Brotherhood of Ak'rei'an (BZPRPG I)

The Brotherhood of Ak'rei'an is an officially recognized player organization in Arc 2. They are a cult dedicated to the worship of the ferryman of souls.

History

Pre-Toa Mata

The first known worshippers of Ak'rei'an were a group of Matoran bandits, who emerged twenty years after the beginning of recorded history. These bandits terrorized Le-Wahi before being killed off by the village militia.

The second and current incarnation emerged one hundred and fifty years later. This new 'Brotherhood of Ak'rei'an' established itself in eastern Po-Wahi. They then established the fortress of Blackrock Canyon . Thus began the era known as the Blackrock period, where the Brotherhood gathered unmatched numbers of converts, and began to attack Po and Ga Koroans.

This campaign was stalled when the Toa Mata arrived. The Matoran of the Brotherhood, fearing the new beings, stopped the attacks and retreated into their walls. 

Post-Toa Mata.

The Brotherhood terrorized Po and Ga Koro for decades after the Toa Mata's disappearance. Until a combined force of Ga-Koroan Marines and Po-Koroan Guards sacked thefortress , and slayed most of the cultists.

The remaining members found refuge in a cave deep in Onu-Wahi, called Darkmine . There, they lingered in fear of Makuta and the Matoran Guards. Very rarely did they get new members. One of the newer members, Larikon, seized control of the Brotherhood in a bloody coup. For thirteen years on, the group stayed in the shadows. But now that Makuta is slain, Larikon believes it is high time for the Brotherhood to expand, and conquer the island for itself.

Recent History

Mere months after Makuta was slain, the Brotherhood began to kidnap converts at a record pace. The Brotherhood expanded from a handful of individuals to nearly a dozen in a small timeframe. In his quest to establish the Brotherhood as a presence in the world, Larikon began a plan to blow up the Amaja Nui. However the first attempt, by Jorruk and Rakona, failed.

At the same time, the Ussalry became aware of the Brotherhood. Through both one of their agents discovering Darkmine, and the rogue knight Syvra telling Onepu, Captain of the Ussalry. Larikon, having made the mistake of letting the unknown-to-him ussalman Seren free, developed plans to escape Darkmine. Over a matter of hours, the Brotherhood fled the base, heading to Po-Wahi, to their ancestral fortress, Blackrock Canyon .

From there, they have began to slowly rebuild the fortifications.

Powers

Every Brotherhood member is given the ability to bind an undead zombie to him/her. Through a ritual involving the sacrifice of an Element, Mask Power, Vision Power or Lesterin Ability, the inductee gains control of the ghoul. The undead has control of a Turaga-level element (If Toa) and posesses slightly below average intelligence. They all have characteristic blank eyes.

Requirements

To join the Brotherhood, characters must be a Toa, Skakdi or Lesterin. One Matoran elder slot is available, however. To have an existing character join, arrange to have him/her kidnapped by Brotherhood members. They will summarily be brainwashed into loyal soldiers of the group.

Current Characters

• Grand Master Larikon Torchbearer (Leader)
• Sir Jorruk Yokin (Steward and Priest)
• Lady Rakona (Knight)
• Sir Ira (Knight)
• Sir Ryjak (Knight)
• Sir Thentyle (Knight Constable)
• Sir Zekev (Knight)
• Cardinal Dryken (Cardinal and Chaplain)
• Sir Zolarn (Knight)
• Sir Dril'tonag (Knight)
• Sir Jaaku (Knight)
• Sir Weiss (Spymaster)
• Sir Zenithex (Knight)
• Sir Dahkapa (Knight)

Zombies

• Ardron (Jorruk)
• Goran (Rakona)
• Maeydra (Ryjak)
• Basaka (Ira)

Rogue Characters

• Syvra (Ex-Knight)
• Kriigata (Ex-Knight)

Players Involved

• Mr. House (Larikon Torchbearer and Jorruk Yokin)
• Canis Lycaon (Rakona and Thentyle)*
• Voxumo (Syvra)
• namcurtsnoC (Ira)
• KNI (Ryjak and Kriigata)
• Kughii (Kriigata, formerly)
• Norik (Zekev and Dryken, Formerly in control of Thentyle)
• The X (Zolarn)*
• Toa Bulik (Dril'tonag)*
• The Otter (Jaaku)
• Lloyd: The White Wolf (Weiss)*
• Daniel The Finlander (Dahkapa)
• timageness411 (Zenithex)

Asterisks indicate inactive or semi-inactive characters.

Players & Characters Currently In Conversion

• There are no characters in Conversion

Notable Historical Grand Masters/Leaders

• Chieftain Ghyrlai: Ghyrlai was the Le-Matoran leader of a bandit group in early Mata Nui. Not much is known about Ghyrlai, except for the fact that he converted himself and his bandits to Archangel worship. He was slain by a Le-Koroan militia, reportedly under Tamaru.
• Grand Master Asukuh the Pious: Asukuh the Pious was the founder of the Brotherhood. A Ko-Matoran tracker, legend says he found a dead Matoran washed onto the beach of Ko-Koro, with a copy of the Book of Life in hand. Inspired by the book, he founded the group, but died but a year after.
• Grand Master Jharil the Mason: Jharil the Mason was a Po-Matoran carver, and one of Asukuh's closest friends. After the founder's death, Asukuh established and reigned over the mighty fortress of Blackrock Canyon. It was him who began the Brotherhood's tradition of banditry.
• Grand Master Makron the Blackheart: One of the Brotherhood's most infamous leaders. Reigning centuries after Jharil, Makron was the first Toa to lead the Brotherhood. He increased the frequency and brutality of the group's raiding, plundering and terrorizing Po and Ga Wahi. While he was planning a full-scale invasion of Ga-Koro, he disappeared, last being seen on Ko-Wahi border. Thus ended his nearly fifty year reign.
• Grand Master Gorlur the Tame: The Vo-Skakdi manservant of Makron. Gorlur came to power by popular demand, and was the first Skakdi to rule the Brotherhood. One of his first decisions as Grand Master, which nearly destroyed the organization, was the decision to focus on study of Ak'rei'an instead of raiding and patrolling. This allowed the militaries of Po and Ga-Koro to attack and destroy Blackrock, which he perished defending.  
• Grand Master Orkov the Savior: After the Marines breached the gate, Orkov led sixty men into the escape tunnels under Blackrock. Under the cover of night, they fled into the desert. For years, they evaded bandits, guards and Rahi. Eventually, all managed to find their way to Onu-Wahi, where they searched for a new base. They found one off an abandoned highway, and named it Darkmine. Orkov died of illness soon after.
• Grand Master Harsos the Old: Harsos the Old, a scholar traumatized by the sacking of Blackrock, was elected Grand Master after Orkov's death. Under his guidance, Darkmine was built and expanded into its current state. Harsos summarily adopted a strict policy of isolationism, to protect the Brotherhood from destruction. He reigned for over three hundred years, before dying of pneumonia in his bed.
• Grand Master Luoha the Defender: After Harsos, a line of women Grandmasters took power in the Brotherhood. The most prominent of them was Luoha the Defender, who saved The Darkmine from a roaming group of Bandits. Luoha's reign was also marked by advancement in philosophy and technology. She died while working with Brothers to expand the Darkmine, crushed in a tragic tunnel collapse with five others.
• Grand Master Carvax the Monk: Years after Harsos' death, Carvax the Monk assumed power. Carvax had great disregard for the policy of isolation. But instead of raiding and pillaging, Carvax set to expand the Brotherhood's knowledge. He retrieved the books of the Hidden Archive, in the ruins of Blackrock, among other actions. These actions caused Carvax to be murdered by hardcore isolationists, ending his year-long reign.
• Grand Master Jokull the Dour: Jokull the Dour is the second-most recent Grand Master. In the decades after Carvax was killed, Jokull and those before him maintained Harsos' isolationism by force. The craven and harsh Grand Master was quietly opposed by a small, militant section of the Brotherhood. Led by Larikon, these men rose up, killed the isolationists, and seized power. Jokull's head was pickled in a jar.     

Attributes and Beliefs

The Brotherhood is a group devoted to the worship of the Archangel Ak'rei'an. They believe that Ak'rei'an, former ferryman of the dead, was killed by Mata Nui for trying to give immortality to the Matoran after a divine rebellion. They revere the mysterious Purple Lightstones as holders of Ak'rei'an's earthly energies, and zealously guard them.

The Brotherhood also believes in a process called 'Conversion' to make new members loyal. This process, which involves hypnosis, brainwashing and torture is used to ensure its victims develop an undying loyalty to the cult. Those who fail, and survive are used as slaves until they are allowed to try a harder 'Second Conversion'. If they fail that, they are killed.

The Brotherhood maintains a manuscript, the Book of Life, as its most holiest of texts. Other books, called the Books of Makron and Orkov, detail the history of the Brotherhood in Mata Nui.

The Brotherhood aims to control Mata Nui. They believe control of the earthly plane (Mata Nui) must be done in order for Ak'rei'an to return. After which, Ak'rei'an would grant all his followers eternal life.

The Brotherhood preaches hatred of so-called 'heathens'. These heathens, or worshippers of Mata Nui and Makuta, are believed to be scum that need to converted or killed.

In the Brotherhood, slavery is legal but not practiced. Due to Larikon's bloodthirstiness, most caravaneers the Brotherhood finds are killed, and prisoners are usually sacrificed or zombified.

Positions

• Grand Master: The Grand Master is the civil, religious and military head of the Brotherhood. Grand Masters are elected into the office upon the death of the previous Grand Master. This is most often due to illness and old age, but murder has sometimes been used. This position is held by Larikon Torchbearer.
• Cardinal: Cardinals are advisors and elders of the Brotherhood. They are Matoran who have survived the sacking of Blackrock, and lived to the present.
• Marshal: Marshals are the Brotherhood's version of General. They lead troops during wartime, are only given the authority in it. Marshals must step down from their position during peacetime, or face sacrifice. This title hasn't been in use since the Blackrock period, due to the Brotherhood's smaller size.
• Steward: The Steward is typically one of the most powerful peacetime members. They have the responsibility for planning and organizing raids, keep stock of food, weapons, and other equipment, manage the money supply, and advise the Grand Master. The current Steward is Jorruk Yokin.
• Priest: The Priests are the Brotherhood's clergy, a once numerous and powerful class, the Priests have declined in recent years. Their primary responsibility, conversion, is taught and practiced by most of the older members. Other responsibilities of a Priest are sacrifice and zombification.
• Spymaster: Spymasters of the past were responsible for gathering intelligence personally, and training and assigning zombies for spy work. This position is reserved.
• Knight: Knights are the common soldiers of the Brotherhood. Every member, once converted, becomes a Knight. Aside from fighting in war, Knights also serve as workers, doing jobs like smelting ore and other such tasks.
• Knight Constable: A new position. Knight Constables are responsible for staying in Darkmine and watching the base. They monitor the entry tunnel, keep the grounds, and if needed defend Darkmine until death.  The current Knight Constable is Thentyle.

Relationships

Allies:

• The Legacy (Grudgingly)
• The Piraka

Enemies

• Worshippers of Mata Nui.
• Wahi military and governments.
  • Ko-Koro
• Toa Akiru

Quotes

• "AK'REI'AN!"-Larikon Torchbearer.
• "Just don't expect me to bash people over the head for coming to the sacred tunnels of holy dankness." Jaaku, during conversion.

Notes

• The Brotherhood of Ak'rei'an is a revival of an organization from the BZPRPG's 2006 season. The old Brotherhood was one of the most powerful of the evil organizations. It had a massive demon army, multiple bases and a player-controlled Archangel as leader. It later split into the Cult of Ak'rei'an and the Brotherhood of Darkness.

Previous Brotherhood Link

Brotherhood of Ak'rei'an-Circa 2006/2007