Shadowspinner

Shadowspinner (also known as Ashutosh Yaksha and Achoes Tosiak-shah) was one of the four Shadowmasters who established the Shadowlands in the far south of the world. Despite his old age, he appeared as a middle-aged man, was personable and intelligent, and had very pale skin, whiter than Goblin or Willow Swan.

In Hsien

Shadowspinner's origin is unknown. As an apprentice, he and his master Longshadow were the last of "a race of outsider sorcerers" who had traveled from one of the unknown sixteen worlds linked by the Plain of Glittering Stone into the world known as Hsien and conquered it. After generations of notorious abuse, he and Longshadow were overthrown and fled from Hsien, across the Plain, into the world of Croaker and Lady.

In a new world

In their new world, Shadowspinner infiltrated the Nyueng Bao De Duang community using the alias "Ashutosh Yaksha" (Ashutosh being an old title or name meaning "Despair of the Wicked" and Yaksha meaning something like "good spirit"). Posing as a student who was eager to learn at the Vinh Gao Ghang temple of Ghanghesha, he actually wanted to see if they still had their shadowgate key and steal it. When he learned about the traditional pilgrimage the Nyueng Bao made each decade to the shadowgate, he sent word to Longshadow and introduced him to them as ""Maricha Manthara Dhumraksha".

Shadowspinner then went ahead alone to the shadowgate, where he rendezvoused with 6 other wizards ("would-be Shadowmasters") whom Longshadow had presumably been training. Longshadow made the pilgrimage with the Nyueng Bao but did not have the opportunity to study their shadowgate key closely: he did not realize it was a fake. When he, Shadowspinner, and the six others stole the fake key and attempted to use it, they were assaulted by an influx of shadows. Three of them were killed in the incident, and another, the Howler, was gravely injured and fled. Longshadow sealed the gate using the power of his true name, making him a target of shadows ever since that moment. (The real key, a golden pickax, would later be stolen by Soulcatcher.)

Afterward, Shadowspinner, Longshadow, and the only remaining two other Shadowmasters (Moonshadow and Stormshadow) carved out the Shadowlands from a formerly peaceful region. But they did not do so unified, rather they feuded among themselves frequently.

Against the Black Company

During the Siege of Dejagore, Shadowspinner led the Shadowmasters' invasion force alongside Moonshadow and defeated Croaker's Black Company and Taglian Coalition Army. However, the wizard suffered substantial injuries, and following the deaths of Moonshadow and Stormshadow, was forced to besiege Dejagore alone with his remaining forces. Soon after, Shadowspinner was healed and made a short but unsuccessful alliance with Howler. Subsequently, Lady rebuilt the army of Taglios and tried to reclaim Dejagore pressuring Shadowspinner to flood the city, so he was not forced to fight on two fronts with Mogaba. Shadowspinner was eventually killed and dismembered in his own tent during a night attack on his encampment by Lady and her Stranglers.