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

THE HOUSE OF MONAMA (pronounced: mon-ama) is something of a misnomer in League society. The “House” is composed of a number of distinct tribes located all around the fog-bound shores of Lake Monama far to the south of Kana. The tribes of Astralon, Minzer, Cardinal and Fphenook are the largest. They speak a family of similar languages that are not recognized by the Sisterhood and are therefore unofficial. They speak Systerel, Anuie (or Monama-Noble) and Conox. Conox had no written alphabet only until recently when they incorporated the League-Common alphabet. Being a rather reclusive people, many do not speak League-Common at all.

As Monamas are clearly indigenous to Kana, they are a different species than the late-coming Elder peoples who arrived on Kana in 000000EX. In fact, the name Kana comes from the old Systerel word Ka-Na, which means “Jade/Sapphire”.

A standard Monama stands anywhere from 5’3 to 5’6 and usually weigh less than a hundred pounds. Monamas of old were much larger and much denser then they generally are now. They are known for their massive shocks of thick black hair which they wear down to their ankles, however, except for their heads, Monamas are hairless. Their skin is chalk-white and their eyes are faded black which see best in dim lighting. Their fingernails are known to be extremely hard and quite sharp. Wearing their fingernails long and black is a usual habit among them.

Monamas are remarkable physical specimens. Despite their smallish size, they are incredibly strong, being many times stronger than a standard, un-Gifted Elder. They are also extremely fast and agile, sure-footed and long-winded with great endurance.

Their fecundity is well-known, as all Monama tribes breed with great speed. A typical Monama birthing takes no more than three months in the womb and numbers anywhere from eight to twenty young. Many Monamas do not survive to full adulthood.

They are generally very susceptible to cold temperature. Any temperature below 60 degrees F is said to be quickly fatal. They also have little or no tolerance for alcohol, with a sip or two of the thinnest of wines being enough to inebriate them.

Monamas have a number of Gifts/Talents which make then notable/infamous depending on how it’s viewed. Monamas can change their shape and often sell their services as prostitutes, able and willing to become anything their clients wish. They can also see the future with great accuracy and often make their living as fortune-tellers. They often draw the scorn and mistrust of the Sisterhood of Light for their promiscuous ways, their Bronta-style of decorating clothing, pottery and masonry (branded obscene by the Sisters). They also make use of a strange device known as the NIGHTMARE which they are said to influence Elder-men’s minds.

The end of many Monama’s lives is as a Berserkacide. How or why a Monama becomes a Berserkacide is not well understood. The condition can happen to any Monama, man or woman, young or old. Many Monamas who have too many dealings with the Elders beyond their lake tend to become Berserkacides. Why this is the case is not known.

Berserkacides have four fully functioning arms. They are full of rage and loathing, seeking to harm themselves as much as any victims they might come across. They are no longer subject to the effects of cold temperatures as a Berserkacide, though they seem to lack all of the other Gifts/talents Monamas have. They generally do not live long; caged Berserkacides usually don’t last longer than a month or two. Once a Monama is transformed into a Berserkacide, there is no helping or reverting them.

copyright 2011, Ren Garcia

COUNTESS SYGILLIS OF BLANCHEFORT AND DUCHESS TORRIJAYNE OF OYLNare characters that appear in the Temple of the Exploding Head trilogy. Both of them are ex-Black Hats, Syg having been turned in the original LoE book, and Torri in book 2. Syg and Torri have a bad history together, and were mortal enemies as Black Hats, often ignoring the Sisters on the battlefield so that they could fight each other instead.

As civilized, tamed ladies of the League, Syg and Torri no longer try to kill each other, however, they are still enemies, just on a social level. When invited to the same parties, they try to humiliate each other. Syg attacked Torri with StT’s that ate through her clothes at a recent ball, leaving her quite naked. Torri snuck a potion into Syg’s tea that turned her teeth black and flooded Blanchefort village with funny Syg-tee-shirts. They destroyed the buffet table at a party with wind and smoke as they attempted to Out-Waft one another. And on and on.

Despite their hatred of each other, Syg and Torri are good friends with their respective husbands. Torri often has Captain Davage in stitches with her off-color “Syg Jokes”. Torri also adores Syg’s children, Kay being her favorite. They often write each other, Kay referring to her with the code name: Dimples.

copyright 2011, Ren Garcia