Vent is a ruthless man; an outsider and a veteran pilot who served on the Royalist side during the Communard Revolution. As Ferntackle Jak’s trusted servant, he’s the lynchpin that holds the criminal Council of the Klatsches, together. Without him to intercede, intervene or interrupt them the Klatschmen would have spread havoc in every corner of the old city of Tanhazar.

Vent is highly respected by the entire Council, mostly because he’s honest, even brutally so at times. However, his honesty is not the result of any deeply-held commitment to truth. On the contrary, he has no choice in the matter. You see, due to injuries he suffered during the revolution, he has a brain disorder, or so the physicians tell him. This anomaly exhibits some fascinating symptoms, the most striking of which is that Leeshak cannot tell a lie.

Vent is also able to discern, by way of scent, sight, sound, and other finer senses, whether someone is being deceitful. These precious gifts have long been recognised by his peers. Indeed, he’s considered the one and only, trustworthy human in the city.

The Creator must have a twisted sense of humour. This world is always bringing opposites together. And so, it was with Leeshack Vent. As it turned out he wasn’t what you’d really call trustworthy, nor, for that matter, could one accurately refer to him in the strictest sense, as a human.

Anyway, I’m jumping ahead of myself a bit. At the time of this story, Vent was kept busy eliminating anyone who crossed paths with his boss, Ferntackle Jak. And the next on his list for liquidation was a warehouse manager by the name of Jahran Calixtus.

It should have been a straightforward execution but just as he was getting ready to shoot, honest Leeshak had a dramatic change of heart. Some might call it an epiphany.

Like a stone dropped into a pond, his spontaneous act of mercy rippled out to the furthest outskirts of the city. And the ramifications of Vent’s crisis of conscience set the Klatsches on a bitter path to war.

*Matches with the token: - Ferntackle Jak