The Forsaken Mites
The Mites are a small tribe of Tunawa led by a 'King' named Cazuth. They originate from Desnind, having resided there for many arcs, Cazuth and his four brides, who birthed several hundred sprouts for him in their time, all but one of these sprouts being female. While living in Desnind, they were falsely rumored to be in league with the Lisirran cult. The one that resides in hiding somewhere in Desnind territory, with ties to Rhakros. They were thus expelled from the vicinity of the Ojogbon tree and had to face exile or punishment by the Desnind authorities.
From there, they made their exile sailing for the shores of the Western Continent, and eventually ending in the Plaguelands of Rhakros. Unfortunately for Cazuth and his kin, Lisirra held no such illusions to his devotion to her cause. She knew him to be a long-time servant of the Arachnid Queen, Sintra, providing little hatchlings for her cause. They were horribly persecuted and hunted for arcs while living in Rhakros, and for a time. Many of his children and one of his wives, Cavmiusa were captured, subjected to all manner of experiments in an attempt to twist the tunawa to Lisirra's designs. Some of them were even converted to Yithnai, much to Lisirra's delight.
They suffered these injuries for decades, until Ymiden of 719, when Sintra came to Etzos and subsequently marched south to Rhakros. There, while on the way to the city of Lisirra, Sintra's agents came upon Cazuth and his dwindling kin, who related his tale and bemoaned his fate, asking the agent if Sintra had forsaken his years of service and sacrifice. The agent, seeing an opportunity to turn these tribal tunawa into loyal agents of the Webspinners, informed Lady Sintra. Lady Sintra, ostensibly moved by Cazuth's plight, offered him a place, and even promised a way for him to recuperate the losses of his kin. She offered the opportunity to grow his own Ojogbon tree in the forests of Etzos, if he would only uncover the secrets of the wilderness in the Forbidden Spit.
Cazuth agreed, and so was given safe passage back to Etzos by several of Sintra's trusted agents. There, in the eastern wilderness of Etzos, they were given a base of operations. At the very least they were given a temporary home on the very edge of the wilderness, a plot of land selected by Cazuth for where the Ojogbon should be planted, should Lady Sintra make good on her promise.
Here, Cazuth, his wives, and three score of his remaining children (Not including his son), reside doing Sintra's bidding, and slowly collecting geographical information and intelligence for the Webspinners.
The Mite King, Cazuth
Name: Cazuth
Mark: Adored of Lethroda
Race: Male Tunawa
DoB: 648 34th of Ymiden
Skills: - Unarmed Combat (Toṣeọruni Az'vi): Master; Stealth: Master; Leadership: Master; Poisons: Expert; Detection: Expert; Tactics: Expert; Trap-making: Expert; Mount (Arachnid): Expert.
Description & Personality: Cazuth is a cold and pragmatic tunawa, who nevertheleess enjoys the company of his beautiful wives. Although he'll think little of sending any of his children or even sometimes his wives on expeditions into the wilderness or cities of Idalos, he is capable of incredible fits of rage when even one of his children should suffer injury or casualty. He is devoted to Sintra only as a matter of pragmatism, and not true unconditional devotion. He sees himself as a monarch in his own right, and will not abide being treated as yet another servant. He will see her fulfill her promises to his people, and will honor his end of the bargain in turn.
History: Cazuth wasn't born in an arachnid's den, as some of his children had told as bedtime stories to each other. He was an ordinary, yet ambitious and driven sprout, born under the darkness of night as all male tunawa are. Yet before long, he caught the attention of the Queen of Arachnids, through his adeptness at the art of trapping his foes and subtly manipulating situations to his advantage. She allowed that he could earn her favor, if only he delivered a phial of Ojogbon sap for her. He did this, and was swiftly blessed by the Mistress of Manipulation.
His accumulation of wives and children began soon after the theft of the sap. His courtships were partly driven by the fear that Sintra might have designs upon the Ojogbon, and thus compelled his urgency to spread his seed as it were. Before three decades had passed, he'd already accumulated a couple hundred children, and four wives. Thus bolstered, he slowed the expansion of his little kinship, and focused on strengthening his bond with each of his children.
This didn't escape the notice of Sintra. She saw an opportunity to further her influence, to gain hundreds of followers by the ministrations of Cazuth. She appeared to Cazuth a second time, and offered him the power granted by her adoration, as well as a small colony of spiders that would forevermore protect and serve his family. Thus intrigued, he agreed to another service in her name. This time, however, the ask was far more personal. She asked for the legs of his first and only son, Bracken. Bracken was an accomplished rider of beasts, a hunter and an acrobat. He cherished his mobility. Cazuth was horrified that Sintra would make such a request. Yet the promise of more power and security for his growing clan proved too much not to indulge.
He found his son in the night, and pruned his legs with an oshgon blade. Sintra appeared on the spot, lest Cazuth change his mind, and took the legs, also deigning to show mercy on his son, thus sealing his wound with a droplet of magical spider venom. From then on, his son, Bracken was half a tunawa, but they set him up with his very own spider mount and special riding equipment, so that he might be able to move yet.
Even so, Bracken never forgave his father's betrayal, and has sought to undermine him, with dreams of usurping his position in the clan.
It was shortly after this that Cazuth was found to be lacking in moral and verity of accord with Moseke and the spirits of the forest. Thus he was expelled, and forced to flee with his clan and his spiders to the very shores of the Southern Continent. There, they found a seaworthy boat that might transport them to the Western Continent. The rest of Cazuth's history is wrapped up in the story of the clan itself.
More information pending on Cazuth's Wives, children and his Bracken...