Sylas

Sylas (Qaasin / Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock)

Overview

Sylas is a body-hopping parasite and member of The Perjurers, an ancient conspiracy working to destabilize Asgartha. He currently inhabits a host body known as “Sylas” and previously inhabited a body known as “Qaasin.” The “Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock” that Afanas Korovinovich hunts is also Sylas—an identity he assumed to stage Qaasin’s death. As Qaasin, he served as Yzmir Battlemage who rescued and mentored young Afanas, maintaining deception for decades.

True Nature - The Perjurer

Sylas is a member of the ancient conspiracy called The Perjurers, body-hopping parasites who possess human hosts across centuries. His previous host body was called “Qaasin” (pre-356 AC). He faked Qaasin’s death in 356 AC by using the identity “Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock” as an intermediary persona, allowing him to stage his mentor’s murder and assume new identity as “Sylas” while continuing operations. Afanas believed his mentor dead and spent decades hunting the warlock who “killed” him.

Afanas remained unaware of his mentor’s true nature for decades, never suspecting that Qaasin, the Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock, and Sylas were all stages in the same entity’s existence—a body-hopping parasite manipulating him across his entire life.

Host Preferences

Sylas prefers hosts with natural permeability to The Aether. This preference aligns with his Yzmir operations and magical capabilities.

Workshop and Appearance

Sylas maintains a workshop containing thaumaturgical tools, forbidden relics, and bound tomes. He wears an enamel mask that conceals eyes glowing with an unnatural hue. In his workshop, he coaxes chrysanthemums into bloom.

When he removes his mask, his glowing eyes reveal his parasitic nature. Through Irises, he can see parasites moving on and beneath Saskia Averina’s opaline skin: translucent venomous slugs, multicolored leeches, and invasive crustaceans.

Qaasin Identity - Rescue of Afanas

The old man introduced himself as Qaasin when Afanas regained consciousness. This Yzmir mage had routed the Kraken before retrieving the young aspirant’s unconscious body from icy waters.

Unfortunately the rest of the crew as well as Afanas’s entire family had not survived the shipwreck. Qaasin delivered the devastating news that all others had perished.

Beside the bed, a splendid night bird never left Afanas’s bedside. Its plumage seemed made of the very substance of shadows and its head was covered with a mask of lunar pallor. When Afanas asked about it, Qaasin revealed it was a creature Afanas had saved from the waters by freeing it from a steel prison.

Just like Afanas, the bird had lost an eye where the mask had been split. Just like him, it seemed to have been battered by life. Afanas named it Senka and set about caring for it.

Role as Mentor

Qaasin watched over Afanas throughout his convalescence. He taught meditations and mantras, and demonstrated Yzmir Spheres to convince Afanas to embrace the path of magical arts.

Bringing Afanas to Kadigir

When time came for the Asgarthans to leave Cebir after realizing conditions were too dangerous to hope to survive there, Qaasin took his young protégé with him to rally the Kadigir.

At ten years old, Afanas was already old to begin initiation. But through perseverance and determination, he caught up and even exceeded the expectations of instructors. Afanas specialized in Kinemancy until he became a relentless combat mage.

Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock Operations (~303-393 AC)

~303 AC - Imprisonment of Kuraokami

Sylas as the Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock summoned Kuraokami’s Eidolon to the base of an already-dead world-tree at Cais Adarra under the pretense of regenerating the tree. Using “unholy artifice”—possibly lost Yzmir knowledge buried in The Mandates—he lured the dragon into the trunk and turned the bark into prison walls.

The method excised Kuraokami completely from the collective unconscious, similar to how a Mirror trapped an Oneiros, making the dragon’s summoning impossible. The technique represented advanced understanding of Eidomantic principles and manipulation of The Skein.

Triple-Walled Prison System

The Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock constructed a three-layered containment system:

First Wall (Matter): The Nilam itself—dead world-tree transformed into a physical prison with opalescent bark unbreakable from within.

Second Wall (Climate): Engineered sudden glaciation using Kuraokami’s siphoned essence, transforming Cais Adarra from mild climate to polar wasteland. A pre-glaciation human settlement of several hundred people abandoned the site. As Kuraokami stated: “Cold did not reside here—I brought it with me.” The warlock weaponized the dragon’s natural cold manifestation as deterrent.

Third Wall (Species): Created and deployed Belisenki as guardians—giant moth-like species “suited to cold, would do anything to keep outsiders away.” The entire ecosystem was deliberately constructed, with the species programmed to defend the mountain from human intrusion.

305 AC - Tsunami Weapon

While Kuraokami remained imprisoned, the Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock continuously siphoned the dragon’s essence over years. In 305 AC—only 2 years after imprisonment began—he twisted the accumulated power to forge a “terrible catastrophe.”

He created a wave that “swept away everything in its path, surge that devoured mountains,” devastating Arkaster capital. The tsunami killed Basileus Itzamna ruun-Heeren, much of the government, and thousands of civilians. Aroro Niski sacrificed herself defending the capital, her theory about a deliberate attack later validated by Kuraokami’s testimony (393 AC).

The attack resulted in civilization-threatening disaster, thousands killed including the Basileus and leadership, weaponization of the imprisoned dragon’s essence, all within a 2-year timeline from imprisonment to attack.

Duration and Discovery

Operations spanned approximately 90 years (~303-393 AC):

• ~303 AC: Imprisoned Kuraokami
• 305 AC: Unleashed tsunami weapon
• 303-393 AC: Maintained triple-walled prison system
• 393 AC: Prison shattered by Exalts, truth revealed

This 90-year campaign against Asgartha occurred while Sylas simultaneously operated as Yzmir Battlemage, maintained The Perjurers activities, and orchestrated Kraken puppet operations.

Faked Death and Identity Change

356 AC - Staged Death of Qaasin Identity

Afanas investigated the Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock, gathering clues over years. Qaasin warned Afanas that if he continued the hunt, the warlock would take measures.

Afanas and Senka leaped through a vortex traveling a thousand cable lengths to an estuary. No sign of the warlock remained. Afanas found Qaasin’s lifeless body sprawled nearby—skin cold and pale.

This staged death allowed the parasite to abandon the Qaasin host body and assume a new identity as Sylas. The deception succeeded—Afanas never suspected his mentor was a body-hopping parasite who continued operations under a different name.

Impact on Afanas

The staged death of the Qaasin identity intensified Afanas’s hunt for the Chrysanthemum Cloaked Warlock. He had lost both family and mentor to the same dark mage (unknowingly the same entity).

A 36-year gap exists between Qaasin’s staged death (356 AC) and Afanas’s known activities in the Kraken battle (392 AC).

Perjurer Conspiracy Activities

The Kraken Operation

Sylas created the Kraken as a puppet for The Perjurers conspiracy purposes. The puppet allowed Saskia Averina to carry out experiments unhindered. By 392 AC, the Kraken had “outlived its purpose.”

During Kraken operations, there was an “incident with the Strix” where Sylas failed to deliver something promised to Saskia. He later atoned for this failure.

Destabilization Mission

After Amahle Kalu’s betrayal of The Perjurers, Sylas was tasked with destabilizing the Asgarthan regime. For nearly a century, he worked to undermine stability and prevent outward expansion.

By 392 AC, Sylas claimed to be setting a trap for the Rediscovery Endeavor that would “snap shut” with all attention turned outward. He assured Saskia Averina to have patience.

Protected Target

Sylas claimed a female target in Yzmir domain as his to deal with, warning Saskia to stay away and consider the target off-limits. The target’s identity remains unspecified.

Timeline

392 AC - Meeting with Saskia Averina

Saskia Averina visited Sylas’s workshop, discussing The Perjurers’ plans. Sylas revealed he had not heard from other Perjurers in decades. Saskia indicated the “day of reckoning” was approaching and they would need to infiltrate the Expeditionary Corps.

Sylas confirmed he intended to join the Corps to ensure Asgarthan actions wouldn’t undermine conspiracy interests.

393 AC - Proposal to Fly Over Tumult Depression

At a meeting in Nilam Spires observatory led by Satrap Zaj Ke Va, Sylas proposed a solution to the Tumult Depression blocking the Expeditionary Corps’ path southwest. While forecasters argued crossing was impossible due to mutagenic pressure 16 times stronger than any studied Singularity, Sylas suggested flying over the cyclone rather than around or through it.

Sylas noted the availability of four vessels: two Lyra Sahankas (The Ouroboros and The Wayfarer) and two Ordis flagships (Mesektet, recently recovered with minor damage, and Mandjet, with repairs nearly complete). He urged the assembly to advise Admiral Temera Singh to request reinforcements—troops, supplies, and resources—while Avkan remained in power before elections, warning that “the future is uncertain.”

To persuade the Satrap, Sylas argued that flying over the cyclone’s eye would provide Yzmir a “front-row seat to deepen understanding of the Tumult.” The Satrap agreed to study the proposal further.

After the meeting, Sylas approached Moyo Chibuye cryptically, implying with a knowing smile that Moyo would “find out soon enough” what their bond with Silk meant—hinting at a potential Musubi ceremony.

393 AC - Observing Sap-Enhanced Sigil Session

Sylas observed a Gephyromancy Sigil engraver at Nilam Spires experimenting with Sap in the tattooing process. He watched the engraver create emulsions from oil, pigments, and ideas from The Empyrean, incorporate Sap which turned the liquid purple, and apply permanent Sigils to his own flesh that glowed blue phosphorescent and grafted onto his being unlike traditional fading Sigils. Sylas sensed the process as unnatural and dangerous.

Relationships

• Afanas Korovinovich: Young boy rescued after Kraken attack as Qaasin, mentored and brought to Kadigir, remained unaware of true nature for decades
• Amahle Kalu: Betrayed The Perjurers, after which Sylas tasked with destabilizing Asgarthan regime
• Aroro Niski: Defender of Arkaster who sacrificed herself during the 305 AC tsunami Sylas created
• Belisenki: Guardian species Sylas created as third wall of Kuraokami’s prison
• Cais Adarra: Location of Kuraokami’s imprisonment
• Cebir: Abandoned region where rescue of Afanas occurred
• Gephyromancy: Yzmir Sphere whose Sap-enhanced Sigil experiments Sylas observed (393 AC)
• Itzamna ruun-Heeren: Basileus killed in the 305 AC tsunami Sylas orchestrated
• Kelsang: Fellow Perjurer expected to remain at Monolith
• Kinemancy: Sphere Afanas specialized in following Qaasin’s teachings
• Korovin: Afanas’s father killed in Kraken attack that led to rescue
• Kraken: Leviathan Qaasin routed to save Afanas, later created as puppet for Perjurer conspiracy
• Kuraokami: Dragon Eidolon imprisoned by Sylas (~303 AC), whose essence powered the 305 AC tsunami
• Moyo Chibuye: Yzmir Initiate whom Sylas cryptically approached after meeting (393 AC)
• Nilam Spires: Observatory where Sylas presented proposal (393 AC)
• Rediscovery Endeavor: Target of conspiracy’s trap, Sylas planning to join Expeditionary Corps
• Sap: Substance used in Sigil experiments Sylas observed, which he sensed as unnatural and dangerous (393 AC)
• Saskia Averina: Fellow Perjurer called “Eugenist,” conducted experiments aided by Kraken puppet, visited workshop (392 AC)
• Senka: Night bird Afanas saved from steel prison, observed by Qaasin during convalescence
• Silk: Chimera larva whose bond with Moyo Sylas alluded to (393 AC)
• The Kadigir: Yzmir Bastion where Qaasin brought Afanas for training
• The Mandates: Source of forbidden knowledge Sylas may have used
• The Nilam: Dead world-tree serving as first wall of Kuraokami’s prison
• The Perjurers: Ancient conspiracy of body-hopping parasites Sylas belongs to
• The Skein: Collective unconscious Sylas manipulated to imprison Kuraokami
• Tumult Depression: Obstacle Sylas proposed flying over (393 AC)
• Zaj Ke Va: Satrap who agreed to study Sylas’s proposal to fly over Tumult (393 AC)