Corath: Sects

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While the organizations in the Os Inasnum accept those who follow the Bone Lord, there are some who are so different in their views that they stand outside the fold. In a church like Corath's, that's saying something.

Excrucio

A sect that has existed as long as the church has, Excrucio specializes in pain, self-mutilation, and torture. For this group, the ultimate expression of devotion is physical agony whether it is from followers or their victims. Among Corathites, those in Excrucio are sometimes considered strange. Most followers of Barron Madness consider themselves above the same treatment they deal to others, while someone in Excrucio might use hot pokers on a victim one day and brand his or her own flesh with the searing metal the next. There is no known leadership of this sect'only clandestine gatherings for group torture and a special brand that marks the soles of their feet to identify them as members.

Quas Discessum

A subset of the Veneficus, these mages have worked endlessly to research, test, and magically break the Astral Locks for a thousand years. Guarded by Aeridin and successfully defended by him so far, the Locks are, "…bindings that form around the characteristics and nature of a creature. If a creature is to be a certain height, color, strength, or any other of the many possible variations, an Astral Lock keeps such organization in place. It is said that 10 Astral Locks exist in total, one for each potential attribute a being may posses…."

It is the sole drive of the Quas Discessum to unlock the Locks, allowing total chaos to reign in reproduction and form. Scholars think they were succeeding for a while since children between different races have been born for centuries. In this way, those who are half elven, half orc, and half giant should thank Corath for their existence. However, recent events on Mistone where a sudden rash of mutations and corruptions were abruptly halted, combined with the inability of races previously able to bear live young to do so now, indicates that Corath may have lost a battle against his godly elven nemesis. Rumors say Mesgard on Mistone is the location of a Maligare of these researchers, but the town is magically shielded from scrying and deeply suspicious of anyone new so verification is difficult. After the incidents reported above, hunters of Corathites have been searching around the Hlint area and the Silkwood to no avail. There is leadership among the Quas Discessum but no descriptions or titles have yet been reported. Many believe the Oraculum Mortis is based here.

The Ravens

These elite warriors do not associate with the Morsus; although, most are plucked from that organization. They consider themselves true mercenaries in the service of Corath, hiring to those in the Os Inasnum who desire the highest level of protection. Every member of the Ravens has the power and skill of a knight and most have some divine casting ability as well. Although their identities are hidden, they are highly visible in public. One can immediately spot their black plate mail and helmets, and the mounts they choose are always as dark as a moonless night. Several animal handlers, including the ox merchant in Arnax, believe the horses are actually summoned from the Pits and not native to the world.

The Ravens have been nicknamed the Blackhearts by those who have fought alongside them. They have no heart, they show no mercy, they kill without conviction, and like ravens, they are always the last to leave a battlefield or a fight. Their current leader is a human male of average size whose armor is etched in red. Nothing else is known of him except his temperament; he kills first and raises the dead to ask questions later.

The Black Wizards

A very quiet, very poorly understood sect of wizards who worship Corath. Operating behind the scenes, their goals are independent of the Os Inasnum although apparently pleasing to Corath. There are three grandmasters who make the decisions. They are mages of extreme power, adept at summons and calling forth of beings from the Pits to do their bidding, and their tower wanders the northern coast of Belinara. They are rumored to control a Bloodpool left over from Sinthar Bloodstone's failed attempt to take the world under his command, but no witnesses of said pool have lived to verify its existence to the outside world. Beyond that thimbleful of knowledge are speculations, rumors, cryptic hints, and outright guesses.

Inanis Viscus, Champion of Corath

While not a sect, this single individual is considered the epitome of evil within the Os Inasnum. His or her orders are said to come straight from the god, and his or her whims are outside the rulings of the church. He or she is nothing short of a mortal fiend, serving Corath as martial extension of the Bone Lord's will. The history of this being is a complete mystery. There have been Champions of Corath since the Cataclysm, but no names or identities have ever been known. They appear to be chosen by Corath and marked for the faithful to bow before them. The rituals designed to shape the mind of the chosen Champion are said to be so horrific, so rife with torture, so cunningly designed, and so lengthy that the chosen being forgets his or her name and life previous to being called. From the moment they plunge their head into the acid blood that forever etches their face into a grotesque mask of pain, they are known only as the Inanis Viscus, or Empty Heart, and are then an entity unto themselves.