"All hail the Father of Assassins. All hail the mighty Raysh Al'Shaytan"
The Shadow Cardinals have loyally served Quintus Knightfall; Father of Assassins and the Raysh Al'Shaytan of the League of Shadows, since his historic climb from the depths of the infamous Liafador Pit.Thanks to Shaytan's genetic experimentations, monetary resources, and unrepresented expertise in the area of apogee training, the Cardinals have built themselves into a secret cabal of loyalist in the service of the Father of Assassins. Over time the former Red Cardinal sub-sect were figuratively reborn and mentally persuaded into a more prodigious geopolitical philosophy institutionalized by the Shaytan and up-held by the original Shadow Cardinal, the Grand Nahiq.
With the Cardinals limited but effective control of the esoteric forces of the supernatural they have seemingly extended their exceptional martial prowess into the realm of the mastic arts. Enjoying the benefits of strength, unbridled physical prowess, speed, cunning, deception based motion and reflexes, as well as impressive acrobatic articulations, the Shadow Cardinals are perhaps the former Knightfall's greatest reiteration of ecclesiastic assassins ever.
Trained with a methodical blend of perfected coordination, esoteric strength, speed, and agility, the Cardinals are taught to believe that they are inherently seated atop the top 2% of martial-taught athletic excellence. Fueled by their own genetic linage and supernatural authentication, the Shadows employ unbridled Bio-mechanics and flash forward evolutionary nuances with constitutional comprehension in the areas of muscular, joint, and skeletal actions, during the execution of any given task skill and/or technique.
This newly carved direction towards motion based abilities enable a proficient instantaneous survey of an opponents physical ceiling and whether or not a specific task or action is within their realm of successful administration. This specialized trait, which has been obsessively molded and streamlined, is stunningly conducive when implemented in a counter-striking scenario as the Shadow Cardinals are skillfully capable of anticipating an opponents over-extension, reactionary recovery, loss of centered balance, and a plethora of subtle motion based nuances. With the acquired knowledge, this enigmatic focus can also be implemented in the conscious camouflage of their own gait through unorthodox and unexpected locomotion over various substrates. Capable of adapting complex footfall patterns and maneuvering mechanics predicated on topographical locations. A martial arts performance propitiated by stylish authorization of their former warrior encapsulations.
Endowments
| Body Reading and the Science of Combat Perception |
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| The Shadows Cardinals are equipped through mystic, but limited clairvoyance to receive and calculate combat information. Which translates through the muscles by automatically attaching itself to every fiber within their exercised bodies, ready to instantaneously react without conscious thought. As such, the Father of Assassins has experimented meticulously with altered variations of combat training, possibly unlocking the secrets of the clairvoyant anticipation . As a result of having been re-trained in absolute isolation, the Shaytan's devoted have minds constructed from the ground up to utilize and inlude the strict architectural studies of the supernatural.. Deprived of all forms of communications and stimulation as to develop the superhuman abilities required for read physical movements and gestures. Gifting them the faculties to decipher body language with such acute precision they can potentially perceive their opponents moves and actions before they are ever implemented. Constituting an acquisition of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics. |
| Reflex Senses: |
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| Their re-purposed reflexes are an extension of the Shaytan's former acrobatic glory. Igniting their combat perception which now acts as a superhuman early warning sensory system. Time between thought and action are instantaneous manifesting, a hybrid alteration to what normal science has dismissed as Precognition. But unlike the aforementioned foresight the silent assassins Reflex Sense act as an early warning detection security system ingrained in the muscle fibers capable of identifying individual threats with rapid succession and near perfect accuracy. |
| Emotional Sight: |
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| An almost cruel mutation as a result of their complete isolation, the Shadows Cardinals can see emotional responses or feelings in the form of colors. Each color representing a different emotional aspect, such a red for anger or rage, and blue for apathy or sadness. When coupled with the martial arts training and esoteric abilities, the exploitation of varying conflicting morel ambiguities can be seen as an attribute. Simply by identifying which of their opponents are experiencing fear, thus exploiting the weak willed. Breaking down their mentally strained aptitude triggering their flight instinct in all creatures natural response to danger in the fight or flight scenario. |
| Swordsmenship: |
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| Unlike the brute movements associated with the more strength based styles of swordsmenship, the Shadow Cardinals have been taught, and adopted, a fluently savage style with a principle focus on maximizing acrobatic mobility and stunning fluidity. With added attention directed towards precision and fundamental consistency. Expending embellished amounts of dexterous energy required to capitalize on advantages and exploit common mistakes with overwhelming flow and theatrical angles. Targeting unexpected areas that are often exposed, left unprotected by one's assumption of unreachable trajectory. Usually on the heels of a counter, parry or deflection. |
Other less defined attributes/abilities -
| Pharmaceutical Knowledge |
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