The Accord of the Dark

[murdercharls 2]

The Accord of the Dark

Vetus quod timent Tenebris

XXXII

 

I. Obscurum per nati Sumus

 

The intentions bound by the Accord are obscure, though those willing to forge the covenant are granted a gradual clarity that expands by adhering to the Ravenkind’s teachings. The fellowship’s roots can be traced back to the Cult of Forgotten Shadows, where the one known as Ravenkind departed from their sodality in its antiquity so that he may shape his own interpretations. The Accord’s doctrine took formation in the coming decades, where since he has scourged the land to offer such knowledge to those who would listen; preferring not to make a display of his gospel, but rather for it to gained by the curious and the prying.

 

The Accord deviated from the Cult’s interpretations of what they call “the Shadow”, and furthermore fashioned the belief that it was not Light that existed in the beginning, but rather a silent and peaceful Dark that dwelled as the seedbed of all potential creation. From this seedbed, the Light was made manifest, and spurned the Dark into violence; for the two could only exist in rivalry. Through immaterial conflict, the Twisting Nether was borne and the Abiding Flame, known as Fel, manifested as an unnatural and undying mnemonic in the wake of the cosm’s formation.

 

As Light assumed a presence in the Great Dark Beyond, with Dark having been poisoned and corrupted into “the Void”, the Abiding Flame was left idle within the Twisting Nether until ancient progenitors took heed of the Void’s destructive hunger and came to fear its expansion. Their champion, Sargeras, bore the greatest fear of all, and so he drew upon the power of the Abiding Flame, for the Void was poison, and poison is purged by fire. The Fel’s corruptible nature, as a power that lacked the disparity that ushered forth the cosm’s order, drove Sargeras into a barbarous madness that resulted in the creation of the Burning Legion.

 

It is claimed by the Ravenkind that it was Light that acted as the corruptible agent to Dark, and through it the Void was borne, and thus Sargeras’ destruction followed; yet the Lord of the Burning Shadow is not marked as an unnatural presence, only a reactionary force to the “infection” that drove the Dark into its malformation. The year of his final defeat, recorded in ancient numerals as XXXII (32), had been “sanctified” by the Accord as the beginning of a timeline that lacked one capable of purging the Void’s poison; therefore, ushering in an age where the Void Lords may encroach, unchcked.

 

Through the Ravenkind’s ideological divergence, he too deviated from common shadow magic. By means of a ritual that sends the spirit to the Shadowlands, and then back into one’s body, the peaceful darkness that lingered before disparity’s manifestation was realized. It is from this obscure presence of the Dark that the Ravenkind’s Shadow Priesthood is channeled, and furthermore utilized as a reinforcement of the belief that, ultimately, all life dwelling the heavenly bodies is borne of the Dark, made strong by the Dark, and undone by the Dark.

 

II. Obscurum per Homines

 

The hierarchy of the Accord lacks true depth, as each mantle is only granted to prove one’s dedication to the Ravenkind’s message. The constitution of one’s spirit, too, is measured by rank, where the higher one’s favor rises, the darker their soul becomes.

 

The Ravenkind

The Ravenkind’s spirit has been bound to the Dark of the Shadowlands for an uncounted age, and thus has been deprived of the brilliance of the human spirit. Those that have chosen to become the Ravenkind do not cultivate such a darkness within themselves, but rather are bound by the Ravenkind’s lightless spirit so it may coalesce with their own and pass on his wisdom. Those who take this mantle do not command respect from their followers, for the Ravenkind does not lead an oppressive cult; only a slow-marching campaign toward true understanding, where in the end, man may find enlightenment in the Dark.

 

He, therefore, bids his followers an unchecked freedom to stay or go as they so please. Those that confide in his wisdom will become trusted, and those that abandon the message become forgotten. The curious shall become his listeners, the undying shall call him kind, and the forlorn wll know him as friend.

 

The Erudite Votaries

 

Those who have proven themselves as true adherents to the Accord become the “erudite” among the Votaries, for they have peered into the Dark and listened to the wisdoms of the master. An extended binding to the Shadowlands has suffocated the radiance of their spirit, and ushered in the peaceful depth of darkness that presided before the dawn of disparity. The erudite, too, are among the Ravenkind’s most learned practitioners of the Accord’s Sorcery of the Shadowlands, and thus are the most capable, aside from their preceptor, of defending both their flock and those undeserving of barbarous violence.

 

The Votaries

 

The Votaries are those who had been ushered to the Shadowlands to perceive the Dark for what it truly is. They are those that have just begun the long path toward understanding, where they may see the shape of fleeting truths in the gloom, but not yet discern their true design. Though bound to the covenant’s doctrine, they are not expected to remain loyal forever, but rather are observed by the erudite and the Ravenkind for qualities that would denote dedication and loyalty to the cause. Their souls are colorless, muted, though a light is still carried within them.

 

The Unbound

 

The Unbound are the mundane few that have not sworn themselves to the covenant, but rather act as the Ravenkind’s listeners; and it is they who compose the bulk of Accord, even if not truly tied to it. Through the sole obligation of their interest, they pay attention, and thus by extension share, the Ravenkind’s gospel, and cultivate a public interest of the Accord by their own whim. The Unbound are kings and peasants, the traveling and the homestead-bound, the virtuous and the forlorn. They yet contain the brilliance of the mortal essence within, with true darkness nascent and hidden.

 

III. Quod factum est in Tenebris

 

The followers of the Accord are said to be “forlorn” themselves, for through the exodus of the Ravenkind away from the Cult of Forgotten Shadows, they lack a place to centralize and call home. Thus, they wander ceaselessly as though nomads, and take comfort in the brief respite that the kind and generous offer them. It is common among the erudite, and the Ravenkind himself, to offer counsel to certain organizations, whether Alliance or Horde, on the nature of the Dark, the Light, and the corruptible Void.

 

Their public image rarely differs from that of their private, for when they wander they seek to instill a selfless and sagacious reputation among the people, even if obscure and initially daunting. The Ravenkind’s followers have been known to offer alms to the poor, treatment to the sick and wounded, and even reprieve to the undying who agonize in their deathless state; utilizing their Dark Sorcery to ease the pains of an undying existence.

 

To join the Accord, or merely listen to its gospel, one need but find an erudite or their master, the Ravenkind, and bid for their knowledge; for it is their duty to share it to the willing, after all.

Edited July 14, 2018 by murdercharls

[Romeo 320]

Nice picture.

[Eclipse 9]

This looks really neat and wonderfully written! I am certainly interested in where you wish to go with this, and if I see some motivation from the players behind this topic, I wouldn't mind hopping aboard!

Again, wonderfully written. I like the poetic and alluring feel you provide. Very much captures the theme.

 

The stars align; Elune be with you.

[StrikingSpear 53]

Hey, this sounds epic man! I wish you the best of luck with this!