Shyamiri – Serpentfolk Assassin

Shyamiri hails from the Denmother of the Vyanari, the mother of all assassins in Yanak Ti. In one hatching of ten eggs, three will survive to see adulthood. They are forced in brutalistic scenarios that see the children combat and cannibalise their siblings until only three stand. Those three become the next generation of the Vyanari – a secretive and cult-like organisation that specialises in assassinations and occult matters. Shyamiri was raised alongside his sisters, Eshyeni and Aseri. Of the three he was always the favourite of their mother and their siblings in older generations, which they called their Precursors.

Shyamiri was faster, more balanced, quieter and more skilled than his sisters. They were in constant awe of him, but also enthralled by jealousy. They would use any opportunity he slipped up to expose his flaws to their mother and the Precursors, though to little avail. His sisters did find his weakness one day however: on a joint contract to take the life of an Arrakanan warlord and his family, they witnessed Shyamiri hesitate when it came to taking the life of the warlord’s ten-year-old son as the boy begged for mercy in front of him.

Eshyeni fulfilled her brother’s part of the contract, much to the anger of their mother, but when they explained why, it became Shyamiri’s turn to finally feel his mother’s wrath. The sisters thus saw that Shyamiri hated contracts involving children, and would always hesitate if a target had an opportunity to beg for their life. So the two began subtly alerting Shyamiri’s marks before he could strike, putting the target’s in a position where they were aware of him and would beg, plead and bargain until Shyamiri either summoned the courage to end them, or the sister’s did it for him. Three counts of this saw the Denmother denounce Shyamiri, claiming he held such promise that fell flat for his warm heart and blood. She placed a mark on her son and gave him a day to flee, before sending his sister’s on the chase.

Shyamiri easily killed them both when they finally caught them. His rage was unyielding. They were unfortunately immune to his many poisons, but not immune to his blade. He ensured they both suffered before they died, knowing what misery they had caused him in their jealousy. But the mark did not end with his sister’s death. Now the Precursors pursue him, and in several years the next generation will be born and likely continue the mark left by their own Precursors.

Shyamiri took to the Vilag Vlada Legaja mercenary company for shelter and work. Though they were uneasy having a Serpentfolk among their midst, his expertise and skill set outweighed the bad feelings people got from being near him. Still, if assassins got caught in a VVL compound trying to kill him, the entire compound would be riddling them with arrows in a second, a thought that brought much comfort to Shyamiri.