invar weapons, refusing to honor their coup, and simultaneously protecting the streets from the Knave's advances. She invites others to help take the wagons or stand aside and says the Rooks won't attack adventurers, militia members, or Hendorans unless they're attacked first and says to remember what future everyone wants for Wehnimer's Landing.
Ivastaen 8, 5121 (05/08/2021)	Mother		Several groups of adventurers, Rooks, militia, and armigers defend the streets, shores, and tunnels as the Knave advances with warships and ground forces hitting Burrow Way and the streets. During the clash, Amos wheels an archery tower into the forest to defend the Consortium's weapon shipment, but the Rooks take three of the four wagons as the nearby adventurers stand aside to neither help nor hinder them. However, Mother confronts Amos in a battle that leaves her gravely injured and the nearby adventurers scale the tower to rescue her--but not before Amos unmasks her as Casiphia. Thadston charges and brawls with Amos throughout the forest as adventurers reach Casiphia and Chandrellia heals her. Casiphia says this wasn't truly Casiphia's fault--for she's not her, but Mother, what Casiphia couldn't bring herself to be. Faerinn attempts to drag her away into custody, but Leafiara fogs her back to town, where she slips off. The Rooks rise up on the rooftops and many unmask, then take to the remaining battle against the warships with cries of "For Mother!"