I spent a year and a half writing Building Character. That’s not the longest I’ve spent on a writing project, nor is it the most words I’ve produced under a single banner. But for that year and a half, these columns were always on my mind, always driving me to do research or seek out inspiration.
This is the last month Building Character will be produced, at least in a weekly format. I thought that this might be a good opportunity to look back at some of the characters introduced in these columns, in a “where are they now” sort of way. I hope these tidbits spark a few story ideas for you, and I hope that you’ve found one or two things to enjoy while you’ve been reading Building Character. Thanks for sticking with me.
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Kahleil Berdund rose rapidly through the ranks of the Derinam. He was called a prodigy more than once, but laughed such comments off as more than he deserved. Notably, the reports that came from Berdund’s instructors had much more to say about his drive and focus than any innate talent, though some did make a point of complimenting his integration of ki and Duln-Alawa training.
That dedication Kahleil has displayed at every turn is what lends the air of tragedy to his sudden expulsion from the corps. After a badly botched operation on Piranesi, the young Duln-Alawa marksman found his Derinam status swiftly revoked and his access to corps resources terminated. Suddenly adrift, Kahleil has started looking for ways to earn back his place with the Derinam Corps; a daunting task to say the least.
What Kahleil doesn’t know is that Shannon Kawamura is looking for him. Her investigation into Derinam officer Bertram Malakai has shown her more and more of the corps than she ever expected… including proof that Kahleil Berdund was intended to fail on Piranesi. Now, her employer wants to know why.
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The Shardwalker, legendary protector of a species that doesn’t have legends, has become involved in an incident that could have massive repercussions for the Ingressa. On Caclecac, the corocan immortal (or the current bearer of the Shardwalker title, depending on which theory proves true) attacked a band of pirates attempting to steal coroca eggs to sell on the black market. Kirktiksae then forced the pirates’ pergressor, the lone survivor in the wake of her attack, to Step back to the pirates’ base of operations: an isolated fortress on nearby Dar Hamaak.
There were nearly two hundred combat-hardened dwarves, humans, and kdarr in the pirate stronghold, but the conflict was over in the less than an hour. Terrified survivors have fled for the nearest population center: Ketelhage, on the banks of the Kunci River. Unfortunately for the people of the city, the wrathful Shardwalker isn’t far behind.
While it’s unknown if Kirktiksae could or would destroy an entire city, Ketelhage’s military and mercenary forces are both preparing for battle. Others hope to find a diplomatic solution, but entering talks with an enraged entity that has never encountered another sapient species before today. Still, she was able to coerce with the pirate pergressor somehow, which at least indicates an ability to communicate. As the fifty meter pillar of red flames approaches the city’s walls, that may be the only shard of hope left.
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