The Opener of Ways From Within
Divine Assassin
a.k.a Divine Assassin
"When I look into the mirror and see... sometimes I forget who I am supposed to be..."
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND MYSTIQUE
The Opener of Ways From Within is a tall, slim Ma'ab male who wears a finely tailored uniform the color of faded ash, mostly obscured beneath a cloak with an upturned collar. He wears a wide-brimmed hat and a featureless mask made from a curved plate of dull, black metal tied in place with cloth straps. It hides all his features, though it appears that he can perceive his surroundings perfectly well. All his gear is finely spattered with blood stains.
The Divine Assassin is never depicted in art without his mask, and it is unclear if any outside the other Ascended know what he really looks like. Some stories say that his face is as smooth and blank as the mask he wears and that, should he remove it, he will cloak his face in illusion to hide this horror. Others state that his face is too transcendently beautiful for mortals to behold and to see it would rob one of all their senses. The endless conjecture about what lies beneath the mask is emblematic of the enigmatic nature of the Assassin to the Ma'ab. The paucity of definite knowledge about him only fuels wild speculation at all social strata.
The Assassin speaks in a calm, soothing voice. He seems to have mastered many of the languages of Miurag and those of other planes. He speaks them all with an effortless fluency and an accent that would fool even a native speaker. Some claim that he is a master of disguise, able to walk as a simple urchin among the slums, while others suggest that he controls the shadows and simply clouds the senses of others to hide his passage.
Though officially titled the Divine Assassin, many think he also must control some spy network for he seems far too well-informed of events. No known organization answers specifically to him in the Empire, however, so how he comes by his knowledge remains a mystery. The Assassin shares information only when deemed a necessity for the safety and security of the Empire, almost assuredly manipulating events toward a desired result when he does so.
The Assassin doesn't appear to carry weapons but has been able to produce a wide multitude of weapons based seemingly from nowhere as necessity dictates. Some suggest that he carries none because he has harnessed his killing intent into a weapon that can slay anyone. He quietly nurtures the mythos which has grown around him and his deeds for it only helps to further obfuscate his true methods and capabilities.
HISTORY, RUMOR, AND POLITICS
The Opener of Ways From Within places his highest loyalty upon the Ma'ab as a people and pursues goals to ensure their strength and survival. He is not blindly loyal to The Vermillion Lady and is aware of the threat she could pose to her own people.
On multiple occasions, he has worked behind the scenes to thwart domestic threats, those Ma'ab who would disrupt the stability of the Empire, which includes the plans of his fellow Ascended at times. While none of the other Ascended are completely certain of his involvement in their setbacks, they have their grudging worries and suspicions.
His history amongst the Ascended is one of the least documented, as is the timing and method of his Ascension. Only the Prime may actually know the truth of his identity, and she has yet to share it with any other. Curiously, the Assassin is not mentioned in records until the appearance of the Prime's signature silver blade. Whether or not this is mere coincidence is another topic of endless debate.
There are hints that some early events in the Greylands revolt may have been his doing even before he actively joined the others in a united front. For example, the Divine Assassin is credited with the Hellhounds' use of spiked chains, based on techniques refined by the Opener back in the Greylands during the revolt. The use of chains or other simple tools as weapons was a necessary expedient for the rebel slaves in those early days of the uprising as they lacked any proper weaponry or formal martial training. In addition, Chenkyte which use such weapons for their Art have been known to cross the Nexus regularly.
Some of the more daring and heretical rumors suggest that the Opener is not even a single person, but a title that has been passed on from one to another for centuries. This theory hypothesizes that the original Assassin died during the exodus, sacrificing himself so that the Ma'ab could escape. Even if that were true, the Opener of Ways has continued to develop a reputation on their new world for being able to reach and kill any doomed target, though this started with direct tactics of war as the Ma’ab sought to gain a foothold in this new land.
During the rise of the Ma'ab Empire on Miurag, a powerful Noiri Chieftain of the Northern tribes sought to unite the people under his banner. He invited a meeting of the tribes to discuss the alliance to crush the death-touched invaders in their lands. His fortress stronghold was built by Dwarves and seen as impenetrable. Hundreds of his guards patrolled the grounds and the shamans had blessed and warded the walls so none of the Ma'ab cursed magic could touch them.
In the midst of a feast, as the Chieftain raised his drinking horn to be refilled to the stunned silence of his guests. Beside him stood the Opener, who killed the chieftain with one single stroke of a blade. Everyone was paralyzed as if by magic, staring in horror at the sight, and none rose to stop him as the Assassin left.
The doors to the feast hall had been barred and closed from the outside. The guards posted at the doors had remained vigilant and no one entered or left. Such legendary feats are commonly attributed to the Opener, embellished in fireside tales and tavern songs.
Rumors persist that the Assassin's ultimate goal is to ensure that there is nothing on Miurag which he cannot strike down in service to the Ma'ab.
