The Tithed Ones

The Tithed Ones are the group of souls seeking revenge against the Sidhe.

While the commoner kith adopted human flesh long ago to hide from Banality, the recent return of the sidhe is abrupt (and according to some, insidious). When the Sidhe return, they do not forge human disguises, but occupy mortal bodies outright. While the effects are superficially similar (amnesia, the struggle with Banality), the fact remains that the vast majority of sidhe are not the original owners of their bodies. Of course, nobles insist that this is an agreement reached willingly with hosts, often suggesting that the human soul is ushered to the paradise of Arcadia in exchange. And yet, the recent appearance of the foul and disturbing entities known as the Tithed Ones seems to suggest that a far darker exchange occurs.

At first, Tithed Ones attacks are little more than rumors and apparently coincidental happenings, easily mistaken for “ordinary” assassinations or vicious Chimera incidents. Surviving nobles report harrowing encounters with utterly silent, black-clad attackers who wield weapons of ice, their faces disguised save for burning, hateful eyes. These strange beings apparently flow like shadows around most defenses, making them maddeningly elusive targets, yet when grappled they demonstrate the strength of a full-grown troll, tossing foes aside or cleaving through heavy armor. They evidently focus their efforts entirely on a particular sidhe, although they slay any who interfere.

Eventually, the terrible secret comes to light: These assailants are none other than the evicted souls of sidhe hosts, their faces twisted into hideous masks of hatred and their minds consumed with thoughts of revenge. Tithed Ones claim that the Sidhe did not bargain with them, but cast their spirits into the darkest recesses of the Dreaming, stranding the souls in a hellish existence until freed. They do not reveal the identity of their “saviors,” except that they are given the means to return to the world and the power to seek vengeance. Those skeptical of the Tithed Ones’ identities’ find that the beings possess intimate knowledge of their former bodies and lives to a degree that defies refutation.

Of course, it’s possible that these are little more than clever doppelgangers created by enemies of the Kithain (perhaps even the Fomorians themselves) in order to sow confusion and fear amid the the fae. Or perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between, with some sidhe having made a devil’s bargain while others were genuine. Regardless of what the ultimate truth might be, the Tithed Ones gather in ever greater numbers, eager for a chance to strike down the rulers of the Kithain. Despite the hopes of such like-minded groups as the Urban Renewal League, the Tithed Ones refuse to play politics or make allegiances. They have their targets, and that is all that matters to them.


 * World of Darkness: Time of Judgment, p. 24, 25