More refined control of the process allows Boneshards to ignore pain of increasing intensity.. Eventu-ally, Boneshards can tune out any selected discomfort or pain.. Hiding the Bloodshea
Trang 1History
There have been Boneshards on Khitus for as long as there
have been Dragon Kings, or so their legend holds The first were
thought to be slaves seeking vengeance against their overseers,
weaponless but for mundane trinkets, broken pottery, or
frag-ments of obsidian and glass These, while not deadly in
them-selves, could be wielded well in surprise, so they were stolen,
collected, sharpened quietly in the dark of night, and hidden
within the only thing slaves truly own: their own bodies
Slave owners, rulers, and the otherwise powerful have
all been keenly aware of the Boneshards through
his-tory Prince Renaulf of Rhojess fell to a slender glass rod
through the neck, as did the fabled caravan master Yunus
Freck More than one Watu slaver fell to an unanticipated
assault by obsidian slivers awash in human blood Only the
careless allow a Boneshard into their presence
Learning the Bloodsheath
The excruciating Boneshard training and
apprentice-ship chills the bravest blood Several months with a
mas-ter involve all the techniques for devising suitable blades
and needles from common materials Students must insert
these carefully into their bodies—beneath the skin on their
forearms, the backs of their hands, the high shoulders, or
anywhere they can easily reach Simple, small items are
first, building gradually to longer, wider pieces After
mas-tering skin concealment, the student learns to insert larger
pieces into the muscles and beneath them, even beneath
the bones themselves where they hide in the body’s
deep-est recesses This education is sometimes fatal
Key to a Boneshard’s preparation and success is his ability
to mitigate pain, which he accomplishes through
medita-tive techniques learned from his master At its base level,
the “pain-sheath” technique allows the tolerance of a
fo-cused point of pain, such as inserting a needle or glass
sliv-er into the skin More refined control of the process allows
Boneshards to ignore pain of increasing intensity
Eventu-ally, Boneshards can tune out any selected discomfort or
pain Such selective pain endurance gives the individual
many options for dealing with an increasingly cruel world
Hiding the Bloodsheaths
Repeated invasion of the skin by weapons can mark
the Boneshard for what she is Thus, efforts to conceal
the resultant scars are important for long-term success
• Salves and Balms: Simple salves and balms help in
the healing process, diminishing the appearance
of scars
• Disguise: Makeup can also help hide the telltale marks.
• Tattoos: Depending on their ethnicity, some turn to
inkers and tattoos Many decorate their bodies with complex tattoos to hide their scars
• Magical Aid: Magical healing is most valuable to a
Boneshard for its ability to erase scars and marks; a much-scarred assassin expects to pay a heavy price for the services of a sorcerous healer
Unleashing the Shards
A Boneshard’s advantages lie in speed, surprise, and poi-sons The more experienced the artisan, the faster they can extract the exact weapon desired for a kill Clothing or armor can slow the process, as can manacles or other re-straints, though Boneshards rarely expose their identities with expansive shows of flesh Of course, when those in the vicinity of a Boneshard are unaware, the sudden appear-ance of a dangerous and already-bloodied weapon can be surprising enough to throw a target completely off guard
Boneshard weapons tend to be slashing or piercing weap-ons than can be exposed and employed at a moment’s no-tice Most such weapons are “separate”; once freed from the flesh, they are just like any other weapon for throwing or other uses Some Boneshards prefer “self” weaponry, which remain part of the user, like claws, shoulder spikes, and so on Skilled Boneshards have been inventive over time, as evi-denced by a much-fabled but little-seen book “Nineblade” Oralk’s Forge of Arms, written in Wani Chereet over 50 years ago, allegedly details more than 120 ways to craft, use, and artfully conceal small weapons within a human body
Theoretically, a Boneshard can prepare an unlimited number of concealed weapons, but practical limits expand only with experience A novice may have only one or two hidden shards that he can keep track of and use A master, however, makes himself a comparative arsenal of lethality, all part of his person until unleashed as needed
Beyond any potential cutting or piercing damage, a skilled Boneshard can add poison to his weapons to en-sure death They restrict themselves to weapons with a capsule or reservoir to keep the poison separate from the user’s blood stream while concealed
Potential poisons run the gamut of those available on Khitus, though contact poisons are infrequently used by the Boneshards The most popular are fast-acting agents that either slay outright or cause weakness or confusion, as it is not always their intention to kill—sometimes it is enough to neutralize a target or prepare him for easy capture
Rumors & Whispers
Unsuspecting victims are easy prey for the Boneshards, but their existence is not a complete secret, and the suit-ably prepared suspect anyone who might conceal weapons
Chapter 2: THE STRUGGLE FOR KHITUS