Nais the Shadowthief

Nais was once a master archer for the Sylvan Watchers whose exceptional skill became legendary. However, his weakness was an obsession with wealth and finery. He loved finery and wealth, and used his authority as an elite Sylvan Watcher and the unqualified access it gave him to ledgers and treasuries to steal and embezzle. His thievery escalated when his constant craving for new treasures drove him to risk robbing the grand archives of the Sylvan capital, nestled amid the colossal roots of the first Heart Tree. In the archives, he discovered a mysterious corvid skull bearing an indecipherable glyph. Upon touching it, a Fae lord named the Earl of Glinting Metal spoke to him, offering to enhance his abilities in exchange for keeping the skull nearby. The Earl’s magic proved transformative, enabling increasingly audacious thefts. Over time, the Earl’s mental influence grew stronger, and Nais became obsessed with keeping the skull close, eventually wearing it as a headdress. During a raid on an armory in Yakai, guards overwhelmed him. With a bright flash of the skull-rune’s soft blue light, the Earl of Glinting Metal took control over Nais. The Elf’s body warped and grew, and a burst of magical energy hurled the dogs away and blinded their handlers. The transformation revealed a huge, monstrous being, half-crow and half-Elf, with huge talons and long-feathered limbs. The Earl slaughtered everyone and looted the armory before returning to the Mistwood. For over a century, Nais and the Earl continued their partnership, growing increasingly bold. Eventually, they attempted to rob the Arbiter herself. She appeared and bound Nais in golden light, prying the skull from his head. The Arbiter offered them a choice: serve as a Chronicler retrieving holy relics and Shards, protected within a Shard between deployments, with the Earl’s control severely limited to prevent further corruption. Both accepted the deal.