When Azidasa, Blobog, Izzy, Luske, Rath, and Sebastian went to Solku to investigate the rumors of a Sarenite having strange visions, they discovered that the entire city had fallen under the effects of a Sepia Snake Sigil that blanketed the entire town in an eerie amber light. It had been created over the sun during sunrise, meaning that almost everyone in town had been encased in amber as part of their morning ritual.

After the savvy adventuring party managed to halt the Red Saltana's raiding party, and Rath Sandstalker - the Scourge of Solku - fired the last shot that put his ex-mate to sleep permanently; Azidasa rounded up the survivors to bring back to their town to hopefully be rehabilitated if removed from the influence of a Tyrant of Rovagug.

Among the gnolls brought back was a small group of 4, 3 scrappy small gnolls who had trust issues about outsiders, and one large but cowardly gnoll who seemed to be somewhat of a surrogate parent for them. This gnoll, who would come to be known as Rank, felt a strange attraction to Anizhar, and a strong impulse to get close to him... but nottoo close.

Over the course of the next month or so, Rank approached Anizhar nervously to tell him that he felt strange, like heneeded to get close to Anizhar, to endear himself to the rakshasa, but that he couldn't gettoo close. Whenever the rakshasa tried to touch him he would reflexively leap out of reach. He also hadpowers that a normal gnoll shouldn't have. He could turn invisible, and grow or shrink himself or others at will. All he knew was that he couldn't lose his hat. He expressed to the rakshasa that he was afraid that he was a spy or something, made to fit Anizhar's vision of the perfect good boy. He was worried there were memories he couldn't access, like there was something or someone there that was riding him, using him to get to Anizhar, and after being treated so kindly by the old rakshasa, he didn't want to hurt him.

It turns out Rank was right.

One morning Anizhar was studying the mysterious scroll of Kakkishon with help from Gauzhe, Roux and Izzy. Gauzhe picked the scroll up and attempted to force it to activate. The edges frayed and sucked everyone in the room inside, including the invisible Rank who had been watching them.

When they landed on the beach inside, Rank's true personality was revealed: Zayifid - A Jann; the lowest rank of Djinn; that had been using Anizhar to open the Scroll of Kakkishon to free his master, the Efreeti Lord Jhavul. Jhavul would be free, and Zayifid would enjoy the pocket paradise of Kakkishon for the rest of his days.

There was only a small hiccup in his plan... He was still a gnoll, and he could no longer transform back.

Despite his betrayal, Anizhar and Izzy were still kind to Zayifid, more kind than he felt like he deserved. As he spent more time with the group he found that Rank's personality and memories were bleeding into his own. When referred to by the name Rank, he found his tail waving excitedly. He found himself craving the love and affection of the villa. When the party went to The Garden islands and Anizhar took on a much more matronly form, Zayifid found himself drawn to the rakshasa even more.

They spent some time in private, behind closed doors, where the Jann-turned-Gnoll poured his heart out to his new mother figure, even going so far as to enlarge Anizhar so he could cradle the gnoll in his lap. He was once a soldier in Jhavul's army, but at the final conflict he fled in terror. He felt as if he had betrayed Jhavul - the tyrant who didn't even know he existed - and freeing him was an act of redemption... but it didn't bring any comfort. He felt trulywanted at the Villa. He feltat home with the gnolls. He feltlost now that his only purpose in life had been fulfilled without any fanfare.

Maybe Rank was who he was meant to be?

Rank originally used a picture of Thackaray from Fek's 5e game as his reference. I don't know much about that group, but the character seems adorable. I drew this to try to give him a bit of his own identity, but it's still a little derivative. This pose really captures his demeanor, though. Despite being 7+ feet tall and built like a brick shit house, Rank is timid and nervous most of the time. He has taken a much more active role in our combats, though, using his magic to aid us and his ability to turn invisible to perform devastating sneak attacks.

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