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	Relevant Link	Summary
5112		Rooks appear in the Landing.
Lumnea 18, 5115 (06/18/2015)	Edwina Kidnapped!	Drangell and his Rooks kidnap and harm multiple Landing citizens and adventurers.
Lumnea 25, 5115 (06/25/2015)	Rumblings in Town	Activity increases among the factions of the Rooks.
Lumnea 5115 (06/2015)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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' 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)	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)	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)	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)	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 be former militia marshal Thrayzar.
Imaerasta 24, 5118 (09/24/2018)	Giving Justice the Rone Around	The Rooks and Rone continue their clash.
Imaerasta 25, 5118 (09/25/2018)	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)	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)	Long Live the King	Seemingly no longer willing to follow Rysus, the Rooks bring him forth, surround him, and stab him to death with the help of adventurers.
Lormesta 9, 5119 (01/9/2019)	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.
Koaratos 18, 5119 (07/18/2019)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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 follow, 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.
Ivastaen 8, 5120 (05/08/2020)	Three-Way Tree-Way Rollout	Rooks warn Mayor Leafiara of the Fist's forces approaching, then they and adventurers defend the town.
Koaratos 11, 5120 (07/11/2020)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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)	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, but the Rooks kill off eight followers. After the rest get into 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.
Ivastaen 5121 (5/2021)		Mother is unmasked as Casiphia.