Endyr had a relatively short yet tense relationship with House Hyppiliote. According to Jace, it was the group both he and Altair's father came from, the people who placed a hit on Raphaniel years ago and the one's that tried to kill Altair and Sia in Fellise by cooperating with the Blood Coven. In the short time he had been on Orvonia, every threat aimed at Altair's life came from the same source.
After being attacked in Fellise, Altair had gone over the various Noble Houses and Magi Clans on the Gaia Continent, but found nothing on House Hyppiliote. He had considered that Hyppiliote might not even be a Noble Houses and simply had the name, for some reason. With this in mind, Altair expanded his search but still came up empty-handed apart from a few scattered or unverified rumours.
Altair had put them to the back off his mind after arriving at Sky Cross, focusing on settling in. He doubted anybody could get to him in the presence of a Sovereign like Le'garde after all. But now, Endyr had come across their tail once again, in her first mission no less.
'Is my fate that deeply tied to this organization?' she wondered as she upped her guard and looked warily at the two brothers. This did not go unnoticed by them, and Johan laughed softly at her reaction. "No need to be so worried little Miss, we're allies right now."
"To be honest, half the stuff surrounding us are just lies or exaggerations, just like House Legendry" Erich attempted to soothe her nerves, but only caused Kulkiri to laugh loudly.
Turning to Endyr, he pointed at Johan and stated mockingly "Here's a little tip. When someone defends a madman, it usually means they are mad themselves. Comparing yourself to those blasphemers in any way is a telltale sign of a rotten personality."
"Fine then, let me reiterate. House Hyppiliote is a simple business. We answer to nobody, and don't get involved in these political battles or whatever. We can be considered the anchor of Orvonia's underbelly. Without us to keep order, the likes of Seraphic and the Sinner Gods would have run rampant in the shadows. Our presence keeps the true forces of chaos at bay" Johan explained, a smidgen of pride making its way into his voice.
Kulkiri merely snorted and kept moving, his posture reverting to its previous lackadaisical nature as he made his way down the corridor. Shooting another glance at the brothers, Endyr cleared her throat. "I don't care about which group you two belong to, as long as you don't endanger me" she promised.
Erich smiled in response and continued walking, making no sound with his steps. Endyr also made very little noise thanks to her Silent Steps Skill, but a small amount of noise was still produced. As the four Adventurers walked, Endyr kept shooting glances at Erich and Johan.
'Should I ask them about House Hyppiliote? It may be my only chance to get proper information on them, and that would be vital if my fate is truly entwined with them. While they can't hold a candle to the Gods of Orvonia, a massive assassin ring that spans multiple Continent is an extremely lethal foe.'
After grappling with her thoughts, Endyr opened her mouth and asked as causally as she could. "I've heard of House Hyppiliote, but haven't actually come across much about them. How many of the rumours are true?"
Erich craned his neck to the side and glanced at her before turning back. "Well for starters, Hyppiliote is the old name for our organization, what it was known as in the Fourth Era when it was a Noble House under the Fernandez Family. During the Great War, it was destroyed and rebranded by the survivors as the 'Nightblades" since they believed in Nyx originally. The descendants still do, though recruited members like us are free to follow whatever religion we wish, apart from the Sinner Gods of course."
"They can be traced back to the Fourth Era?" Endyr raised an eyebrow. Depending on how early they had established themselves the Hyppiliote's, or Nightblades, ranged from 3,700 to 3,300 years old! This was only a few centuries younger than the Orthodox Churches, and made them older than some about half of the Secret Gods!
"Yes, our organization is as ancient as they come" Johan commented from the side with a tinge of smugness. Despite being staid as statues normally, both brothers couldn't help but show emotion when talking about the Nightblades. Clearly, this organization meant as lot to the two assassins.
"After the Great War, House Hyppiliote settled on the Tartarus Continent under the patronage of Nyx. 'She' negotiated our presence with Navruavati and Aenrys, and enabled our organization to grow across the Continent. Over several centuries, the Nightblades managed to established themselves on the Gaia, Borealis and Ouranos Continent. The only place we don't have operative is Astoria, for obvious reasons."
"And nobody tried to stop your growth?" Endyr asked curiously. A massive number of freelancing assassins with ties to a single Goddess operating across most of Orvonia would definitely catch the attention of the other Gods, and could pose a sizable threat to 'Their' interests.
"Strangely enough, no" Johan shook his head. "The Orthodox Gods and Kingdoms declared us illegal of course, but none apart from Sol made any proactive attempts to root us out. Even Seraphic and Fallacy, the loner Gods and severe control freaks, left us alone. I guess everyone recognised the benefits of having a free army at 'Their' disposal, one willing to accept anything for the right price."
"It's because Orvonia was tearing at the seams"
Endyr took her attention away from Johan and Erich to see Kulkiri had stopped walking, having reached a wooden door with the Blood Coven's symbol. Endyr could feel faint fluctuations of Mana coming from behind it, similar to what she felt from the hole Kulkiri made in the wall. 'The entrance to the second layer?' she pondered, before turning back to Kulkiri.
"What do you mean, 'Orvonia was tearing at the seams'?"
Kulkiri shrugged his shoulder and place his hand on the door knob. "The number of Sacreds could be counted on both hands after the Great War. Supremes and Sovereigns were hardly better off, and even Mythics were rare. The Great War last centuries after all, all Ascenders died far faster than they were growing. The Nightblades were a necessary force to fill the hole left behind. 'They' were pissed that Nyx moved on 'Her' own of course, but 'They' decided to just let it be. Fishing in troubled waters is always profitable after all."
Before anyone else could say something, Kulkiri pulled his hand back, swinging the door open and revealing a familiar sight. A wall of white fog swirled within the doorframe, promising to deliver them to an unknown location. "We were ambushed immediately last time, so let's keep up our guards, yes?"