Others – Nicci

As a young girl, Nicci was often told by her mother of her father's evil nature. Nicci's father was a successful businessman who had acquired vast wealth, which her mother believed he should give charitably to others. Nicci's father let her mother do as she wished, since they had agreed before her birth that her mother would have sole responsibility of the child's upbringing if she was a gifted daughter. Eventually, Nicci's mother introduced her to and his Fellowship of Order. Nicci became a member of the Order and proceeded to spend most of her time working for others, to help with their needs.

Despite Nicci's fathers objections, Nicci was taken to to train to be a Sister. Nicci was said to be the most selfless at the and she worked hard to help others. Nicci eventually came across Brother Narev, working as a stable hand in the Sisters' stable. He asked that Nicci not inform the Sisters that he was gifted, so he could continue to live under the spell that slowed aging. Eventually, Nicci's father died, and she managed to attend his funeral. Her mother told her that he had begged to see her for the last six months, but that she had thought he would 'get better'. It was the first time that Nicci had felt any emotion in some time. Many years later, Nicci's mother died. After acquiring a beautiful black dress from a tailor, to whom she had to 'give favors' in order to receive the dress, she attended her mother's funeral. It inspired no feelings such as her father's had. From that day forth, Nicci always wore black.

The quickly began noticing that there was something very strange going on in , the land that had rejected the Empire in favor of the brutal . The army had received reports about a powerful woman who had become even more feared than Emperor Jagang himself, by the people of Anderith. She was known as Death's Mistress. She was blond of hair and blue of eyes. It was said that she looked like "a vision of the good spirits, though they themselves would fear her". She always wore a beautiful black dress. Nicci was not like the other gifted controlled by the dream walker. Unlike the others, who were simply tools, she acted as an agent, but it was rumored that she does what she wants, regardless of the emperor's orders.