Uzko

Age: 25

Appearance: Like all Brothers of the Raven, Uzko wears an obsidian mask that obscures his features, save for his eyes. And just like his brothers, he wears a set of magically enhanced and lightened obsidian armor, with the plates shaped to resemble raven feathers. Beneath the mask, he is a stern-faced, dark-skinned young man with a bald head and a bit of stubble. His dark eyes are fierce, cold and observant: just like every other member of his cult. The young man is a veritable walking armory: long-knives are strapped to his hips, and tucked beneath the plates of his armor are dozens of throwing knives, darts and poison vials.

Personality/Reputation: Uzko is silent, cold and mostly obedient without question. As a boy, he was playful and kind, who was fiercely protective of his younger half-sister. That protectiveness has persisted, despite his position. He still watches over her, even giving gifts from time to time. He has been punished for this by his superiors from time to time, but lately they have turned a blind eye due to his stellar performance in the field.

History: Uzko was born to the great general Czoctyl and a common household slave, who was the general's long time lover. Czoctyl raised Uzko as his trueborn son: he stayed in the family quarters, was tutored by the finest priests, he played with his half-sister and was raised to be the general's heir, much to the disgust of Takna. When Czoctyl passed away when Uzko was eight years old, his mother was sold to another family. Takna took the opportunity to permanently remove a stain to her marriage's honor and to curry favor with the Emperor, and gave Uzko to the Brothers of the Raven.

From that point forward, Uzko's life was one of training, anonymity and hardship. His identity was stripped from him entirely. A regimen of fierce training and a daily diet of transcendental narcotics transformed him from a bright young boy into a cold, obedient killer, sworn to obey the will of the Emperor and the mysterious death gods of the Xatlic pantheon.

His first true mission came during a massive slave uprising on an island off the coast of Tezcatil. He and a dozen other Brothers infiltrated the island to assassinate the ringleaders and pave the way for a counterattack. When the mission was over, all eleven of his comrades were dead, along with the entire leadership cadre of the slave revolt. It collapsed overnight, and Uzko was rewarded with further dangerous assignments.

For years, he traveled the width and breadth of the Empire, enforcing the will of the Emperor and the death cult. Rebels, seditious priests, false cultists, nobles who refused to give tributes of gold and lives were all among those that fell to his blades and poisons. When not striking at the Empire's enemies from the shadows, he was guarding the Imperial palace, where he took the opportunity to watch over his half-sister, protecting her in secret.

When To-Xatl announced his plans to invade High Kand, Uzko was among those selected to help pave the way for the invasion fleet. Uzko and several others came ashore in the weeks before the invasion, posing as guards of a merchant. Their slaughter of the watchmen and sentries of the coast allowed the fleet to make a surprise landing and easily rout the defenders.