Character Profiles VINE VEIN #1: Yekom Hisimbri
Yekom was thirty-seven-ages-old, and before joining Vine Vein, she was one of the Copper City’s many street-living, pickpocketing scoundrels. Disgraced by her family, after she was caught time after time stealing from Castle Darkcholy, and then caught attempting to poison the late Queen Matoaka Hisimbri (her cousin). Yekom’s parents lost their status within Darkcholy ages prior to this attempted assassination, and the three of them had been trying to regain Hisimbri’s favor (and riches) ever since, to little avail.
When Queen Redshift found out about this failed thief and assassin, and that she shared blood with Matoaka, Redshift sought her out personally. This was in Age 100, and Redshift was just beginning to cultivate her dark organization that would come to be known as Vine Vein to those in the know, and just as the Enshrouded to those who were not.
The First of Many
Redshift’s loyals—which she called her devotees—tipped her off to where she might find this exiled Lady Hisimbri. Traveling about the Copper City was difficult for Redshift—as her incredible height prevented her from blending in with the masses—so she had to do so at night, and across the rooftops of the city. But once she got to where her devotees had told her, she knew she hadn’t traveled in vain. A commotion was coming from a home that could’ve been mistaken for a burned pile of rubble, and as Redshift peered inside, preparing to enter, she witnessed Yekom drawing a knife out from the neck of an older woman.
Redshift entered the home like a swift draft of air, and confronted this murderer. Yekom instinctively threw her weapon, which Redshift side-stepped, but was cut across her shoulder. Yekom asked what the queen was doing here, her emotions raging out of control, her mouth frothing, eyes leaking. Redshift confirmed who she was, then asked why she had just killed these people. Yekom told her that she had been caught stealing from them, and they weren’t going to let her leave, a struggle broke out, and one thing lead to another. Yekom looked at her bloody hands—these were her first kills, but a taste of what was to come in her near future—and a visible change contorted over her face. Redshift explained to Yekom that she cared about her, that she could restore the status that had been taken from her, and that she knew about her attempted assassination of her cousin, Matoaka, and that her skills were worth much more than robbing people of scraps and dented bits of aged silver.
Redshift’s offer on the table, and her hand outstretched, Yekom accepted almost without hesitation. Redshift brandished a black book and a vial of green liquid, then tore a page out of the book, and handed the page and the vial to Yekom. Redshift told her to eat the page and drink the vial, and Yekom did. Yekom was instantly in agony, but after the pain subsided, Redshift told her that she had survived where many before her had died, and that this meant that she was truly worthy of becoming a member of Vine Vein. Redshift explained that Yekom’s body would be changing over time now, and that she would have to continue drinking this fluid which was Lightless blood, and if she did that she would become stronger than anyone else in the city besides herself of course.
With her first member of Vine Vein secured, Redshift carried Yekom away back to Darkcholy. The two of them would become very close over the next few ages, as they recruited more to Vine Vein, and the seeds of the plans for the city were sown in blood and greed.
