Bringing Takeshi "Taki" Yamada to Life: The origin of a character who’s been with me for decades.

Before The Eye of the Jade Serpent ever started to become a novel, before there was a world map, a relic, or a legend of a serpent… there was a character.

Takeshi “Taki” Yamada began as something much simpler—an idea that took shape during my teenage years at a Dungeons & Dragons table with my closest friends. At the time, one of my best friends served as our Dungeon Master, guiding us through worlds that felt endless. But something was missing for me.

I had become deeply fascinated with Japanese culture—its history, its discipline, its mythos. Ninjas, samurai, martial philosophy, language—I immersed myself in it. I even wrote letters to real instructors and masters of ninjitsu, eager to understand as much as I could. That curiosity and respect for the culture didn’t just stay in books or letters—it found its way into my imagination.

And that’s where Taki was born.

At the time, the D&D worlds we played in didn’t yet have a place that truly reflected Asian-inspired cultures. Kara-Tur hadn’t arrived yet. So Taki became something unique—a foreign traveler from a distant, unknown realm. A stranger to the world, carrying with him traditions, discipline, and knowledge that no one else at the table fully understood.

I poured everything I knew—and everything I admired—into that character.

Over time, Taki stopped feeling like just a character sheet. He became something more. A reflection of the kind of person I wanted to be—disciplined, capable, calm under pressure, guided by purpose.

In many ways, he became an alternate version of myself.

And somewhere along that journey, he was no longer alone.

Tsuki came into his life—a loyal, ever-present companion. Not a pet. Not a possession. A partner. A presence. The kind of bond that doesn’t need to be explained because it simply is. From that moment on, Taki and Tsuki were inseparable in every story I imagined.

Years passed. Life changed. But Taki never left.

He followed me through every story idea, every game, every world I explored in my imagination. And now, after all these years, I finally have the opportunity to bring him—and Tsuki—fully to life in The Eye of the Jade Serpent.

This novel isn’t just a new story.

It’s the continuation of one that’s been growing with me for decades.

And I’m honored—truly honored—to finally share that story with you.

— Tex Whitford