Origins
In 455 C.E., the Germanic tribes invaded the city of Rome and destroyed what was once the greatest city of its time. With this act the western world was plunged into the Dark Ages, a time of death and despair which would last for nearly a millennia.

The Teutonic hordes which sacked the city of Rome were more than simple barbarians. They were led by the chieftain Odoacer, a powerful Night Prince. In 476 C.E., a coalition of Germanic tribes deposed the young emperor Romulus Augustulus and elected Odoacer to rule in his stead. From there he was able to strengthen the fledgling Cult of Night and spread its influence throughout Europe. Within the next 100 years, Odoacer raised support from across the known world; from Egypt to Dacia to Britannia. As time passed he used his magical and illusory abilities to change age and form, but retain his position of supremacy. In the year 612 C.E., Odoacer attempted to return the Nightlords to Earth. The world would have endured an eternal Night, one to last until the end of time, were it not for a group called the Inlustris.

Formed in 36 B.C.E., the Inlustris were at first a minor power. Shortly after the assassination of the would-be Emperor, Julius Caesar, powerful members of the supernatural community heard rumors that the assassination was orchestrated by Nightlord minions. In response, they organized a cabal of powerful sorcerers and psychics, refusing membership to all who were not human. Thus the Inlustris were born. They began a crusade to protect the human race from the supernatural elements of the Megaverse, specifically, the Nightlords. During the days of the Roman Empire the Inlustris were not very successful due to the extravagant lifestyle of the Roman aristocracy. They believed that much of the Romans' famed ingenuity and wealth was derived from otherworldly sources in exchange for slave labor and worship (part of the origin of the "Mystery Cults" of ancient Rome). Although they believed this, they were unable to prove it. Regardless of proof, the leaders of the Inlustris were unable to make inroads into the higher circles of Roman society. They fared no better with the lower classes. Only a few decades after their founding, the Inlustris were on the brink of collapse. Many members saw their quest as a fruitless one and had turned their backs on old compatriots. As the Pax Romana lengthened, the Inlustris continued in their decline. Near the end of the second century C.E. the Roman Empire began to crumble. Some modern scholars believe that the supernatural beings supposedly backing the empire slowly withdrew their support to other sections of the world such as Byzantium, the Far East, and Central America. As the empire began to crumble, more and more second sons and disinherited daughters sought out the Inlustris as a way to power. By the time the military autocracy of the Severi emperors was established, the Inlustris had swollen in strength to nearly twice their previous size.

These new members brought new blood into the cabal and they once again began to energetically fight the Nightlord minions and the scattered Cult of Night wherever it was found. By the time the end of the Roman Empire drew near, the Inlustris were thousands strong, composed of some of the most powerful sorcerers and psychics of the time. When Odoacer assumed the throne of Rome, the Inlustris began a campaign to blunt his power. Performing a great ritual in the Saharan grasslands, the Inlustris transformed a pair of humans into magical beings, a fusion of man and magic. These beings, known as the Uziel, became the heart of the Inlustris power. Relatively unsuccessful until the year 612 C.E. due to being in their military infancy, a group of Uziel nevertheless stopped Odoacer shortly before he was able to crack the Mirrorwall and release his masters. However, their success was not total. Unknown to the Inlustris, a lone Nightlord named Yasuva slipped through and single-handedly brought about the first Dark Age. He encouraged mobs and influenced some of the most despotic rulers of the millennia. While creating this chaos, however, he remained in the background, biding his time.

Since the defeat of Odoacer at the hands of the Uziel, the Inlustris became spectators once more. They only acted when it was required, preferring to remain secluded in their Aerie high in the Swiss Alps. Throughout the centuries the Inlustris have protected the Earth from various menaces, including a master vampire during the Crusades and a Mindolar who entrenched himself in Europe during the mid-20th century. It wasn't until 1996 C.E. that they once again appeared in force. The lone Nightlord, Lord Yasuva, had resurfaced.

The Inlustris, Before Dark
A few years prior to Dark Day, Lord Moloch regained contact with Lord Yasuva. Before this no one was sure what had happened to Yasuva. But with a Nightlord already on Earth, Moloch’s plans began to take on new shape. He sent Yasuva an artifact which would create a hole in the Mirrorwall, with the possibility of shattering it altogether. If they could break a hole in the Mirrorwall rather than shattering it, they would have access to all of Earth. If, however, the Mirrorwall was shattered and all the various realities slid together the Nightlords would have a much greater task before them. They felt that the risk was worth the potential gains.

Over the next few years, Lord Yasuva began gathering support among the supernatural community. He had gathered to his cause a variety of supernatural creatures, including a handful of Necrophim, independent vampires, and a small Cult of Night. Just prior to Dark Day, he gathered his forces in Romania at the sight of Trajan’s Column. This column was erected by Emperor Trajan of Rome in 113 C.E. to commemorate his victory over the Dacians. Unknown to Emperor Trajan, it was also located on the site of a powerful ley line nexus. The column was to serve as a mystic lightning rod, focusing the power of Lord Yasuva and the artifact, creating a hole in the Mirrorwall. Luckily for the people of Romania and the world, the Inlustris were able to destroy Lord Yasuva before he completed his ritual, toppling the column in the process. Although they took extremely heavy losses in the process, they recovered the artifact. They spirited it away to their Aerie in the Alps and since then have guarded it diligently. They aren’t totally sure what the artifact does, but they recognize power when they see it. Because the ritual was prevented, the Nightlords were forced to use their secondary plan. Rather than uniting the two dimensions, they conducted massive rituals in order to pull the Nightlands closer to Earth. Since then, the Nightlords have ignored the Eastern European country, focusing their attention elsewhere.

The Nightlord Invasion
When the Nightlords invaded on March 6, 2000 C.E. they knew very little about the Inlustris. They were not sure who had destroyed Lord Yasuva, only that a new (to them) player had entered the arena. The Nightlords did not connect the Shining Legion (see below) with the relatively untrained band of Uziel who had fought Odoacer nearly 1500 years earlier. Because of this unfamiliarity, the Inlustris escaped the invasion relatively unscathed. They lost some of their far flung operatives and a few others were killed during the rioting, but on the whole they weathered the storm well. One thing that the invasion did was to reaffirm their mission with some of the younger members, members who would soon become the hope of the faction.

The Shining Legion took the heaviest losses, losing over 500 Uziel and over 250 humans. Although this loss was severe, the Legion has persevered and is quickly on its way to recovery.

The Inlustris, After Dark
Since Dark Day, the ranks of the Inlustris have swelled once more. Although infused with new recruits from the sorcerous populace, they are still a minor power. Immediately following the destruction of Lord Yasuva, a new figure came to prominence within the organization. Daphne Covenant, known as The Siren, is a Uziel born to normal, albeit sorcerous, human parents. She is the first Uziel ever born whose parents weren't Uziel. No one knows how she became a Uziel, but regardless of her parentage, she is the most powerful of the Uziel ever to be born. For along with her natural powers, she is a Psiren. She progressed quickly through the ranks of the Inlustris, riding a wave of success as she won battle after battle against the Nightlords. She now leads the Helix, the ruling body of the Inlustris.

Throughout the centuries the Inlustris has remained a purely human organization and this has not changed. They are dedicated to preserving the purity of humankind. Although not evil, they are human supremacists. This has led to scuffles with the Guardians, whom they see as less than human pawns, and, more rarely, with Nightbane. Most Inlustris are unsure how to treat the Nightbane, for they are at least partially human. This has led to a cool relationship with most of the Nightbane factions.

The Sections of the Inlustris
The Helix - The ruling body of the Inlustris.
The Shining Legion - The military arm of the Inlustris with the Uziel at it's core.
The Aerie - A castle high in the Swiss Alps, the home of the Inlustris.

Character Classes
The Uziel R.C.C. - A synthesis of humanity and magic to create the perfect warrior to fight the Nightlords.
The Psiren R.C.C. - Men and women with the voices of angels, capable of destroying, protecting, and driving men mad.

Characters of Note Within the Inlustris
The Siren, Daphne Covenant - The current ruler of the Helix, a Uziel/Psiren crossbreed.
The Ghost, Jericho Cornelius - One of the Inlustris' greatest operatives, currently at work infiltrating the National Security Bureau.

The Brightblades
Although the Inlustris consider themselves the champions of good in the world, they have veins of darkness running throughout them. One of their greatest evils is the Brightblades. The name is an incongruity because the brightness of the blades is created with the captured P.P.E. of dying children. As explained above, due to the limited amount of Uziel a great deal of inbreeding has occurred. This leads to genetic flaws and birth defects. In order to "spare" their children a life of disability, the Inlustris euthanize their children. They then bind the children’s dying P.P.E. to swords, the Brightblades. These magical swords are named after the children who died in their making and the dead are honored throughout time.

There is currently a schism in the Inlustris over whether to continue using the Brightblades. While the older generation still supports their use, the newer generation questions the ethical problems. How can an organization pretend to protect humanity when they themselves kill their children and turn them into weapons against the Dark. Does this make them no better than their enemy? While the overwhelming majority says that it does not, there is a growing faction led by Daphne Covenant who seeks to end this practice.

The Brightblades appear to be normal swords, usually of the broadsword variety. Although not nearly as powerful as the legendary Artifacts, they do have some redeeming qualities. When used by non-Inlustris or Uziel in their Persona, the sword appears to be a normal blade and does 2D6+3 S.D.C. However, when the Uziel are in their Domino they are able to bring the sword to life and turn it into a glowing blade of energy. The sword now does 5D6+6 S.D.C., quadruple damage to the Dark and those bonded with it, such as Moloch! In both forms the sword is indestructible and can transform itself into a small pendant so that it can be concealed (and it also is a good way to identify other Inlustris). All members of the Inlustris who wish a Brightblade are given one as supplies permit. Members of the Shining Legion have preference when handing out the Blades.

Some Final Notes Concerning the Inlustris
The Inlustris are a force dedicated to preserving humanity at any cost as long as it does not endanger human life. The endangerment of supernatural creatures, even benevolent creatures, does not concern the majority of the Inlustris in the least. In this sense they are similar to the Coalition States from Rifts Earth. The Inlustris are, almost without exception, human supremacists. This uncompromising attitude is so ingrained that they, the Uziel in particular, are willing to lay down their lives to protect humans. The need to protect humans is often used to support the creation of the Brightblades, a practice considered to be utterly evil by all civilized people. The Uziel see it as a necessary sacrifice in order to protect humankind.

Characters who run across the Inlustris should believe that they truly do have the best interests of humanity at heart. The only reason they should think otherwise would be if they found out about the Brightblades or if they are inhuman themselves. An adventure or even a campaign could result if the characters stay with an Inlustris cell and then find out about the Brightblades. What should they do? If they’re good characters, they should try to stop the manufacture of more Brightblades by whatever means necessary. But its possible that they have made friends within the Inlustris. Where do their loyalties lie?

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