Sir Hiss and the False Promise

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A Tale from the Shadows of Politeness
When someone first encounters Sir Hiss of Niederkliff, they see a sophisticated diplomat: an elegant lizard in the finest garments, with golden brooches, a purple plumed hat, and a polite smile that nips even the boldest suspicions in the bud. But those who spend more time with him recognize his true essence: a cunning serpent, cloaked in etiquette, whose words glide around the minds of their victims like silken ropes. Sir Hiss traveled from castle to castle, ostensibly as a negotiator for the Duke of Thaleborn. But his mission was never what was written on the parchment. Where others fought with sword or shield, Hiss used whispers, glances, and hints. He forged treaties with a precision that cast doubt on even master writers. He planted ideas like mushroom spores—silent, invisible, deadly at the right moment. His most infamous coup was the Affair of Wendelhain. There, he promised Baroness Revalda a protective alliance against the Northlands – but in truth, he had long since sold a map of the weakest walls to the general of Grey Marsh. On the night of the attack, Sir Hiss disappeared – but an empty chalice was found in the Baroness's study, containing the remains of a mild sleeping pill. The castle fell without a fight. Hiss appeared shortly afterward in Trennfurt – as an advisor to an old earl who saw him as a loyal counselor. Within a few weeks, the earl abandoned his oldest allies, imposed new taxes, and changed the line of succession – all on the advice of his "wise friend." And no sooner had the people begun to murmur than Hiss was gone – along with the royal signet rings, a third of the treasury, and a gilded chair from the audience chamber. But Sir Hiss was not simply a thief. He was a gambler, an architect of distrust. He was tempted to disrupt systems just to see them topple. In Klorandia, he created a council of six advisors, each believing they were the only chosen one—and trying to overthrow each other. In Fennbirn, he orchestrated a wedding alliance in which three heirs simultaneously believed they would receive the bride—and none did. When a bounty was placed on his head one day, Sir Hiss appeared at his own wanted poster painter's wearing a fake mask, posing as a nobleman, and ensuring that the picture falsely depicted him with a bushy beard, eye patch, and double chin. Most pursuers since then have been chasing a burly dwarf who had never read a contract. It is said that Sir Hiss now lives in an old clock tower in the Borderlands, disguised as a historian. Others believe he has long since vanished into another realm where no one knows him—with a new name, new robes, but the same gaze: an air of superiority. A mocking smile. And a promise that sounds too good to be true.