The Temple of the Exploding Head

SYGILLIS OF BLANCHEFORT is the mother of Lord Kabyl of Blanchefort and is a character in the Temple of the Exploding Head trilogy.

Her origins are unknown, having been abducted at a young age and raised to be a Black Hat in the Shade Church. She was given the name “Sygillis” personally by the Black Abbess. As a Black Hat Hammer, Sygillis of Metatron was infamous for slaughtering a whole squadron of League Marines single-handed. Tiny, barely five feet tall, red-haired and green-eyed, she sat in her Temple in Metatron, a diminutive yet utterly evil and terrifying figure atop her throne. She was often brought prisoners condemned to death, and there, like a bug on a spider’s web, they would stumble through the pitch darkness of her temple, eventually being killed by her. A particularly ruthless Black Hat, she was one of the Black Abbess’ favorites.

Select Black Hats have the occasional ability to see the future—Sygillis being one of them. She would later recall, sitting on her throne, having a vision of a tall man with glowing eyes searching for her in the dark. Lost in a Shadow tech nightmare and her soul being stunted and evil, she didn’t understand what she was seeing. In later reflection, she understood she was dreaming of Captain Davage, her future savior, looking for her in the night.

She was captured by the League in 03189ax. There, instead of being executed by the Sisterhood, she was “saved” by the ship’s captain, Lord Davage of Blanchefort. She, for reasons unknown, did not attempt to kill Davage, and eventually was “turned” by him. Eventually, she worked her way into Davage’s heart and they were married in the Telmus Grove, Sygillis becoming the 1,463rd Countess of Blanchefort. Breaking the usual tradition of Countesses staying at home in the ancestral castle, Sygillis went everywhere Captain Davage did, sharing in his adventures. Her Silver tech familiar is a tiny replica of Captain Davage’s former Fleet ship, the Seeker. Through it she can unleash a torrent of firepower when needed and destroy StT’s at a high rate.

Their first child was a son, whom they named Kabyl, after an ancient Blanchefort lord.

“Syg” has many interests. She loves old Castle Blanchefort and spends much of her free time exploring the lost passages and covered up runs. She also developed a love of bowling–a “hidden” pastime played in secret. Syg took over the Blanchefort family business of creating fabrics and garments–a trade Lord Blanchefort himself had no interest in. When the designers and artesans at the factories tried to push aside her ideas and brush her off, she sacked the lot of them and took up their responsibilities herself, being known for a time with scorn as “Madame Thimble”.

Being an ex-Black Hat, Syg is fearless and unabashed. She often publically goes against the Sisterhood of Light and is candid in her opinions. She is notoriously without shame and impossible to humiliate. Her ongoing issues and public confrontations with the Duchess of Oyln (she also an ex-Black Hat) are a constant source of A-List gossip.

copyright 2011, Ren Garcia