Sinjen Morn

The Enigma of House Morn

House Morn has long been considered the least of the Divine Houses, its influence often dismissed in the grand halls of the War Council. Some believed this was a sign of weakness, a noble house lingering at the margins of power. Others, those who understood Kirtoth’s hidden machinery, whispered that perhaps it was by design.

Sinjen Morn was never meant to be seen, only felt.

While the heirs of other Divine Houses were trained in martial command and statecraft, Sinjen was sent instead to Tothandar, the sanctum of secrecy and subterfuge, where he was shaped in the ways of Toth, the god of cunning. He proved an exceptionally gifted and driven student, mastering the foundations of deception, misdirection, and subversion with unnatural speed. But Sinjen was not content to simply learn what had been taught before—he sought to know more than his teachers, to see the world from every perspective, to make himself into a weapon no enemy could predict.

So he disappeared.

The Pilgrimage of Shadows

Unlike his peers, who trained solely in the labyrinthine halls of Tothandar, Sinjen forged his own path, undertaking a self-imposed pilgrimage of transformation, immersing himself in the many faces of power, wealth, and desperation. His journey became legend, whispered in clandestine circles but never spoken of openly.

• He trained with mountain ascetics, learning how to survive in the harshest conditions, mastering patience and self-discipline.
• He caroused with criminals, embedding himself among thieves, killers, and cutthroats to understand the minds of those who worked outside the law.
• He fought alongside the converted northern berserkers, immersing himself in their battle frenzies, learning to control chaos rather than succumb to it.
• He attended noble functions in the Kingdom of Qet, perfecting the art of courtly deception, only to spend the next day laboring alongside Qetish peasants, seeing firsthand the divide between rulers and the ruled.
• He became a smuggler and pirate, navigating the black markets of Cruentum, forging alliances with the lawless.
• He trained in the Orelithian Foreign Legion, learning how those outside Kirtoth fought, how they thought, and how they could be manipulated.

For years, he vanished into the world, becoming a hundred different men, a thousand different faces. Then, without warning, he returned to Tothandar.

The Rise of the Second Sword

How the Second Sword is anointed remains unknown to all but the initiated, the truth buried beneath layers of secrecy. But what is known is this:

Within months of Sinjen Morn’s return, he was elevated as Second Sword, head of the Shadow Council. Overnight, the House of Morn—once a footnote among the Divine Houses—became ubiquitous.

• Merchants and dockmasters whispered that House Morn had been among them for years.
• Generals and warlords suddenly found their trusted advisors had ties to Morn.
• Priests and bureaucrats spoke in hushed voices, recalling minor clerks, forgotten scribes, silent attendants—Morn men, all of them, hiding in plain sight.

Had they always been there? Had House Morn merely been waiting for the right moment to reveal itself? Or had Sinjen, in his ascension, rewritten the game so thoroughly that it only seemed as if his house had always been watching?

The Silent Hand of the Empire

Since his elevation, Sinjen Morn has reshaped the Shadow Council, expanding its influence into realms once thought beyond the Second Sword’s reach. Under his leadership:

• The Tothvarin ("Toth Bound") have expanded their operations, infiltrating not just foreign courts, but also Kirtoth’s own nobility, ensuring that no ambition rises unchecked.
• The boundaries between espionage, diplomacy, and war have blurred—under Sinjen, disinformation, sabotage, and subversion have become as vital as open battle.
• Foreign manipulation has become an artform—Kirtoth’s enemies now crumble before the legions ever march, their foundations rotted from within.
• The House of Morn has become a force in the War Council, though few can recall when exactly that happened.

Unlike Crese Rhan VIII, whose strength is visible, or Teikos Maht, whose power is proclaimed in the name of faith, Sinjen Morn wields an invisible blade. His enemies do not see him coming. Many never even realize they were enemies at all.

Leadership Style & Philosophy

Sinjen Morn does not seek glory or recognition. He does not need his name spoken in reverence, nor his deeds immortalized in history. He operates with a simple, absolute truth:

"The most dangerous enemy is the one you never see."

His leadership is defined by:

• Total Anonymity – Unlike past Second Swords, who maintained a presence in court, Sinjen rarely appears in public. His orders are given through intermediaries, his voice never directly heard.
• A Master of Many Faces – Even within the highest circles of Kirtoth, few can claim to truly know him. He is a man of a hundred names, a thousand disguises, his presence felt but never seen.
• Precision Over Power – Where others command armies, Sinjen wields moments—a word in the right ear, a misplaced trust, a whisper at the perfect time.

His actions are surgical, methodical, and absolute. He does not waste energy on grand gestures or elaborate schemes. He finds the single, precise weakness in any enemy and presses until they collapse.

Challenges & Conflicts

Despite his unprecedented mastery of the Shadow Council, Sinjen faces challenges both from within and without:

1. The Old Guard of the Tothvarin – Some of Kirtoth’s most senior operatives, men and women trained in the old ways of secrecy, do not trust Sinjen’s unconventional rise. They see his methods as reckless, disruptive, and dangerous.
2. The War Council’s Suspicion – The generals and warlords who serve under Crese Rhan VIII respect Sinjen’s effectiveness, but fear his reach. They are warriors who fight battles they can see—Sinjen fights wars that exist only in shadows.
3. Foreign Powers Seeking Retribution – While Sinjen has dismantled enemy operations across Vircune, whispers have begun to spread. Some claim that the Qetish Kingdom hunts for the shadow who undermined them. Others say that Cruentum has placed a bounty on the "Ghost of Kirtoth".

Legacy & Future

At 37 years old, Sinjen Morn is the youngest Second Sword in generations, yet his impact is already undeniable. Under his leadership, Kirtoth’s invisible hand has become as deadly as its legions, ensuring that the empire’s will extends into every corner of the world.

But the greatest question remains:

Where does his loyalty truly lie?

Some within the War Council suspect that his endgame is beyond their understanding, that House Morn has ambitions even the First Sword cannot predict. Others believe he is a true servant of the empire, reshaping it for the wars to come.

For now, Sinjen Morn remains Kirtoth’s unseen blade, moving in the darkness, unseen but always present. If he has a plan beyond the empire, no one will know until it is already too late.

Fanterath    Famous Figures    Kirtoth      Sinjen Morn

Title(s)

• Second Sword

Species

Human

Date of Birth

1704 CE

Aligned Organization

The Kirtothian Empire