Matthew Miller Stories

A cloaked figure emerged from the back of Morton’s, releasing a wave of smoke into the alleyway. They peered from side to side then checked that the door had closed behind. 

“Hello? Jax sent us this way.” The figure’s voice seemed forced. “Is anyone here?”

Syllera considered letting their call go unanswered. First timers like this were hit and miss. Still, business was business, and Jax usually had a good eye. She stepped forward. “Here for business?”

“We’re looking to have a man dealt with. We have been told to find the one called Syllera — would that be you?”

“No questions, no answers,” Syllera said harshly. “Got it?”

“Noted. You have quite a reputation for…” the cloaked figure searched for the right word. “Resolving monsters and men. Still, though, we’re unsure if you are equipped to deal with this particular individual.”

“Anything can be killed, buddy. And let me tell you,” Syllera tilted her head back. “A man is just a man. Doesn’t matter what titles he hides behind. It’s not a concern of mine.”

“Perhaps it’s something you may wish to concern yourself with.”

“My end of this business is mine to mind. Now — we doing this or not? I need a name.”

“As you say. Our target has many names, but he is best known as Axilon.”

What? Syllera blinked. She didn’t doubt that she could kill Axilon, but… The Axilon? A dragonslayer? It had to be a political killing, but this client stuck out like such an amateur…

“We’re willing to offer five hundred talents—”

“I set the prices here,” Syllera interjected. “Make it a thousand.”

“It’s a deal.”

That was it. There was no negotiation, no bargaining… Something had to be up.

“I need the money up front,” she said.

Without a moment’s hesitation, her client answered. “It’s been arranged for. Check under the bridge by Strawthorne’s, just East of town.”

“How did you—”

“You said there wouldn’t be questions.” Her visitor’s voice wavered.

Syllera had to be true to her word. Honor was a big deal in Reklam’s underbelly, and bad word spread like the plague. She licked her lip. “It’s a deal, then.”

And she would make it happen. Syllera wasn’t one to accept her own failures. That’s what made her the best assassin in the city.

Assassins

This model comes from the Pathfinder Deep Cuts Unpainted Miniature: Elf Female Rogue pack. I intentionally pinkened up the skin a bit more than usual on this model because I’m experimenting with different approaches to skin tones, especially since there aren’t a lot of non-human or even non-caucasian skin tone paints. I figure if I can mix a result that I like, I’ll feel more confident diversifying my minis going forward. This model did come out with an odd sheen all over, so I need some kind of matte varnish.

Personally, I think rogues and assassins make for interesting characters because their stories usually involve finding their own moral boundaries — it’s the distinction between a truly lawless criminal and one who operates in an underworld.

This story is the first of a few “character introduction” type pieces that I want to do more of, just to give a slight taste for who a character is as well as their core motivations and narrative challenges. I may or may not come back to Syllera and Axilon to try to build out the setting of a broader story, but lately I’ve been heavily involved in other projects.