.The concept is simple: the Arol Batae are an order of assassins. But it's a little more complicated than that.
One thing that struck me was the dual nature of assassins. On the one hand, if an assassin is too well-known, then they wouldn't be able to do their jobs very well. Like thieves, assassins really don't want fame or infamy; otherwise their target might catch wind they're nearby and that would put them on their guard, something no assassin wants.
On the other hand, if an assassin is utterly unknown, how do they get any clients? How would people know who to go to to get somebody rubbed out?
That's how I came up with the idea of the Arol Batae. They would be a very singular organization, with an extremely unique hierarchy.
At the bottom rung would be the assassins themselves. Their identities would be kept strictly secret, and they are often unaware of even other assassins of the Arol Batae. Now, as I imagine this sort of organization could only exist in Sunberth, I also assume then that the Arol Batae would acquire new "stock" for their assassins in a fairly efficient, if brutal, way. Namely, they'd go out every so often and kidnap children off the streets of the poorest quarters of Sunberth, reasoning such children are the least likely to be missed. They would then train them brutally and mercilessly, culminating in a final examination involving them assassinating their best friend or closest companion. The lesson would be simple: the Arol Batae is your only family. The Arol Batae is your only friend. Assassins have only one hard-and-fast rule: they never accept "outside" jobs, only jobs from their handlers, nor do they ever deal with clients.
The next rung up is the Handlers. These men and women are typically fairly well-to-do people, and are commonly shopkeepers, tavern bosses, spies, or information brokers during the day. They are in charge of a handful of assassins each, and are aware of anywhere from two to seven other Handlers. Their job is simple: they serve as the "face" of the Arol Batae. People go to them to make requests, and to tender payment. The client, therefore, never sees, nor ever meets, the assassin actually doing their job. As it should be. And the only hard-and-fast rule for Handlers is equally simple. They never do any dirty work themselves.
And that's it! There's no guild hall. No central headquarters. Not even any leaders. The Arol Batae's unique structure ensures it can never be fully destroyed because the loss of any single Handler cannot cripple the rest of the organization. Like a flock of geese, or a swarm of bees, their power lies in their ubiquity and amorphousness. Little goes on the Arol Batae isn't aware of. And few people can go long in Sunberth without dealing with them in some fashion.
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So what do you guys think? Is it too weird? Do you guys have any questions for me about how the organization works? I just thought that it would be a cool concept, and a bit different from your usual assassin's guilds. Please let me know what you think! Even if you hate it
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