Astor Zasz is an assassin and something of an escaped slave. As was implied, he was born a slave, owned by a noble human family well known for their reputation among slavers, among other less than noble pursuits. Astor is uncertain as to whether he was born to be a killer, or if his masters noticed something special in him, but he spent every moment of a human lifetime learning the trade. He saw very little of his owner, the man probably didn't think it was worth the effort, since he would be dead before anything would become of Astor; as far as Astor was concerned, his master was a rather sour old dwarf named Maudin. Maudin, or rather, his whip, taught Astor how to move unseen, how to bypass locks, how to get into position and finally, how to strike the killing blow without tipping anyone off. Before being inflicted on the world, he also learned to disguise himself among the crowd, how to lie, and other skills that would allow him to remain an unassuming commoner in the eyes of his victims and law enforcement alike.
On his ninety seventh birthday, he got his first assignment, and was given little more than a disguise kit and a dagger before being inflicted on the city. The target was reclusive, rich and paranoid, his house was overflowing with guards. There wasn't even much to gain from killing him, Astor's masters apparently felt that this would be a good test of his skills. Not only did Astor complete his assignment, he managed to do so without bloodshed, by poisoning the victim. His masters never learned where he got the victim, or how he administered it to a man with a food taster.
For a decade, Zasz's master was glad to have him, sending him on missions on the hardest missions, and Zasz returned every time, having completed it. Somewhere along the way, something seemed to have gone wrong. It wasn't always assassinations, though, sometimes he was ordered to steal something of great importance from another noble, or plant something. Astor's behavior never changed, but his master seemed to withdraw, dealing with him through intermedaries, instead of face to face, being disappointed in him, even though he'd completed his objectives. Eventually, his master's paranoia grew to a point where he sent Astor on a mission, and then sent another assassin to kill him. Astor managed to dispatch the other man, but realized that he'd been betrayed, and that he couldn't return home. He left the body where it would be found, and left a note with it saying that he would be willing to overlook this insult as long as his master would leave him alone.
Since then, Astor became an adventurer, selling his services as a scout, lockpick, and in certain taverns frequented by unsavory sorts, as a killer.
Astor prides himself on his manners, and sunny disposition. He tends to be friendly, polite and helpful. Many people have been surprised to discover that he is an assassin, though it should be noted that he carries a large assortment of weapons for a simple scout. . .
