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Chapter 2: THE STRUGGLE FOR KHITUS History 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 fragments of obsidian and glass These, while not deadly in themselves, 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 history 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 apprenticeship chills the bravest blood Several months with a master 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 mastering 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 deepest recesses This education is sometimes fatal Key to a Boneshard’s preparation and success is his ability to mitigate pain, which he accomplishes through meditative techniques learned from his master At its base level, the “pain-sheath” technique allows the tolerance of a focused point of pain, such as inserting a needle or glass sliver into the skin More refined control of the process allows Boneshards to ignore pain of increasing intensity Eventually, 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 poisons 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 restraints, 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 appearance 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 weapons than can be exposed and employed at a moment’s notice 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 evidenced 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 ensure 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 suitably prepared suspect anyone who might conceal weapons 31