The Keeper (? AC – 424 AC) was a male Human who was a member of the Faceless Brethren, the followers of the long-dead archmage, Maladar an-Desh. Originally hailing from the Rainward Isles, the man known as Azar ket-Turang was a physician on the island of Suluk, where he met The Master and the others who would join the Faceless Brethren. He would then discard his identity and became known as The Keeper, second only to the Master amongst the Brethren. Like the other followers of Maladar, he bore numerous self-inflicted wounds, and had carved away large amounts of flesh from his face, showing the bone underneath. His face was little more than a leering skull, with blazing eyes, a black tongue and long teeth. In truth, the Keeper was a spy for the Rainward Kings, leaders of the Rainward Isles, who had sacrificed everything for his nation.
In 424 AC, following the capture of Essana Forlo, the Keeper was given the task of having Essana secured and watched over in the Temple of Akh-tazi in Neron. He grew attached to Essana and eventually revealed to her that he was in truth a spy, and would do everything in his power to free her from the Faceless Brethren, and that they would escape together to the Rainward Isles.
Eventually the Keeper attempted to break Essana free from the temple, knocking out her Yaggol guards and leading her through an underground tunnel that led towards the realm of the Cha'asii elves. However the Faceless Brethren and the yaggol caught the pair unawares, as the Master revealed that he had been aware of the Keeper's duplicity for some time. The Faceless Brethren then used magic to preserve the Keeper's life, and enacted horrific torture on him in front of Essana. The Keeper was kept alive for days afterwards and when taunted by one of his fellow Brethren, The Watcher, he used a final spell to kill his colleague.
The barely alive Keeper was brought to the sacrificial altar in the temple, and executed by The Slayer, as another soul to feed and bring about the emergence of the spirit of Maladar from the Hooded One.
References[]
- Trail of the Black Wyrm, p.5-8, 64-66, 69, 72-74, 144-145, 208-228, 319-328