Gregory Hartman

> There is no Hell deep enough, no pain great enough to make you suffer for the things you've done. I hope you find your master in death.
>
> Kara, in Volume I - "Sorrow"

## Gregory Hartman

### Relatives

Valterius Valencia (Brother)
 Jalix Nicholas Kane (Husband)
 Amelia Lynn Kane (Daughter)
 Sample Annabelle Valencia (Daughter)
 Sample Ava Sample (Daughter)
 Sample Nicholas Kane (Son)

## Signature

Karalynn (Kara) was born a Duchess within a noble family in 1671 prior to the Dutch-Franco War. As an infant, her parents sent her away to a British nobleman for safeguarding until the war was over. Her parents presumed killed in an attack, Kara was placed under the guardianship of her brother Valterius until their master, a lord, died unexpectedly in an accident caused by Kara and Sonya. Their flight from the land and away from persecution resulted in the Creature infecting both Kara and Sonya with the Vampyre Virus.

The following centuries consisted of a game of cat-and mouse, with Sonya and Kara on the run from the Creature. Valterius was eventually converted to a Vampyre by Kara as she saw him aging while she and Sonya remained youthful. She finally established the city of Aerael in the mid-19th century while building a civilization to rival the growing enemy faction. Her involvement within the conflict stemmed from a hatred for the Creature, magnified during a traumatic event in 1988 that altered her personality. Her actions within *The Legacy of Sorrow* are consequential of her past and were the keystone for the protection of humanity against evil.

## Personality & Beliefs

Until her traumatic encounter with the Creature (known as Robert Schillinger after World War II), Kara was often described by Sonya as hardened, motivated, and intelligent, while her brother Valterius described her as intuitive, resourceful, and calculating. She quickly adapted to the lifestyle of a huntress, seeking experience in conflicts throughout history to hone her skills in combat. Kara is a renowned marksman, skilled martial artist, and battlefield tactician at the cost of a diminished set of social skills. Her demeanor toward humans and other Vampyres was considered cold and succinct, as she felt she had little time or reason for compassion when her counterpart, Sonya, fulfilled that role for her people.

After imprisonment within a Russian gulag in 1988 under Schillinger and Kilkovf's combined reign, Kara's psyche was mutilated. Alice's diagnoses were that of Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), panic disorder, and Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (DPDR), along with a host of insomnias. this led to her codename of Sorrow, used during the endeavor to escape the USSR and return to Aerael. Her reaction to the torment she was subjected to resulted in an intense series of depressive episodes, where her only solace was the thought of killing Schillinger.

After Sonya's severe injuries and near death, the events of Affliction began to shape her personality once again, with Val and Jalix's support starting to turn the tide of her previous disabilities. She left the title of Sorrow behind, vowing to become more personable and willing to begin acknowledging emotional attachment. As the timeline of the series progressed, her emotional traumas were handled with better control, as she was more willing to seek help in times of distress.

Kara is considered to be agnostic rather than atheistic, claiming to have seen too much to believe that she is capable of perceiving something with the infinite power a God would necessarily possess. Although Aerael and some themes from her life take root in Christian terminology and Latin etymology, she is not of a Christian denomination, and largely participated in the naming conventions for the sake of her citizens. She has always held a respect for all cultures, religions, races, and sexual orientations, and holds a personal conviction to avoid the judgment of a person before they have proven deserving of it.

## Description

Kara stands approximately five feet and nine inches tall, with an athletic figure and proud posture. Her eyes are a bright silvery-grey, with a ring of deep black around her irises. One of her hallmark traits is the cool paleness of her skin and the long, black hair that extends to her lower back, making her recognizable even from a distance. This has contributed to historical accounts of Vampyres being pale creatures, and her aggression didn't aid in the perception that she was docile. While her genetics offered her a set of features that are considered to be sexually desirable, she makes every attempt to remain modest and avoid sexualizing herself out of personal preference. Her clothing style tends towards practicality, flexibility, and mobility, often opting for a long-sleeved shirt or sweater during the cooler seasons and a pair of dark jeans. In the late 1990's, Kara got a tattoo of one of Violet's drawings on her outer thigh, which was a series of thorned stems with blood-red roses interspersed throughout.

## Titles

### *Sorrow*

A codename used by Alice to help the two of them escape from the USSR and return to Aerael in the 1980's.

### *Vampyre Queen*

A derogatory insult used by Kilkovf and the Pyrates, never adopted by herself, her Counsel, or the citizens of Aerael.

## Relationships

Despite Krystal's romantic and fanatical obsession with Kara until the end of Volume I, Kara has never attempted or maintained a serious relationship. Although she has had very few and brief sexual encounters, her first true relationship was with Jalix when she realized her capacity for emotional attachment.

*(SERIES-WIDE SPOILERS AHEAD)*

Sometime during the events of *Sorrow*, or possibly the end of the *Affliction* timeline, Kara becomes unknowingly pregnant with Jalix's child. Despite being on hormonal birth control, her pregnancy successfully develops and culminates in the rapid gestation of their child. This process kills her, although she is able to see and name the child Amelia before she passes away.

Unknown to Jalix until her resurrection in one of Raven's laboratories and private admission afterward, Amelia was not her first child. Her capture and detainment in the USSR-run gulag in 1988 was primarily orchestrated by Schillinger with the intent of producing a "perfect heir" for his role in the case of his passing. Kara was raped by Schillinger until she conceived a child, and was tended to by Alice and Sonya throughout the brief pregnancy. Kara gave birth to twins, Ava and Annabelle, who later become known as Raven and Violet. At the time of birth, Schillinger was unaware that she had conceived twins, and whisked Ava away as soon as she was born. Alice helped deliver Annabelle (Violet) in secret, and with Sonya's help, they escaped the prison with Kara and the child. Due to Kara's traumatic suppression of the events, she was not aware of their existence until many years later when Alice helped her adopt Violet into the city. She avoided a role as a mother, allowing the city to influence her growth instead. After Sonya's amnesia, Alice was the only one to know of Violet and Raven's origins until Jalix was informed in confidence, and the public acknowledgement by Legacy in Desolation.

In the epilogues of Despair, Kara and Jalix have another child, a male this time, named Caleb Nicholas Kane (Caleb was the name of Jalix's father and Nicholas is Jalix's middle name).