History of the Magi Order of the Broken Sun

Steel Realms

This order

Pervasive Overview: The Order of the Broken Sun are a formal – though mysterious and closed – recognized order of occult practitioners of the Steel Realms. Membership is by sponsorship of an existing member only. It is a small and obscure order with its only chapter house in Karolak of the Northern Merchant Cities. They are an order of magi that seek to walk between light and dark, good and evil. They are known to seek to understand the Unholy Trio and Church of Darkness in order to fight it better. Rumors about of dark worshippers abound, though nothing has ever been proven of any accusations – there have been many. Their militant ways (unafraid of physical combat) and confrontation of the Orrish and followers of the Unholy Trio also go a long ways to refute such claims. This organization has a documented history. A few times they have been mistaken for or assumed to be Sable Magi and persecuted by mistake.

Chronicle of the Order of the Broken Sun

Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability; Any attempt to know more than what's Pervasive will require a reference, source, knowledge, check, or access to someone who can get or provide either of these.

Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty

Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore

Pervasive Overview: The Order of the Broken Sun are a formal – though mysterious and closed – recognized order of occult practitioners of the Steel Realms. Membership is by sponsorship of an existing member only. It is a small and obscure order with its only chapter house in Karolak of the Northern Merchant Cities. They are an order of magi that seek to walk between light and dark, good and evil. They are known to seek to understand the Unholy Trio and Church of Darkness in order to fight it better. Rumors about of dark worshippers abound, though nothing has ever been proven of any accusations – there have been many. Their militant ways (unafraid of physical combat) and confrontation of the Orrish and followers of the Unholy Trio also go a long ways to refute such claims. This organization has a documented history. A few times they have been mistaken for or assumed to be Sable Magi and persecuted by mistake.

Militancy: The members are well known to not shy away from combat; This stems from their robustness in combat and most commonly wielding a heavy 2 handed weapons that can also be used 1 handed – a staff, rod, or even spear. More powerful members of the order imbue these with mystical powers.

Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty

Creating the Black Sun Library: The order was famous for a moment in its first few years in Karolak. It ordered a multitude of books from many different religious and occult sources from all over the heartlands. It then bought enough ink and materials to make a copy of each, though it only had less than a dozen members. The library they maintain has no access for those not senior members in good standing – there is no known record of what it may contain, it is kept in great secrecy.

Signifiers: Some are known to wield “Baighent’s Flame”; This manifests as a bolt of the same color flame. Rumors abound of some occult practice wherein they have turned their scrivener ways into empowering their minor occult powers – perhaps its connected to the nature of their Black Books.

Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty

They are thought to be enigmatic and cryptic; Early in their days they refused to answer questions about their order, despite Merchant City ordinances. They went out of their way to publicly fight many Orrish incursions, even on the south side of the Beyne River and areas of north Dunstrand – earning them at least a neutral reputation with House Malor of Dunstrand and the city officials of Karolak. They continue to do this, ensuring at least one member of the order serves with the patrols and soldiers of the Merchant Cities at any given time – though they do not like the open ocean and avoid members of the Wave Watchers Guild of Gwinn. The order avoids necromancers as well, in order to not garner any negative association.

Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty

The books of the Black Sun Library are thought to be magical and with some sort of ink that can’t be read.

Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty


Warning
Obscure/Hidden Knowledge is not generally available in known references; It is not necessarily Forbidden.
DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT unless a character has the capability to gain such knowledge [through association, organization, or relation] if they do not possess it themselves or the reader intends to participate in scenarios using this material as a PLAYER! GM Narration will typically provide relevant information by check or story.


The secret of the Black Sun Library: The books are nothing, not a word is inscribed. The Black Books of the members have no spells or information in them – It’s just a prop!

Sibling of Darkness: The order is actually a front for Gloomfader (cult of Gloombringer) – the senior agents of which are the Acolyte (Magi) of Gloom.

Items of Focus: The Acolyte (Magi) of Gloom use a Item of Focus, created/crafted and imbued by the Order of the Broken Sun.

Realm's Aptitude Powers: Divine, Occult, and Psychic