KABYL, LORD OF BLANCHEFORT (03211AX–) (DSi, C, W) Vith: Kabyl was the first son of Lord Davage and Sygillis of Blanchefort. Born with odd purple hair, “Kay” was always a very handsome young man, clearly Gifted, yet was unconcerned with developing his skills. From an early age, he was plagued by a “pale ghost” that dogged his heels, hiding and stealing his things, and generally tormented him in a mild way. His best friends while growing up were his cousins, Sarah and Phillip of Blanchefort—the three of them an inseparable trio. As Sarah and Phillip left with their parents to live south in Grand Effington Manor every winter, Kay found himself alone and lonely. He struck up an odd friendship with a “voice” that haunted a buried chapel somewhere in the castle. The voice called itself “Sam” and was eventually revealed to be Lady Sammidoran of Monama—she being the “pale ghost” who had been near him since his birth. Kay was eventually revealed to be an Invernan, a Shadow tech Male. He had the Sight, but his status as an Invernan changed his Sight into the Dark Sight—a powerful version of the Gift that allowed him to see and interact with objects very far into the past or the future. He also had the Waft Extreme, being able to “fly” with it. After a long series of events, he one day would marry Lady Sammidoran, being one of the first Elder lords to be wed to a Monama.

KANA: Lush green world located in the Beta Terragrin system, Kana is the stronghold of the League. The Elder-Kind came to Kana in the final Epoch of the Elders, the EX Epoch.  Home to the Old Vith, virtually all of the Great Houses come from Kana. The League’s headquarters is located in Armenelos, in the southerrn continent. Kana has two rather large moons, Solon and Elyria.  Elyria sports a distinctive crater known as “The Octagon”.

Upon arriving on Kana at the beginning of the EX epoch, Kana was found to be largely devoid of life. It is said that the Elders created seven Grand Animaliums and placed them in secret places around the planet–thus giving Kana its vast diversity of plant and animal life.

KANA-JANA: City on the eastern continent of Bazz at the roots of the Janan Mountains, west of the Ondine River. Situated near the Fleet scrapyards of Kana x4, the city was built out of pieces of scuttled starcraft by Merian refugees in 000307AX. The Fleet Admiralty disapproved of the taking of scrapped materials and reclaimed them on several occasions, only to have the Merians rebuild it anew. The city was home to Alderveryl Convent and its mystical Hall of Ethers, which the Sisters considered destroying in later years.

KELT: The great factory of Kelt was a stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light located on the north shore of Remnath. Kelt was a strongly guarded manufacturing center, producing many of the novel items and technologies perfected by the Sisterhood.

KENTARO: The Fortress of Kentaro was located on the west face of the Great Armenelos forest. It was a bastion where the Sisters trained to fight their age old enemies, the Black Hats. The Sisters sequestered there were reputed to be the most powerful in the Sisterhood in regards to strength and vigilance. In a terrible defeat, the Grand Abbess of Kentaro was killed in battle by the evil Black Hat Ethylrelda of Waam, for which the Sisterhood suffered a great loss of face for a time.

KESTRAL OLIGARCHY: A strange, tyrannically-ruled 10 planet solar system beyond the frontier of Xaphan Space. The Kestrals once roamed Kana and subjugated the local people, the Monamas. As the Elders settled with their servants on Kana, the Kestrals chose to flee to the outer reaches of space. As the League and Xaphans went to war against each other, the Kestrals waited and watched, intending to subjugate both groups when the time was right. As Xaphan’s power faded, the Kestrals launched an attack at Severin, which was beaten back with great loss by a new but powerful and rapidly rising sect: the Black Hats. Fear of the Black Hats kept the Kestrals quiet for a time. Hoping to re-invigorate the Xaphans, the Kestrals began providing them with ships and new weaponry and a spike in fighting with the League began in earnest. Only time will tell when the Kestrals might choose to come again. The Kestrals appear quite alien in their thought processes and are very difficult to understand and communicate with. In any event, their motives appear to be sinister. The appearance of a Kestral is somewhat cloudy, but, they appear as golden-skinned Elder-Kind. In their natural state, it is said they appear as a large, amber-colored amoeba-like being filled with gritty, shale material and may change shape to virtually anything they desire. At the heart of the amoeba, a humanoid skeleton.

KILLANJO: A mythical creature that has, according to gossip, been plaguing Xaphan space for decades. A Killanjo is said to be a hideous corruption of a loved one: a son, daughter, brother or sister who is then turned loose upon their own families to create grief and chaos. Killanjo are said to be able to cast spells that render Elder-Kind helpless. It is also said a Killanjo cannot bear to see their reflection, one that does awakens from whatever spell they have been placed in and, unable to bear the horror of their own form, kill themselves.

KILLS, THE: Region of deep space between League and Xaphan territory 6AM of Xandarr. Region of frequent League/Xaphan conflict.

KILOS, LADY OF BLANCHEFORT (03207ax–) (St, W) Vith: The eldest daughter of Lord Davage and Sygillis of Blanchefort, Lady Kilos was a strong-willed girl often at odds with her mother. She had a whitish head of blue hair, and was addled with a pronounced bout of childhood “Puffies”, not fully shedding it until she reached the age of twenty-five. She was a known gossiper and, using her Gift of Stare, could find out secrets. She could, if motivated, keep secrets very tenaciously.

KILOS, LT, OF TUSCK: (03117ax) (–) Onaris: A Brown Marine from the outskirts of Tusck, Kilos was the 11th daughter of 23 in her family. A small child, she had a quick, ugly temper and a fast set of fists, often getting into fights. A young boy from down the lane would often help her in these fights and they became fast friends, eventually marrying. Kilos grew into a tall, strong girl with large brown eyes and thick brown hair that easily faded to a golden blonde in the sun. Penniless, she and her husband roamed the Onaris country-side performing odd jobs and picking coffee (a labor that would give her a powerful hatred of the fashionable drink). Her husband greatly wanted to attend the large university in Tusck, but they had no money. He appeared to be a talented, promising student, but as their local Blue Lord, Lord Hershey of Pittsfield, was never available, they could not secure a Letter of Honor—a note allowing a student to attend school on the credit of the Lord. Having little other choice, Kilos joined the Stellar Marines to pay for his schooling. Her temper and reluctance to follow orders soon became clear and she became a chronic disciplinary problem, finding herself in Hack, incarcerated, or under the lash frequently.

Toiling in an unpaid work detail in Armenelos, Kilos was selected by Sixtus, Lord of Grenville to be sent to the Main Fleet Vessel Seeker as the new adjutant to the Fleet Captain. Lord Grenville had a long running hatred of the Seeker’s captain, Davage, Lord of Blanchefort and he planned to throw the most unruly and unqualified candidate possible at him, hoping to throw Davage’s command into turmoil and lose him his Re- appointment. Seeing that Kilos was a fit, attractive woman, Grenville also suggested that she spy on Davage, flirt with him and immediately report his actions back to him. He promised compensation and a Letter of Honor for her husband. Reluctantly, Kilos agreed. Upon meeting Captain Davage, Kilos found herself charmed by his friendly nature and easy manner, she was hopeful that they could become friends. Lord Grenville’s plan, however, was immediately discovered and Kilos, sitting in Davage’s office, was dressed down and humiliated by Lt Hathaline, Davage’s first officer. Davage though, true to form, saw untapped potential in this tall Marine and he decided to give her a chance—but first, determined to win her respect, he took her to the ship’s gym and ordered her to fight him. She did and he blackened her eye and knocked out a tooth—Kilos a skeptical, practical Brown, admired his martial skills, gave him her respect and joined his crew.

Under Davage’s positive influence, Kilos flourished and became Davage’s confidant and fast friend. Her relationship with Lt Hathaline never was good, and “Hath” often put her to the Stare, an act that she never shared with Davage—she kept her issues with Hath between the two of them. When Hathaline left to become captain of the DART, Davage offered the first officer’s position to her, promoting her to Lt in the process—an unusual move as Marines were seldom promoted to high Fleet rankings.

Shortly afterward, her husband, now a graduate emeritus from the university, begged “Ki” to leave the Marines and come home. Ki though, devoted to her Captain and finally enjoying her service, refused, stating that she had worked to put him through school and now she was working to make something of herself as well. Her husband, though saddened, understood and they continued their long-distance marriage.

Shortly before the Great Attack of Xandarr, Kilos quit the Marines and made to return to her husband in Tusck. She was diverted by Carahil the Seal and went with him to the Hazards of the Old Ones and did something there that she could never quite recall. Eventually, she would be admitted to the Stellar Fleet.

Lady Poe of Blanchefort made a Tweeter familiar for Kilos so that she would not get lost in the castle. Kilos became very close to “Tweets” as she called it and talked Lady Poe into hooking it into her life force so that it would live as long as she did—she eventually became known as “Kilos of the Silver Bird.”

Kilos, a stern Brown and seldom given to fits of “sap” was moved to tears when Davage and his countess Sygillis named their first female child in her honor. Eventually, Kilos would feel the call of motherhood and became pregnant, having a son named Sebastian. She retired from Fleet service and moved full time into Castle Blanchefort, Davage and Sygillis giving her Pendar Tower. Davage then appointed her the Magistrate of Blanchefort village.

KILOS’ HUSBAND (03119ax–) (–) Onaris: A Brown from Tusck, this unnamed man is a scholar emeritus from the University of Tusck and the husband of Lt Kilos. Marrying Kilos at a young age, together they roamed the Onaris country-side looking for work. He wanted to go to the big university in Tusck, but they had no money. Unable to secure a Letter of Honor from the Local Lord, Kilos was forced to join the Stellar Marines to pay for his schooling. Eventually receiving a Letter from Kilos’ new captain, Captain Davage, he continued to excel in his studies until he graduated at the top of his class—it is not known what course of study he pursued.

His name is not generally discussed and is known only by his wife, Lt. Kilos. He is generally known at the Professor or Professor A-Zed.

Upon his graduation, he begged Kilos to quit the Marines and come home, but Kilos was devoted to her captain and refused, stating that she was now working to make something of herself and they continued their long-distance marriage.

A brilliant and dogged researcher, Kilos’ husband is a valuable asset as he is often able to gather detailed information on virtually any subject, often well ahead of Fleet Intelligence. He is often associated to be a member of the Hertogs, but that has never been proved.

KING: A Silver tech familiar created by Lady Poe of Blanchefort. She  became highly regarded for her ability to create wondrous Silver tech Familiars. Working out in the mystical Telmus Grove she has created literally dozens, each capable of performing amazing feats. One of her favorite familiars was Tweeter, a tiny silver bird that can assist one in getting to where they need to go. She keeps a whole bell tower full of them in the northern wing of Castle Blanchefort, ready for use should someone need them. And, like all of her creations, Tweeter smiles. Lady Poe’s love of happy faces is well-known.

After the horrific events in the Grove with the Golden People and their Killanjo servants that nearly cost Lord Kabyl of Blanchefort his life, Lady Poe realized that the world can be a dangerous place and that she needed to actively protect the people she loved.

She took the basic Tweeter design and modified it, creating a Silver tech familiar that could kill if required. She once admired a kingfisher bird as it hovered over the lake hunting for food, so she shaped her new creation into the form of a crested kingfisher and named it King. And, as with all her creations, King functions perfectly. He does his job extremely well.

King can do a number of things. He can go from standing still to moving at rail gun speeds in a matter of moments. He can pierce armor, touch-off explosions, and easily bring down small to medium-sized craft. He is also extremely effective against Shadow tech. His touch dissolves Shadow tech. He can also create a silvery cone of light from his eyes that vaporizes the dreaded StT’s Black Hats love using. He is able to lift heavy loads and he can fly across empty space from one planet to another. It is rumored King can change his shape into a much larger creature, but that has not been confirmed.

King also never smiles, unlike the rest of her creations.

Being a pacifist, Lady Poe was rather ashamed of her creation and the damage he could do. Instead of placing him in the bell tower with the Tweeters, she planted a number of embryonic Kings in a Servants Graveyard out in the vastness of the Grove. When one is needed, one must venture out to the graveyard, recite the incantation, and a King will rise. As a safeguard in keeping King from becoming an unprincipled murdering machine, he will imprint off of a nearby person, incorporating aspects of their personality into his own with the intent of furnishing him with restraint and a conscience. This imprinting gives King a marked variable in personality, with sometimes surprising results.

Although Lady Poe intended that King only be used in an emergency situation, her feisty, hot-headed daughter and full-time adventurer, Sarah of Blanchefort, simply loves King and considers him her mother’s greatest and coolest achievement. Whenever she has a need that a Tweeter could easily fulfill, she nevertheless goes to the graveyard and gets a King, leading to a number of rebukes and punishments from her mother that do absolutely no good.

Lady Poe is currently considering moving his resting place from the graveyard to somewhere else in the Grove where Sarah cannot find him.

K-LISTER: A K-Lister is a person who has washed out of the Stellar Fleet and has been placed on the K-List. The city of Inarri on Onaris is a haven for many K-Listers, who often congregate at various portside bars hoping to sign-on with various ships. K-Listers are always marked with a 4-D tattoo that can be seen by any officer in the Fleet along with their offenses.

KNICKERBAUMS:  Large Order within the Grand Order of Hospitalers.  The Knickerbaums are dedicated to discovering, treating and documenting new maladies.  They often board themselves on Fleet vessels in order to seek out new illnesses.  Their ranking designations of: Chancellor, Caduceus and Samaritan are often applied to the entire Hospitaler Order, however, such is not case,

KNIFE: New and disturbing class of Black Hat. Discovered by Lord Enoch of Vincent while doing battle with Joicellius-Zortens-Ka of Midas, she was found to be unlike the older Hammer and Painter classes of Black Hat, being mobile, swift and using Shadow tech in an invisible micro-point beam to cut and slice.

Knife-class Black Hats appear to be capable of much more independent thought than both Hammers and Painters. It is speculated that, unlike Hammers and Painters, the Black Abbess’ Clutch has been created around them, and then broken ahead of time using unknown methods. The Knife is then “indoctrinated” into the ways of malice and evil. This technique, if true, has created some truly vile and dangerous Black Hats, such as the dreaded Trill of Thornapple, however, Knife-class Blacks Hats have proved just as susceptible to being “turned” as Hammers and Painters, and in their case, mere guile or force of will can suffice to accomplish the turning.

KURTIS: The Sisterhood of Light chapel of Kurtis was located in the eastern half of the Great Armenelos forest, northwest of Calvert. Unlike the other 24 Sisterhood strongholds, Kurtis was open to most anybody who wished to come and visit—it was a kind of amusement park/propaganda center where the Sisters tried to maintain a positive and comely relationship with the League Great Houses. Those who were very well favored could sometimes be granted an audience with the Grand Abbess of Kurtis, where she was said to grant wishes.

copyright 2015, Ren Garcia