Rasheth

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Skorne.png Rasheth Skorne.png

Dominar

Rasheth.jpg

Race Skorne (Kademesh)
Gender Male
Weapons None
Birth Unknown
Rasheth is the sly, corrupt Dominar of House Telarr, a skorne house well known for its ability to train mighty titans. In complete contrast to the typical slim, honour-obsessed skorne warrior, Rasheth is an obese, greedy creature with no regard for the hoksune code or those that follow it. He's concerned with profit, the breeding of animals, and feeding his impressive appetite. He is feared as much as he is loathed, and few trust his claims of fidelity to the Army of the Western Reaches. Despite his legendary indolence, the dominar is a terror on the battlefields thanks to his frightening proficiency in mortitheurgy.

Physical Characteristics

Rasheth’s wealth had given him ample opportunities to indulge his appetites, and he had grown hugely obese. Too slothful to walk on his own, Rasheth is carried into battle on an ornamented lectica by a trio of his specially trained and stunted agonizers. He conditioned these specifically for the purpose of carrying him wherever he needed to go, as he finds they perform more reliably and require less oversight than skorne slaves.[1]

History

Rasheth was born into the upper echelons of House Telarr and disdained traditional skorne ascetic philosophies from his youth, though he had the sense to hide his contempt. He rose among his house not through battle prowess but through his uncanny aptitude in mortitheurgy, deception, and manipulation. Over the years all of Rasheth’s rivals within the house met their ends in assassination, political disgrace and suicide, or 'accidents' such as food poisoning. Once none were left to oppose him, Rasheth became dominar of House Telarr.[1]

Under his rule, House Telarr focused on fostering a vast merchant empire specialized in providing titans. Rasheth worked to seize control of a significant portion of the titan stock of Tor-Kademe, then set about rounding up the wild titan herds of the Ocean of Grass.[1]

When Vinter Raelthorne IV arrived, Rasheth turned his loyalties immediately to the Conqueror’s cause and ensured the safety of his house by supplying Vinter’s forces with titans during the First Unification, albeit begrudgingly. In the following years, civil strife within the empire created a number of opportunities for House Telarr. Rasheth took to the battlefield personally on several occasions, eager to exploit any weakness.[1]

After Supreme Archdomina Makeda seizes power from the Conqueror, Rasheth, knowing Makeda’s rise offers unique opportunities to seize unprecedented wealth, brings a substantial portion of his army, including several of his finest titan bloodlines, to join the Army of the Western Reaches at their base of operations in the Castle of the Keys. As soon as he arrives at the Castle of the Keys, where Lord Tyrant Hexeris is in charge during Makeda's absence, he has the breeding stock poisoned, so the Army would be forced to rely on his house for titans.[1]

A short time after Rasheth's arrival, the Castle of the Keys comes under attack by a dragon. Hexeris asks Rasheth to lend his forces in defence, however Rasheth tells him it's better to get away from the dragon instead of fighting, and refuses to let his army involved until the dragon has left and the Circle Orboros launches an attack. As the blackclads prepare to capture Void Seer Mordikaar, Rasheth and his titans come to Mordikaar's aid, forcing them to retreat.[1]

When Makeda returns to the west and learns about the disease spreading among the titans, Rasheth explains he cannot save the breeding stock, but offers her a proposal: divert a modest ongoing percentage of future war spoils toward a project to restore the breeding program conducted by House Telarr. Even though Makeda knows Rasheth is responsible for the disease, she's in no position to turn him down, and leaves the project in his hand.[1]

Makeda soon announces her plan to the rest of the leaders: invade Ios, the home of the descendants of the skorne's ancient enemies, the elves of Lyoss. Rasheth and Hexeris are tasked with leading a diversion force toward the heavily-fortified Gate of Mists to thin the Iosan defenders while the main army, led by Makeda, strikes at the Twilight Gate.[2][3]

Exactly as Makeda planned, Rasheth and Hexeris are turned back by the Iosan army at the Gate of Mists, but the Iosans have won a victory on the wrong battlefield: while Rasheth and Hexeris are occupying their attention at the west, their southern border has been breached by Makeda.[4][5]

Personality

Forsaking any respect for the warrior code of hoksune, Rasheth does not trouble himself to physical exertion and reclines upon his lectica as he casts his profane rituals. In the Unification Wars, Rasheth takes great pleasure in destroying his enemies without regard for the martial honour they hold in esteem. Whereas most skorne are lean and regularly starve to test their physical limits, Rasheth gluts himself on the most exquisite and expensive of skorne delicacies. Allies and enemies alike are appalled by the vile spectacle of the dominar, who takes obvious enjoyment in their discomfort.[1]

References