Orn Orn Grast, Khanphe

As seen in

Aftermath

Master Playwright

All the world is his stage...
The eccentric son of a lesser House, his family knew his silver hair marked him for greatness, but they had no idea how much. His parents named him "War-Speaker" because of his habit of making a simple argument seem like a mighty clash of wills with an epic scope and mounting stakes. He wields no sword but his soul, no weapon but his wit, his critics thought he would perish in his freelanding tour due to his wiry frame. He returned full of ever more wild yarns which gave rise to the belief that he either charmed beasts or bored them into submission with his orations. A young man himself when Aleksander Vanstandtvoort took up residence in Bainshaebo, he immediately became intrigued with the Oldworlder, first his greatest fan, then a dear friend. He took up the mantle of Master Playwright after the assassination of his mentor and used his talent and influence to rally spirits in the face of fresh aggression from the Dragon-men. A relatively minor character in the grand scheme of things, he is quite busy behind the scenes and has no shortage of fresh inspiration, especially given new visitors from the Oldworld. He is widely considered the most prolific writer in recent history since Deres himself.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

High stamina despite his thin frame, allowing him to work long hours of the day performing or writing.

Facial Features

Very sharp nose and chin, large bright eyes and lots of wrinkles.

Identifying Characteristics

One of the rare male Thangiens with silver hair aside from Master Physician Kin Kin Aega, Coval. Unlike Coval who keeps his hair trimmed short, Khanphe keeps his long and messy.

Physical quirks

Gesticulates enough to shame the most passionate Italian. Has a very expressive face.

Special abilities

A man of many faces, Khanphe is adept at changing costumes on the fly, his most favorite role that of Kaosu the Ancient One, or Tyatatiante as he is called on Thanged.

Apparel & Accessories

As a llaudaind he is used to wearing multiple interchangeable outfits needed for a performance, but as of late he's preferred wearing blue and silver robes similar to those worn by Kaosu. He carries a prop gilded wooden staff loosely designed after the Staff of Ancients.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Early Life

His parents worried his poor health would be the death of him in his infancy and tried to keep him indoors, but curiosity got the better of him and he took to wandering the neighborhood and commenting on everyday occurrences. Recognizing his curious nature, they decided to have him tutored at the Archives of Raaezen where he buried himself in the vast stockpile of texts. Initially training as a scribe, he found his true calling in llaudauns and promptly changed his apprenticeship, though he still viewed the Archives as a second home.

The Far Star Traveller

Khanphe came across Aleksander Vanstandtvoort by chance in the Pavilion, immediately intrigued by something so simple as the zipper on his bomber jacket. Aleksander didn't quite know to think of the eccentric man and reluctantly parted with his jacket only for Khanphe to return sometime later with not only new garb but a new name for the Oldworlder: Ander Vai-Stel-Vethu, "Far-Star-Traveller". He bore witness to further feats such as the taming of Skybolt and the duel with Roland Ekrich, further cementing Ander's image as more than just a hero, but a legend in the making, and Khanphe wanted to record every word of it.

Spoiler Warning: Planned Content!

Far Star Traveller

Ander sat up in bed when he heard a persistent light tapping on the wooden shutter. He tried to ignore it and stuffed pillows over his ears but the tapping sounded almost rhythmic rather than erratic. He rolled over in bed and cast the covers aside, swinging his legs around and rolling to his feet. He opened the shutter cautiously, remembering what happened the last time he had a visitor at night. "Khanphe?" Ander wrinkled his face in confusion and stepped to the side. "What in Sam Hill are you doing here at this hour? Raaezen's clear on the other side of the city," Ander grumbled and beckoned the llaudaind in. Khanphe crept inside with almost exaggerated care, remaining quiet and glancing over his shoulder and side to side frequently. Ander closed the shutters behind him and waited for Khanphe to take a seat on the bed, but Khanphe had yet to say anything. He gathered his robes about himself before finally sitting and scanned the room briefly before flicking a gaze at Ander.
"I fear I have been marked for death!" he said in a hushed whisper as if he expected hidden assassins to spring out of every closet, drawer, and cupboard upon his admission. "You saw our performance yesterday, yes?"
"Yes. I haven't laughed so hard in years. You made the Watch-Rider look like Charlie Chaplin...which is funny because he gave the great tyrant of my world a similar treatment..." Ander smirked and shrugged.
"My Master played the starring role, the performance of his life! And it seemed to cost him his..." Ander furrowed his brow upon hearing that but remained quiet as Khanphe continued. "It seems he impaled himself through the heart in the back with a knife that he somehow pulled out himself after he expired and disposed of while leaving behind a letter written in a hand not his own..." Ander grimaced at Khanphe's rather verbose way of saying someone had assassinated the Master Playwright. "My colleagues suspect the Watch-Rider took grave offense to being besmirched, but we have no proof! My Master performed, but I wrote it! The Archive is not safe for me, not currently at least. Thank Roth I made it here safely. I must impose on your hospitality for the time being until the truth can be exposed."
"We have plenty of room to spare, though I would recommend you keep your head down around here. You stand out far more than me..." Ander nodded at him and smirked.
"Ander...you should know by now, necessity is the mother of improvisation! I can be anything from a smith to a seamstress if need be! Show me drapes that need dusting! I will attack them with all the valor and vigor of a warrior!" Khanphe shook his fists energetically, his loose sleeves rippling wildly.
"I have no doubt of that. I will speak to Torke about the matter. First House is still First House. Surely he knows others in the Council who might share our sentiments-and suspicions- regarding the Watch-Rider..."

Second Thangien-Thunthen War

Khanphe could only get dribbles of second-hand information while he and Yainae hunkered down in the estate while Ander organized a counter-offensive, but when Ander returned victorious, public opinion swung overnight from fear to defiance. Even though Khanphe could not get an admission of guilt from the Watch-Rider before Torke skewered the coward where he stood, he watched proudly as his friends took up new roles on the Stellar Stage with Torke newly-ascended to King, Norin new Master Breeder, and Ander new Watch-Protector. With the former Watch-Rider disposed of and his supporters rooted out and ran to ground, Khanphe felt comfortable returning to the spotlight and honored his slain mentor by ascending to Master Playwright.

Battle of Banguk

Despite his name, Khanphe had to remain behind on the ground while Ander led the war-host. He didn't have to wait for the news of Ander's death to know what happened that dreadful day. Both sides suffered devastating losses, but Khanphe could not let his grief get the better of him. In memory of his friend, and for the sake of the widowed Yainae, the young Azuro and Aurora, and the toddler Danae, he hammered the legend of the Far-Star-Traveller into the hearts of every citizen.

Exile of Pegasus

Thangien woes with the Thunthen were far from over, and a dread sickness ravaged the Pegacorn population. Khanphe had never ridden one before nor cared to, but it broke his heart to see them suffer. He sung the praises of the Lady of Flames with the miracle of metal she wrought as she forged new bodies for the noble creatures, but watched with horror as treachery took root in patient zero Paigasurin. Roth intervened to shackle the maddened Pegasi and planned to exile him to the Vault of Stars, and much to everyone's surprise-Khanphe's included-Ander's second daughter Danae volunteered to accompany him. As much as it pained him to remain silent, he could not protest the will of a god nor deny Danae's wish. He had tutored her as a child and taught her how to draw. Now he would never see her again. He prayed fervently that Ander watch over his daughter and guide her to safety.

Events of Aftermath

The unexpected return of Danaetanera and a fully-restored Paigasurin a mere cycle after their departure caused quite the stir. Roth herself took an interest in the matter and after speaking with Danae, she communed with the Silver-Haired Maiden who in turn spoke to Khanphe. His mind immediately spun with possibilities upon learning of a group of powerful warriors wielding mystical Armors, the gears of his mind greased with a plethora of new ideas. Danae referred to them as "Ronin Warriors". As both a tribute to the Goddess of Righteous War and to denote their status as heroes, Khanphe coined the title "Morind de Witheren", or Knights of the Maiden of Blood.
In Ch. 11 "Eurbasadur", Khanphe is seen performing in person at the Pavilion in presence of Rowen of the Strata, Sage of Halo, Kento of Hardrock, Cye of the Torrent, Anubis of Cruelty, and Mia Koji, wowing the visitors with his soaring orations and masterful movements playing the role of Kaosu the Ancient One in the newly written llaudaun commemorating their deeds. Even though he wrote it in their honor, that he had such explicit knowledge of past events such as the Forging of the Nine and the Dynasty Wars unnerved the visitors from Earth.

Events of Foes From Another World

Khanphe speaks briefly with Sage of Halo in Ch. 20 "Pairing of Bloods". When Sage expresses discomfort at being conferred celebrity status, Khanphe ephasizes how important heroes are for not just Thangiens, but all righteous folk. Following events would see even Khanphe's high spirits brought low when the city is ravaged by a sudden outbreak in Ch. 21 "Plague of Thanged" that claimed the lives of many close friends and students of his. It would take several months for him to emerge from his malaise.

Events of Cataclysm War

For the first time in decades, the Blood Dawn would rise on Thanged in time to celebrate the Ronins' victory over a terrible foe on the Oldworld. Khanphe had sat in a slump long enough. He would have to give the performance of his life in this literal once in a lifetime event, and he went all out designing new costumes, props, and scripts for his most complex llaudaun yet, "The Emperor and the Dragon".

Events of Spacequake

Most of the populace could only shelter in place during the psychokinetic duel that shook the city in Ch. 11 "Challenge of Roth" and wondered afterward why the villain escaped unscathed. Khanphe proclaimed Roth had clashed against a God-Spiter, a test of not just her strength but the peoples' as well, and that the coward would meet a far more spectacular demise in the future.

Spoiler Warning: Planned Content!

Ronin WarriorSpectra

Conversation halted when Khanphe took the stage and began speaking to the gathered crowd. He swept his arm about slowly before turning his gaze to the gathered Ronin and tilted his palm up swiftly. "Edara Aegind de Benardur!!!" Khanphe bellowed in proclamation and the people cheered wildly.
"Umm...did he just call us something nasty without us knowing?" Kento muttered.
"It means 'Shield-Knights of All Righteous Folk'!" Rowen explained.
"Well...what do you think, Ryo?" Cye asked and glanced at him, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Eh...I can work with it," Ryo admitted and shrugged, smirking. Ryo noticed Khanphe gazing in his direction. The Master Playwright squared his shoulders and bowed steeply and Ryo nodded slowly in approval and gratitude. The clamor had yet to subside as the people celebrated the ten heroes in their new Spectronin Armors.

Education

Spent most of his time in the Archives of Raaezen since he could walk and talk. First tutored in history and art, delved into copying and scribing, then shifted fields into performing arts and literature.

Employment

Novice scribe (youth), llaudaind (adolescence), Master Playwright (adulthood).

Accomplishments & Achievements

Even though he appears very seldomly in Age of Defiance, he's been quite the busy bee in the background, writing half a dozen llaudauns seemingly overnight following Danae's return such as "The First Confrontation", the "Darkening of the City", "Anguish Across the Stars", "Defeat of Ouagli", "Jewelrider's Defiance", and "Glorious Four Resurrections". In order to translate the Legend of the Mystical Armors to the Thangien people, he applied Thangien names based on their respective powers. He also designed costumes as close as possible to the original Armors based off descriptions provided by Danae and the Silver-Haired Maiden. His most recent llaudaun involved extensive collaboration with Peirolyth and vendors at the Pavilion to build the life-size animatronic puppet of Raurgoth as well as the various costumes for all the actors portraying the "Dynasty".

Failures & Embarrassments

"Failure" is just success by another route in Khanphe's mind. He lacked the physical prowess to retaliate personally on behalf of his murdered mentor, but it just so happened he rubbed elbows with powerful figures such as Ander and Torke. He didn't "lose" the debate with Azuro, Azuro simply outperformed him.

Mental Trauma

By his nature, Khanphe is an optimist, but he has borne witness to horrific events in his lifetime such as the sudden death of his mentor, Ander's death at the Battle of Banguk, and the loss of so many creative souls during the Weeping Death. He had no interest or talent for metalworking but he knows even tempered steel can still break if stressed too much, and sometimes the pieces must be recast and reforged. Such it was with him for a time, but as is often said on the Oldworld: "The show must go on".

Intellectual Characteristics

Ander once joked that Khanphe could turn "stepping in a puddle into an epic battle against the elements", which is not far from the truth. Khanphe might not have every book in Raaezen memorized cover to cover but has read enough of his predecessors and the old masters like Deres and Muriab to build upon their foundations. The old stories remained in the public mind for millennia because of their timelessness, and the new stories Khanphe crafted would have to be just as impactful.

Morality & Philosophy

No one is above ridicule (except the gods of course). Khanphe will sing the praises of the righteous and lambaste the craven, as seen with his treatment of Ander and the previous Watch-Rider respectively. Despite his name he actually tried to support Torke in his aversion to yet another Thangien-Thunthen War, but he found even his talents tested in the face of Ander's eldest son, Chi Chi Lina, Azuro. Khanphe couldn't help but admire how much of his father's passion Azuro had inherited as the metraind stirred the hot blood of the populace into a foaming froth.

Taboos

No crime is so abhorrent as the murder of an artist, a lesson dating all the way back to the City Strife. Khanphe never forgave the previous Watch-Rider for the death of his mentor, only vindicated when Torke unseated the gibbering coward. While Sage worries spreading tales of the Ronin will cause misfortune (and have in the past...), Khanphe feels quite the opposite, blaming those who persecute the spread of such tales in the first place, not the subject matter itself.

Canonical Lore: In Episode 4 of OVA "Message", Sage confronts Suzunagi in her residence in an effort to understand her true goals. "Message" gets alot of flak for being a somewhat lazy sequel/soft reboot, but the banter between them is actually pretty well-written. Sage is shown a vision of the trauma that started it all, how Suzunagi and her parents suffered at the hands of the shogunate over a play. The events stir such a potent anger in Sage he has an overwhelming desire to eradicate the aggressors. When he rouses from his trance, Suzunagi says she doesn't blame him for feeling angry...so why should he blame her? Feeling he understands her, he willingly accepts the new Halo Armor and his role in her magnum opus.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Like Deres of old, Khanphe refuses to let any man censor him. In the past he worked to keep Ander's memory alive. In the present he works to inspire the people in preparation for the Day of Doom.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Khanphe's read every page of Raaezen's Gift but has no time in his busy life for a wife.

Likes & Dislikes

Khanphe is one of the few public figures that does not have his own mount. He spends much of his time writing and prefers traveling via carriage. Because everyone's a critic and Pegacorns and Pegasi are intelligent, he prefers as little contact with steeds as possible. Also apparently Skybolt once ate pages of Khanphe's biography on Ander right out of his hand while visiting Norin at Mazzan...

Virtues & Personality perks

Very optimistic and outgoing, restrained with anger and wily with words.

Vices & Personality flaws

Spends long hours working and little time sleeping.

Personality Quirks

Movements and expressions can be subtle and slow one moment then excited and swift the next.

Hygiene

Much the way a warm bath relaxes the muscles, a brief hot soak can dislodge a pesky case of writer's block.

Social

Contacts & Relations

House of St'lur

-Close. Khanphe cherished his friendship with Ander, Yainae, and their children. He hoped to kindle a love of the arts in young Danae but much to his chagrin she seemed to prefer spending time at Mazzan with a curious black Pegacorn foal.

King Torke

-Close. As much as he hates meetings, Khanphe frequently attends in order to make sure the will of the people outside of the ruling Houses is heard, vociferously at that.

Dar Dar Vanes, Norin

-Cordial. Even though he, Torke, and Norin were part of Ander's circle of friends, Khanphe prefers to avoid Mazzan. Pegacorns-and now Pegasi-are far too nosy and picky when it comes to literature, and fyrhundi no less intrusive since they love slobbering all over Khanphe's elaborate outfits.

Four Queens

-Reverent. Silver is viewed as a sign of divine favor and Khanphe spends literally every waking moment praising the gods in some manner. Though off-screen, Khanphe dubbed the upstart "God of Evil" a "God-Spiter" to help Roth save face.

Ronin Warriors

-Adoring Fan. While his busy schedule wouldn't allow him to properly introduce himself on an individual level, he's been hard at work crafting the image of larger-than-life heroes that shield the people from harm.

Thunthen Dissidents

-Cordial. Khanphe had no idea about Ander's adventures with the young Nobeyl Bak Thraplek, so naturally after the Battle of Banguk he created the llaudaun portraying Ander's death at the hands of a Nobeyl. While he did not hate them nearly as much as Azuro, he did not exactly trust them either. Only recently has he learned the truth and has helped foster better relations with the Dragon-Men.

Thunthen Parolees

-Cordial. The dragons working the forges at Peirolyth had a hand in some of Khanphe's most ambitious props and through them he's learned more of their culture, particularly after they saved him from a potentially bad case of food poisoning. He's shown interest in the lost rite of "Tail-Dancing" and hopes the dragons can revive it one day when all hostilities cool.

Family Ties

Member of an unspecified House. Status of parents or any siblings is unknown.

Religious Views

Devout worshipper of the Four Queens.

Social Aptitude

Extremely charismatic with an almost infectious cheer. In another lifetime he might have made a good Watch-Rider but he simply loves the stage too much.

Mannerisms

As witnessed with Sage he often risks inadvertently swatting someone with his sweeping gestures and his face can alternate from a pensive scowl to eyebrows leaping toward his hairline in the blink of an eye.

Hobbies & Pets

Writing, drawing, performing, and orating.

Speech

Think Masterharper Robinton from Anne McCaffrey's Pern Novels. He suffered a similar brush with death when Abominators kidnapped him, but the experience severely impacted his health and shortened his life. In terms of voice actors, it would be a tossup between Ward Perry's (Rowen) "old man" voice, Richard Newman (Cale) with a bit of a softer purr as opposed to his usual gruff growl, or Paul Dobson (Anubis) who is generally an all-around bawss.

Wealth & Financial state

While not paid directly by the Watch-Rider, members of the Council of Houses contribute materials and funds to help Khanphe bring his wildest dreams to fruition.

"LLAUDAUN!" a man announced proudly and swept the gilded wooden staff in his hand to the side, his colorful robes furling in the breeze. People gathered all over the Pavilion cheered and clapped from where they sat at tables or stood by stalls. The man continued speaking in Thangien and paced around in a circle, gesturing to the crowd while assistants set up props nearby.

— Aftermath Ch. 11

Current Status

Writing new llaudauns

Current Location

Bainshaebo

Species

Thangien

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Master Playwright

Age

30 Cycles (60 Earth-Years)

Current Residence

Archives of Raaezen

Sex

Male

Eyes

Grey

Hair

Silver (natural platinum blonde)

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale

Height

5'8

Weight

140 lbs

Quotes & Catchphrases

"The planets themselves weep in mourning!" (Battle of Banguk)
"Ignorance has ever been the black foe of the performing arts!"
"If I went about all the time frowning as much as you, I would not have such a youthful countenance!"

Belief/Deity

The Four Queens

Known Languages

Thangien

Oldworlder/English

Thunthen (very limited)

The Ronin watched, intrigued as Khanphe walked offstage and huge swathes of gold cloth began swirling about the area. Rowen noticed cleverly dressed actors carrying the billowing swatches, so it seemed the cloth moved on its own. Music played, a slow, soothing rhythm reminiscent of Ancient Japan. The wall of cloth parted and a costumed actor entered. He wore a painted wooden mask and white hair spilled down his back. He wore a wide, pointed hat, the brim sheltering the dark eyes of the mask. His blue and silver robes furled around him as he paced about the stage. In his hand he held a long golden staff with an ornamented top.

— Aftermath Ch. 11