The organization actually predates Braavos itself. They started out by giving the "gift" of death to slaves who were suffering particularly horribly in the mines, to ease their pain, and in time they learned to surreptitiously give the "gift" to some of their Valyrian masters as well, becoming skilled assassins. Many centuries later, the surviving Faceless Men relocated to Braavos, which was founded by ex-slaves who had escaped from Valyria though whether this was after or slightly before the Doom is unclear.
The Faceless Men charge exorbitant fees, but their reputation for success is unmatched. The cost increases relative to the importance of the target and the difficulty of the objective.
In the first book it is said that hiring a Faceless Man to kill Daenerys Targaryen would cost more than it would to hire an entire army. Further, the Faceless Men will reject a contract if killing the target clashes with their strange, and at times inscrutable, religious beliefs. Conversely, sometimes they choose bizarre "payments" according to what they feel is due. Sometimes, if a powerful lord asks them to kill the child of one of his enemies, the Faceless Men give as their "price" that in return they will kill the lord's own child the lord can reject this, but it also means rejecting the entire contract.
Their fee is for a precise assassination, and the death of anyone other than the intended target is avoided whenever possible. They usually go so far as to try to make their assassinations look like accidents, adding to the mystery surrounding their order.
For example, in the TV series, Jaqen kills the Tickler by sneaking up, snapping his neck, and then throwing him off a castle wall and then slipping away, leaving witnesses unsure if he was actually murdered. Jaqen did kill Amory Lorch with a poison dart, but only because he was pressed for time to kill him immediately.
Faceless Men are not complete shapeshifters; they cannot grow drastically taller or shorter, though they can dramatically change their appearance within their own physical limitations. The faceless men noticed long ago that all religions, polytheistic or monotheistic, all have a god the controls death.
Death is but the end of suffering. It is in this spirit that the house of black and white is filled with pools of poisoned water that offers those who drink it a painless and peaceful slip into the afterlife.
And how much security will we need to get through? The faceless men are willing to take any contract. They do not ask why. They do not question the will of the many-faced god. They will, however, always get their fee. One way or another. That means that to an order like the faceless men, accepting women among their ranks happens on only very rare occasions. A girl has no need for your patriarchal nonsense.
However, the Faceless Men believe everyone is, in fact, praying to the same god. They believe the God of Death is represented in each religion regardless of what he is called. While there do not seem to be set rules for who may join this order of assassins, they do take the title of Faceless Men literally. It is said that having women part of their group is very rare. Even rarer is having children trained as assassins. The reason for these restrictions is unclear, but it is interesting to note considering how Arya Stark became involved with the Faceless Men.
Despite being a female child, the group has taken a major exception with her. To hire the Faceless Men to carry out an assassination is certainly costly. In the first novel, A Game of Thrones , Littlefinger shoots down the idea of using them to assassinate Daenerys Targaryen as the price is too high. But while it might always be a high price, the services of the Faceless Men are available to anyone willing to pay.
Even someone without a single coin can still hire the Faceless Men, so long as they are willing to give up something they value. The Faceless Men are not seeking to be rich, they just believe death has a price. Aside from the extensive set of skills one needs to become a member of the Faceless Men, there are also strict rules to obey. No more, no less.
The Faceless Men are religious killers for hire. The hired assassins of Westeros are known for their anonymity. Faceless Men try their best to make it look like their marks died of natural causes. The historical assassins were the first Murder Incorporated. According to accounts from 14th-century documentarian Sir John Mandeville, the Old Man of the Mountain trained men in a fortress paradise with a walled garden, beautiful virgins, and handsome warriors. When one of the crusading knights arrived at the gates, the Old Man would give him a spiked drink and tell him he could enjoy his paradise forever if he would kill a target.
He is supposed to be the first one to introduce marijuana and hashish to the Western world, from India. Marco Polo was the first western figure to record the story of the Garden of Delights and the magic chemical. All Hail the Hypnotoad. The Illuminatus Trilogy suggests Hassan brought opium back from the East and that his blend produced a synergetic or non-additive effect.
Herbal intoxicants were used in India. Murder was both a way of life and a religious duty for the Thuggee. Their killings were a means of worshiping the Hindu goddess Kali, who was honored through ritual at each stage of a murder. Kali demands blood sacrifice given ritualistically through steel. Kali is also known as the goddess of destruction, much like the icons held in the House of Black and White were all depictions of death worship. For the record, Kali is the Hindu goddess of rebirth and time, as well.
The Faceless Men have a reputation for biding their time. The first historical reference to the Thuggee cult appears in the year , years after the formation of their Islamic cousins. The Thuggees kept things in the family. They were known as the Stranglers and their weapon of choice was the garrote.
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