Mwafa
The talisman around his head is said to allow him to see into the minds of mortals, and to know our deepest fears.
Shahbander
Some sword-sellers advertised their wares by slicing apart a handkerchief in midair. Shahbander preferred to slit a beggar’s throat with a mere flip of the wrist.
The Archer
Having hunted the deer and foxes of the forest to extinction, the Archer turned his attention to a more amusing prey – the hungry villagers who searched the woods for meagre scraps.
Cuauhtli
To gain the power of flight, Cuauhtli left the victims of human sacrifice to be feasted upon by flocks of hawks and vultures, which he consumed in turn.
Massatum
Massatum practiced a simple routine to retain her youthful glow – daily warm baths in blood taken from the young and poor.
Kadu
Kadu ran the prisons of the great palace. He enjoyed nothing more than to pit prisoners against one in another in a fight to the death over a single scrap of bread.
Shifu
A Grand Master in the art of the Eight-Diagram Palm, Shifu’s claws would inflict wounds so severe that his victims would take their own lives rather than bear the pain.
The Queen
Power can be found in the act of commanding an army or wielding a spear. Terrible power can be found in a Queen able to inspire great men to such acts without lifting a finger.
The Rancher
The leader of a notorious gang of horse thieves, famous for stranding his victims in the desert.
The Physician
A masterful inventor, who changed the world forever – particularly for those imprisoned in the depths of great stone castles, who saw his blades and devices up close.
Partera
For the wealthy patrons that employed Partera, the solution to stillbirth was simple – for a few coins, Partera would switch the dead child with a live one from a poor, unsuspecting family.
The Yupik
When asked what happened to the other members of his hunting party, the Yupik only shook his head, his still spear wrapped in frozen blood.
Commerciante
A superstitious Venetian builder, Commerciante believed the strongest buildings had a skeleton in their foundations. When he could not find a body at the morgue, he made one of his own.
Padrona
Married on five occasions, each of Padrona’s husbands was wealthier than the last. None survived more than a month of marriage.
The Geisha
Renowned for her singing voice, her flower arranging, and her ability to conceal a blade within her coiffed and perfumed hair.
Senatus
Senatus’ word was law. His voice had the power to compel his victims to carry out any order, no matter the consequences.
The Knight
The Knight delighted in challenging unarmed villagers to battle, laughing as they bloodied their hands on his armor before cutting them down with a single blow.
Dokkaebi
A master of the deadly martial art taekkyeon, Dokkaebi is said to have wandered the Korean peninsula for decades, challenging unwilling fighters in search of the sound of the perfect broken bone.
The Housekeeper
Her employers often remained blissfully unaware of her true purpose until a feather pillow pressed down upon their face in the dead of night.
Macho
In the remote villages of Jalisco, there was no law. There was only Macho. And the sound of his boots upon the dusty road was enough to strike fear in the hearts of even the bravest men.
Khaan
To this day, Khaan is followed by the acrid scent of burning huts and the thunder of pounding hooves.
Babur Shah
An advisor to the Great Khan, Babur Shah perfected the Mughal raid. The men and beasts surrounded by mounted soldiers would turn mad, tearing each other to shreds.
Raani
A dancer without compare, able to slip poison into a man’s chalice without missing a beat.
The Musketeer
With a slice and a thrust, the Musketeer signed his name with the tip of his sword. Unhappy with the result, he would behead his victim and find another.
The General
To some, the loss of innocent lives is the steepest price of war. To the General, it was merely an added benefit.
Neanderthal
In a distant cave, there exists a small and fragile painting. That of the first Neanderthal to develop a taste for human flesh, and the trail of destruction he left behind.
Edelman
Once a loyal courtier, Edelman led a plot to poison King Fontaine. His ghostly greatcoat still smells of charcoal and sulfur from the final volley of musket fire.
Lumberjack
An axe is a useful tool, or a deadly weapon – depending on who is wielding it, and whether they can continue to swing the blade despite the cries for mercy piercing the air.
The Pharoah
The Pharoah commanded a vast army of slaves, half of which died while building his great pyramid. The other half died simply so he could hear them scream.
Captain Canuto
Captain Canuto was said to have captured the essence of a great hurricane inside his cannons. A single shot was enough to blast a merchant vessel to splinters.
The Priest
Only in the glow of the full moon does the Priest emerge, curved-in blade in hand, searching for the sick and the weak for his dark rituals, with a thirst for power that will never be slaked.
Thakur
The leader of a princely state, Thakur demanded absolute loyalty from his subjects. To disobey his rule was to know the agony of teeth and claws.
Cheyenne
A weaver of dreamcatchers. Little did the villagers know those beautiful leather and willow hoops stole a piece of their soul each night so that she might live forever.
Chief
You cannot hide from that which you cannot see or hear. Many of Chief’s foes tried, only to be met by an arrow’s whisper beneath the frozen moon.
The Gladiator
Stripped of his rank for killing innocents, the Gladiator went on to battle Rome’s greatest warriors within the soaring walls of the Coliseum. His cruelty sickened even the most hardened spectator.
Centurion
Centurion’s legendary anger would turn his sword white-hot. Each village he passed was marked by the burn scars he left on the hands, legs and faces of the innocent.
Tsarevna
The walls of Tsarvena’s throne room contained a huge tile mosaic of a great battle. Drawing closer, one realized those tiles were instead the teeth of those she murdered, building her empire.
Berber
There was little hope of survival for those lost in the desert – less still for those found by the Berber, who would drain his victims’ canteens and leave them buried in the hot
Jianshi
Jianshi would often pledge mercy to his vanquished foes, promising to let them flee a hundred yards in safety. Little did they know he could toss a spear twice that far.
The Detective
It’s easy to solve a case when you’re searching for a scapegoat, and easier still for a serial killer to avoid detection when he’s hiding in plain sight as the Detective himself.
Pintor
Pintor’s charms were irresistible. Women followed him everywhere, and would calmly sit by his side. He would cut into them and paint with their blood.
Veger
Few townsfolk ever learned that Veger was the true source of the grisly experiments for which so many innocents were burned during the Delshire Witch Hunt.
Makuuchi
A man of ferocious appetites, it was not long before Makuuchi came to the attention of the Yakuza. When throwing matches was no longer enough to repay his debts, he became a much-feared enforcer.
Hebat
Hebat would honor the full moon by slitting a subject’s throat for each star she saw in the sky.
The Crook
Known for using explosives to break into vaults. And for ‘accidentally’ putting the other members of the crew inside the blast zone to increase his share of the heist.
Zulu
The first to domesticate the wild dogs of the vast grasslands. Those same dogs guarded his grave site for years, tearing apart any who set foot upon that earth.
Berserkr
Believed to draw his power from his bearskin cloak, Berserkr would enter a fierce trance in battle during which he could not be stopped nor wounded. Most disturbing were the teeth marks left in his foes.
The Hag
Centuries ago, the Hag’s hair was black as jet. Each innocent she murdered turned a single hair white – until there were none left to change.
Lagal
A deft hand with both the law and an ox-whip, Lagal carried out a hundred summary judgments in a single day. The steps to his palace were forever stained with blood.
Sensei
Sensei slayed his master for daring to criticize his skill with a blade. It was a mistake that was never repeated.
