Pact with Death

At the dawn of the Cysgoroesi race, the first Septarchs made a bargain with the Watcher at the Gates of Infinity. They bound themselves and their descendants through eternity to watch over Shadow and especially keep the spirits of the dead safe from harm. This included especially demonic activity. In exchange, they would be unaffected by the normal effects of the Shadow and would have significant (local) control over its manifestations. This they used to create the Portal Network (among other things) and flourish.

As part of the pact, three great artifacts were granted to the Cysgor Septarchs:

• The Ebony Rod, with power over the physical makeup of Shadow, capable of manipulating the layers themselves.
• The Soul's Stillness, a harp with power over the living souls as well as over the spirits of the dead. It's purpose was multi-fold--its power kept the peace among the fractious septs while it also served to guide the souls of the dead to the Gates, protecting them from demonic influence. The harp came from Leviathan; in exchange the Owls were to watch and report all things concerning the plane to that entity.
• The Heart of Iska kel Pana, being a fragment of the Watcher's mate, serving to shield the Cysgor from the debilitating effects of Shadow and provide a link to the Watcher and Leviathan

But at the end of the Interregnum, a major demonic incursion happened (the birth of the Red Fang) during the War of Blood. As the Waste started to spread, the Gleaners of the time called on the cysgor of the time for aid. But they refused out of fear, having just lost one of their own monasteries (the great fortress at Lyo Duo), and sought a separate peace via Oro-laen, being taught the ways of soul manipulation (enabling the shadesteel golems) in exchange for non-interference. Most of the gleaner bloodlines were lost in that war. Enraged and with the Heart, Harp, and Rod lost, the Watcher declared the bargain annulled. The cysgor lost most of their control over Shadow. In addition, bereft of the protection of the Heart and Harp and without the full power of the Rod, they started a slow decline. Now those who spend time in the monasteries are less and less fertile, and the ones left behind are weaker and weaker. If they don't completely abandon the Shadow or find a way of reconciling with the Watcher (or help someone defeat him), they'll go extinct in the next several generations.

This knowledge is strictly controlled. Only abbot-rank cysgor know any of it, and they only know the self-serving, heavily doctored version that blames the scythes. Currently, the only places the truth is recorded are

• Among the few remaining gleaners (and especially their cats). And they're not talking.
• The Watcher itself. Neither is he.
• The records of Creche Skeud. Abbot Kaga learned it, which drove him insane and sparked the whole process that led to that Creche being abandoned and destroyed.

Post 250 AC

Enigma uncovered the truth of the Pact and ended up restoring two of the three artifacts--the Heart was forever lost in the process of freeing it from demonic corruption--to the Septs. The Watcher has re-affirmed the Pact, at least in part. This has stabilized their decline, but their numbers remain small.