Scyner

## Appearances

The Shadow of What Was Lost
An Echo of Things to Come
The Light of All That Falls

**Scyner** is the leader of the community of Shadows living beneath Tol Athian. When Asha first meets him, he introduces himself as the Shadraehin. A bitter rivalry has emerged between him and the Northwarden, and he asks her to spy on Elocien from within the palace.

## Description

### Appearance

A seemingly modest man of middle years, Scyner is somewhat tall, with pale skin and long, dark hair. As a Shadow, he bears the trademark black veins sprawled across his face.

### Personality

Scyner carries himself with composure and dignity, befitting his station of leadership. He acts with level-headed caution, and is patient and cheerful in his dealings with the Shadows, ostensibly for their protection. In times of duress, he can be quite sharp and vicious, and he is unafraid to stain his hands with blood for his cause.

## History

### Going Incognito

*For more on Scyner's life before the unseen war, see Jakarris si'Irthidian.*
Scyner is the new identity taken by Jakarris si'Irthidian, the leader of Andarra's prewar Augurs. After sabotaging the ruling class from within and causing the Unseen War to erupt with the help of Nethgalla, he faked his own death by fleeing Ilin Illan.

Aware from the Augurs' visions that Elocien's son, Prince Torin, would be Gifted and eventually become Northwarden, he turned himself into a Shadow to avoid the possibility of falling under Torin's future Oathstone control abilities. It did not affect him in any other way because, as an Augur, he did not need to tap a Reserve in order to wield Essence. Discarding his old identity, he took the name **Scyner** for himself, and began laying the groundwork to assist the Ath from a new position.

### Establishing a Base

Scyner emerged after the Unseen War, and established a community for persecuted Shadows near the Cyrarium underneath Tol Athian. He was admired by the refugees and respectfully recognized with the title of Shadreahin. At some point Aelrith, a sha'teth, placed himself within the community, solemnly observing the Cyrarium in solitude. Scyner did not intrude, allowing the creature to coexist with his community, but warning them to stay away from it.

He used his influence to plant agents in the Tol and palace to spy on Andarra’s leadership. Word spread of his placement and community, and the Northwarden attempted to use Administration to investigate. Scyner pushed back against the inquires with threats, but they were unheeded by the Duke, who began to put pressure on the community by cutting of their food supplies. Scyner escalated by murdering Administrators, (and occasionally regular people), each time explaining his reasoning with a note that accompanied the bodies. This led to an incident where an entire garrison of Administrators were butchered by Scyner's henchmen, their corpses displayed as a warning for Elocien to leave the community alone. Rumors of his violent methods, often innacurate or exaggerated, spread quickly across the country, deepening the rifts between Shadows and normal humans in Andarran society.

## Activities in *The Shadow of What Was Lost*

### A Proposition

Scyner receives word of an incident in his community where Aelrith, typically peaceful, intruded upon a dinner gathering and killed a young Shadow named Jin. A new Shadow names Lissa, also present at the gathering was apparently spared by the creature, and Scyner meets with it in secret to understand why. Aelric reveals that he wanted to kill her as well, but was unable to because she is covertly marked by Aarkein Devaed, indicating that she is under the legendary figure's protection.

Scyner is intrigued, and decides to investigate the girl. He manages to quickly uncover her true identity, Ashalia Chaedris, by searching the records of students from the recently-attacked Caladel. When she recovers, Scyner questions her use of her fake name, prompting her to confess the truth of her situation. Scyner trusts her words enough to believe that she is not a spy sent by Administration, but still intends to keep an eye on her on account of her unique circumstances.

Before she leaves, he offers her the opportunity to use her position inside Ilin Illan to spy on the Northwarden, supporting his case by describing the injustices the Shadows have faced at the hands of Administration. This is not convincing enough in its own right, so he baits her with the knowledge that Elocien is intent on discovering the truth about Caladel. Asha reluctantly agrees to work for the Shadraehin, and returns to the palace to begin spying. Scyner uses his network to circulate her true identity, confident that the Northwarden will quickly discover it and make contact with her.

### Escalation

After hearing of Asha's successful integration into Elocien's circle and her appointment to assistant Representative, Scyner sends an agent to collect a report. Asha has nothing to share, but the agent provides her with instructions on how to contact him and requests that she follow them as soon as possible. The note highlights a specific inn, the Silver Talon, as his primary point of contact. As time passes with no report, Scyner grows somewhat impatient, sending his agents to prompt her for a response every few days.

After continued silence, he sends his henchmen Teran and Pyl to follow her until she upholds her end of the bargain. His men, feeling impatient in light of the upcoming Blind invasion, decide to lock her up and threaten to torture her until she shares what they want to know. Asha escapes with the help of the palace Augurs, one of whom (Kol) decides to personally injure and threaten the captors as retribution.

The men return to Scyner in shame, confessing their actions, but Scyner does not believe their account of being attacked by Augurs, nor does he believe their claims that Asha has defected to Elocien's forces. Furious with their heavy-handed approach, he executes them both and sends their heads in a package to Administration with a note of apology. The rumors have already damaged his reputation, however, and many in Ilin Illan see the kidnapping of the only Shadow in a position of power as proof the Shadraehin has no intention of helping his own kind through nonviolent means.

### The Blind Invasion

Hoping to establish contact with the Shadraehin, Asha asks several Shadows in the palace for directions to the Silver Talon. Scyner is notified several times by his informants, and heads to the tavern to meet her. Upon her arrival, he apologizes once more for the actions of his men, and asks what information she has to provide. Asha frankly tells him she has no intention of spying for him, but offers him something more valuable. Scyner is receptive, but insists on having his guards restrain her, only to be surprised as she uses her silver ring Vessel to subdue them and nearly destroy the room. Asha insists on meeting with the true Shadreahin and, understanding her true intent, Scyner fetches his master to let them meet in privacy.

Later, as the the Blind approach, Scyner leaves his abode to tail Asha, fully convinced that the girl is hiding something important. He follows her to a Lockroom, and observes as the palace Augurs gather around an injured Erran as he confesses his Control of Elocien. Asha notices him, and he remarks his surprise that Teran's confession was actually truthful before attempting to recruit the palace Augurs to his cause via blackmail. Kol fiercely refuses, threatening Scyner with violence, but the Shadraehin's lieutenant easily kills the young Augur as soon as he attacks by dilating time and impaling him with a sword.

Scyner's identity as a prewar Augur now exposed, and his plans to recruit the Augurs now foiled, he dourly leaves them to the business of mourning their loss. As he departs, tells Asha that Aelric's words were true, that she is somehow marked by Devaed, and suggests that she investigate the King for signs of Control in case he decides to surrender the city to the invaders. He promises to be in contact soon, and disappears from the palace.

## Activities in *An Echo of Things to Come*

**This section re-write is in progress.**

### More Machinations

Following the defeat of the Blind army, he leads the Shadows as they depart their home beneath Tol Athian, relocating them to a hidden island close to the Boundary. He retains some contact with the community, but other business requires him to frequently leave his position of leadership.

He reappears when Controlling the squad of assassins sent by Tol Shen's council to kill Wirr at the Tel'Rath estate. After dispatching the attackers, he speaks through his Controlled target and informs the Prince of the secret belongings inside his father's study. Believing Wirr's leadership to be the best for Andarra's defence, he hopes this will allow him to learn about his Oathstone control power and use it to run Administration.

Afterwards, he finds and convinces Rohin (an Augur living in a small Andarran village) to overtake Tol Shen. He intends to use the boy for his second plan to retrieve the amulet from within Tol's armoury.

His plan succeeds when Davian, Erran and Fessi subdue Rohin by using this amulet — he even gets revenge for Dain's betrayal when Rohin kills the Elder. The other Augurs eventually head for the Boundary, leaving Rohin in the hands of the Elders, and Scyner later goes to the Tol to kill the powerless boy and retrieve the amulet for himself.

He returns to the island of Shadows in time to intercept Asha as she prepares to enter the Tributary. Erran, accompanying her, accuses him of murdering Kol in cold blood. Scyner does not deny the charge, but insists that Kol left him little choice after drawing his sword first. The two eventually put aside the grudge in order to help Asha complete her task, and depart without fighting. Afterwards, Scyner abandons the community of Shadows now that this goal is fulfilled.

## Activities in *The Light of All That Falls*

**This section re-write is in progress.**

### A New Objective

After a year passes, Scyner uses a Trace of Caeden's essence, given to him by Nethgalla, to find the ummortal in a mountain outside of Alkathronen. Recovering from a fight with Alaris, Caeden is in a state of agonizing near-death, which Scyner saves him from by carrying his body back into the city. Believing Caeden to be weakened, Scyner attempts to shake him down for information but is quickly humbled when the immortal regains his his strength.

At his stern request, Scyner provides him an update on proceedings in Ilin Illan, and relays a message from Nethgalla: That she is in the process of retrieving Licanius from Ilshan Gathdel Teth, and will soon give it to him. He also mentions his plan to use the amulet to survive Caeden's plan, though it only elicits hidden pity from the man (who knows that Nethgalla will likely kill Scyner to force the amulet on Caeden instead).

Scyner offers Caeden an alliance with him, and by extension Nethgalla, but to his surprise the immortal refuses. Instead, Caeden demands to know the location of the Tributary housing Asha, and Scyner shares it with him by transferring his own memory of its location. Caeden eventually fully recovers, and asks Scyner to interrogate the *sha'teth* imprisoned in Tol Athian in exchange for information he will provide at a later date. Scyner agrees, and leaves for Ilin Illan through one of the Builders' gates.

### Defending Andarra

When Wirr and Taeris venture below Tol Athian to see the interred *sha'teth*, they are surprised to see Scyner waiting for them. Scyner heavily criticizes Taeris for using his knowledge to create the evil beings, but eventually focuses his attention on interrogating them. He uses some power learned from Nethgalla to torture them, but is unable to reveal any useful information.

He later learns of Ishelle's condition, and makes an offer to help her tune out the *eletai* swarm by studying the connection. Erran is present for the encounter, and refuses to trust his intentions until Scyner allows himself to be read by the young Augur. The experiment goes awry, forcing Ishelle into a pained frenzy, and it actually draws the attention of the *eletai* to Ilin Illan. Still intent on studying her, he is only dissuaded when a furious Erran punches him in the face.

As he is partially responsible for the invasion, he helps Wirr marshal the citizens of Ilin Illan into Tol Athian for their safety and burns corpses to prevent casualties from turning into *eletai*. He tries to prioritize only Gifted lives to maximize Andarra's combat potential, but is overruled by Wirr. who refuses to voluntarily let any of the citizens die.

Once the swarm has been dealt with, he uses his abilities to protect Wirr's newly-formed militia as they travel through one of Caeden's gates in the Cyrarium to find and fight Desriel's army. Landing in the Menaath Mountains, he helps Wirr search for the opposing forces, but is unable to detect them.

When Ishelle eventually reveals that the Desrielites are using an invisibility Vessel to hide, he and Erran infiltrate the military camp together in order to disable it. At some point during the fighting, they are both caught and, presumed to be regular Gifted, are taken to a prison cell near the Pillars.

Eager to escape and use the amulet on himself to survive Caeden's plan, he reveals to Erran his desperate plan to prove to the Gil'shar that he is an Augur, believing that it will result in being taken back to Desriel and surviving the conflict. To prevent Erran from interfering, Scyner tries to kill him but underestimates the boy's fighting ability and dies during the fight. The amulet is later taken from his corpse by Caeden as he escapes imprisonment in the exact same cell.

When Asha emerges from the Tributary and meets with the Shadows residing on the island, she learns that they are concerned about his disappearance. Unable to tell them them the harsh truth about his identity and purpose, she allows them to continue believing that he was a good leader who cared for his people.