Yisa-Khardomas

Guard. These troops patrol the Tombyards (especially at night), guard the Gray House, and serve as bodyguards for Guild Elders and other important members. The Guild of Morticians would like to think that the number of the Cortege Guard is a secret, but most people know about them and their reputation for calm, calculated ruthlessness. Most of the guards are elves or humans, and they often divide into racially segregated units when on patrol.

Cortege Guard Elf: Male and female elf War1; CR 1/2; Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d8; hp varies (see text); Init +3; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18 (+3 Dex, breastplate), touch 13, flat-footed 15; Atk +5 melee (1d8+2, masterwork longsword); or +4 ranged (1d6+2, masterwork mighty composite shortbow [+2 Str bonus]); SQ lowlight vision, sleep immunity, resist enchantment; AL LE; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +0;Str 15, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Jump +2, Listen +2, Spot +4; Weapon Focus (longsword).

Resist Enchantment: +2 bonus on saves to resist enchantment magic.

Possessions: Breastplate, masterwork longsword, masterwork mighty composite shortbow (+2 Str bonus), 20 arrows, potion of cure light wounds.

Cortege Guard Human: Maleand female human War1; CR 1/2; Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d8+2; hp varies (see text); Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18 (+1 Dex, masterwork banded mail, small wooden shield), touch 11, flat-footed 17; Atk +5 melee (1d10+2/19–20, masterwork bastard sword); or +2 ranged (1d8/19–20, longbow); AL LE; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1; Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Climb +0, Intimidate +3, Jump +0; Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Weapon Focus (bastard sword).

Possessions: Masterwork banded mail, small wooden shield, masterwork bastard sword, longbow, 20 arrows, potion of cure light wounds.

The Guild of Morticians is linked very closely with the Dracanish religion, and many members are sympathetic to the Quiet Knights (see below). Their greatest enemies are the Necromancers of Night Alley (see below), who attempt to sneak into town and steal cadavers.

Nevertheless, people in Manifest also whisper rumors that some of the guild members are necromancers themselves. If this is true (and it is, but very few below the rank of Guildmaster know about it), the guild must be very careful in selecting what corpses to use, for their reputation is based on safely storing and retrieving all bodies entrusted to their care. Still, when the tomb robbers do make a successful raid, it occasionally happens that a few additional corpses are also reported “missing.”

Morticians are often quiet, dour individuals. People believe them to be cold because of the casual way that they look at death, and sometimes that perception is correct. Members of the guild often wear gray or black, along with the symbol of the guild—a small black coffin—prominently on their chest, arm, hat, or lapel.

YISA-KHARDOMAS

Based on two much older groups (the Yisa-komas and the Khardon Court), the Yisa-khardomas is an organization of the living and the dead that presides over and governs the ghosts of Manifest. It also is the strongest group advocating their interests. Members have one sympathetic ear (Tyrus Dean, warder of

Phantom Hill) who speaks and acts on their behalf on the Council of Warders.

One of the major duties of the Yisa-khardomas is to keep troublesome ghosts in line. The organization wants to make sure that ghosts do not break laws or engage in activities that make all ghosts look bad.

Members help ensure that ghosts have a better chance of being treated fairly (perhaps even well) by the living. To better carry this out, the Yisa-khardomas employs a small force that its members call the

Tardane. The Tardane is a group of individuals (some living, some ghosts) who specialize in dealing with ghosts. They usually have a fair bit of magic to back them up, either in the form of spells, items, or both.

They enforce the Ghostlaws (see below), which do not differ strongly from the regular laws of Manifest (see sidebar).

MD