Asterkinj

* Asterkinj
* Symbol

The **Asterkinj** is a living creature called a Kinj that relies on the survival of a host to stay alive. This blue-tinted kinj gives its host the ability to open portals to other worlds, notably the Plane of Ashes.

The One that the prophecy foretells can use the Asterkinj to summon the slayers of men to purge the oppressors of old. Because of the prophecy, many believed that they should be the true wielder of the Asterkinj.

## Overview

This kinj has the ability to open portals to other planes of existence and worlds, allowing its bearer and anyone who desires to cross through the portal. However, it can only open one portal at a time and the portal won't stay open for long.

## History

The Asterkinj is the soul, essence, and power of the ancient creature named Aster, who walked amongst the Green World centuries ago. He was a member of a group of seven beings who called themselves Gods, and sought to destroy the world. However, Aster cared for the humans and sought to stop his fellow siblings from destroying everything. He forced them asleep and separated them from their kinjes, but kept his until he found someone to be the Guardian of his kinj. This guardian, a member of the Blackblood race, would pass the kinj from one member to the next as a way to protect it. The Guardians would write their name on a wall in Vor-Anden to commemorate their Guardianship.

Over three-hundred years ago, the Blackbloods discovered the kinj opened a portal to a realm they called the Plane of Ashes. Their race was war with the humans. The Blackfist clan made a plan that their entire war party - Blackbloods and Lu-Qiri alike - would go through the portal and wait in the Plane of Ashes. The Guardian of the Asterkinj was supposed to sneak behind enemy lines and reopen the portal so the tribes could attack the humans behind their walls. However, a second pact was made with the humans to leave the Blackbloods, Blackfist, and Lu-Qiri in the plane of ashes as a prison. In exchange, the humans would allow the remaining Blackblood tribes to live in peace. As such, the portal was to never be opened again unless in a grave emergency.

The last Guardian to write her name on the wall of Vor-Anden was Talia, who passed the Asterkinj to her daughter. Her daughter married a man named Sai-vek Redwan who eventually came into possession of the Terakinj - better called the death kinj. Sai-vek didn't want to risk killing anyone he loved or anyone by accident, and pleaded with his wife to send him and the Meld Box to the Plane of Ashes. She agreed and opened the portal to let him pass through. Years later, she attempted to call forth her ancestors during a massacre of her people, but was impaled with an arrow before she had the chance. In her last act, she passed the Asterkinj and Guardianship onto her unknowledgeable daughter Talon. Talon fled the massacre to hide in a cave, where she was found by one of the mercenaries sent to eliminate the Blackbloods. He show an arrow at her and Talon somehow opened a smaller version of the portal in an attempt to save herself. The small opening allowed for a Lu-Qiri to save her life. The mercenary was struck with the miracle he'd witnessed and spared her life.

Talon grew up with no knowledge of what the creature in her head was or it was capable of, and her mother didn't have the chance to teach her. Thirteen years later, Talon sought revenge for the death of her people and found her way to Gallwood Outpost, where she met a scholar of the Blackblood people named The Smith. He gave her a parchment with a phrase on it, but warned her to only say it in her mind and now aloud. That night while unable to sleep, Talon reads the parchment out loud. This activates the Asterkinj and opens a portal, summoning the Lu-Qiri Baphnoro. Talon is forced to learn how to command the creature so she can send it back, but must also learn how to open the portal by sheer will. She learns that it takes concentration and clear intent, but also an understanding of the creature she wants to banish. Only then is she finally able to send Baphnoro back to the Plane of Ashes. Sometime later, Talon uses the kinj in and attempt to save herself and her friends from being killed by Greyskins. She summons Baphnoro from the Plane and commands him to protect them from the Greyskins.

As she uncovers more about her people, she learns that humans with unique talents are called Dragman. The Dragman can translate The Vex Rezicon, an object that whispers the names of Lu-Qiri and Blackbloods that can be summoned from the Plane of Ashes. Talon is given a name by the young Dragman Ilyin, and uses the Asterkinj to summon Ekkundi, who is then followed by his master, Rebb. Later on, Rebb attempts to carve the Asterkinj out of Talon's forehead to take it for herself, as she longs to be The One the The Blackblood Prophecy foretells. However, the kinj moved to Talon's hand to avoid being removed forcefully. When Talon awakened, the creature returned to her forehead. When Rebb kidnaps Talon's best friend and the Queen of the Realm, Rosmund, Talon met with Rebb to transfer the Asterkinj as she saw no other option. She placesdher hand on Rebb's forehead and the Asterkinj traveled from Talon's forehead to her fingertips. The transference was ultimately interrupted and Talon kept the Asterkinj.

Meanwhile, the Dragman Ilyin was murdered but clutched a final name in her hand. Talon finally decided to use the name that was on Ilyin's body, bringing forth Vikka, who was followed by his master Zed. Queen Rosmund forced Talon to send Vikka back to the Plane of Ashes. At night, Zed summoned Vikka, who appeared in the fog. Talon then opened the portal to the Plane of Ashes while Zed commanded the creature to go. Months later during a fight with a mind controlled Garret Spears, the Asterkinj opened a portal to the Plane of Ashes and pulled Talon in as a way to protect her. When she awakened, she experienced physical pain stemming from the Asterkinj. She returned to the Green World moments later,

Eventually, Talon spoke to Zed about learning to control her Kinj. At first, it sensed when she was in danger and protected her. But now, she has to concentrate on what she wants and a portal opens. Zed attempts to use his kinj to manipulate her mind, however, the she felt the Asterkinj protecting her from the Golukinj's interference. After she defeated Zed, Talon used the Asterkinj to banish Zed back into the Plane of Ashes. Later, in the heat of a battle, Talon realizes that she needs help to defeat the Prime Order and once again summons Vikka and Zed. Zed then calls for more Lu-Qiri and Blackbloods into the realm to fight and win against the Prime Order.

Under the force of Zed and the fellow Blackbloods who have taken over Gallwood, Talon is forced to use the Asterkinj in order to save her friends. She opens a portal to the Plane of Ashes allowing Zed to call forth Ketma, who is then followed by his master Yavalla. When Falista Relman reaches out to Talon in an attempt to learn more about the Kultorkinj inside her, Talon explains that she can't help her learn to control the kinj as that's something Falista needs to figure out alone. Talon does empathize with Falista's inability to control the kinj, as the Asterkinj acted on its own before in an attempt to protect her. She warns Falista to control her emotions. Talon than uses the kinj once more to open the portal so she, Wren, and Zed can travel to the Plane of Ashes so they can retrieve the bearer of the Terakinj. They discover the bearer is Talon's father, Sai-vek Redwan, was had been incapacitated by Yavalla months earlier. They wait for Sai-vek to recover from his injuries before traveling through the portal once again to arrive at Gallwood Outpost, in the middle of The Hive's assault.

## Hosts

### Transferring Hosts

The Asterkinj can’t survive outside a host's body. The creature wants to survive like any other living thing, so if the host dies the Asterkinj can leave the host and find a new one. Alternatively, the Asterkinj is passed down from parent to child. The current owner of the Asterkinj must place their fingers on the next holder's temple and the Asterkinj will flow to the new owner. When Rebb tried to remove the Asterkinj from Talon by cutting it out, the creature moved inside Talon's body until Rebb stopped.

When Talon touched Aster for the first after transferring the kinj, she felt as though she was peering into his soul but couldn't break free. Because she had been the guardian of his kinj for so long, their souls spent many years entwined her her body. They became bonded together like family. She felt linked to him but explain why or how.

### Known Hosts

* Aster (Original)
* Generations of Blackblood Women (Former)
* Talia † (Former)
* Talon's Mother † (Former)
* Talon (Current)

## Powers and Abilities

Aster can search the cosmos with the use of his kinj, allowing him to see multiple worlds and find one suitable for his needs. He claimed that Talon also uses the kinj in that regard the first time she opened the portal. Aster explained this his kinj, or power, gave her an answer when she asked, it just took her time to understand it.

## Known Worlds

* Plane of Ashes
* Green World
* The Void
* Hundreds of others

## Notes and Trivia

* The forehead placement of the Asterkinj changes depending on the situation. When Talon was a child, the creature was on her right temple. The older she got, the creature moved to her left temple. Meanwhile, the kinj was in the center of Aster's forehead.
* When active in the realm, the Asterkinj glows blue with a purple aura.
	+ When active in the Plane of Ashes, the Asterkinj glows bright blue with a white aura.
* The Asterkinj protected Talon from becoming part of The Hive, as a person can only possess one Kinj at a time.
* According to Talon without a name to bring a being through, the Asterkinj opens the portal to the last location that brought a person through the plane of ashes into the green world and vice versa.
* Vorta calls the Asterkinj, and therefore Aster, the betrayer.
* The Asterkinj has the most known hosts due to being passed through a bloodline rather than an act of desperation like the other kinjes. The bearers of the Asterkinj were called Guardians because of their efforts to protect the kinj and therefore, Aster himself.
* After the physical death of Aster's body, it is unknown if the kinj still retains its powers.