The Splinters of Dusk were founded by an ex-Immolator called Zyan Quetzal. Since then, their history has repeatedly intersected. This section deals with those moments in history where the two clans had to do with one another.
1904, Zerachiel Aquila joins the Immolators. Much to his surprise it only takes two days until he meets the man who runs all practical aspects of the guild, a certain Mercurian Steele, whom he excitedly befriends, finding they share many common interests beyond philosophy. Only a few weeks later, the two could be filed as 'best friends'.
Around August, Zyan's 'relationship' with Mercurian turns into a hissy tactical debate over the joining of a spy from the Thieves Guild. Zyan leaves the clan, full of anger for Mercurian's 'grave mistakes' in the matter, unable to tolerate that it happened in the clan he so admired up to that point in time.
Because he had quite a high status at this point and quite a few followers of his energetic and new approach to the Immolator concept, he recruits a few Immolators with ease into his newly created clan, Splinters of Dusk (September 1905), swearing to bring down the Immolators Guilds with the aid of their own apparent stupidity, calling himself a warring clan.
Mercurian tolerates the existence of the clan, as does Narayan, both in firm belief that a clan based on such harsh emotions and unstable moods could last any time or develope any credible amount of organization...
1929, Iyaria, pending second in command in the Immolators, is found to be a spy from Zyan's clan. It strikes Mercurian emotionally and tactically, a deep insult in his opinion, and the pain of it in it's intensity sparks of true hatred for the gekkonid clan (Splinters of Dusk). Iyaria is left to burn by the sun.
The 1st of January 1930, Zyan is attempt-assassinated. The vampire, however, has anticipated the move - he taunts the IGs and causes them to waste days in search of him, before he kills the two that were sent, ironically, to kill him. After that, the 'war' stagnates, and both sides resume hating each other from afar, quietly.
Between 1939 and 1941, five gekkonid spies are intercepted by the Immolators in total, two of them simultaneously from late 1940 to October 1941 - both undiscovered until they by chance are heard talking about gekkonid matters in a pub by an Immolator's newbie.
1942, the Immolators finally get a hold of Zyan, subjecting him to the same fate as Iyaria. The move is sudden and Zyan was not expecting it this time, so he was picked off. The gekkonids, without a leader, are shocked, and several leave the clan in fear the Immolators may now try to actively destroy them all. It never happens, but the gekkonids cease being important.
Unbeknownst to anyone but a handful and Zyan himself, Zyan survived, barely, and spends the next decades recovering with the help of strong magics and large quantities of blood to regenerate.
Since Zyan's downfall, the gekkonids have tried spying several times again, often for different reasons: once to test their strength, to see if it would be safe to come out again (intercepted), 1972, once for malicious reasons (intercepted), 1981, and once for reasons of mistrust in diplomacy, 2001, also intercepted. Mercurian, accordingly, feels no trust for the gekkonids whatsoever, and is frustrated that his brother will not okay a minor genocide.
The gekkonids, having started as chaotic evil, could officially be called neutral-evil in the 1960's, and traversed to neutral in the 80s, becoming detatched with the reign of Mictian in 2002. Despite their vow not to ally with anyone officially, the clan does harbour attempts of the sort to reaffiliate with the Immolators, feeling that both clans can learn from each other and put past conflicts aside.
Note that the gekkonids are unaware how much spying has been done exactly, as the records were never kept. Mercurian isn't very outspoken about it, leaving it to bubble inside him, assuming they do know, which makes him mistrust them even more.
Mictian's attempts to ally with the Immolators are more than genuine. He and Narayan get along so well that he feels himself an Immolator at heart, but as he grew up with the gekkonids, despite his first wishes to join the Immolators, he believes in staying a gekkonid until all past issues have been resolved and the branch-off clan can be reintegrated. He does not believe in redundant clans.
Zyan Quetzal these days lives in the labyrinth under Cemetary Hill, having cloaked it in magics that divert any locate attempts of those in the labyrinth to nothingness, as though the people in question were outside the city or dead. Those who know of it or have experienced it themselves (the magic cannot be felt otherwise than by noticing a failed locate) can assume vampires to be in the labyrinth, but they can never find out where.
Mictian d'Avarice, Neike Apollyon Satana, Black Unicorn, Lady Kayura and Sinister Glow are the only in the gekkonids that know for sure that Zyan lives and where he is. The rest assume it or have heard rumours at best, at least officially.
Zyan is not a daywalker, but he has more speed and is more knowledgable in illusional and manipulative magics than the Steeles - it would not save him, but it would do a lot of damage to the Immolators if they did try to attack...