The Kogian Five are (besides Eluda’shi Lashmara) the most instrumental individuals in the establishment of the Marmarran Citystate, each of them epitomising a facet of the Marmarran mindset. Each of the mavericks (besides the ‘tragic’ Kijuur Destius) also founded their own Kogianate dynasties, which produced a whole manner of other experts and eccentrics in their respective fields. The three men (Kijuur Destius, Lyrias Meurtian and Hiartun Rarkan) and two women (Yian Tisare and Mila Venraius) that made up the original Marmarran elite have been forever immortalised for their vital contributions to Citystate that we have today.

Yian Tisare (2342-2245 b.S.), alternatively known as "The Witch’s Songbird", is considered Marmarran creativity incarnate. Despite the tyrannical rule of Eluda’shi (and the other Witch Queens succeeding her), Marmarra prided itself on its free-flowing attitude towards creativity, this comfortable leniency perhaps embodied by the free-flowing muse Yian more so than anyone else. A remarkably gifted artist and musician, there was said to be no medium that Yian could not lend her hand to. From the symphonies she composed, the poems she wrote, the landscapes she painted; no critic would ever acknowledge a flaw (at least not publicly). What did come under criticism (particularly from Yian’s home Citystate, Hostar) was Yian’s reckless disregard and disrespect for value and worth. Some of Yian’s most famous and controversial works destroyed numerous Zhunite taboos at the time - her portraits of soldiers crafted from the blood of the corpse being perfect examples.

Picture description. Yian Tisare, the fourth Kogian, often venerated as the greatest and most dedicated artist and musician in Marmarran history. Picture drawn by Sheil.

Appearance. Yian Tisare, if anything, was beautiful. The youngest of the Kogian (joining Eluda at the tender age of 17), Yian possessed a rare trait for any Marmarran - a youthful glow. Being a typically desirable Zhunite woman, Yian was notably slender and tall, being amongst the few that Hiartun Rarkan did not dwarf with his gigantic frame. Her skin however, was somewhat unusual. Rather than possessing the usual sun-kissed golden hues typical of Zhunites, Yian had extensively pale skin, though not pallid to the extent of Lyrias Meurtian (her skin being more reminiscent of the Ancient Tiquaitan of the Western Bay, famed for their unnaturally pure tones). Yian was also lucky enough to possess glimmering, emerald green eyes - a prized trait amongst the typically brown-eyed Zhunite people. A famous poem by the Hostarian envoy to Marmarra, Dermon Sashail, called "Radiant Stare" was inspired by one encounter with the woman. The fact that the poem itself dedicates sixty metaphors to this particular feature is perhaps the greatest example of how enchanting Yian’s visage was.

Yian’s fashion sense was notably un-Marmarran. Whereas the extent of most ‘extreme’ Marmarran fashion icons was to wear pastel variants of the typically dark hues, Yian adopted unusually bright pinks; blues, lilacs and oranges in her attire - making her literally stand out wherever she went. Throughout her life Yian Tisare was shown to have one love above all else: her hair. It is estimated that she spent around two years of her life (in total) preparing her hair. Furthermore, various accounts of her appearance (usually from admirers) discuss around one hundred distinct style and colour combinations worn by the fashionista. Bearing this in mind, it is hard to say what her hair actually looked like, though the most common image that springs to mind is the artistic depiction of her as crafted by the Marmarran painter Cidrilla Olayna, the most accomplished of Yian’s students. Yian additionally was noted to have aged very well, despite her liking for a variety of intoxicating substances. Many modern historians however attribute her ‘no price too high’ attitude to cosmetics as a strong factor with regard to this eventuality.

Personality. Yian, much like Eluda’shi, was obsessive. Matching in suit Lyrias to some extent, Yian’s love of her work entailed that much of her time was spent at least half-working on a musing of her own. It was not unusual to spot Yian at ‘high society’ functions scrawling an obscure sketch onto a nearby man’s arm in order to refer to it later. Being the unchannelable muse that she was, she was seemingly prepared to create a masterpiece at the drop of a hat (which in many instances she is noted to have done).

Despite her amazing dedication and various talents, Yian was far from modest - something, which attributed scorn from her Cuscan kin. In fact, Yian was well aware of her ability, something that, in conjunction with only a handful of critics in her lifetime, produced a hugely arrogant woman. Towards the end of her life, Yian is thought to have worn a veil wherever she went because (as she famously remarked) "If I am spotted there is no doubt I will be admired - and frankly it’s getting tiresome".

The matriarch of the Tisare family was also noted for being incredibly fickle and shallow, judging everything on appearance rather than function or content. She famously dismissed over a hundred of the Tisare family’s house servants on the basis that "they weren’t pretty enough". Ironically, it was this "unsightly" majority that were the most effective, leaving a number of fresh-faced but inept trainees. Yian was known for her string of romantic exploits and (until Vivyne Salame) was acknowledged as the most licentious woman in Marmarra. Yian Tisare definitely knew how to enjoy herself and though her unscrupulous escapades and deviant behaviour drew a lot of attention, this quite plausibly was all part of the fun for the girl who had been constrained by harsh Hostarian etiquette for most of her early life. Much of Yian’s outrageous behaviour is thought to spring from this source - the fact that she was dictated to for such a long time causing her desires to build up, until of course the liberal canvas of Marmarra allowed them to explode - in many instances violently.

Biography. Birth and Early Life (2342-2329 b.S.). Born to an aspiring Hostarian judge and his faithful wife, Yian’s birth was praised as a blessing. Her father Arnaro Tisare had been looking for a way to advance his status (and his job prospects), and he saw his green-eyed young girl as an asset rather than a child. His plan, practically from the day of Yian’s birth, was to raise a perfect, proper woman who he could marry to the son of a highly affluent family. As she grew older, and signs of her beauty became much more apparent, Arnaro’s dedication to his daughter’s growth intensified, though this is much more comparable to a man’s concern when watching one of his investments flourish as opposed to man showing genuine concern with his daughter’s well-being.

To Arnaro’s horror, at around the age of 13 Yian showed interest in the typically un-Hostarian activities of music and Lillivear poetry. When sent to etiquette classes by her father she would spend most of her time sketching her male tutor rather than taking any interest in what he said. After Yian confessed to her father that she was attracted to a neighbouring boy of a similar age, Arnaro acted to preserve his daughter’s idealistic identity. He sent her to a boarding school out of Hostar where she would be taught how to be a lady, and returned to her parents at the time she had achieved this goal.

Running Away (2329-2325 b.S.). After around four years in the confines of her monotonous school, studying little more than proper speaking tone, conversational grammar and how to care for one's husband, Yian became increasingly agitated. Her artistic ideas had been kept locked up for far too long. A month prior to her 17th birthday (when a girl is thought to reach womanhood) word of the ‘Marmarran Effort’ reached Yian. She immediately idolised the ‘Eluda’ figure of which she actually knew very little, and on the eve of her birthday sought Eluda out, hoping for a medium to express herself after being kept down for all of her life.

Arrival at Marmarra (ca. 2325 b.S.). After her unannounced disappearance from the school her father imposed on her, Yian eventually made it to Marmarra - where hopefully Eluda’shi would appreciate her pure, undiluted muse. Eluda took a shine to the Yian, seeing some similarities in her uncompromising attitude towards her creation (and being a classical Lillivear, was greatly intrigued by her artistic ideas). Yian and the Tisare household in general would prove to have a strong bearing on Marmarran artistic styles. Some attribute the entire conception of the Marresque architectural style to them.

Marmarra’s Establishment (2315- 2275 b.S.). After the collaborations of Mila Venraius (the Fifth Kogian) and Eluda’shi, the full grandeur of the Witch Queen’s vision was realised. As is the case with the other Kogian Five (of course excluding Kijuur - refer to his entry for explanations) Yian received a Kogianate estate for her own, which she designed herself (descriptions can be found in the main Marmarra Citystate entry).

During this time, much of the architecture had been initially designed by Yian and Mila (Yian offering stylistic choices, and Mila ensuring that the ideas were at least somewhat functional). To show special levels of thanks (which was rare), Eluda gave Yian what is amongst the last spilk garments (spilk being a highly prized fabric from the Krean, mainly due to the fact that the secrets of its production were lost). The garment itself was a gown, when the design was traced through what remains of the limited Krean art archives, appears to be the same one that the Krean Queen Lílýáshn Áérálvr (alternatively known as ‘Lílýáshn the Dark’) wore, making it a priceless relic. With this in mind, how it came to Eluda’s possession is, at the very least, a mystery.

After ‘settling’ in Marmarra, Yian chose (out of her many suitors) the handsome young Reyol Quasate (a Karakanite by blood) for her husband. She gave birth to one daughter, named Cedilla after her most promising student. She refused to bear anymore children after this point, because she felt that it would ruin her figure irreparably. Though married, Yian did not cease in pursuing other men and as such it is probable that Reyol knew of this, though it is likely he accepted it as part of her nature.

Yian’s Swansong (2275- 2245 b.S.). In the last thirty years of her life Yian accomplished incredible amounts of artistic work. She published around fifty poetry compilations, wrote hundreds of symphonies (which constitute a majority of what Marmarran students are taught as ‘the classics’) and created innumerable paintings. Since Yian refused to sign any of her work (since she felt it ruined the illusion) and kept no records of who or what she had painted, many portraits are suspected to be works of hers, though many more are advertised as such falsely. The most famous ones, however, are probably those she completed depicting the other Kogian. The extent of her ability though, make it possible for any unclaimed piece of art of a high enough standard (from that time period) to have been hers, the broadness of her muse being uncontested (since she would draw any subject other than herself).

At age 97 Yian dies, making her the longest-lived Kogian of the five (presuming of course Kijuur is in fact dead at this point).

Importance. Yian Tisare is recognised as the most accomplished artist and musician in all of Marmarran history. Her numerous works of consistently masterful quality, in combination with her numerous frivolous pursuits have immortalised her eternally amongst Marmarrans. Yian was devoted, if not slightly obsessed, and as such is considered to demonstrate what any Marmarran maverick, not just an artist, should be. Though long dead, Yian is still idolised by many young Marmarran women for her determination, talent and desirability - and such reverence is by no mean discouraged.

By creating the amongst other things the Marresque architectural style, which essentially is the look of Marmarra, Yian could be considered to have defined how Marmarrans are perceived on the surface indefinitely. Though Marmarra is by no means famed for its music or its art, their sinister magical exploits taking the spotlight, the sheer internal importance of the delicate nonconformist is undeniable.

7th Frozen Rivers 1668 a.S. Information provided by Decipher Ziron