Pasha Syan al Derak, whose full name was Syan yn Asraf al Derak yi Volothamp, was the leader of both the Guild of Gemcutters and the Guild of Whitesmiths in Teshburl. Secretly, Syan was a notable member of the Knights of the Shield, being the seventh member of his family in that clandestine organization. He fled from his native city of Volothamp during the Darkstalker Wars, when seven of his relatives were killed in a single night.