The Tribunal
When Faenera was plunged into chaos after the Fae Insurrection and empires, factions, and clans all rose and fell in power, one faction benefited from it all. The Tribunal has been around for ages, profiting off of the misery and ruins of destroyed empires. Responsible for practically every slave trade, every drug trade, every stolen good, and every dealing of dangerous monstrosity, the Tribunal is the heart of the underground within Faenera.
Ruled by three mysterious masked figures, known as the Ancestors, the Tribunal has its greedy fingers in every city and village within Faenera. Where there is misery and addiction to be profited from, the Tribunal will be there. Where there is stolen goods to be bought or sold, the Tribunal will be there. Where there is a need for dangerous monsters to be released into cities or against people, the Tribunal will be there.
The Tribunal values Loyalty and Respect above all else. Having survived this long with very little in-fighting, there are very clear cut boundaries and hierarchies within the Tribunal. Although everything hinges upon the Ancestors, they choose eight figures who hold the most influence; who are called Yōkai. These Yōkai mask their identities, and give up their names once they take their mask, and are referred to as Obake, Noppera-bō, Kappa, Tsumogami, Gashadokuro, Tengu, Makuragaeshi, and Yurei. Typically the Yōkai are of equal standing, but they will always be trying to prove themselves to be more ruthless, profitable, or both to the Ancestors.
The Yōkai are easily recognizable by the mask that they adopt and the well-tailored, pitch-black clothing that mocks nobility. Each mask withholds a unique enchantment designed to make the Yōkai formidable and dangerous to their underlings and whoever may challenge them. This, combined with Demonsilk Suits which are made of a silk refined from captured Bebiliths that is as durable as armor and resistant to burning, gives the Yōkai a presence that is intimidating and frightful. Although the Masks are kept to the Yōkai, Demonsilk Suits have been given to those who are very close to the Yōkai.
A place amongst the Tribunal means a lifetime of servitude, no matter what. Although it is exceedingly easy to enter into the Tribunal’s ranks, it is nigh impossible to leave the Tribunal by any other means other than death. The Tribunal takes care of those who prove themselves to be useful; through fat coin, extradimensional spaces that are custom tailored, a pick of slaves, personal monstrosities, and other exotic luxuries that only the Tribunal can offer. However, to go against the Tribunal or to refuse any task given from them, spells extremely harsh consequences.
These consequences can range from dismemberment, permanent scarring, forced slavery, the murder of loved ones, and of course, death. Although the Tribunal prefers to resort to death last, as a desperate creature who only has the luxuries or drugs the Tribunal offers is much more useful than a corpse, these punishments are largely up to the Yōkai’s judgement, and some are more keen on killing than others.
Although The Tribunal has existed long before the Empire, it was only recently that they were cut from their political structure. Once having their own Yōkai, Tengu, as the general of the entirety of the Empire, they had much influence. However, as Solarmancy was discovered, the Ancestors made a grave mistake, and pushed their influence too far to try and grant their Yōkai access to the highest Solarmancy spells. This failed, and caused the Empire to finally piece together that their own general was part of The Tribunal, and no matter how many lives were silenced in response, the word was already out. Charged with high reason, the mask of the Tengu was broken, and one of the most loyal subjects of the Tribunal was executed.
Although the presence of the Tribunal can be felt everywhere within Faenera, their presence is the strongest within Musahka. Musahka contains many dangerous monstrosities as well as resources that can be refined into illicit draughts, powders, and drinks. This, in combination with having the least amount of Empire influence and the global city of Téjari in the palm of their hand, makes Musahka ideal grounds for the Tribunal, where they have developed a rather beneficial relationship with a number of the splinter groups of Wurmriders.
Goals
The Tribunal’s goals are simple. Corrupt and exploit as many people as they possibly can to make the most coin and to gain the most influence. The more people that they can have in their pocket, the better. No organization, government, or system is safe from the Tribunal’s claws and they will ensure that as generations pass, as Empires fall and rise, the Tribunal will stay in the shadows and reap the benefits of grief and desperation.
However this is not the only goal of the Tribunal. As the Tribunal has existed for a long time, they have come to understand one of the Cosmic Laws that are enforced by the strange beings within Mechanus. The ability to live forever is stunted on the material plane and the planes adjacent to it, as creatures known as Inevitables will eventually come and hunt those down who have been living for several millennia. The Ancestors are incredibly old and powerful vampires who have witnessed this happen a multitude of times and understand that many Archmages and powerful casters are still looking for a way around this Law. But if the Tribunal were to understand how to break Cosmic Law, and if they were to magically bind archmages into pacts in order to share such secrets, then the possibilities of what the Tribunal could do would be endless. As such, many of the Yōkai were chosen based around not only their effectiveness, but their individual desires and drives for immortality, in whatever form it may take.
Relationships
The citizens and people of Faenera are to be used, it’s as simple as that. They are both customers, and resources. Some may be slaves, some may be buyers, and some may be both. The Tribunal holds no sanctity for human life, be it Faeneran or otherwise. No matter how many they slaughter, abuse, or enslave, humanity is a disease and will continue to breed so discretion is not necessary.
The Empire of the Sun is a necessary inconvenience that must exist for The Tribunal. Although their services are illegal, where there is coin, there is the rich and the poor, both of which can be exploited. As such, The Tribunal loves to lure politicians in, granting them their wishes in silencing those who they oppose, in exchange for favors which The Tribunal uses with care and intention. And those who find themselves at the bottom of the economic ladder are always easier targets, as with less resources at hand, they have much less power to oppose them for whatever purpose they may need to serve. Their research of Solarmancy as well is especially interesting to The Tribunal. If their object is to take the powers of divinity and harness it, then there is the possibility of immortality without the interference of Inevitables. As such, The Tribunal lets the growth of the Empire continue, keeping a careful eye and contingency plans all about to ensure that if they make a breakthrough, The Tribunal will find out and will be able to act accordingly.
The Eye of Ioun on the other eye, is an object of desire and frustration to The Tribunal. One one hand, with such troves of knowledge, who knows what esoteric tomes they may have that may lead to answers to their eventual goal. On the other hand, the Eye of Ioun is keen on understanding everything, including The Tribunal and their origins. Having been established around the same era, The Tribunal has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to erase everything known about them from the Pearl Library. However, the closest that they have ever come to infiltrating the Pearl Library was Yinvalur, an especially talented necromancer hand picked and nurtured by one of the Ancestors themselves, whose goal was to learn the Pearl Library’s most esoteric secrets and implant misinformation about The Tribunal. However, Yinvalur betrayed both the Eye of Ioun and The Tribunal, causing the Divulgement of Pitch, and absconding to another plane of existence, where The Tribunal have failed to follow or catch him, having no clue as to whether or not he succeeded in his goals.
The Natural Order are simply an extremely irritating thorn that constantly pokes and prods at The Tribunal. It is no secret that what the Tribunal does is immoral, and The Natural Order is constantly causing small inconveniences in their shipments, and thwarting occasional operations. As much as The Tribunal wishes to rid them from existence, they are exceedingly hard to pin down to one location, and it seems for every single member they kill, they have already disrupted dozens of their operations.
The Awakened are useful allies to The Tribunal. Although at times their ideology challenges loyalty, their skill as assassins in combination with their esoteric knowledge of the Abstract Plane and the Kabni prove to be very beneficial. Although The Tribunal is no magocracy, they understand that blood rites, hemocraft, and somnumstep rituals can provide a unique advantage in many operations. Many Awakened work directly with or for The Tribunal, as that is where their skills can be utilized the most, and The Tribunal is sure to keep their pockets lined so they know where they are most welcome.
Riftwalkers are an interesting bunch, as those who actively consume the mist and have heightened states of strength, agility, and useful mutations work very well as mercenaries and pawns. Additionally their individual avarice for wealth, power, and personal gain is delectably easy to feed. However they closely guard their secrets, and the Tribunal is always searching for a way that they can uncover the secrets of Riftwalkers, so that they might be able to make a profit off of those who wish for these taboo mutations or the sorry fools who are touched by the Rift’s corrupting properties.
Figures of Interest
Obake
Kappa
Female ???
Obake is one of the most calm Yōkai, whose mask depicts a flaxen, melting clay face, with the lips drooping down and the eye sockets in a permanent deformed state. The Mask has given Obake the ability to take the form of anybody they’ve seen, and as such, no one truly knows the gender nor identity of Obake, however the form they most often put themselves in is female. Obake is incredibly level-headed in comparison to the other Yōkai and often works as a negotiator of sorts, sitting in on deals and market exchanges as ‘just another pawn.’ However the mask’s power also allows Obake to gather the forms of different aberrations, fiends, and monstrosities, and when deals go sour, Obake has been seen spouting fire like a dragon, nullifying magic like a beholder, and consuming people like a monster. Obake is known to obsess over the innately powerful beings of the world, and has been seen consuming the hearts and organs of a multitude of dangerous creatures, believing that if they were to change themselves from the inside, the monster that appears could rival that of Gods themselves.
Female Hroarsvek
Kappa is considered to be one of the crueler Yōkai, her mask depicting a terrifying sea creature with sallow eyes and fangs dripping with seawater. Kappa wholeheartedly believes that there is no kindness in the waters of Groustaoir, her homeland, and she should spare none for anybody. Kappa can easily maneuver and thrive underwater, even having the ability to transport great distances between the waves, and with a flick of her hand, she can produce gallons of seawater. One of her greatest pleasures is watching those who have betrayed her drown, as she is known to fill the lungs of her enemies with seawater and simply watch their lives fade away. Kappa watches over the entirety of Groustaoir, using her water-borne abilities to keep track of tradeships, cause shipwrecks when necessary, and keep tabs on any forgien entity that may be of use to the Tribunal. Kappa has a secret desire to appease Z’hragthou, the God of the Abyss, an old and ancient supposed deity that is referred to as the Fathomless or the Krakenfather. Kappa believes that with enough drowned souls as sacrifices to Z’hragthou, she will join his side, and her power will be unending.
Tsumogami
Noppera-bō
Male Duergar
Tsumogami, or colloquially referred to as the ghost of Vulsrith, keeps tabs with all manner of creatures in the Underdark, ensuring the shadow of Vulsrith, the abandoned city in Muspelurn, remains in Tribunal control. With a mask that depicts dozens of various, faintly moving eyes, Tsumogami has the ability to transport within objects or imbue them with his sight, via actual eyes that manifest on objects of his choice, or painted eyes that faintly twitch and glare. As such, Tsumogami is rarely seen, but he will always watch everyone, as he has his eyes over the entirety of Vulsrith, keeping tabs of everything that happens. Tsumogami believes that the bodies of sentient creatures are faulty, broken, and imperfect. He believes that his mind and his consciousness are the only things that matter, and if he gathers enough power, he will be able to possess the very earth itself.
Male Drow
Noppera-bō is as calm and destructive as the void he represents. With a mask that is simply a black slate that seems to completely absorb light and look akin to an endless void, Noppera-bō is considered to be one of the more powerful Yōkai as he oversees the entirety of the Yassinen jungle, and whatever transit, trades, and monsters he needs to keep track of within. Noppera-bō has the ability to manipulate and create a darkness that is incredibly potent, where he can wield it as a sharp blade, shape it into a pseudo-demiplane, and even fly within the bounds of billowing darkness that he produces. Noppera-bō holds a special hatred for the Natural Order, as they continually disrupt the carefully crafted trade routes he oversees, but despite this, is known to be cool, calculating, and quiet. Because of Noppera-bō’s silent but forceful presence some smaller monstrous societies believe him to be a lesser deity, and those residents of the Yassinen Jungle who do not see him as an idol still understand Noppera-bō to be akin to a force of nature, something not to toy around with or get in the way of. Noppera-bō believes that there is power in the aspect of nothing, and wishes for the Rift to expand and encompass this world, in which he will attain nirvana by becoming nothing itself.
Gashadokuro
Tengu
Male Human
Gashadokuro is considered, by many, to be of questionable sanity, but of incredible use to the Tribunal. With a mask that is tied together with bone and sinew, depicting a grisly skull, Gashadokuro is rumored to be more undead than alive. Known to walk with the undead side by side, Gashadokuro is an experienced necromancer who showcases minute control over the dead, and has the ability to magically manipulate bones as if they were clay. Gashadokuro believes that the undead share a part in this world, and can lead troves of caravans through the Pinalus swamps unharmed as he can walk and become a part of the swarms of undead. Beyond this Gashadokuro supplies the Tribunal with trained undead, taking his personal pick of corpses from Greymoor and the Pinalus swamps rather frequently. Recently Gashadokruo has a keen interest in the corpses of Dragons, and believes that their undead forms, if perfected and bonded with his own bodice, could become the perfected being, one that exists between the line of life and death.
Male Half-Orc
Tengu is one of the most brutal and aggressive Yōkai. Following the failure of the previous Tengu, he has the broken mask depicting red skin and sharp grinning teeth with long tusks that only covers the jaw and nose. Tengu has the unique ability to manifest dozens of invisible arms which materialize in the border ethereal, allowing his unarmed strikes to have the force of dozens of men behind each strike. Because of this, many simply believe Tengu to have the strength of a God, having the ability to break metal as if it were wood or send a man flying into the sky with nothing but a backhand. Tengu is often seen performing acts of brutality and violence simply for the sake of violence and striking fear in those who may think the Tribunal is weak. Believing strongly in the ideology that only the strong will survive in the world, Tengu oversees relations within Musahka, as Empire influence is very sparse within the colatured sands, and Tengu is incredibly public and severe to all who dare cross his path. Tengu has even gone so far as to establish the Pit of Glory, a fighting ring within Téjari that is dedicated to rewarding creatures for shows of extreme brutality and cruelty. Tengu wholeheartedly believes that the one time a creature is truly alive, truly themselves, is moments away from death. As such he adores witnessing the brutal deaths within the Pit of Glory and excitedly waits as he steals the souls of those who die within, so he may gift these souls to a worthy challenger so he might reach the truest form of divinity.
Makuragaeshi
Yurei
Female Somnitar
Makuragaeshi was, at one point, an Awakened who wholeheartedly believed in their tenets, however as she delved deeper into the Abstract plane, something delved deep into her as well. Makurageshi now shares her body, soul, and mind with a powerful Kabni, both intent on the idea that they are to become deities if they sow enough terror in the world. With a mask depicting endless spirals of tentacled horrors and hungry maws, Makuragaeshi has the ability to temporarily warp the world around her, turning her illusions into tangible, horrifying realities. This, in combination with a mastery of somnumstep, allows her to keep track of the many Awakened that the Tribunal utilizes, as well as sow false realities and horrifying nightmares to those that the Tribunal wishes to influence.
Female Half-Elf
Yurei, or colloquially known as the daughter of Baba Yaga, is one of the most conniving and deceptive of the Yōkai. With a mask that depicts a sobbing, pale woman’s face, Yurei practically breathes hexes and curses. Merely standing within her presence can cause a variety of curses and magical diseases to manifest upon their person if Yurei wishes, and she has the ability to sow literal insanity in those she has extended contact with. Relishing in terror, confusion, and cruelty, Yurei keeps tabs of all the deals the Tribunal has made within the Finelía forest and is quick to sow rumors and whispers where it is needed, or silence those who speak too much. Yurei believes that immortality is something that is only granted to those with a mind that have the correct priorities. In her mind, the Archfey are a prime example, beings of selfishness and impulsivity; and she believes they lack the Archfey of raw cruelty, and when she embodies this idea with her mind, body, and soul; she shall become an Archfey herself.