S'ward

"I don't know why people say a double-edged sword is bad. It's a sword. With two edges."

- S'ward, sorcerer of the Akiri

At a Glance
Undoubtably one of the most sadistic creatures the world had ever known, S'ward was an enigmatic, patronizing, and polarizing crow-hengeyokai from the The Spires of Akir. Believing himself and the Akiri to be superior to all other mortals, he would regard all other races with condescension and blatant racism. For others, this sort of vulgar behaviour might have resulted in a swift comeuppance, but for S'ward, who was an incredibly powerful sorcerer, it was begrudgingly tolerated.

Legendary for his extensive knowledge in all schools of magic, his toxic demeanour made him typically the lesser of two evils. When faced with annihilation or the insincerity of S'ward, many mortals swallowed their pride and sought him out for help.

Age of Adventure
S'ward kept his actions hidden as a means to guard himself from would-be-assassins. That said, many stories exist about his cruelty during the Age of Adventure:
 * He trapped the pacifist Dragon Bracconis - who abhorred taking another's life - in a tilting room full of shrieking gnomes so whenever the room tilted, Bracconis would slide across the floor, squashing the hapless gnomes as he apologetically cried out.
 * He mindbended Marisil the Centaur warrior with a cursed ring, making him think that he was fighting the Akiri when in reality he was slaying his own people -- becoming the Centaur's most famous serial killer.