The Mercykillers are a particularly dire branch of the Church of Tyrako, prevalent in the southern Lightlands, but gaining power and influence throughout Harkania. They believe in a kind of tribal monotheism, not that Tyrako is the only god per se, but that he is the only one worth worshipping and that his concept of justice and that a kind of pitliless, remorseless justice is the brand that should be upheld. Their name derives from a pun on its usual meaning. They are not people who kill out of mercy, rather they seek to kill mercy itself.

They are currently led by Lord Septimus Rafiel, the Firelord of Caravelle. As such, there are a significant number of Mercykillers throughout the Sunset Islands and Western Azhuihotl as well as Harkania proper.

Under Rafiel's tutelage their practices are fairly severe, even by the standards of most religious cults. They practice chastity, temperance, humility and a kind of poverty which, though it does not extend to their armaments and horses, includes all luxuries outside of martial ones. These practices are sealed, not with vows and threat of excommunication, as in other religious orders, but with threat of physical injury, which they refer to as purgation. Those who break the vows can still be mercykillers, but they must purge the sin from their bodies by the application of a hot poker or branding iron to their flesh (or, in the case of those close to Rafiel, application of the Malleus Maleficarum itself). Pain and scarring is thought by them to bring about reform and one need only see a mercykiller's level of devotion by looking at their burn scars.

Rafiel is a man of action, not of words, and his bretheren tend to follow suit. They have thus far made their pressence known, mostly through their interference with small town judicial proceedings, setting up shop in some hamlet or village, and, when a criminal is convicted insisting that they be shown no mercy. Instead, they purify the convicted by burning him or her alive. They have even been known to stop lynch mobs or other forms of mob justice and rescue the accused, only to give them to a private bonfire outside of the mob's control.

Though ascetic in nature, the Mercykillers are very wealthy, both from tithes offered by those desperate to reform the Church as well as from Rafiel's own significant holdings. This wealth is used to buy them magnificently imposing armor and armaments. Breastplates of dark Thaumic Iron, studded with spikes, heavy iron warhammers and Dolotai steel swords all emblazoned with signs and sigils of Tyrako. They ride huge black warhorses as well, similaly armored and barded.

Known Members

Lord Septimus Rafiel

Guenevere Rortch

James "Rathers Jim" Ragutt

Dr. Byron "Doc" Shelly