Kalla

**Kalla** is a former Byk necromancer and currently a Wight. She taught Lith the basics of Necromancy in the White Griffon Academy forest. She had evolved into a Wraith, which has a partial undead nature due to her mastery of Darkness magic and Necromancy. She later attempts to become a Lich but fails to and is still researching a way to do so safely. She hopes that her research into lichhood will help her vampire adoptive daughter, Nyka.

## Appearance

### Human Form

Kalla's human form resembles that of 30-year old woman. She is 5'9" (1.75 meters) tall, with shoulder-length raven black hair and a lithe frame. She is pretty, but her stern expression and cold blue eyes give her an eerie aura. Her body constantly shifts from a normal appearance to a skeletal figure enveloped in living shadows, very similar to what happens in her Wight form.

### Byk Form

Kalla's beast form is 5'11" (1.8 meters) tall at the shoulder, with a weight close to a ton. Her fur is deep brown with shades of black all over.

### Wight Form

Kalla's Wight form resembles a constantly shapeshifting mass of shadows that usually adopts the frame of a very large bear as big as a small house. Her only distinctive features are her glowing red eyes and massive skeleton that can only be seen from time to time due to the ever-changing darkness composing her body. Though this form looks similar to an undead, she is still alive and needs to eat from time to time and to sleep when Invigoration stops working. Her body is half comprised of living shadows that replaced her flesh while bones makes up the rest. She had modified her own ribs, turning them into long tendrils that she uses as limbs to wield instruments or interact with her specimens.

## Personality

Kalla is a mother figure to Lith and has a gentle nature. However, she had buried all her past opponents and once she resolved to kill someone, the how and how long would it take were just meaningless details. She likes bringing her work home and cleaning isn't her strong suit. Her dedication to her experiments also causes her to sometimes neglect her children.

After undertaking the path to Lichhood, Kalla becomes not only loses her sense of time, but also her memory retention. It is the reason why she writes down everything she discovers so as to not stuff her brain with notions that are useless for her current project.

## Abilities

Kalla is able to summon an undead army consisting of Skeletal Knights and Wraiths. Her mastery of Necromancy allows her to possess the bodies of her undead, making them use darkness magic like she is among them. She isn't as talented as Scarlett in light magic, nor can she turn darkness into light at will, but she begins to slowly understand the deep bond between the two elements.

Kalla can swap places with her own shadow, giving it shape and substance by manipulating the darkness and light elements. Attacking the shadow will allow the darkness element to seep into the attacker, eating away at them. She can also generate several shadow-copies of herself that can cast darkness spells non-stop, making it impossible to distinguish the copies from the original.

Kalla learns how to imbue small amounts of her willpower inside the blood cores she creates. In normal circumstances, it allows her to control her minions as if they are part of her body, even giving them access to all the spells she knows. When such a fine control isn't possible, she can use willpower to create a different kind of link with them. She becomes their phylactery, allowing them to be raised back from the grave as long as she is unharmed.

## Equipment

Before leaving the White Griffon forest, Scarlett gifted Kalla a suit of silver armor. It sticks to her body like a second skin and gives her the same appearance she had when she was still a Byk. Several purple mana crystals, each one the size of a nut, are evenly spread throughout the armor, forming a network that fuels its enchantments and boosts Kalla's physical abilities.

She was also gifted the **Bear Claws**, metal covers for her forelegs allowing her to fight in her innate style as a Byk. They are as sharp as a razor and as hard as a diamond, and also capable of channeling darkness magic and giving it physical form. It serves to both extend Kalla's attack range and allow her to exploit her mastery of the darkness element in close quarters as well.

## Background

Back when she traveled Mogar in search of the secrets of Lichhood, she met an undead with a full blood core capable of turning into a living being. During her travels she met a human serial killer that she killed and resurrected to test Higher Necromancy and torture the woman again. However, due to Greater Undead's nature of being entirely different people after being turned into one, Kalla decided to adopt her as a daughter, Nyka, unable to stand giving her life just to let her die of hunger or daylight. Kalla knew nothing about raising a Vampire, so she asked the Firstborn Vampire Vladion Dragonborn for help, who taught Nyka how to hunt, access her abilities, and deal with her hunger.

### White Griffon Academy

Lith saves Kalla's son Nok from mercenaries sent by the Archmage Lukart and other noble households to kill magical beasts in the White Griffon Academy forest and frame students in an attempt to ruin the relationship between Headmaster Linjos and the Lord of the Forest Scarlett. After Lith accidentally turns one of the bounty hunters into a Greater Undead during his interrogation and barely survives, Nok returns with Kalla, who offers to teach him the basics of Necromancy as thanks for saving Nok.

Kalla seeks to become a Greater Undead by becoming a Wight and achieves a blue core after being Awakened by Scarlett to become one of her lieutenants, though this causes her to become ostracized by magical beasts due to her half undead nature. However, Greater Undead always treat her with respect, leading her to consider becoming a true undead and prompting her to begin researching and creating her blood core.

During Balkor's attack on the academies, Kalla proves instrumental to the defense with her Undead army of Skeleton Knights and Wraiths constantly fueled by her use of Invigoration. Knowing that Balkor will target her during the next attack, Kalla asks Lith to teach her children in her stead, and teaches Lith how to create Greater Undead in order to face the Valors, as well as their weaknesses. She asks him to never create Greater Undead, revealing that she learned how vampires converted humans into one of their own, and tried to replicate the process on a bounty hunter. Unlike vampires, who turn living humans into Undead, Kalla raised a corpse with a new soul that later became her adoptive daughter Nyka, who she hopes will find a way to become human again and have a chance at a normal life.

When the third wave of dark creatures arrive along with the Valors, she overloads her mana core and kills 2 Valors, which in turn severs Balkor's link with the Valors and throws his attack plan into disarray. This results in her becoming a partial undead (Wight), with a new blood core in addition to her original mana core. She reprimands Scarlett for her inaction and prompts her to heal Lith and Protector after Lith's world tribulation, also learning about Solus' existence through the conversation between Protector and Solus.

Scarlett leaves the Griffon Kingdom to take revenge on Balkor but Kalla, not paying attention, just tells her to bring something for her kids to eat on the way back.

After Lith visits Protector's "grave," Kalla tells him of her plans to become a lich, and reveals that Awakened have long lifespans, changing his long term plans. Months pass, and Lith calls Kalla before he begins his assignment in the Ranger Corps, and learns that she is on the brink of death after her failed attempt to become a Lich. Kalla had split and moved her mana core, inadvertently destroying its cage, which is her own life force. The damage permanently altered the flow of her life force, leaving a gaping hole that slowly dissipates her mana and life force, making it unable to connect properly with the mana core, and preventing world energy from being passed to her body anymore. As her half undead form constantly changes its physical form from solid to liquid, her life force is a hybrid, composed of the physical form of her body and the shadow energy that envelopes her physique to connect the various body parts. Lith manages to use Body Sculpting spells to patch the hole in Kalla's life force by using a one of her paws as a life force donor. Finally, he restores the flow of life force by adding small chunks of life force to the shadows and reconnect them to the damaged parts.

Lith collapses after treating Kalla from exhaustion and mana overuse, causing Nyka to go after his blood for sustenance. Solus fends her off when the impurities in Lith's body suddenly reach his mana core, triggering the refinement process. Solus explains the foundations of Body Sculpting to Kalla, who resolves to learn how to control life force and learn light magic before making another attempt to become a Lich. When Lith recovers, he tells them about his reincarnation problem and need to get a body for Solus. Kalla gives him a book on the Odi, recommending he begin his research in the Etochian region and giving him a letter of recommendation to several undead communities in the area. Before leaving, Lith gives Kalla a book on Body Sculpting, food for Nok, and a vial of his blood for Nyka, which she stores for a rainy day.

Lith contacts Kalla for advice after they lose their lead in the Othre investigation. She explains the Undead Courts and gives her hypothesis about the made mages and Carpenters, identifying the culprit as someone dealing with the research to immortality. Lith uses her invitation to the Dawn Court to parley for information.

### Laruel

As the White Griffon's Necromancy expert as well as Marth's friend, Kalla visits Laruel to assist in finding a cure for the undead plague, as well as potentially creating the cure's living equivalent to give Nyka a normal life. Kalla reunites with Lith and Solus reveals the plague's real nature as undead tissue. Kalla relays the information to Empress Milea Genys, who makes a bid to invite Kalla, Phloria, and Lith to the Empire. Milea identifies the tissue as belonging to an undead plant and Kalla decides to pursue the energy signature, with Lith and the Ernas in tow.

Arriving at the village of Erlik's last headquarters, they are confronted by a Treantling named Illum, but Lith quickly exposes him as a thrall. She and Lith subdue Illum when two undead Thorns reveal themselves and Illum attempts to escape, but is killed by Phloria. They question the plantfolk, learning of the World Saplings and Erlik's intent on becoming Laruel's ruler to gain access to the knowledge of the Laruel World Sapling. Leannan the TItania visits Lith's group and they reanalyze the treehouse, identifying Erlik's end goal of using the mold to establish a link with and take over the Sapling. Unable to locate Erlik's hideout without merging with the treehouse and alerting Erlik, Leannan asks Lith's group to hunt him down.

Lith and Kalla successfully analyze the scarring on the treehouse as a mass of darkness magic imbued with Erlik's willpower, and relay their findings to Leannan. The Sovereign thanks Kalla for her help and apologizes for having doubted her loyalties earlier due to Kalla's undead nature. Erlik mobilizes his army, storming the gates to Leannan's castle inside the World Sapling. Kalla's command over a legion of undead provides support to the outnumbered Fae. Gremlik the Grendel incapacitates her, but Phloria manages to free her.

Lith restores Trouble the Balor's body as Quylla's bodyguard and gives Kalla control over him. Trouble-Kalla accompanies Quylla, Marth, and the Healers as they search for a way to disrupt Erlik's plans during the Erlik's assault on Leannan's castle. Kalla, Phloria, and Lith fight the Grendel. Laruel marks the last time Kalla leaves her lab until Scarlett's return several years later. The venture shows her the importance of light magic to craft powerful undead; between that and her own experiments, she is left only needing a white mana crystal to start the transformation into a Lich.

### Lichhood

Kalla remains stuck at the blue core because she forgot Accumulation was a thing. Scarlett returns to her lair after her travels around the Garlen and Verendi continents, discovering Nok and Nyka in a state of neglect. She furiously drags Kalla out of her lab, takes back ownership of her home, and forces Kalla to clean without magic. Kalla absentmindedly notices a slip of paper reading "Present", delivered to her at an unknown time by the Balkor copycat.

Nok, Nyka, Kalla, and Scarlett visit Faluel's lair when Lith returns for his apprenticeship, and after informing him of the events with Leegaain, congratulate him on his newly discovered heritage. Kalla is forced to interact only through a party horn in order to not ruin the atmosphere. As the Awakened Council is going to war with the Undead Courts, people like Kalla are tasked with teaching others about undead, and Faluel invites Kalla as a guest lecturer for her apprentices.

Kalla talks about undead's nature and the difference between Baba Yaga's children and Liches. Lith tells her and Faluel about his conversation with Mogar in the Mindscape, but Kalla remains unfazed. The two insist he is perfectly acceptable as he is and warn him away from Chaos magic. Kalla accompanies her family, Faluel, and Scarlett to the village fair on the night of Blackest Day, when the news of Count Lark's death reaches them, cancelling the festivities.

Kalla brings her family and Scarlett to meet with Lith to discuss Parmegianno Haug's proposal for a mission to the Eclipsed Lands, as Kalla had brought Nyka there when she first adopted her. She deduces the disappearance of undead children as the work of Forbidden Magic. The Wight has Nyka convince Scarlett to accompany them as she is the best tracker. Upon entering Vladion Dragonborn's city of Lightkeep, Vladion discusses rewards for finding the undead children's kidnapper, promising Kalla a white crystal for her experiments. The city's arrays are suddenly sabotaged. Kalla stays behind while the rest pursue the invaders.

Upon their return, Baba Yaga recognizes Scarlett's prince-nez as the Eyes of Menadion which the group takes turns using to study the prisoners. Kalla stays behind to learn from the Scorpicore and Red Mother's brainstorming. Kalla scolds Nyka for nearly letting her blood frenzy get her killed in the battle. Scarlett transfers ownership of the Eyes to Kalla after her ascent to Guardianhood. Vladion gives Kalla a white crystal and Nyka the secret of his bloodline Awakening technique. Nyka decides to stay in the Eclipsed Lands to Awaken and gain the strength to protect Kalla. Kalla decides to stay behind as well to ensure Nyka's safe Awakening, learn how to use the Eyes, and use Lightkeep's libraries for Lichhood research.

## Quotes

* *"Do not feel ashamed. Acknowledging your limits is the first step to overcoming them."* (Kalla to Lith, Chapter 211)
* *"You are someone capable of befriending magical beasts without looking down on us, of carrying an unknown life form on your finger and calling her a friend. That's why I trust you to teach and care for my offspring like I would."* (Kalla to Lith, Chapter 211)
* *"She would say move your stinger-equipped ass and help the child. You always whine about the world's will being indifferent, yet you stand there doing nothing. What's the difference between the two of you?* (Kalla to Scarlett, Chapter 216)
* *"Stop living in the past. Enjoy your present, because it will change soon. Stop mulling over death and worry about the living."* (Kalla to Lith, Chapter 234)
* *"Pain, my old friend. You are the only true constant of life. I will not miss you once I ascend to the status of true undead. You are as clingy as annoying..."* (Chapter 368)
* *"Hello, Scourge...Fine. Hello, Shadow of Death. To what do I owe this call?"* (Kalla to Lith, Chapter 454)
* *"They refuse to work with me because they are close-minded cowards. This is not a shenanigan. This is who I am, what a Wight would look like if they were born human instead that as a Byk. I've no reason to be ashamed of my origins nor I'm here to coddle their prejudices about Mogar. If my presence is unwanted, I'll gladly leave."* (Kalla to Marth, Chapter 805)
* *"By the way, I don't like what you did with your hair. No matter what the modern fashion sense dictates, you look ridiculous."* (Kalla to Scarlett after the latter had been electrocuted, Chapter 128)
* *"My daughter is in that phase of a vampire's life when they can't decide if to eat you, mate with you, or do both."* (Kalla to Quylla, Chapter 1323)
* *"My wish is for you all to become good friends and to thank both Lith and Solus for all they did for my daughter. That or at least to put Nyka under enough stress to send her in a feeding frenzy that will make her maim you, putting an end to this nonsense and letting me get back to my work."* (Kalla to Lith and Solus, Chapter 1323)
* *"Oh, no!" Anyway, I heard that you might have gotten yourself a big white crystal. Can you give me a piece the size of an apple? I would make a perfect phylactery."* (Kalla to Lith after hearing about his conversation with Mogar, Chapter 1325)
* *"There's nothing to accept. You're a beautiful being as it is and you shouldn't be ashamed of it, just like me and my Nyka."* (Kalla to Lith about his Abomination origin, Chapter 1325)
* *"Someone left it under Scarlett's door more than one week ago, but less than two years ago."* (Kalla to Lith when asked when she received a Balkor copycat card, Chapter 1325)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 802
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Chapter 807
3. ↑ Chapter 109
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 206
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chapter 1284
6. ↑ Chapter 1282
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chapter 1323
8. ↑ Chapter 210
9. ↑ Chapter 810
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chapter 811
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Chapter 837
12. ↑ Chapter 842
13. ↑ Chapter 211
14. ↑ Chapter 1373
15. ↑ Chapter 109
16. ↑ Chapter 202
17. ↑ Chapter 210
18. ↑ Chapter 211
19. ↑ Chapter 216
20. ↑ Chapter 217
21. ↑ Chapter 1282
22. ↑ Chapter 234
23. ↑ Chapter 365
24. ↑ CHapter 370
25. ↑ Chapter 454
26. ↑ Chapter 814
27. ↑ Chapter 820
28. ↑ Chapter 822
29. ↑ Chapter 838
30. ↑ Chapter 1324
31. ↑ Chapter 1325
32. ↑ Chapter 1346
33. ↑ Chapter 1376
34. ↑ Chapter 1383
35. ↑ Chapter 1387
36. ↑ Chapter 1418