Jade Empire Preview

GameSpot is offering an updated Jade Empire preview that provides new details about the various characters in the Xbox RPG, as well as some additional artwork. Check out this snip from Death’s Hand:

An imposing figure clad head to toe in fearsome armor, Death’s Hand became the right hand of the emperor at the end of the great drought. He heralded a new philosophy in the palace: Respect is best gained through fear. He’s the head of the Lotus Assassins, and the grim visage of his mask is the new face of law in the Jade Empire.

No one has ever seen Death’s Hand without his mask, and many have wondered about his true identity and purpose. He presents himself as a zealous servant of the empire, but there are whisperings that he has taken more power than his station should allow. Which would be the greater worry: that Death’s Hand manipulates the empire or that the emperor has weakened enough to allow it? Very few people are willing to voice these concerns aloud. The Lotus Assassins are ever-present, and enemies of Death’s Hand have a habit of disappearing.

Death’s Hand is unmatchable in combat. He employs a unique style that seems to do the greatest amount of damage long after a blow has hit. Many an opponent has scrambled away only to fall dead on the doorstep of an ally. Death’s Hand considers this an excellent way to manipulate the morale of the enemy.