Naveh (nah-VAY) is the god of Darkness, Nightmares, and Trickery. Stress LAWFUL much more than evil. Naveh is worshipped primarily by Thieves, Rogues, and Spies.
- Lord of the Pitch Shadows,
- Master of Deceit and Evil Dreams,
- Lord of the Last Illusion,
- The Unseen Lifter of Lives,
- Trancer the Cat,
- Wealth's Worry,
- The Merchant of Death.
Naveh is the most merciless of all the gods. Although some claim that distinction for Morgath, Naveh is motivated by cold and remorseless intelligence rather than by violent insanity. He is the god of darkness and is often worshipped by thieves and assassins.
Naveh is known as the bringer of nightmares and is associated with untimely and inexplicable death. He is sometimes called the Thief of Heaven and is deemed a doer of the impossible and a master of lies and deception.
Theological Mission
The Church of Naveh exists to provide followers the necessary discipline to carry out the Master's orders when the Chaos returns.
Social Mission
The Church works quietly to destabilize other established churches and governments to force them to prepare for the Chaos.
Lay Adherents
The Navehan church has no true laity. It holds no lay services and has no socially significant sacraments to mark rites of passage such as birth, marriage, or death. There are many who pay respect to Naveh privately. Those who are respected in their community are often members of another church, praying to the Master of Deceit for their own private reasons.
Typical Clergy
Navehans are typically control-oriented and distrustful of others. Friendship and love are considered dangerous luxuries and are forsaken. Most Navehan clerics were kidnapped shortly after birth and raised in a temple.
Navehans believe that the dissolution of the Concordat (which many believe to be imminent) will result in the destruction of all who lack the discipline to obey His command.
THE EARLY CHURCH
Naveh has been worshipped in some form for millennia. Early worship may have evolved from man's fear of death. The origins of the early church are hard to separate from the legend and myth that surround the history.
HARSA-NAVLA (The Place most Holy)
The traditional history of the Navehan church is based on writings called the "Revelations of Sinan-Khu-Hazar", which are derived from the preachings of a prophet who was active in eastern Lythia during the eighth century BT. Sinan spoke of "divine discipline" and claimed that he had been granted his revelations after a series of oracular dreams led him to seek a citadel "in the shadows of illusion". This edifice was Harsa-Navla, the Place Most Holy. Navehan history is extremely vague regarding Harsa-Navla, perhaps because the Revelations were written at least a century after Sinan's death.
Geography
Temples of Naveh are located throughout Lythia, but worship is only legal in a few regions such as Maniquideh, the seat of the pontiff. Although covert, the church is powerful in Azeryan, Karejia, Dalkesh, and Hepekeria.
The church has been present on Hârn for over a thousand years. The chief temple and seat of the Hârnic primate is in Coranan, and there are also temples hidden in Golotha, Shiran, and Tashal. Since 664 a group of heretical clerics have operated a temple in the wilderness near the ruins of Bejist.
Symbols & Regalia
Clerical robes are loose fitting, to allow freedom of movement, and are usually black in color. Ranking clergy wear an over-robe of scarlet. All priests carry daggers. A temple assassin wears a broad belt of white cloth to be stained red with a victim's blood as proof of his murder. During ceremonies masters don the skull-mask denoting imminent death. Other symbols include Dekejis the cat, Shinkra-Akra the translucent skull, and Nava-Shak-Ara, Naveh's ebony knife.
A Dezena (Master of Ritual). He wears a scarlet mantle, symbolic of high office, and the Ko-Shinkra, the skull mask of imminent death. This mask is worn by Dezenas before a sacrifice, and by other masters when ordering a Herth-Akan. The priest also wears a white belt that denotes him as a temple assassin, and he bears the two razor sharp daggers carried by all Navehan clerics.
Sinan was shown that eventually the gods would make war again, changing Kelestia and bringing chaos to the world. Only those who accepted "the discipline of the Lifter of Lives" would survive the cataclysm. The return of chaos, he was told, is inevitable, and it will rid Kethira of "the brutish and profane'. Those who give their lives unquestioningly to Naveh and help "purify mankind" will gain the protection of the god, in the chaos. They will survive as virtual deities.
"Shed all fleshly ties, and give wholly unto the Master thy life, for it is His to take at whim. Thy mortality is transient and valueless, save that it be dedicated to the will of He who cleanses and winnows the passing moment. "
Sinan traveled widely, expounding his doctrine and performing miracles to substantiate his claim to divine guidance. Since many of these miracles involved the sudden death of those who mocked him or tried to do him harm, he gained considerable awed respect and a small cadre of followers.
The Fifteen Prophets
After years of preaching, Sinan led his followers to Harsa-Navla. There each was tested. The nature of the tests is not stated in the Revelations, but it is clear they were harsh; many were found wanting and perished.
Those that survived fell into two groups. The most devout, fifteen in number, had the task of establishing the church. The remainder were to assist the fifteen prophets and do their bidding as though it were the will of Naveh himself. They were sent from Harsa-Navla, "even to the uttermost reaches of Kethira", to prepare for the cataclysmic strife that would eventually come. Sinan, his task accomplished, was ritually murdered by the prophets.
The movements of the prophets can only be surmised after their departure from Harsa-Navla, although it is clear that at least three (or their successors) reached western Lythia. There is evidence that one prophet, Taurin Halfhand, arrived on Hârn during the latter stages of the Atani Wars and took part in the Battle of Sorrows that ended Sindarin rule of the island.
The early prophets and their successors acted with such subtlety that there are almost no references to the church in secular histories until the first century TR. Temples were covert, and they made no attempt to proselytize.
DEKEJIS
A demonic servant of Naveh, appearing in the form of a black, red-eyed cat. Dekejis was once the favorite pet of Halea, but Naveh (who had been spurned by Halea) stole the cat, blinding and castrating it in revenge. After the goddess cast Dekejis out, Naveh took the feline in, granting it the red eyes with which it can perceive heat and see in darkness. He Naveh permits Dekejis to devour the eyes and genitals of mortal victims promising that they would restore his own lost organs. Although Dekejis eagerly consumes both delicacies, no evidence of the truth of Naveh's promise exists. Humans who lack one or the other are said to bear the stigmata of Dekejis, or the curse of Naveh.
THE GYTEVSHA
The Gytevsha are the invisible demonic servants and minions of Naveh. It is said that they were not created by the god, but that he found them in the "deepest reaches of the void, of which they are but part". The Gytevsha are at their weakest in daylight hours, and their various powers are most effective at night or in shadow. They are not worshipped but are treated with the respect befitting their unearthly powers. There are three principle Gytevsha:
Gekrish
The "Hands of Despair" settles accounts with those who have broken faith. It is said that he dispatches such unfortunates with his talons, reaching inside the body and stilling the heart forever. In some cases, Gekrish may "possess" the body, tormenting the resident aura, before slaying it.
Krasula
The "Hunter of Sleep" is charged with delivering nightmares. Krasula is unique among the Gytevsha in that he can take visible shape. He appears as a small boy with one eye of palest blue and the other of deepest black Vesha
Vesha
The "Mouth of Falsehood" spreads deceit and confusion among mortals. It is sometimes believed that every lie told by men strengthens Vesha, and that every unpleasant truth that is faced by them, wounds him.
The Lesser Gytevsha
Each of the Gytevsha is served by entities known as the Lesser Gytevsha. They are minor spirits with powers suitable to their task. Naveh uses them as messengers, bearers of divine visions, and for occasional physical intervention on the mortal planes of existence.
Religious Practices
Ritual murder and suicide play major roles in the worship of Naveh. Such deaths are believed to serve the god, either by providing him with another loyal servant, or by moving another step towards inevitable "chaos and triumph". In addition, various pyrotechnic, optical and mechanical trickery is involved in worship.
Navehan rituals often involve drug-induced trances. Priests ingest various hallucinogenic or stimulant drugs before and during ceremonies.
The Navehan church holds no formal ceremonies for its lay adherents. Such persons generally worship privately in whatever manner they deem appropriate and pay tribute to the church. Even the most rudimentary religious instruction is rare.
Dezenaka
This is the most important monthly ritual of the Navehan church. Held on the night of the new moon, most clerics prepare for it by ingesting quantities of Alanal, a powerful hallucinogen, producing euphoria, illusions and susceptibility to suggestion. Dezenaka rituals include various "miracles" and at least one blood sacrifice. This is provided either by an aging cleric who "longs for the sable streets of Kamil" and commits ritual suicide, or some hapless victim captured for the purpose. In either case, simple bloodletting is not enough; a degree of "artistry" must be involved for the sacrifice to be holy to Naveh. Dezenaka rituals end with a ceremonial feast in which the blood of the sacrifice is mixed with wine and consumed by the attending priests. This is believed to reinforce the clerics' sense of sacred mission.
Occasionally Dezenaka rituals include a ceremony by which one cleric is selected to murder a chosen victim. The victim is determined by the chosen cleric touching one of several daggers held by the high priest. Each blade has engraved upon it the name of its intended victim and can be used for no other purpose but their death. The killing must take place within the month. Victims range from the lowliest beggar to the most powerful of lords; the choice is believed to be determined by Naveh and is said to further his patient aims.
The Herth Akan
A punishment ritual of the temple of Naveh. A miscreant cleric is given a one-hour head start and for three successive days and nights thereafter must evade the murderous pursuit of seven of his temple brothers. The ritual is occasionally used against enemies of the temple, or against those that the temple has contracted to kill. If the victim evades death for the required period, he is permitted to live, while the failed brothers will commit ceremonial suicide. Persons who survive are highly respected.
The Night of Shadows
The most important day of the Navehan year, the Night of Shadows occurs on the thirtieth of Navek. It is said that on this night, Naveh and his minions are strongest.
Ceremonies are similar to those of the Dezenaka, although at least three murder victims are selected. These must be slain before midnight of the following day. This day, the first of Morgat, is called Shadowmath, thought by most Lythians to be the day during which Naveh walks fearlessly in daylight. In areas where the church is very active this period is one of great fear for the general populace.
KAMIL
Naveh dwells in the bleak city of Kamil, "whose ebon streets are silent, and where Night Eternal reigns". Some believe that a part of Kamil exists both on Kethira and on Yashain. This concurrence is believed to occur at Harsa-Navla, "The Place Most Holy", the semi-legendary site of the foundation of the church.
Kamil is inhabited by the Gytevsha and the souls of the most disciplined and devout of Naveh's mortal adherents. These mortals exist in a paradise of eternal obedience. Some believe that Naveh gifts the most loyal of these with the powers of the Gytevsha.
"Those of us who have achieved spiritual perfection through obedience will be taken by our Lord to the city of Kamil, 'Where Night eternal reigns". There we shall dwell unseen with our master and the Gytevsha until the Final Wars. Though Kelestia will be destroyed in those wars, our Lord shall protect us by taking us to Harsa-Navla, the Place Most Holy, where, pure in spirit, mighty in strength, and capable of all that our Master asks of us, we Faithful Ones will spend all eternity in the service of the Lord of the Last Illusion."
ORGANIZATION
The self-sufficient temple defines the Navehan church. Most temples are located in urban areas and acquire most supplies by theft or tribute. Navehan temples are always covert, even where lawful. Consequently, outsiders regard the church with speculative and misinformed (if understandable) dread. The internal discipline of the church is legendary.
NAGARA (Pontiff)
The Nagara dwells in Maniquideh, where the church of Naveh has considerable, although subtle, influence over the secular authorities. Navehans aclmowledge that he has a special relationship with the god, although they do not recognize that he is supreme, deeming the Oracle at Harsa-Navla his superior. The Nagara is always selected from the clerics of the Maniquideh temple.
BE'ARA TOLNA (Holy Office)
This organization functions as messengers and inquisitors of the church. In theory, its members answer only to Naveh for their actions. Generally, they travel, seeking disobedient "heretics". It seems likely that some of the most skilled assassins in western Lythia are members of the Be'ara Tulna.
SHUGANAL (Primate)
The church of Naveh has divided western Lythia into several primacies, few of which correspond with secular, national boundaries. The Shuganal's power is primarily advisory, interpreting the edicts of the pontiff, and setting regional policies.
TEMPLE HIERARCHY
The responsibilities of the priests within Navehan temples are virtually identical throughout western Lythia. Advancement usually occurs by murdering the incumbent office holder. A formal challenge to mortal combat or a stealthy murder are considered equally appropriate. A successful killing is deemed evidence of Naveh's approval.
GARANA (High Priest)
The Garana is the absolute master of his temple. His word is law and there is no appeal of his decisions. He sets temple policy and presides at all temple rituals.
DRANATHA (Priests)
Dranatha, sometimes called deacons, perform various guard and administrative duties. In most temples, five Drantha serve as temple masters. The competition for these offices is frantic and deadly. Only those who are highly skilled and utterly ruthless can expect any job security.
ARASHA
The Drantha who governs in the Garana's absence. He is also responsible for the instruction and duties of the senior acolytes (deacons).
WOLREN
The Master of Archives and Treaures.
TARAVA
The Master of Discipline, responsible for administering the strict code of discipline, and punishing disobedience or failure. Most acolytes act as his informers.
NAVAS-KARA (Temple Assassin)
This is a honorary title rather than an official rank. When appended to a cleric's name, it signifies that he has murdered at least one outsider. Such killings are either to
further the doctrinal or political ends of the church or are commissioned by external sources. The approach for such services is usually through contacts in the Lia-Kavair, the "Thieves' Guild” of western Lythia, which pays tribute to the church in most regions. Fees are exorbitant and the Church is prone to refuse contracts without explanation.
The church sometimes attempts to place assassins among the households of secular lords; preparation for the day that Naveh requires that death. The patience of these hidden assassins is legendary.
One apocryphal story tells of an encounter between a Navehan envoy and a noble who intended to stamp out the church within his jurisdiction. The envoy said his message was to be delivered only in private. The lord, understandably cautious, had the Navehan searched before dismissing his courtiers, having only his guards remain. The envoy reminded him that the message was for his ears alone, and the lord dismissed all but four guards. He demanded to hear the message, telling the Navehan that the remaining guards were staying, since they were as trusted as if they were his own sons. Thereupon the messenger turned to the guards, and asked "Were I to order you to slay this lord, would you?" As one, the four guards drew their daggers saying, "Command us as you wish." The envoy, having delivered his message, left with the four guards, and the lord rethought his plans.
PRADA
The Master of Acolytes, responsible for their training, as well as the temple's day-to-day functions.
DEZENA
The Master of Ritual conducts ceremonial functions and is also responsible for teaching the mysteries and doctrine of the church.
ADRANATHA (Acolytes)
Navehan temples recruit by kidnapping infants or, less often, by female clerics deliberately conceiving. The child is raised within the temple and taught Navehan doctrine and basic ritual. On its eleventh birthday the child is declared Adranatha, and training intensifies. Acolytes perform all menial tasks.
When Adrantha demonstrate sufficient skill to the Master of Acolytes, they undertake the ritual of passage to become Dranatha. ms grim ceremony requires that two acolytes stalk one another in the temple maze. The acolyte who wounds or KIIs the other, without himself being injured, is declared Dranatha. A loser who survives remains in the ranks of the Adranatha. If both are wounded, neither are advanced. Acolytes may attempt the ritual twice. A second failure necessitates ritual suicide.
The Night People
Wandering rural worshippers of Naveh, the Night People are well-known, little understood, and widely hated or feared. The night people travel in family groups of 6-36 in black wagons festooned with brightly colored flags and painted images. They camp in a fallow field, trading with the villagers and hosting mad revels to the wild beat of their drums and the insane screeching of their violins, until the lord's men send them away.
The night people are known for their strange powers. Usually there is a seer among them, and they are great gamblers, dancers, and tellers of tales. It is considered bad luck to kill a Night Person; the murderer is always found dead within a short time. Common folk look upon the Night People with a peculiar mix of fascination and loathing. Landless and unprotected, they are the lowest of the low. Yet they possess strange powers and always have thrilling tales of the world beyond the manor.
As independent temples, bands of Night People are not tied to the urban temples, but they maintain an excellent symbiosis, serving as intelligence-gatherers and fencing stolen goods.
Navehan Funerals
It is rumored that Navehans eat their dead, but this is not generally true. The Navehans have little respect for a corpse. They believe the mortal body must be totally destroyed in order to set the spirit free of mortal constraints. Quiet ritual cremation is the most common method.
Navehans revere the spirit of a dead comrade. Once released, the spirit moves immediately to its narm-akån (parting place). This is always a location of some significance to the departed, most often a favorite room. It is the responsibility of the spirit's surviving comrades to find this location and go there to perform a shai-tovakan (ceremony of freeing) to permit the soul to finally sever its bonds with the mortal plane and depart in peace. Finding the parting place may not be easy; sometimes an extensive search and/or divination are required.
The shai-tovakan consists of three days of vigil and chanting. The spirit can, it is believed, make the transition without a shai-tovakan, but it is more painful.
Krasula
The “Hunter of Sleep”
From the Arasha of temple of Naveh in Coranan to a group of recently-elevated Dranatha, T.R. 716
Where did the world come from?
In the beginning was chaos. From this chaos came the First Gods, who strove against each other for domination over Kelestia, the Cosmic 'All'. They created the Lesser Gods as servants to aid them in their attempts to dominate the 'All', who in turn created mortals to serve them. These Natal Wars were terrible: countless worlds were destroyed, innumerate gods were slain (to say nothing of mortals), and the very existence of Kelestia itself was threatened. At length, the surviving First Gods withdrew from conflict, leaving Kelestia to the Lesser Gods and mortals, who, undisciplined and ill-tempered, continued to fight on. After eons of war, the handful of surviving Lesser Gods agreed to a truce. But do not be fooled by ignorant outsiders-- this truce, the so-called "Concordat", will not last. Eventually, the gods will again make war on each other, destroying themselves and restoring the primal chaos. All will be destroyed, except Naveh, the Lord of the Last Illusion, and those who have embraced his discipline.
Where did I come from?
Such questions do not matter. Life is a fleeting, transitory illusion. Its beginning is just as meaningless and as arbitrary as its end. To ask such a question shows an impious love for this corrupt and doomed world. What meaning can such matters have after the destruction of the 'All'? Ask not whence you came nor how shall depart this world, for these are false beginnings and endings. Instead, prepare for the eternal future by serving the Lord of the Last Illusion unswervingly in all things. His Truth, unlike other illusions, will not fade.
Why am I here?
You are here to prove that you are worthy of salvation by showing unquestioning obedience to Our Master in all things; to cleanse the world of those impure dregs of humanity who seek to thwart His plans; to hasten the breakdown of the Concordat by performing hidden acts that will incite the other deities to fight against each other; and to achieve spiritual perfection by subjecting your mind and body, your desires and actions, your life and death to the will of Naveh.
What happens after we die?
Those of us who have achieved spiritual perfection through obedience will be taken by our Lord to the city of Kamil, "where Night eternal reigns". There we shall dwell unseen with our master and the Gytevshai until the Final Wars. Though Kelestia will be destroyed in those wars, our Lord shall protect us by taking us to Harsa-Navla, the Place Most Holy, where, pure in spirit, mighty in strength, and capable of all that our Master asks of us, we Faithful Ones will spend all eternity in in the service of the Lord of the Last Illusion.
What of the other gods? Tell me the truth about:
Agrik
The Reasonless Reaper is an undisciplined fool. Hotheaded, he thinks that raw might and violence will enable him to dominate Kelestia. He scorns our Lord, mistaking wisdom, restraint, and subtlety for cowardice. Little does Agrik know that physical might is itself an illusion; his reliance upon it will eventually be his own undoing. His followers, like spoiled children, fight amongst themselves. Unified, they might pose a threat to we Faithful Ones, but we ensure that this does not happen by preying upon their own indiscipline. A single Navas-Kara can easily start a crippling temple war among them.
Halea
The Lady of Bargains is shallow, concerned only with the fleeting illusions of the physical world. Her followers have neither the strength of will nor the purity of spirit to see beyond the veil of this world's ephemeral pleasures into the eternal realm of our Master's Truth. Our Lord mutilated Dekejis to instruct the Empress of Vanity about the impermanence of temporal beauty, but she failed to understand. When the Great Cleansing comes, she and her corrupt followers, too accustomed to pleasure, unable to submit to discipline, will be the first to perish.
Ilvir
Reclusive and withdrawn, the Brooder works his strange and obscene arts with seeming disregard for the approaching cataclysm. While the discipline with which he pursues his perverted work is remarkable, he squanders it fruitlessly, creating foul abominations that are a mockery to true spiritual life. In the end, his monstrous children will perish, for they are soulless beasts, bound to this doomed world, incapable of spiritual transcendence. Their Creator will be left alone, unprepared, and helpless to prevent his own destruction. Be on guard against him and his followers, nonetheless, for it may be that his indifference and their disorganization is but a mask concealing a purposeful plan.
Larani
The Unwilling Warrior prides herself on her chivalric discipline, but when pushed, she sheds her self-control and becomes as senselessly violent as Agrik. As time passes, she finds it increasingly harder to maintain the illusion of self-control. In the end, her hatred of the Warlord of Balgashang will become supreme, her discipline will be abandoned, and she too will disregard the Concordat. Feed her hatred-- and that of her followers-- by committing acts of violence that direct their attention to Agrik. This will not only hasten the onset of the Final Wars but will also deflect attention from us.
Morgath
The Wreaker of Chaos unwittingly furthers Our Master's goals. Driven mad by Bukrai's power, he wishes to hasten the breakdown of the Concordat, the onset of the Final Wars, and the return of the primal Chaos. Unlike our Master, however, Morgath does not envision surviving the End; he revels in the mere act of destruction, caring not that he himself will thereby perish. We need not oppose him or his depraved followers, for their aims coincide with those of Our Far-Sighted Master. Nonetheless, it is wise to avoid contact with those who follow Morgath, lest the taint of Bukrai's false Shadow corrupt the spiritual purity of we who serve the true Lord of Pitch Shadows.
Peoni
The Lady of Labors nourishes the naive hope of saving this doomed world and its unworthy inhabitants. Her efforts are in vain, for she seeks to preserve what is ephemeral, to make permanent what is fleeting illusion. What strength she has, moreover, is squandered in her futile attempts to reduce the temporal sufferings of the unworthy wretches who followed her. Let her and her followers continue to pursue their hopeless tasks-- it will profit them naught in the end.
Sarajin
The Gray Slayer knows that the Final Wars are coming, but brutishly thinks that illusory ideals of strength, bravery, and honor will enable him and his followers to survive. Such half-fathomed wisdom is worse than pure ignorance. Just as Sarajins foresight is a thin shadow of our Master's True Wisdom, his childish Ljarl is an absurd parody of our true Discipline. In the end, Sarajin and his followers will go the way of Agrik, Larani, and all the others who place their faith in the illusions of martial victory-- they shall all perish.
Save-K'nor
Save-K'nor is not to be trusted. He alone, among all the gods, accords to our Master the proper measure of respect-- and this alone is reason to be wary. The Divine Fool pretends to waste his time pursuing useless knowledge, but he is not so foolish as he seems-- remember how well he fathomed the lesson of Dekejis.
It may be that he possesses his own plan for surviving the End-- or that he seeks to unravel that of our Master. Be on constant guard against his followers for they are subtle and far more shrewd than they seem. Infiltrate their ranks, learn what they know, and confound them with lies. Eliminate those among them who have penetrated the cloaks of dark Deceit in which we have clothed our Holy Secrets.
Siem
Though he knows that the End is coming, he King of the Undying Abominations has withdrawn to his illusory Blessed Realm, where he laments what is to occur rather than preparing for it. It may be that he has accepted the inevitable and seeks only to enjoy an undeserved peace before the destruction of Kelestia. Yet, it may also may that his simpering inaction is part of a grand deception, a lie but forth to fool us to conceal his plan to save himself and his Elven demons, just as our master will save us. But there is not enough room in eternity for both Our Master and Siem-- and if the Final Wars do not destroy the King of the Undying and his demonic hordes, then we Faithful must finish the task.
The Story of Navas Tezrin
All things are shrouded in mystery and deception. This is as our Lord Naveh commands. Truth is an illusion, discipline is all. This is a story of the fearful Tezrin the Black. Only our master knows the reason Tezrin's story has been recorded.
Rethem is a ripe garden for our master's work. Political struggles between factions both religious and secular are commonplace. The country is in the middle of one of these struggles when our story begins. Cedric Suronax and his cousin, Menden Suronax were the two legitimate heirs of their Uncle's titles and estates. Both men had legitimate claims, but Menden had the support of his late uncle's wife. After months of lengthy litigation as well as open skirmishes between the two lord's forces, it appeared that Menden would emerge victorious. On the eve of Menden's victory, a strange man came to Cedric's manor with a very unusual proposal.
"Your heart's desire may be fulfilled if you can afford the price." The dark stranger offered.
Cedric's first inclination was to summon his guards and have the man tortured for entering his manor unannounced. Something about the stranger's steely gaze convinced him that it would be a fatal mistake to try.
"Name your price, Dark One." He answered.
"Fear not for your goods - I have no interest in them. Rather I would extract a promise from you. If you ever have a male child, you will give the infant to me 'for his education' of course."
At this point Cedric smiled. What did he care, offering something he did not even possess in exchange for political power and wealth. Besides, Cedric had no plans for children, he simply wanted to claim the fruits of his uncle's hard work. He quickly agreed to the stranger's terms. The dark one, then placed a knife across his palm, and with the dripping blood from the wound painted an intricate symbol upon Cedric's table.
"When you see this symbol again, it is time to fulfill your promise." The stranger said as he slid towards the door. He turned and gave Cedric one last glance, "Do not think that you can escape this fate that you have set for yourself."
One week later a herald came to Cedric with news of Menden. It appeared that Menden had gone stark raving mad. He screamed constantly about screaming voices and faceless specters of his dead ancestors. These apparitions vexed him to the point that he could no longer sleep, despite a trip to Kanday for a Peonian bishop's Exorcism. He was no longer able to even recognize his own family or his own name. Cedric's aunt had no choice but to rule in Cedric's favor. About two weeks after Cedric had assumed the titles of his Uncle, Menden had hung himself in his bed chambers, leaving only a cryptic message, "Cedric's pact has doomed the Suronax Clan"
The years began to pass. Cedric developed into a shrewd and calculating lord. He even began to forget about his pact made with the stranger. He extended his holdings through political savvy, outright war and even a marriage of alliance. Almost ten years to the day after his bargain was sealed, Cedric's wife gave birth to a strong male infant. With the birth of his son, Cedric began to become more and more paranoid. He jumped at shadows and felt that all his advisors were plotting his demise. Finally, Cedric came up with a plan.
Six months after his son was born, Cedric gathered a group of his best, most trusted knights and organized a trip to Melderyn. Perhaps, he thought, his son would be safe there. The day of the voyage arrived uneventfully. He met the harbor master at the docks and watched his knights waiting for the ship that was to take his son to safety. Finally, he met with the captain of the ship. "Let me present my credentials." the captain offered. With that, he pulled out a charter and showed it to Cedric. Cedric's blood turned to ice. Upon the parchment was the exact symbol he had seen upon his dining table. "I trust there will be no problems with this my Lord. Trust me, I will see the boy safely to his destination. Let it not be said that the Suronax break their pacts."
Cedric paused for several seconds in indecision, then he fled the ship. Several months later he received word from his contact in Melderyn. No one ever saw the ship carrying his son and his men arrive there, it was as if the ship had never existed. There were no records of it either in Melderyn or in the harbor master's logs in Golotha. Cedric never recovered from the incident. He became increasingly paranoid and began to mutter many of the same things his cousin Menden had in the final weeks of his life. Finally, during a heated negotiation with a political rival, Cedric accused the other lord of being in league with the black thieves that stole his son. Before anyone could react, he had drawn a knife and plunged it into the man's neck. The other lord's bodyguards chopped Cedric to ribbons. Such was the end of Cedric of Suronax.
The child was raised under the discipline of our Lord of the pitch shadows. Like all novices he had no name. He was expected merely to obey. Punishment for disobedience was swift and torturous. Regardless, the young novice learned all the lessons quickly. His superiors were quite impressed not only with his skills but with his obedience as well. At the age of 16 he was given a task that for an Adranatha (acolyte) was unheard of, he would participate in a ritual hunt known as a Herth-Akan. He and three Dranatha (senior acolyte) were chosen to accomplish this task. A rogue Dranatha had defied the laws set down by the Tarava (master of discipline). His disobedience had to be met with a swift death. The four assassins were sent out after the culprit. Three days later the guilty priest was found dead in an inn. Out of the four killers, it was the Adranatha who had accomplished the deed.
The Adranatha was brought before the Garana (high priest) of his temple. "You have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Before you were born, I received a vision. A vision telling me of a great assassin that would be born to a noble house of Rethem. You have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are he. There is one test left for you. Take this knife and cut the lips from your face. It is a disgrace before our lord, that you should smile with pride for your deeds. You must learn humility before your master. Hence forth the only smile on your face shall be the grinning mask of Shinkra-Akra, Naveh's glowing skull visage."
Without even a moment's hesitation, the novice sliced the lips from his jaw. His face, taking on the cruel caricature of a skull. Although the boy nearly fainted from the pain, his discipline allowed him to remain standing.
"Now, Dranatha, you shall henceforth be called Tezrin."
The Lord of the Last Illusion was pleased with his disciple. Twenty years passed and Tezrin served the needs of the temple and his dark master. He participated in many Herth-Akans and slew the victim himself each time. Soon he was granted a very holy and powerful dagger, said to have been forged in "the place most holy," Harsa-Navla itself. If someone contacted the temple for a difficult assassination it was always Tezrin that carried out the murder. It is said that he has killed so many, that his hands are stained with the blood of his victims. When a person looked into his eyes, they cannot see a human being, instead, they see the laughing face of Naveh. Our temple is truly blessed, within its walls we have an Navas-Kara (assassin) of such caliber that any who have ever seen him have died. And still, he serves the will of our great Lord.