Order of Karsulva

The Order of Karsulva (Also known as the Order of Night on the Mountain) is a secretive monastic order from southeastern Gare'el. As of 533, the order is presumed defunct.

Tenets
The Order combines Gare'el meditative principles and martial arts with stealth and infiltration practices. The group notably diverts from traditional monastic practices in that the group was known to employ illusion magic, often to great effect.

The oath of the Karsulvan monks, as translated from Dwarvish, is as follows:

"I am Karsulva, the Moon over the Mountain. As he was, so I will be. For the sake of the homeland, I will live away from my beloved home. For the sake of the light, I will walk in light no more. To dispel the treachery that is cast over the mountain, I will take its place. I leave my name at the foot of this temple."

A recurring theme among Karsulvan tradition is a willingness to shoulder the responsibility of difficult moral decisions. Karsulvan monks were notorious for criminal roles, even as their very existence was unproven, most notably as assassins. Members of the order abandon their family or clan name and change it to Karsulva.

History
The Order of Karsulva was formed some time after the death of Ruden Karsulva, a dwarven warrior that lived during and took part in the settling of Gare'el in the twilight of the Third Era. The group venerates Ruden's sacrifice and his decision to shoulder a terrible power and burden for the good of his people. The group was most active during Gare'el's and Talvia's years of political upheaval, so much so that the group became a scapegoat, their name synonymous with espionage and political killings.

The order was famously blamed for the death of Imperator Sekur in 518.