Fold

The Fold were a secretive cult that, over centuries, grew into a shadowed network resembling a mercantile and political corporation. It exerted influence through wealth, ideology, and fear, embedding itself across societies while hiding behind many faces, sometimes even as opposing factions. Its ultimate purpose was the return of the being around whom it was founded, a process understood only by its innermost leaders.

The Fold began with a wizard who claimed to have ascended to godhood using the powers of Virathul. Whether this was true was never proven, but his power left lasting scars on the world, and despite it, he still died. With his final breath, he promised to return, declaring that his power would be divided into multiple souls known as "Aspects", each a key to his rebirth.

The Fold sought four Aspects: the "Hand of the Arcane", the "Vessel of Power", the "Crown of Memory", and the "Heart of the Darkness". These were meant to be brought together and subjected to ritual, their traits combined to form a perfect vessel for their god’s reincarnation. Despite its reach, the Fold failed to confirm the existence of a single true Aspect, blaming the founder’s cryptic instructions rather than doubting his claims.

After his death, the cult faded from prominence. In its early centuries, it abducted infants rumored to show signs of great power, but all proved false. Over time, it turned to theft and the operation of orphanages, discovering that religious doctrine combined with control over the vulnerable was both profitable and effective. The wealth gained funded broader efforts, as the Fold adopted new identities and sponsored mundane institutions to widen its reach.

Eventually, its influence extended to entire regions. It financed slavers and breeding operations in attempts to force the emergence of the Aspects. In more recent years, several leaders, known as the "V’s", grew impatient and began attempting to create Aspects directly through forbidden rituals and brutal experimentation. The Fold was ruled by a hidden council of these V’s, each named after a trait attributed to the founder. Orders passed from them to cell leaders and then to lower agents, many of whom never realized they served the Fold at all.

The Fold's operatives bore no symbols, and its leaders often supported opposing sides in conflicts, ensuring instability. In such times, people vanished quietly, and the Fold’s work continued unseen.