Recusants

The current Recusants are a covenant of invaders who answer directly to Tanith of the Volcano Manor, diligently kept unaware of their ultimate master's existence snd true nature, Rykard, the Lord of Blasphemy. These Tarnished mercenaries hunt down their fellows to further the Manor's heretical opposition of the Golden Order.

The Recusants was once the title of Praetor Rykard's original forces who fought for him during the Shattering, but they have long since deserted him after his self-sacrifice to the God-Devouring Serpent inside Mt. Gelmir, wherein he became the Lord of Blasphemy. Amoung those that remained alive, their only loyalty to Rykard, if any, was to put their suffering lord to rest.

Overview[]

The Shattering[]

The original Recusants were formed sometime after the Shattering, based in the Volcano Manor on Mt. Gelmir. Praetor Rykard, alongside his younger sister, Lunar Princess Ranni, played leading roles in the Night of Black Knives plot that would ignite the war. Rykard was well aware the fallout would grant him an opportunity to upend the Golden Order which he despised. After making his heretical ambitions clear, many like-minded warriors flocked to his cause, and became the Recusants. A singular Crucible Knight, who would remain by Lady Tanith's side even after Rykard's death, may have served within or alongside the Recusants as early as this.

The original Recusants fought for Praetor Rykard against the Golden Order forces of Leyndell, who were commanded by Morgott, the Grace Given. Their conflict would become the most appalling battle of the Shattering, a wretched, unending war with no glory. While not as severe as their Leyndell adversaries, some Recusants resorted to cannibalism to survive during the fighting, and others became inflicted with the Frenzied Flame sickness.

Sometime during the conflict, Rykard fed himself to the God-Devouring Serpent which lurked within Mt. Gelmir, becoming the Lord of Blasphemy. Praetor Rykard's once somewhat noble ambitions were twisted into nothing more than gluttonous depravity. The Lord of Blasphemy began to feed upon the Recusants's greatest warriors, attempting to absorb their strength into himself. At this point, their war against the Golden Order was pathed with mountains of corpses, and many Recusants were loosing the will to continue. With Rykard's transformations, even the most loyal amoung them could no longer abide anymore. From their perspective, it was Rykard who deserted them, but regardless, these Recusants served Rykard no more. Though most of Rykard's remaining Recusants dissipated, others actively attempted to slay him by searching for a mighty weapon capable of such a task, which they found in the Serpent-Hunter. This ancient enchanted spear had been crafted to hunt an immortal serpent in the distant past. Despite their efforts, no Recusant was able to kill Rykard, and the spear would come to reside in Rykard's chambers. The ghost of a Recusant remains at the Volcano Manor to tell of the spear's existence, appearing to worthy champions who he believes may be able to spare his once-noble lord from further dishonor.

Rykard's consort, Tanith, excluding the possibility of her Crucible Knight bodygaurd, was the only known human to remain loyal to him after he became the Lord of Blasphemy. Utterly entralled by his new form, she dedicated herself to gathering a new force of Recusants to oppose the Golden Order. In reality, this new generation of Recusants was nothing more than a way to gather worthy sacrifices for lord Rykard to absorb into himself.

This group of Tarnished is similar in practice to Lord Mohg's Bloody Fingers, in that they seek out and kill other Tarnished throughout the Lands Between. However, they seem to differ in long-term goals as well as rites of induction. The steps of becoming one of these invaders is far less ritualistic and complicated than entering the Bloody Fingers: the process and its end goal, however, are no less brutal.

To become a Recusant, one must simply venture to the Volcano Manor and speak to its proprietress: Tanith. If she extends an Volcano Manor Invitation and one accepts, the inductee is greeted cordially and allowed to shelter at the Manor. From there, the inductee is given a letter detailing a target that needs killing: a fellow Tarnished. While staying at the Manor, it is also possible to take up contracts from fellow Recusants or aid them in accomplishing their own hits, as well as targeting and invading Tarnished of your choosing. However, unlike in the Bloody Fingers, simply attempting to kill Tarnished is not enough, nor is picking one's own targets: the assigned targets must die. Success is rewarded not only with another contract, but pieces of equipment as well.

Once three assigned contracts are fulfilled, Tanith will offer the Recusant a chance to gain an audience with the true leader of the covenant: Lord Rykard himself. However, the Recusant may discover too late that the purpose of the contracts is to gauge and increase a Tarnished's strength, only to be fed to the Lord of Blasphemy. As their strength is absorbed into the abomination, the hope is that one day Rykard will become strong enough to devour the very gods themselves.

Likely due to its inherently heretical standing, some prospective members of the covenant have refused their invitations, unwilling to become the covenant's champions.

Should Rykard ultimately be killed, with no lord left to serve, Tanith will permit the current Recusant's dispersal. If Rya, the man-serpent daughter of Rykard, remained alive without the influence of the Tonic of Forgetfulness, she leaves the Manor to embark on a journey. No less ignorant than those she recruited of the true sacrificial purpose of the current Recusants, Rya hoped to continue her adoptive mother's mission of opposing the Golden Order by gathering another force of effective Recusants elsewhere.

Recusants

Contents

Overview[]

The Shattering[]

Known Members[]

Current Recusants[]

Original Recusants[]

Relevant Items[]