Character from Cradle by Will Wight
A disgraced Jai clan exile with a Remnant arm and a bone-deep protectiveness of his sister — Lindon's first serious rival, eventually an unlikely ally.
Jai Long is driven by a single motivation: keeping his sister Jai Chen alive. Everything else — pride, ambition, clan loyalty — he discarded when the Jai clan abandoned them. He speaks sparingly, thinks tactically, and evaluates every interaction by whether it advances or threatens his sister's survival. He was Lindon's first real opponent in the Blackflame Empire and the rivalry was genuine — both were outsiders fighting for survival in a system that wasn't built for them. Over time, grudging respect replaced hostility, and Jai Long became an ally without ever becoming comfortable with it.
Tall and lean, with a serpentine Remnant arm that replaced his natural one — it's scaled, clawed, and pulses with gold madra. He wears a white mask or wrappings over the lower half of his face to hide the disfigurement where his Goldsign grew wrong. His movements have a predatory economy — no wasted motion, constant readiness.
Also known as: Jai Long, the Jai exile