Fire and Shadow
[the upside down word for Ahriman consumed by flames]
From the Nivoiryete Vendidad, Holy book of the Usij-
".. and the evil winters came to engulf the earth, devouring all but the righteous hidden King Yima's blessed Vara. The frost built up, killing men and women as they wondered the deadly snow. One by one, the people fell and were eaten by the cold- until only few remained alive. Devoid of Ahura Mazda's blessed fire, they were hidden in a cave to which the cold yet to slithered in, waiting for their coming death. However, as the evil wintered crept into the cave, a voice whispered them from the darkness- a voice like the breath of a dying man, soft like shadows and rotten like corpse. "You are abandoned" said the voice "Ahura Mazda left you to the cold and snow, withholding you his blessed gifts of Atar. You are a sacrifice, given to the cold hunger beyond the world, meant to die in the name of good. Your corpses would never be found in the snow, you souls would never escape the glaciers from before time. You are abandoned- but not all is lost, for Ahura Mazda may judge only those who are is. Give yourself to the me, and I'll give you life without fire. I'll teach you how to survive the evil winter and gift you with gifts Ahura Mazda would never give. Be mine, my children, and throw away the fate the fire-giver planned to you"
The people knew the voice- for only one being could offer them such an offer, to defy the will of the blessed maker and spit in the eyes of the holy. It was the voice of Angra Mainyu, the deceiver, lord of false gods. They knew that by agreeing to his offer, they would be cursed in the eyes of the maker, foul and hated by the light and fire. But the evil winter was coming, and the fear of the eternal cold was stronger then the hope that the blessed maker would not abandon their souls to the deadly frost. Moved by the ancient terror, they agreed to the offer- and Angra Mainyu was filled with pleasure, for manipulated Ahura Mazda's own actions against him.
And the deceiver took the people and covered them with darkness, hiding them from the evil winters and the deadly frost. And in the darkness, he took the men and forced himself into them. And the men laid with the women, and the darkness moved from one to the other, and from seed to womb. And the darkness festered in the wombs of the women, and grew and swelled in their bellies. And when the evil winter has passed and the fire of Ahura Mazda returned to melt the frost, the children of the darkness already walked and talked- the children of the deceiver, birthed from the arrogance of men and the lie of a false god. And when men and women and beast and fire has started to populate the earth again, they came to them with the secrets they learned from the darkness. They taught them the secrets of darkness without cold, the names of false divinities and the lies of the great deceiver. And the people followed, putting their faith in the lies of Angra Mainyu over the bright truth of Ahura Mazda.
For centuries the Usij has taught the people the ways of false faith, until great Zoroaster came- seeing through the lie of the deceiver and discovering the truth of Ahura Mazda. He called people to the truth, and taught them the secrets of fire and light once more. Seeing the threat, the Usij came to the prophet and debated with him day and night, hoping to break his spirit and being the people back to the deceiver's lie. Zoroaster, however, didn't broke- for he knew the truth. For answered every question they brought, and revealed the lies beneath their claims. One by one, they fell before his words, their spirit shattered by the man's great understanding and wisdom. Some took their own life afterward, seeing themselves as unworthy for both their vile god and the bright maker. Others cursed the prophet and left, manipulating the kings and queen of men in foreign lands. But some heard the voice of the prophet and were inspired. Knowing that as being of darkness they could never share the touch of light, Zoroaster promised them that by free will they may choose their fate themselves from Angra Mainyu and Ahura Mazda. They may be forced to stay away from the blessed fire as long as they are alive, for their very presence would corrupt its light, but in death their souls would return to the maker and escape Angra Mainyu's lie. By being foul before the fire, they were allowed to preform acts no other could in order to bring light into the darkness.
After understanding the words of Zoroaster, each of the Usij who saw the truth beyond the lie too an oath- to become the prophet's shadow, being darkness inside darkness, a lie told to lairs. They are to court with false gods and turn them against each other, to break their false religions from the inside and let them collapse upon themselves. They took an oath under the prophet's name to serve Ahura Mazda, and return to their temples and altars and worshipers and brothers and sisters in the lie- waiting for the moment to reveal their falsehoods and shatter their religions before the light of the blessed maker, to betray their own parents and siblings and children to the blessed fire which would free their souls back to Ahura Mazda. And the day came.."
There are demons all around you. Evil spirits walk unseen among humanity. People worship false gods and are manipulated by them. Evil thoughts consume people from the inside, taking over them and turning them into servants of Angra Mainyu. The Druj, the lie of the Evil Spirit, hides its evil in plain sight so normal people can't even see how tainted they are by its manipulation. The only ones who can see through the falsehoods are those blessed by Ahura Mazda, the blessed maker, the people of Asha who pierce the lies and show the truth hidden bellow them to all..
And those who belong to that lie, of course.
They gained many names through the ages. They are the Droguuant, people of the lie. They are the Daevayasna, those who make sacrifices to false gods. But their preferred name is the Usij- the False Prophets, priests of the lie. Long time ago, their forefathers has gave themselves to Angra Mainyu, cursing themselves and their descendants to become servants of the dark spirit. After coming in contact with the great prophet Zoroaster, they regretted for their former acts and wished to return to the side of light. However, as descendants of the Evil Thought, they were forbidden from the prophet's presence and the worship of Ahura Mazda- they were foul beings, and their presence would taint the temples and blessed fire. They had no place among common men- yet it didn't meant they couldn't serve the Blessed Spirit in other ways. After all, there were actions the people of Asha couldn't do or else they would be tainted by the Lie- murder, betrayal, dark magics and courting with demons. The Usij, as being tainted from birth, could do such acts without harming their souls. Using their connections and natural affinity to the deceiver and its hidden projects, they could infiltrate cults, gather information and eventually bring down the corrupted structures from the inside. Where there is light, there is shadow- and in those shadows the Usij hide, waiting to strike against the servants of darkness.
The Usij were at the peak of their power centuries ago, when the great empires of Persia stood strong and Zoroastrianism has prospered. The Achaemenid, Parthia and the Sassanian Empires all allowed the religion to prosper- and as long as they did, the Usij walked among the people of the lie and sabotaged their delicate projects, banishing corrupted Daeva and destroying potential threats. Even when Alexander came and brought with him foreign culture, the Usij didn't wavered. However, as Islam took over the their country and the Sassanian Empire fell, things has started to change- while Zoroastrianism was outright forbidden, the Muslim rulers used a lot of pressure upon them to convert, something which made some of the Usij to claim that they were servants of Angra Mainyu, spreading false religion to stop their actions. Others, however, claimed that Islam was simply the outcome of another prophet revealing the truth, and that if by converting they could make their mission easier, they should accept the change. Eventually, however, the traditionalists won- they would remain true to their old ways, even at the cost of their own life.
And some were there to claim it.
It weren't the the Daeva who always searched after them to kill them and steal their children to the service of the deceiver. It weren't the cults of the lie which worshiped Angra Mainyu and his evil thoughts. It were another line of demon blooded, who had their own curse to bear- those who were once called Saru Salmu, and now took the name al Rih al Asuad. The Black Wind has started to blow in Iran, and their blades harvested the souls of demons in it.
While the two lines has knew each other for long time, the Black Wind has never truly trusted the Priests of the Lie. In their eyes, they were nothing but a corrupted strain who worked with demons, preforming terrible acts for personal gain. Motivated by their new faith in Islam, they swept through the land in search for any demon cult they could find- and they didn't minded if the cultist was truly a follower of Druj or that he just acted like that. A demon is a demon, and Pazuzu would scare the spawn of Angra Mainyu back to hell which spawned them.
Still, against all chances, the Usij has survived. Most as found solace in India among the local Parsi, where they made a pact of protection with another line of demons in human skin called the "Avici Sutra", once long time enemies and now allies at need. Others has scattered through the world, living in small communities until many of them found escape in a new, rising nation which promised freedom from the falsehoods of the past- the United States of America. Yet while their presence in Iran had dwindled, the core of the Usij till beat in their homeland. The Council of Eight (one per each general of Angra Mainyu) still sits in Iran, and their hunters still fight against the lies of the deceiver and its cults. In their eyes, their homeland still has a part to play in the plan of the maker- or else the prophet wouldn't have awakened in those lands. If they were to leave, there would be no one to reveal the lies of Angra Mainyu, and all would be lost.
And until that day would come, they would serve the blessed maker from the shadows- the only way to them to stand near the fire.
Status:
0- the deceiver has marked you as one of his own, and you turned it into a weapon against the darkness. You may spend merit points on the Druj Endowment. In an addition, the agents of the deceiver recognize you as an important part of its projects. You get an Honorary Rank of 1 when dealing with angels, and one dot at Alternative Identity made through the conspiracy's resources.
000- you have became a prominent figure among the deceiver's cults, gaining their trust as you plan to crush them. You get 2 dots in Contacts among God-Machine cults, and your Honorary Rank and Alternative Identity rise to 2.
00000- you have managed to destroy numerous schemes of Angra Mainyu and proved yourself as a future member of the Council of Eight. You get one of the current members as a 3 dot Mentor, and your Alternative Identity and Honorary Rank rise to 3.
Endowment: Druj (0-00000)
The Usij are the priests of the lie, and as such they may manipulate the falsehoods of Angra Mainyu and his servants against them. Druj is a single, 1-5 merit, which allowing the hunter to access to a single Embed per dot in the Endowment. Those abilities manifest themselves in the body of the hunter, becoming physical structures in their body. That represent itself in the form of Glitches- the hunter suffer one minor Glitch per dot int the Endowment. When getting a new dot, the hunter may decide to advance one of her existing Glitches instead of getting a new one. A major Glitch worth 2 dots, while Catastrophic one worth 3 dots. The hunter may replace old Embeds with new ones, yet the process forces the hunter to go through a surgery which, even if successful, cause at least one level of Lethal Damage. The hunter may also permanently reduce her Druj rating, removing the Glitches together with it (Sanctity of Merits still applies). There is, however, another hidden benefit for making a strong contact with the Druj- the ability to manipulate it and reveal the truth which hides beneath. At first dot, all hunters are able to Perceive Infrastructures as if they were Stigmatics. At 3 dots, the hunter is not effected by Liar's Tongue or any similar supernatural effect which is meant to make lies be automatically successful. At 5 dots, the hunter can sees through Covers and similar effects which hide the target's true nature. At any rating (including 0) the hunter is immune for being Spoofed.
[the upside down word for Ahriman consumed by flames]
From the Nivoiryete Vendidad, Holy book of the Usij-
".. and the evil winters came to engulf the earth, devouring all but the righteous hidden King Yima's blessed Vara. The frost built up, killing men and women as they wondered the deadly snow. One by one, the people fell and were eaten by the cold- until only few remained alive. Devoid of Ahura Mazda's blessed fire, they were hidden in a cave to which the cold yet to slithered in, waiting for their coming death. However, as the evil wintered crept into the cave, a voice whispered them from the darkness- a voice like the breath of a dying man, soft like shadows and rotten like corpse. "You are abandoned" said the voice "Ahura Mazda left you to the cold and snow, withholding you his blessed gifts of Atar. You are a sacrifice, given to the cold hunger beyond the world, meant to die in the name of good. Your corpses would never be found in the snow, you souls would never escape the glaciers from before time. You are abandoned- but not all is lost, for Ahura Mazda may judge only those who are is. Give yourself to the me, and I'll give you life without fire. I'll teach you how to survive the evil winter and gift you with gifts Ahura Mazda would never give. Be mine, my children, and throw away the fate the fire-giver planned to you"
The people knew the voice- for only one being could offer them such an offer, to defy the will of the blessed maker and spit in the eyes of the holy. It was the voice of Angra Mainyu, the deceiver, lord of false gods. They knew that by agreeing to his offer, they would be cursed in the eyes of the maker, foul and hated by the light and fire. But the evil winter was coming, and the fear of the eternal cold was stronger then the hope that the blessed maker would not abandon their souls to the deadly frost. Moved by the ancient terror, they agreed to the offer- and Angra Mainyu was filled with pleasure, for manipulated Ahura Mazda's own actions against him.
And the deceiver took the people and covered them with darkness, hiding them from the evil winters and the deadly frost. And in the darkness, he took the men and forced himself into them. And the men laid with the women, and the darkness moved from one to the other, and from seed to womb. And the darkness festered in the wombs of the women, and grew and swelled in their bellies. And when the evil winter has passed and the fire of Ahura Mazda returned to melt the frost, the children of the darkness already walked and talked- the children of the deceiver, birthed from the arrogance of men and the lie of a false god. And when men and women and beast and fire has started to populate the earth again, they came to them with the secrets they learned from the darkness. They taught them the secrets of darkness without cold, the names of false divinities and the lies of the great deceiver. And the people followed, putting their faith in the lies of Angra Mainyu over the bright truth of Ahura Mazda.
For centuries the Usij has taught the people the ways of false faith, until great Zoroaster came- seeing through the lie of the deceiver and discovering the truth of Ahura Mazda. He called people to the truth, and taught them the secrets of fire and light once more. Seeing the threat, the Usij came to the prophet and debated with him day and night, hoping to break his spirit and being the people back to the deceiver's lie. Zoroaster, however, didn't broke- for he knew the truth. For answered every question they brought, and revealed the lies beneath their claims. One by one, they fell before his words, their spirit shattered by the man's great understanding and wisdom. Some took their own life afterward, seeing themselves as unworthy for both their vile god and the bright maker. Others cursed the prophet and left, manipulating the kings and queen of men in foreign lands. But some heard the voice of the prophet and were inspired. Knowing that as being of darkness they could never share the touch of light, Zoroaster promised them that by free will they may choose their fate themselves from Angra Mainyu and Ahura Mazda. They may be forced to stay away from the blessed fire as long as they are alive, for their very presence would corrupt its light, but in death their souls would return to the maker and escape Angra Mainyu's lie. By being foul before the fire, they were allowed to preform acts no other could in order to bring light into the darkness.
After understanding the words of Zoroaster, each of the Usij who saw the truth beyond the lie too an oath- to become the prophet's shadow, being darkness inside darkness, a lie told to lairs. They are to court with false gods and turn them against each other, to break their false religions from the inside and let them collapse upon themselves. They took an oath under the prophet's name to serve Ahura Mazda, and return to their temples and altars and worshipers and brothers and sisters in the lie- waiting for the moment to reveal their falsehoods and shatter their religions before the light of the blessed maker, to betray their own parents and siblings and children to the blessed fire which would free their souls back to Ahura Mazda. And the day came.."
There are demons all around you. Evil spirits walk unseen among humanity. People worship false gods and are manipulated by them. Evil thoughts consume people from the inside, taking over them and turning them into servants of Angra Mainyu. The Druj, the lie of the Evil Spirit, hides its evil in plain sight so normal people can't even see how tainted they are by its manipulation. The only ones who can see through the falsehoods are those blessed by Ahura Mazda, the blessed maker, the people of Asha who pierce the lies and show the truth hidden bellow them to all..
And those who belong to that lie, of course.
They gained many names through the ages. They are the Droguuant, people of the lie. They are the Daevayasna, those who make sacrifices to false gods. But their preferred name is the Usij- the False Prophets, priests of the lie. Long time ago, their forefathers has gave themselves to Angra Mainyu, cursing themselves and their descendants to become servants of the dark spirit. After coming in contact with the great prophet Zoroaster, they regretted for their former acts and wished to return to the side of light. However, as descendants of the Evil Thought, they were forbidden from the prophet's presence and the worship of Ahura Mazda- they were foul beings, and their presence would taint the temples and blessed fire. They had no place among common men- yet it didn't meant they couldn't serve the Blessed Spirit in other ways. After all, there were actions the people of Asha couldn't do or else they would be tainted by the Lie- murder, betrayal, dark magics and courting with demons. The Usij, as being tainted from birth, could do such acts without harming their souls. Using their connections and natural affinity to the deceiver and its hidden projects, they could infiltrate cults, gather information and eventually bring down the corrupted structures from the inside. Where there is light, there is shadow- and in those shadows the Usij hide, waiting to strike against the servants of darkness.
The Usij were at the peak of their power centuries ago, when the great empires of Persia stood strong and Zoroastrianism has prospered. The Achaemenid, Parthia and the Sassanian Empires all allowed the religion to prosper- and as long as they did, the Usij walked among the people of the lie and sabotaged their delicate projects, banishing corrupted Daeva and destroying potential threats. Even when Alexander came and brought with him foreign culture, the Usij didn't wavered. However, as Islam took over the their country and the Sassanian Empire fell, things has started to change- while Zoroastrianism was outright forbidden, the Muslim rulers used a lot of pressure upon them to convert, something which made some of the Usij to claim that they were servants of Angra Mainyu, spreading false religion to stop their actions. Others, however, claimed that Islam was simply the outcome of another prophet revealing the truth, and that if by converting they could make their mission easier, they should accept the change. Eventually, however, the traditionalists won- they would remain true to their old ways, even at the cost of their own life.
And some were there to claim it.
It weren't the the Daeva who always searched after them to kill them and steal their children to the service of the deceiver. It weren't the cults of the lie which worshiped Angra Mainyu and his evil thoughts. It were another line of demon blooded, who had their own curse to bear- those who were once called Saru Salmu, and now took the name al Rih al Asuad. The Black Wind has started to blow in Iran, and their blades harvested the souls of demons in it.
While the two lines has knew each other for long time, the Black Wind has never truly trusted the Priests of the Lie. In their eyes, they were nothing but a corrupted strain who worked with demons, preforming terrible acts for personal gain. Motivated by their new faith in Islam, they swept through the land in search for any demon cult they could find- and they didn't minded if the cultist was truly a follower of Druj or that he just acted like that. A demon is a demon, and Pazuzu would scare the spawn of Angra Mainyu back to hell which spawned them.
Still, against all chances, the Usij has survived. Most as found solace in India among the local Parsi, where they made a pact of protection with another line of demons in human skin called the "Avici Sutra", once long time enemies and now allies at need. Others has scattered through the world, living in small communities until many of them found escape in a new, rising nation which promised freedom from the falsehoods of the past- the United States of America. Yet while their presence in Iran had dwindled, the core of the Usij till beat in their homeland. The Council of Eight (one per each general of Angra Mainyu) still sits in Iran, and their hunters still fight against the lies of the deceiver and its cults. In their eyes, their homeland still has a part to play in the plan of the maker- or else the prophet wouldn't have awakened in those lands. If they were to leave, there would be no one to reveal the lies of Angra Mainyu, and all would be lost.
And until that day would come, they would serve the blessed maker from the shadows- the only way to them to stand near the fire.
Status:
0- the deceiver has marked you as one of his own, and you turned it into a weapon against the darkness. You may spend merit points on the Druj Endowment. In an addition, the agents of the deceiver recognize you as an important part of its projects. You get an Honorary Rank of 1 when dealing with angels, and one dot at Alternative Identity made through the conspiracy's resources.
000- you have became a prominent figure among the deceiver's cults, gaining their trust as you plan to crush them. You get 2 dots in Contacts among God-Machine cults, and your Honorary Rank and Alternative Identity rise to 2.
00000- you have managed to destroy numerous schemes of Angra Mainyu and proved yourself as a future member of the Council of Eight. You get one of the current members as a 3 dot Mentor, and your Alternative Identity and Honorary Rank rise to 3.
Endowment: Druj (0-00000)
The Usij are the priests of the lie, and as such they may manipulate the falsehoods of Angra Mainyu and his servants against them. Druj is a single, 1-5 merit, which allowing the hunter to access to a single Embed per dot in the Endowment. Those abilities manifest themselves in the body of the hunter, becoming physical structures in their body. That represent itself in the form of Glitches- the hunter suffer one minor Glitch per dot int the Endowment. When getting a new dot, the hunter may decide to advance one of her existing Glitches instead of getting a new one. A major Glitch worth 2 dots, while Catastrophic one worth 3 dots. The hunter may replace old Embeds with new ones, yet the process forces the hunter to go through a surgery which, even if successful, cause at least one level of Lethal Damage. The hunter may also permanently reduce her Druj rating, removing the Glitches together with it (Sanctity of Merits still applies). There is, however, another hidden benefit for making a strong contact with the Druj- the ability to manipulate it and reveal the truth which hides beneath. At first dot, all hunters are able to Perceive Infrastructures as if they were Stigmatics. At 3 dots, the hunter is not effected by Liar's Tongue or any similar supernatural effect which is meant to make lies be automatically successful. At 5 dots, the hunter can sees through Covers and similar effects which hide the target's true nature. At any rating (including 0) the hunter is immune for being Spoofed.
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