Tanithaarten was born in the midst of the worst drought in the history of Shem, during the Age of the Eschaton on First Shem. His mother died giving birth to him, and his father had died before that. He was an orphaned baby in a time when there wasn't enough water for anyone. It was assumed that he would die as a baby.

But someone took pity on him. A harpy found him and planned to devour him, but something about the child changed her mind. She, thriving in times of deprivation, nursed him instead. He grew up amongst the harpies, who were part of the Eschatonic Wars as scavengers for the massive armies. He learned scavenging, too, until he met the Knight known as the Lance of Denial. The Knight took a strange liking to him as well, and he took him on as squire after speaking with the harpies.

When he asked the harpies the boy's name, they told him they just called him "Tanithaarten Wuhlzar," or "Too Frail to Eat." The Knight shrugged, and the name stuck. Tanithaarten learned the ways of the Knights of the One-Winged God, growing powerful under the strict, hard tutelage of the Lancer. He became a knight at the age of 21, and he entered the wars full time. He killed for the One-Winged God, and grew powerful, eventually earning the Scythe of the Blightwind as a Gift from the God.

When the war eventually ended, as Shem died for the first time, the One-Winged God called Tanithaarten and told him that he was to choose a handful of other knights and start his own order, for he would be one of the Immortals of Second Shem.

Ages passed. Tanithaarten grew powerful, and his order expanded. Then, during the Epoch of the Brown Pillar, it was discovered that the One-Winged God's Champion had betrayed him to the Champion of Sapphires. Both were expelled by their gods, and the One-Winged God promoted his Paragon, telling him to take command of the Servitors of the Champion as well. Tanithaarten reveled in the chance to prove himself further.

More time passed, and Tanithaarten worked at the primary task he was given: hunting down the former Champion. He did so with skill, bringing her Servitors and his Knights with him. When he found her, she was in the arms of her lover, a man so beautiful all of the warriors with him were brought to their knees. Tanithaarten knew then why the Champion had defected, and that he could not kill her. Instead, he slew the followers with him and left.

In order to get the haunting image of the beautiful one from his mind, he knew he had to find someone powerful, but one who could keep a secret. He heard of a trickster...