The Historians

This entry will be a slight departure from my usual, single topic approach. My intention, through the introduction of two supporting characters is to highlight an aspect common in most content, whether it be written or visual: the contrarian. A contrarian type character comes in many forms; peer, marital arts teacher, college professor, sage, or an older character down the street who is far too blunt and matter of fact for most people’s tastes. If you are thinking of Yoda for the Star Wars universe, you are on the right track.

In the Sy’Arrian Legacy Series, two prominent historians; Kyle Brandis and Larin Trylus fill this role, although you can have varying levels on contrarian type characters scattered throughout your tale. Having created the first Sy’Arrian library, both Kyle and Larin had direct contact with those who served on the Cri’lin Council, where they often provided direct and balanced perspectives.

Born in 1994 to English mother Lyssa Hollister and German father Ulrich Brandis, Kyle was a prodigy who, by the age of 14, excelled in mathematics, astronomy, particle physics and chemistry. This would lead him to attend the University of Oxford in 2010 at the ripe age of 16, where he earned a PhD shortly after his 19th birthday. Content to be buried in books and expounding a myriad of theories most of his colleagues considered eccentric at best, Kyle found himself keenly interested in history, which he believed served to balance the sciences by challenging the egocentric views points he often encountered in his peers.

From the outside, Kyle stood at 1.89 meters, displayed the same strong jawline, high cheekbones, and light blond hair of his father, all carried on a lightly muscled frame with broad shoulders. On the inside, he emulated the heart, undaunting spirit, and compassion of his mother, giving him a keen sense as to the real intentions of those he encountered. These traits often served to throw many off balance who adhered to stereotypes of highly astute people preferring the company of finely bound literature.

During his travels to key historical locations on Earth, Kyle eventually crossed paths with Lucas Mirriam and the Sha’ran brothers, Tyler and Michael. Through them he would learn more about certain abilities he kept hidden from those closest to him, why he appeared to age slower than his four other siblings, and how he was able to see in other visual spectrums. Despite his high intelligence and knowledge of the sciences, Kyle struggled to find his place in the world and assign a cause as to how his ability to touch the known elements could manifest within him.

Over the course of his first several hundred years of living, Kyle worked closely with Lucas, Tyler and Michael, where his true calling fell squarely in his lap in the form of becoming the first historian who chronicled the struggles of a new race, who would eventually call themselves Sy’Arrians.

Having never taken a life partner, Kyle knew it was imperative to pass his knowledge and wisdom to another. Recognizing a kindred spirit in a young man by the name of Larin Trylus, Kyle enlisted Larin as his apprentice where they established the first library to store all information relating to the Sy’Arrian race.

Considered one of the oldest living Sy’Arrians with Bayne Thaddeous coming eight years after in 2550, Larin Trylus was born in 2542, merely 38 years prior to the Sy’Arrian exodus from Earth in 2580. His name is the combination of two surnames from his parents; Vadim Larin, a Russian cosmonaut and Anka Trybus, a classically trained Polish musician. His mother felt Trybus did not roll off the tongue well enough when used with his first name, so Anka’s creative nature came through when she opted for Trylus, an alternative spelling seen at sporadic points in her lineage. In reality, changing his last name only served to further his father’s playful teasing of his mother.

Larin’s singular wit and voracious appetite for literature allowed for pursuits in philosophy, psychology and history. During the 45-year voyage in space until colonizing their new home planet Hyprus in 2625, the young Sy’Arrian absorbed almost every source of knowledge in his chosen areas of specialty, which eventually caught the eye of Kyle Brandis who took Larin as his apprentice.

Larin and Kyle were inseparable, spending most of their time together exploring the philosophical points of social constructs to the hypothetical chemical reactions necessary for Sy’Arrian abilities to manifest. Some speculated the two were romantically involved, thinking it a perfect pairing given their interests and propensity at finishing each other’s sentences. Larin’s slightly smaller stature of 1.83 meters, gregarious nature, short black hair, and piercing green eyes served to compliment Kyle’s more subdued demeanor.

Their shared interests and combined contributions during the initial colonization phase of Hyprus, provided them an opportunity to create the first Sy’Arrian library, where all the accumulated knowledge from Earth and those of the other races they would eventually encounter, were stored in what was later called, The Brandis Athenaeum. Larin replaced Kyle after his untimely death in 2650.

Larin also became a prominent figure in the lives of several Sy’Arrian leaders by providing sage advice and moral direction.

Feel free to post your questions or comments. I will respond, if need be, when I am able.