Deephook Nagis

‘Hail the Elder Sea-Snakes, long and cold and ancient as salt. Hail the Lords of Tentacles, deep-diving and all-grasping, whose hunger is the pressure of the crushing deep. Hail the Ur- Whales, more massive than words and worlds. And hail to thee, grandmasters of the Deephooks. I humbly accept this gilded serpent of valor.’ – Deephook Nagis The Deephooks are an Forder of Tritonean mercenary warrior-monks. Importantly for fugitives, deserters, traitors, and others seeking anonymity, they enforce the erasure of the identities of each of their members. Those who prove their worth and are inducted into the Deephooks are isolated from all legacies of their former lives, good and bad. This might give the Deephooks a reputation as scoundrels, were it not for the ironclad discipline, professionalism, and commitment they have displayed for centuries. The character flaws responsible for the troubles which drove each Deephook into the order are hammered out through ruthless training and indoctrination, leaving behind only loyal and steadfast soldiers with no lasting ties to any other group — a valuable commodity. The Deephook cult venerates sea serpents, dire-squid, and other undersea monsters. Such beasts are revered as elder heirs of an ancient undersea world they once ruled uncontested, which the Tritoneans now inhabit only with their permission. They raise funds for their order by fighting for Tritonean reef-lords, merchant princes, and aquaculture magnates, and occasionally on land at the behest of Argonites. The proceeds are spent on high-quality wargear, elaborate shrines, and the expenses of capturing, taming, and keeping the benthic creatures they hold sacred. The Tritonean Nagis, who like all Deephooks was given her name by the order and never spoke her old name to them, sought membership after disgracing herself and her noble family. She was looking forward to her marriage and future role as a patrician, but was seduced by a young rogue and the tryst was exposed by political rivals. Disowned and without a future, furious with herself for letting her feelings rule her, she joined the Deephooks to try to refine herself. She trained in the typical Deephook battle arts: strong shield-wall tactics and the use of the hooked sword the Deephooks take their name from. This distinctive blade is evocative of waves, fins, squid beaks, and other aquatic themes. With it, a Deephook can slice and hack or use it in a reversed grip to hook onto an enemy’s shield, helm, weapon, or limb and wrench it away. Nagis has survived several dangerous contracts. These include fighting the upstart Tritonean usurper Glaudrimir the Young, sinking the Argonite merchantman Sure Profit, and driving off an infestation of aggressive giant urchins in the aquaculture fields of her Deephook monastery that were breeding out of control and devouring the precious kelp harvest. For her accomplishments, she has risen in the ranks and was given a prestigious serpent icon upon her shield, one for each of her acts of outstanding valor. The elders of the Deephooks have seen fit to honor her with four such accolades, and Nagis plans to acquire many more before all is said and done.