The White Hand

Another of the many facets of the  Empire’s   Church of Unity , the Order of the White Hand provides skilled diplomats for use by the upper Imperial echelons. Their ranks are filled with messengers, courtiers, ambassadors, and bureaucrats at equal measure. To join, one must seek out their headquarters and undertake study at their academy. A prospective member must forswear all possessions at the time of joining and undertake the Oath of Twenty; that is, to promise twenty years’ service at least to the Order. While in training, prospects practice in the arts of intrigue and diplomacy, while also learning courtly manners. A fully-fledged member of the White Hand should ideally be able to blend into the courts of any of the provinces. They all speak multiple languages, are well versed in secrecy and spycraft, as well as politics, debate, and guile. Many agents do their work undercover, while others serve as useful advisors to Kings, Archdukes, and various other nobles. Finding someone with as many courtly skills on the street is near-impossible, and thusly, despite their obvious affiliations, many people of great import still seek their counsel, despite any wariness. Agents of the White Hand, whilst in the open, wear a tasseled white-brass brooch with the emblem of an open hand on it. Though some choose to remain in the order, many retirees go on to hold positions in the Imperial Bureaucracy, where rewards are more lucrative for their many skills.

The Order’s inner hierarchy is complex. There is no one person in charge of it; Imperially-appointed officers of the Order control the academy, provincial assignments, and clandestine operations separately.