The Black Hand Federation

No one knows where or how the Black Hand Federation came to be. This secret organization resorts to using the worlds filthiest of creatures. It is unknown why so many outcasts and outsiders plague this organization and how amongst all their differences they are able to function with brutal success.Their known icons include a smeared black hand as well as the constellation "The Big Dipper". It is believed the hand represents the last grueling and pitiful actions of their victims as all they can do is smear their bloody hand before they sleep for eternity. It can only be hypothesized that the 7 arrangements of stars goes after its long forgotten meaning of Sickle of Chaos. In order for this organization to function, it needs a hierarchal system. Many historians that have studied ruins of previously abandoned sites have deduced that it is much akin to a feudal system. A few crazy scholars, like Brodert the Mad, have suggested that the key is in the hand and that it is the very object that dictates everything about the federation. However, proposing a highly organized system is peculiar since some ruins appear to be from Forgotten Ages around the time of creation where it was thought that only the strong shall rule. Linguists have attempted to decipher garbled words and illiterate phrases smothered in diseased blood upon walls. All they could uncover was that there were names instead of fingerprints but there were so many that only a few could be read. Amongst these are: The Black Hand, Tepez the Crow, Boktar Un Loktar, Johan of the Hand, Lenoloc, Tekcaj, Mornefindon, Zordlon V, Gorefinger, Ghinion and Viceak "The Messenger" Silverkin. This epitomizes the essence of the Black Hand Federation: unison. Ruins in Buzaram and Nargonde have uncovered chilling statues of presumably prominent figureheads in the federation. What has baffled those who have found these is that the depictions have wings, almost like angels. Currently, there is not enough proof to tie in any angel pacts to the federation even those of the dark realms. The federation is quite ominous indeed as anyone who has come too close to the truth has seemingly vanished overnight with a black hand being all that was left behind.

In society, especially in Cahryst, there is little talk of this federation but investigations into well integrated merchants of trade and politicians have uncovered luscious shrines for devotion of this sect of murderers, cutthroats and hooligans. Amongst these, there have been links to Lamashtu but scholars have yet to link the demon goddess to this federation wholeheartedly. Association with such powerful deities would make sense since there have been numerous reports and sightings of devilish demons and creatures of the night not of this mortal plane working for the federation.