Bédenes/1st edition/15

THE MAMEKAN
Within the House of Ordeals lives a man, tall and dark of skin, dressed in robes of unusual cut and color. More legend than mortal, he is known only as "the Mamekan." The few outsiders who have seen him say he wears his hair bound up in a complex wrap of cloth and his beard has never been cut. The Mamekan has been part of Bedenes lore for as long as the Warriors and it is rumored that their association dates to a much earlier time.

The Mamekan is descended from Taugari cultists, the spiritual artisan class of the desert-dwelling Numec tribesmen of Hepekeria. The Warriors claim he is a direct descendant of the Holy Smith himself. His almost supernatural skill in the smelting and forming of steel is said to have been passed down through generations of Clan Mameka. According to the order's holy scripture, the Agrikan missionary who founded the Order of Khamar among the Corani legions was accompanied by a Mamekan weaponcrafter. The oath that bound the smith to the missionary has been inherited by his descendents.

When the Warriors first came to Bedenes, eight local maidens were taken as brides for the current Mamekan. They have borne three sons, the most talented of which will take his place. The Senesharil has promised the Mamekan that his successor will have true Numec brides, brought from Hepekeria as was done during the time of the emperors and the first flowering of Mamakan theology. The Mamekan believes his mother and siblings returned to Hepekeria when his father died. He has asked the Senesharil if he can name a successor now and see his family safely on their journey to Hepekeria before he dies. Klyrdes has been evasive with his answers. The Mamekan fears he will never know the true fate of his family.