Whispering Way
From PathfinderWiki
| Whispering Way | |
|---|---|
| (Organization) | |
| Type | Philosophical |
| Leader | Lucimar, the Lich-Wolf |
| Alignment | Neutral evil |
| Headquarters | Gallowspire, Ustalav |
| Goals | pursuit of personal power, promotion of undeath |
| Scope | Global |
| Structure | Secret |
| Members | Cultists, necromancers & undead |
| Source: The Inner Sea World Guide, pg(s). 237 | |
The Whispering Way is a cruel and secret organization and philosophy promoting undeath that has been active for thousands of years. The tenets are whispered one to another and never written down.[1]
Contents |
Tenets of the Philosophy
The central philosophy of the Whispering Way is that undeath is the truest form of existence. The undead know no pain and no fear, and so have nothing to distract them from their pursuit of power. Living creatures are seen as pitiful and pointless. Unsurprisingly, the organization is heavily involved with necromancy. On a basic level, the Whispering Way is the quest for unlife, lichdom being the preferred result, but the underlying philosophy is that power over life and death is a natural right to those with enough power. This theory is often extended to the belief that the living world is unworthy, and thus needs to be destroyed, or at least cleansed of the living.
Its adherents add to the organization's membership by corrupting talented individuals with whispered promises of power and eternal existence. The Way is not, and can not, be written down or otherwise recorded. Instead, it can only be passed down from person to person, and achieved through effort and machination.[2]
Much of the faction’s knowledge is kept by the lore keepers, undead lords who have each memorized a single aspect of the faction’s lore.[3]
Symbol
The symbol of the Whispering Way is a gagged skull.[4][1]
Members
The organization’s most famous member is Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, but it predates even this ancient creature by centuries, making it one of the oldest of Golarion’s organizations.[1]
Some members strive to release Tar-Baphon from the seals that bind him, but the primary aim of each member is to increase his own personal power – even at the expense of other members.[1]
Leadership
Technically, the organization does not have a leader. Currently, its most influential member is Lucimar, known as the Lich-Wolf. The spiritual center is Tar-Baphon’s prison, the Gallowspire in Ustalav. Pilgrims to the Gallowspire are increasingly also stopping at Lucimar’s residence, Ghasterhall.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Michael Kortes. (2011). The Haunting of Harrowstone.The Haunting of Harrowstone, p. 16. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-308-8
- ↑ Colin McComb. (2011). Faiths of Corruption, p. 23. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-375-0
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Joshua J. Frost et al. (2010). Faction Guide, p. 52. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-221-0
- ↑ James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 237. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
