"One of the early experiments with the Pilgrims' Life Cycle Sciences, Jana was conceived of her parents' chromosomes, but carried to term in a laboratory and raised in a Pilgrim nursery. These early, idealistic experiments of the Pilgrims paid too little attention to the psychological effects of early childhood years spent with caretakers rather than within a family. To the Pilgrims' defense it must be said that resources were very tight, and group nurseries and schools were an efficient way to deal with problems of space and personnel. Regardless, Jana grew up in what is known as the 'Lost Generation', the first large group of Pilgrim citizens to be born and educated among the asteroids where their nation first hid from the United Empire.

The symptoms of this 'Lost' group included insecurity, introversion, highly active imaginations, and an extreme sense of individualism. In addition, at almost every critical developmental moment of Jana's life (birthdays, graduations, presentations, recitals, and conferences) Deona was absent, and no matter how caring or careful an organization is the role of a parent is difficult to replace. In this case, the effect on Jana was enormous. Brilliant and yet with a terrible self-image, talented and introverted, she drove herself to incredible feats of research and exploration as she sought the attention and confirmation she had never received as a child.

Finally, at the age of 27, having received the equivalent of three PhD degrees in xenosciences and astronavigation and been responsible for locating resources that accounted for over a fifth of the Pilgrims' raw materials, something happened. During a relatively routine study mission to a known cache of Endless artifacts where she was studying a device that she suspected of being an astral mapping database, Jana suddenly left.

Her ship was tracked until it disappeared off of the primary cosmic string paths, running some form of engine that the Pilgrims did not know of that Jana had most likely adapted from Endless technology. She disappeared into an unexplored star cluster, and traces of her ship were lost in the noise of a magnetic nebula. Eighteen months later, a long repeating signal transmitted via quantum-tunneled particles began to pulse from a planetoid in one of the systems within the cluster. While Pilgrim and Sophon technologists worked on the content and meaning of the signal, its purpose became quickly apparent.

Throughout the galaxy, structures and installations of the Endless started to come out of hibernation. Temples appeared on barren moons, cloaked ships drifting within asteroid fields came awake, ancient mining installations began to operate on planets where no races of the Endless had been found...
Jana herself has not been found, though the area near the transmitting device has been searched and traces of her activity leave no doubt that she triggered it. But she departed with that act accomplished, and the Pilgrims only have rumours of her fate..."



"Echoes of the Endless" should be available next week, with more ambience and more lore, especially with this new mysterious hero. Here's a little something to make you wait: Jana Kryv's lore and illustration.




Jana Kryv

Pilot / Adventurer

Attributes:
  • Labor - 0
  • Wit - 3
  • Melee - 4
  • Offense - 4
  • Defense - 4

Gameplay: She starts with 1 free skill point available right away, once she is hired... This free point does not affect her upkeep.

Biography:
Granddaughter of the famous Deona Kryva, the Pilgrim visionary who launched the first Fleet Errant, Jana lived forever in the shadow of her more famous predecessor. This happened in spite of the fact that she was a genius and prodigy in xenotechnology and astrogation, receiving advanced doctorates in three related sciences by the age of 27.

Driven to ever greater extremes and more amazing feats in order to make her own name famous, Jana disappeared into an unmapped stellar cluster after decoding an Endless navigational beacon.

Lost and assumed dead, it was only when a strange quantum-tunneled signal emerged from that same cluster that the rest of the galaxy realized something was happening. Jana herself emerged shortly thereafter, somewhat dazed by the experience and rather surprised at what she had triggered.