#Lore24 – Entry #79 – Fantasy Month #19 – Sisters of Silence

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

A curious and mysterious cult, there is little in the archives that I have been able to find during my admittedly light research into the group over the years.  The general consensus is that the Sisters of Silence, also known as the Silent Sisterhood, are followers of Mausolus, the god of death, and in particular, the aspect of his domain devoted to assassination.  What is not entirely clear is the nature of their service to Mausolus, and what the associated rituals may be. 

The very existence of such a female-centered group dedicating themselves to this particular deity is curious because it is well known that Mausolus favors men and is quite misogynistic in his ways, tending to believe women inferior in most things aside from childrearing and keeping the home orderly.  Though few are historically known, the Hands of Mausolus, the most elite assassins chosen by the god himself, have all been men, and supposedly, have had dalliances with the god during their service.  There is an entirely different discussion that could be had about the nature of Mausolus’s relationships and attitudes to the two genders, but I shall refrain from delving too deeply here and instead focus upon the Sisters as requested.

Some theorize that the Sisters of Silence may represent the idealized purpose of women under Mausolus, serving his clergy and Hands as a woman should, as quietly as possible and with a minimum of complaint, whatever it is the men of the order may require, perhaps even acting as little more than breeding stock to increase the number of faithful.  Others suspect a more sinister purpose to the Sisterhood, however.  While these women dedicate themselves to service and worship of Mausolus, there are some accounts that indicate they too may be assassins and spies, though not on the same level as the Hands.  Perhaps it is they who handle the more mundane killings for the god, the ones that don’t require the skills that a Hand possesses?  Though unconfirmed, there are a few accounts of encounters with a supposed Sister, appearing and striking suddenly, then vanishing just as quickly once their target has been dealt with, and other tales of poisonings that have been attributed to them.  There are even some descriptions of a particular style of mask worn by the Sisters, further supporting their name, which covers their faces below their eyes and contains a silencing, phallic gag (I suppose this goes back to the idea that they are in some way embracing the idea of a perfect woman in the eyes of Mausolus?), which may also contain a capsule filled with deadly poison that they will consume should their mission fail and capture seems imminent. 

Certainly, more information would need to be collected before any true determinations could be made, but I am not going to hold my breath.  Delving into the ways of assassins and death cults often leads to particularly terrible ends, and I am certainly in no hurry to find my final rest.