"In what manner does such a vast empire attend to its boundless flock? How maintain it its dominion so profound, so echoed, so omnipresent? The response, I declare unto thee, resides in a singular name: Sheathers."
~ Opening statement, Thoughts on an Empire by Damon Balan.
Within the sprawling confines of the Benemor Empire exist numerous governmental organisations each fulfilling integral roles to sustain Benemor’s dominion and internal stability. One of note is the Sheathers.
The Sheathers are an organisation, whose modus operandi is primarily covert in nature. They have successfully managed to enshrine themselves in mystery which has turned out to be of great benefit to its operating effectiveness. Despite this, tales of its exploits have become widespread, contributing to its formidable reputation.
The Sheathers are under the direct command of Benemor’s Emperor, Benim Cad. There is an unusual reverence within the organisation for the emperor, with many members deifying him. This fierce loyalty has proved invaluable to Benim Cad, and the actions and objectives of the Sheathers are always aligned with his desires, making them the ultimate instruments of his will.
At the head of the Sheathers sits Naskys, a long-time friend of the emperor from the days before Benemor took form. He oversees all the internal workings of the Sheathers and is one of Benim Cad’s inner circle of advisors. Naskys is one of the original architects of the Benemor Empire and remains a close and trusted friend of the emperor.
The rise of the Benemor Empire is closely intertwined with the exploits of the Sheathers. Before the conception of the Benemor Empire, Benim Cad was the leader of a street gang in Niye’, who specialised in hired killings. He was unlike most street thugs in that he had had the luck of being taught his letters at a young age and was well versed in philosophy and politics. Due to the tragic death of his mentor, the closest thing he had to a father figure, at the inadvertent hands of the aristocracy, Benim Cad developed a loathing for the ruling class and an obsession with the pervasive inequality in his society. Through this obsession the ethos of the Benemor Empire known as ‘The Vision’ was born.
When he judged the time to be right, he carried out the pivotal assassinations of the three trade-lords known as the Triumvirate e’ Niye’, who at the time ruled the city-state. This calculated move marked Benim Cad's ascent from the leader of a gang of cutthroats of common birth to the leader of a city-state.
The aristocracy of Niye’, at first, rejected this young commoner and his brutal means of attaining power and conspired to destroy him and his faction. Knowing that by eradicating the ruling aristocracy he would be consequently stripping Niye’ of its educated and skilled statesmen and officials, thus Crippling Niye’, Benim decided on intimidation tactics as the solution to his conundrum. One night the most influential members of the aristocracy were woken in their beds with the touch of steel on their necks and the quiet whisper of threat in their ear uttered from figures shrouded in black. After this there were gentle reminders now and again but talk of revolt against the new rulers of Niye’ quickly subsided.
With Niye’ firmly under their influence, Benim Cad and his companions turned their gaze toward the neighbouring city-states of Saltos, Ephyros, and Gallogos. These cities, in fear and outrage of this brutal upstart of common birth, formed an alliance, aiming to restore the balance among the city-states. Understanding that Niye’ did not have the military power to defend against all three city-states simultaneously let alone conquer them, Benim Cad and his companions decided to employ the same methods that proved so successful to their ascent to power. They assassinated key figures within the three cities, creating a power vacuum and destabilising them. The alliance crumbled, and, following a number of key murders, some incentivising threats and some messy skirmishes, the city-states ultimately fell to Niye’ and its new and ambitious leader.
As Benim Cad’s power grew and it became evident that an empire was forming around him he and his closest companions concluded that an official, specialised branch of government dedicated to the influence of internal, and sometimes external matters, was necessary for imperial cohesion. This branch would be responsible for destabilising rival factions and silencing internal dissent, ensuring the smooth expansion and consolidation of their burgeoning empire. Having a knack for understanding people and political dynamics in the ruling class, Naskys adopted the responsibility of leading this organisation. He has since meticulously laid the foundation for what would later be known as the Sheathers and is solely responsible for engineering the reverence and near worship its members harbour for their emperor.
