( premise ) from the dawn of time we came
PREMISE: This character is original, and intended to fit into the Highlander fandom (primarily the show, due to the erratic timelines in the movies); while Highlander is silly as hell, it has some cool concepts, and provides an opportunity to write historical settings, as well as characters who are just normal enough to interact with "mundane" individuals as well as superpowered ones, in a roleplaying context. Nothing the character does is binding on any canonical characters, and she has no involvement or relation to any of them in her backstory. The concept of the Serpents of the Tree belongs to Ayse's typist, and is not a Highlander-universe creation; once again, this is absolutely not binding on any canonical characters Benevenuta may or may not encounter in a roleplay setting, but similarly, others are certainly welcome to participate and should PM this lady right here first of all.
In regards to the Serpents, they are a small secret society of assassins among Immortals, led by a three-person council of ancients who attempt to encourage an altruistic mindset among their membership. They are not killers for hire, but instead for what they believe to be justice; whether one agrees is up to them, but they target what they consider irrevocably broken monsters, those who deserve to pass on into the next life where they can become something else and make their peace with whatever gods they serve. Mortals and Immortals alike are subject to these rules, but simply due to the population disparity, mortal targets are far more frequent. The Serpents are also called the Nahashi, plural, and a Nahashite, singular. Immortals may join the Nahashi following their first death, or they may even be recruited before, as Benevenuta was; if it becomes apparent someone is pre-Immortal, even as a child, the Serpents may take them for their own and raise them in their ranks, with perfect awareness of the fate that awaits them. In that respect, Serpents tend to have slightly less trauma associated with their first death, as those who join prior to becoming fully Immortal do so through a ritual akin to a wedding ceremony, where they dress all in white and then are fatally stabbed by a close friend of their choosing. Serpents keep their identities secret, even to other Immortals, but doubtless a few know of their existence anyway.
They have several smaller subsets within their ranks, including the thirteen-person all-female group simply called the Sisterhood (though they were also formerly known as the Maenads), whose members undergo training that makes Navy SEALS look sedate, and who must be at least one hundred years old to attempt initiation. Once they have obtained a place in the Sisterhood, they are marked by small rose-shaped brands. The Sisterhood tends to exemplify the altruistic arrogance of the Serpents, who genuinely believe that it is their birthright as Immortals to remove problematic mortal chaff from the material world in order to secure a better future. Sisterhood members are also marginally more likely to participate in the Game, particularly as the time of the Gathering intensifies, which the rest of the Serpents tend to more aggressively disdain. Overall, however, they don't intend to be players.
This premise was written by Ayse's typist and used and edited slightly here due to relevance!