Imad Asem

**Imad Asem**, formerly known as **Iwan**, was a former member of the Bear School and is the Grandmaster and Founder of the School of the Manticore.

## Personality

Little is known about Iwan's personality, save for descriptions from secondhand accounts. From his choices it may be gleaned that he was a pragmatic man, determined to use his skills in service to a greater good, and talented in the ways of diplomacy.

As grandmaster of the School of the Manticore it was said that Iwan, thereafter known as Imad Asem, gave his students no shortage of resources through which to better themselves. He was said to believe that witchers could serve a grander purpose than as simple monster slayers. Some of his students, notably one Jehkipe Sastimos, recalled that Imad had become enchanted by Zerrikani culture and sought to fill the libraries with scrips, songs, poems, and copies of all the greatest philosophies.

## Appearance

Physical descriptions of Imad Asem are few and far between, what's more they are contradictory. In some accounts he was a ruddy-skinned, dark-haired man, whose tangled tresses reached down past his waist. In others he had a short, cropped head of flaming red hair, with a shock of silver across his left temple and skin the color of sandstone. The only universally agreed upon claim was that his eyes were typical of a witcher of his make, amber and slitted like a viper's.

## Biography

Little is known about Iwan's life before he remade himself as head of the School of the Manticore. What is known is that around the time the schism happened at the School of the Bear where Ivar Evil-Eye failed to takeover, his group split off and was further joined by others who also didn't share Grandmaster Arnaghad's philosophy, with one of these individuals being Iwan. As this group headed into the Tir Tochair Mountains for a rumored fortress to found the School of the Viper, Iwan realized he also didn't agree with Ivar's view, so as the group headed to the mountains, Iwan and others who also doubted Ivar split off and headed to where they knew they could find work: Elskerdeg Pass in the Tir Tochair Mountains.

There, at the edge of the burning desert, the witchers offered their services to merchant caravans seeking to cross the Korath Desert. With their services in high demand, the witchers began to travel back and forth across the Korath Desert, guarding caravans against the many dangers of the vast wasteland. Along the way, Iwan and his brothers learned and evolved, changing from lone hunters into skilled defenders. One fateful day would elevate Iwan and his brothers into the Manticore School known and respected by the Zerrikanian crown. While traversing the Korath, Iwan and his fellow witchers spotted a group of stragglers fleeing the site of a ruined carvan. Recognizing the trappings of Zerrikanian royalty, Iwan and his brothers investigated and found a few remaining survivors, struggling to hold a mated pair of manticores at bay. Seeing an opportunity, the witchers drew silver and engaged the manticores, killing both of them and protecting the survivors. In the aftermath, Iwan learned that the caravan had been traveling to the Northern Realms to meet with the mages of Aretuza and among their company was the Zerrikanian Queen’s Court Mage, Nasira Faizan.

The sorceress offered Iwan and his brothers a sum of gold and an audience with the Queen if they could escort her back to the Zerrikanian capital safely. Of course, the witchers agreed. Iwan and the witchers traveled back across the desert with Nasira to the capital and there were met with a far warmer welcome than they'd ever known. They were introduced to the queen only as “Alqatil” or “Slayers” and their exploits were told in great detail. The Queen, intrigued and curious made them an offer; Iwan and his brothers would work exclusively for the Zerrikanian crown, guarding their merchant caravans and emissaries and in return, Zerrikania would build them a castle at each side of the Korath and help them to build their school. Iwan and his brothers agreed, and their Path was set. Two great castles were built at either side of the Korath Desert: Behelt Nar in the west and Bialsuf Alsarea in the east. Nasira worked closely with Iwan to recreate the mutation process of the witchers, though Iwan always kept the details hazy, and great warriors from all over the eastern lands were brought to teach the new acolytes. This training focused on defense and employed numerous potions and special shields of meteoritic steel and silver. Soon, the newly founded School of the Manticore was known across Zerrikania, training guards who could ensure safe passage across the Korath Desert for a fee.

Iwan remained at Bialsuf Alsarea with Nasira and the young acolytes, eventually changing his name to Imad Asem and taking on the mantle of personal witcher to the Queen.

## Relationships

* **Nasira Faizan** - A Zerrikanian sorceress and later the chief mage of the Manticore School of Witchers. Nasira had heard stories of foreign warriors guiding caravans across the Korath but witnessing them firsthand that day in the Korath was something entirely different. The sorceress offered Iwan and his brothers their weight in gold and an audience with the Queen if they could guide her back to Zerrikania safely. Once the castles were built, Nasira situated herself in Bialsuf Alsarea, where she refined the mutagenic alchemy through which future Manticore Witchers were made. Nasira and Imad remained close, even after the fall.
* **Queen Merineaevelth** - The Queen of Zerrikania and the founder of the Faithel order. She and Iwan met after he and the witchers traveled back across the desert with Nasira to the capital of Zerrikania. They were introduced to the queen only as “Alqatil” or “Slayers” and their exploits were told in great detail, piquing the Queen’s interest enough that a deal was proposed. Iwan and his brothers would work exclusively for the Zerrikanian crown, guarding their merchant caravans and emissaries and in return, Zerrikania would build them a castle at each side of the Korath and help them to build their school. Over time, Merineaevelth and Iwan, who came to be known as Imad Asem, became close, but the exact nature of their relationship is unknown.

## Abilities, Skills, and Traits

* **Sterility:** Like all witchers before and since, Imad is sterile and cannot produce any offspring. This trait allows him to enjoy bedmates of the opposite sex without worry of any biological repercussions.
* **Night Vision:** Cat-like eyes that grant very acute nightvision - witchers can constrict their pupils to see in blinding light or open them to see in near pitch darkness. This nightvision can be further enhanced with the cat potion.
* **Enhanced Senses:** In addition to night vision, Imad, like all witchers, boasts an incredible array of other senses which allow him to track and sense most any creatures.
* **Disease and Poison Resistance:** In most cases functioning as as complete immunity to diseases and a boosted immune system, Imad can consume large quantities of potions that could prove easily deadly if consumed even in small amounts by a normal man. However, Imad's resistance to toxins is notably lesser than that of other Manticores, as his mutations originated with the Bear School's formula.
* **Exceptional Strength, Speed, Reflexes, and Endurance**: Easily capable of feats far beyond any normal or well-trained human, Imad was known for swiftly ending fights with minimal effort and perform physical feats non-witchers could only dream. Like all others before him. his physical abilities were sufficient to defeat most monsters single-handedly and when combined with his extensive training allowed him to achieve alone what most men could only do in groups. Like others of his creed, Imad could shrug off hits that would render normal men unconscious and survive the strikes of powerful monsters that would otherwise kill humans with a single blow.
* **Magical Sense and Signs:** More sensitive to magic than the average human, Imad possessed ability to perform simple yet incredibly versatile combat magic in the form of signs. Like other witchers he also developed a sixth sense that allowed him to "feel" things around around him, be it items of importance or people's immediate intentions. This notably explains a witcher's uncanny ability to track and hunt people and monsters.
* **Regeneration:** Accelerated healing granting quick recovery from injuries.
* **Longevity:** Incredibly long lifespan and prolonged youth. Imad is rumored to still be alive, marking him as one of the oldest witchers in the known world.

## Notes

* This article is open for expansion, but please consult with the original author before making any major changes.