Raven Monks

The Order of the Raven is a monk monastery that sits on a hill near the center of the Dreadlands. Once the seat of power for the Order of the Crane before their downfall during the Age of Strife, it was reclaimed along with the city of Duskwind after the Great Purge, when a bastion of safety was desperately needed for the refugees and poor souls trying to eke a living out of the now blasted land.

The order was founded by a mysterious man named Gideon who exhibited a commanding leadership in a time of great need, attracting the few capable recruits from the meager ranks of refugees sheltered within the city. He trained them up to be self-sustaining and they now police the city and will always rally to its defense.

Known as the Raven-Monks of Duskwind, the monks perform guard and defense duties within the city walls but are prohibited from leaving the city even for defense purposes, though this is not well known, those who do recognize that the alternative to remaining in the city means certain doom wandering the hostile wastes.

The powers of the monks include a mix of arcane and ki-based powers. Monks have been seen flinging spells using very complex martial somatic components, as well as raising large shields of arcane energy. The monks are experts at disabling opponents with martial attacks.

While the monks make for excellent soldiers in defense of the city walls, they only make passable guardsmen as the monks know little of complex investigation and drawing secret threats out of hiding. Organized crime has eluded them in the city though it seems whoever is in charge of the crime ring respects most of the city's rules while bringing in trade and wealth to the city - both legitimate and illegitimate. The city has greatly benefited from this, thus the leader of the Monks has turned a vaguely blind eye to their dealings as long as they are non-violent and assist in the city's prosperity.