Lindiwe

Overview

Lindiwe, often called “Lin,” is a Yzmir Initiate who was born blind but gained the ability to perceive the world through Eidomancy by directly welcoming ideas into her mind. She is bonded with Maw, a giant chimera worm, in an unprecedented Exalt partnership that formed without the traditional The Musubi ceremony.

By 392 AC, Maw had taken full control of Lindiwe’s body, manipulating her through a psychic connection while keeping her consciousness imprisoned within her own mind. Maw presents itself as Lindiwe to the Yzmir, operating as an infiltrator with a hidden agenda. The actual Lindiwe remains trapped, unable to call for help or reveal the true nature of their bond.

Prior to this complete possession, Lindiwe had built a reputation as an expert in secrets, hunting plots while protecting the Faction’s mysteries.

Early Life and Discovery of Eidomantic Sight

Lindiwe grew up in Caecaster, born blind into a world of sounds, smells, textures, and temperatures. Her mother Nesiwe worked in Hypogea, the underground world beneath Caecaster, harvesting Arcolano Milk, a psychotropic substance Alterers used to enhance abilities. One day in Hypogea, Lin was drawn to murmuring from the oozing rock and discovered a worm embedded in the wall with sharp fangs. A voice thundered in her head with impressions and emotions, then darkness enveloped her. She fell into a puddle of Arcolano Milk and saw flashes of light for the first time. The worm protected her body from others while she was unconscious. When she deliberately drank Arcolano Milk again, she confirmed she could see—Yzmir Initiates revealed she perceived through Eidomancy, welcoming ideas directly into her mind rather than using her eyes. The Yzmir offered to train her if she helped them track the chimera worm.

The Bond with Maw

The hunt for the worm lasted many days through uncharted areas of Hypogea. The worm was waiting for them, calling to Lin, and prostrated itself seeking protection. To their astonishment, the chimera and Lin had been linked without passing through The Musubi rite. The Yzmir Magisters offered Lindiwe patronage to study this unprecedented case. The worm was given the name Maw.

Role within the Yzmir

Lindiwe has become an expert in secrets, hunting down plots while keeping the Faction’s secrets protected. She must contend with The Mandates, restrictions on Alteration use, though circumventing them has proven useful. She operates in a gray area within the Faction.

Timeline

372 AC - Moonlight Jellyfish at Magisterium

Lindiwe fed a moon jellyfish to Maw, who digested the ideas within it to extract Mana.

378 AC - Kuwat Vasanti at College of Mages

Kuwat Vasanti appeared before the college of mages with a disgraced reputation as Ayxas’s former adviser.

381 AC - Evading Spy at Svarog Village

A spy followed Lindiwe through Svarog Village. She conjured the idea of “Break” on a cart’s axle, used the commotion to alter her appearance, and escaped.

385 AC - Treating Young Initiate with Baku

Lindiwe assisted Baku in treating Kumari Adhikari, a young girl suffering from Remanence affliction who leaked ideas with no control.

391 AC - Saskia’s Visit at Baba’s Isba

Saskia Averina, a Muna member, visited Baba Yaga’s isba while Lindiwe was there.

392 AC - Watching Kraken Battle via Seer

Through a Seer’s crystal ball, Lindiwe watched Kraken battle and imprinted its image in memory.

392 AC - Kraken Summoning Authorization Vote

Chambulla cast the deciding vote in favor of adding Kraken to Yzmir’s summoning arsenal after debate among the Magisters.

392 AC - Waru’s Political Opposition Activities

Waru Toowoom confiscated esoteric works Lindiwe requested aboard The Ouroboros as part of his campaign to obstruct Rediscovery Endeavor operations.

392 AC - Murder of Matera During Kraken Battle

Lindiwe watched Matera fall to Kraken through a crystal ball, then tore apart Matera’s essence and projected the Mana to Afanas Korovinovich.

392 AC - Confronting Arjun Over Indus Tribe Territory

Lindiwe prevented Arjun from claiming scrubland that was the Indus Tribe’s last camp site, protected by the Treaty of Aysun.

392 AC - Insight in Maw

Maw evolved from appearing as a simple organism to an entity with complex cognition capable of human manipulation, driven to consume Mana and Aether endlessly. Maw referenced “others like me,” suggesting other parasitic worm entities. Maw maintains total control while actual Lindiwe remains trapped, unable to call for help.

393 AC, January-April - Brief Freedom in Taiga

Maw granted Lindiwe a brief period of control over her own body in the taiga of Storvhit, during which she touched snow, breathed in birch scent, and used her gathered Mana to hatch a Mana moth chrysalis.

393 AC, February-April - Climbing Cais Adarra

Lindiwe climbed a rock face at Cais Adarra during a blizzard using great quantities of Mana to maintain body temperature, until Pamola appeared on an outcrop and extended his hand toward her.

393 AC, January-April - Training with Snow Queen

Lindiwe trained with the Snow Queen alongside other disciples in mental stasis techniques for capturing ideas from The Empyrean while limiting Remanence, using a prism construct to filter and refine ideas.

393 AC, January-April - Creating Moth Lantern

Lindiwe created a moth lantern during cave exploration by blowing Mana into a glass bulb containing an Aether shard, attracting luminous Mana Moths that revealed magnificent crystal formations.

393 AC, April - Observing The Nilam

Lindiwe examined The Nilam through Irises enhanced by Arcolano Milk, observing the crystallized world-tree’s scarred bark and discovering something parasitic contained within its branches and roots.

393 AC, June-August - City of Scholars Singularity Evacuation

Lindiwe appeared through a portal at the City of Scholars excavation site when a Tumult Singularity began forming during drilling operations, guiding Maw through the breach while accompanying other Yzmir mages to assist in the emergency evacuation of Axiom personnel.

393 AC, June-August - Rescuing Wounded Tisdhera Lyra

Lindiwe discovered a wounded Lyra performer from Tisdhera Clan whose spiritual essence was leaking through lacerations as if something had wanted to devour her. She applied Sigil compresses to stop the flow of ideas and collected escaped ones in vials, feeding some to Maw. She then opened a portal to Nilam Spires for treatment at The Cloister.

393 AC, June-August - Observing Yzmir Nurse Treatment

Maw controlled Lindiwe while observing a Cloister nurse treat the wounded Tisdhera Lyra, noting the nurse used moon jellyfish secretions as a poultice and that the patient would suffer after-effects from having memories devoured.

393 AC, June-August - Encountering Moyo Chibuye

Lindiwe encountered Moyo Chibuye, a Yzmir xenobiology specialist carrying a moth lantern and wearing a wide hat hung with bluish Mana Moths chrysalids. Lindiwe considered revealing Maw’s possession but was prevented from speaking by her captor’s control.

393 AC, September - Observing The Hunger

Maw controlled Lindiwe during the evacuation of Axiom engineers through portals, then observed The Hunger emerge from a wall—a dark mass with slitted eye, carnivorous maw ringed with razor-sharp teeth, prehensile tongue, and hooked fingers. Maw analyzed the entity’s compulsive feeding on Sap, recognizing a similar appetite but different nature.

Relationships

• Maw: Giant parasitic worm that controls Lindiwe’s body through psychic connection; spontaneously bonded without Musubi ceremony; keeps Lindiwe imprisoned mentally while operating as infiltrator within Yzmir
• Nesiwe: Mother who worked in Hypogea harvesting Arcolano Milk
• Baba Yaga: Guardian Eidolon of Black Wave who watches with Lindiwe
• Baku: Eidolon who treated young Initiate while Lindiwe assisted (385 AC)
• Arjun: Muna member who wanted to claim Indus Tribe territory that Lindiwe protects (392 AC)
• Kuwat Vasanti: Powerful Eidomancer with disgraced reputation (378 AC)
• Wanjiru: Yzmir member (378, 381 AC)
• Ayxas: Former sovereign who descended into madness with Kuwat’s advice
• Kraken: Leviathan added to Yzmir summoning arsenal (392 AC)
• Malefane: Magister who argued for Kraken authorization (392 AC)
• Nasir: Magistrate who argued against Kraken authorization (392 AC)
• Tarjani: Magistra who advised caution on Kraken (392 AC)
• Egon: Magistrate who voted for Kraken authorization (392 AC)
• Chambulla: Magistra who cast deciding vote for Kraken (392 AC)
• Saskia Averina: Muna who visited Baba Yaga’s isba (391 AC); encountered by Maw aboard Ouroboros (392 AC)
• Matera: Murdered by Lindiwe during Kraken battle; Lindiwe tore apart her essence (392 AC)
• Afanas Korovinovich: Received Mana projected from Matera’s murder (392 AC)
• Waru Toowoom: Confiscated esoteric works Lindiwe requested aboard Ouroboros (392 AC)
• Kumari Adhikari: Patient with Remanence that Lindiwe helped treat with Baku (385 AC)
• Seer: Crystal ball user who allowed Lindiwe to remotely watch Kraken battle (392 AC)
• Snow Queen: Eidolon who trained Lindiwe in mental stasis techniques (393 AC, January-April)
• Pamola: Eidolon who appeared during mountain climb at Cais Adarra (393 AC, February-April)
• The Nilam: Dead world-tree Lindiwe examined through Irises (393 AC, April)
• Moyo Chibuye: Yzmir xenobiology specialist Lindiwe encountered but could not warn about Maw (393 AC)
• The Hunger: Entity Maw observed feeding on Sap, recognizing similar appetite (393 AC)
• Tisdhera Clan: Lyra clan whose wounded performer Lindiwe rescued (393 AC)