Character Portrait James Striken
Since the beginning of 2023, I’ve had the opportunity to flesh out more and more specifics related to the Sy’Arrians. Everything from finishing much needed character backgrounds, fine-tuning their historical timeline to establishing cultural norms. The flow of information could not be more fluid and appropriate as I prepare to pull The Cradle of Destiny from my existing electronic publisher in August of this year. Although a tad scary, it is also very liberating and exhilarating as I mentally prepare myself to once again begin submitting cover letters and chapter synopses.
One of the aforementioned character backgrounds is associated with another of my personal favorites in Sy’Arrian lore. Aside from some of the more prominent founding members of the Sy’Arrian race, James Striken is one of the most pivotal characters due to unifying all the races under a single banner and putting an end to rampant lawlessness in the more remote sectors of the universe during the 133-year conflict known as The Amalgamation Conflict, also known as The Unification of Races.
Unlike many of my prior character backgrounds, the image I had of James was always very clear. He personifies a physical appearance similar to other characters in stories whose authors were very good at painting a picture of an imposing figure in both stature and mental fortitude. For those who have read of the druid Allanon from Terry Brooks’, Shannara books should have a better image to play with when reading the character description of my own, James Striken.
Born to parents Lisette Braun and Alaric Striken in 2680, James Striken grew to an impressive 240 centimeters and 125 kilograms, making him one of the largest Sy'Arrians to have ever lived. Sy'Arrian scientists, endeavoring to unravel the mysteries of Akasha, speculated the size of any one Sy'Arrian directly influenced how fluid Akasha would flow within them. Considering most Sy'Arrians, no matter their gender, average between 190 to 195 centimeters with rare cases of 180 centimeters, the hypothesis was later dropped as purely speculative.
Both the Braun and Striken family lines originated from 11th century Earth in the European county of Germany. Lisette's family retained their original surname when they relocated to the North American continent to settle in what used to be known as the country of Canada in the late 1600's. On the other hand, Alaric's changed their surname from Strick to Striken when they also migrated to Canada in the early 1700's to better assimilate with the culture. Little did they realize their decision to change surnames would do little to help them blend in given Canada's origins as a primarily French colony until 1763. This would eventually emerge as a humorous tale told by each generation of Striken and a lesson to perform better research before making such an important change.
Severely injured as a young boy during an unsupervised attempt to practice Akasha, when utilizing an earth-based maneuver to help remove debris from a recent landslide, James' prognosis from some of the best Sy'Arrian healers, did not bode well of his likelihood to ever walk without assistance again. This did little to deter James from achieving a full recovery as he began to study numerous technological and natural approaches with the use of Akasha as the primary catalyst. For almost ten-years, the young man fought and struggled through one failed attempt after another, while still retaining an unwavering optimism.
It would only be mere weeks away from the 10-year mark of his injury when James would achieve the breakthrough he had worked tirelessly to obtain. By overcoming a mental barrier towards the very element that severely injured him so long ago, James used the metal composition of the braces attached to his legs, along with the elements of water and earth to form an elemental bandage, completely encasing his legs and spine.
Through focused meditation and channeling his body's inner temperature, James effectively infused the broken areas of his body with the natural components of earth and what comprised his braces to aid in repairing the affected areas, while allowing water to nourish and flush out contaminants from his body. When the technological remnants fell off his body with no visible scarring and James began to walk freely with no assistance, Sy'Arrian healers began immediately to replicate the process for inclusion in their healing codex.
The technique utilized to create such a synergistic and accelerated healing effect was eventually adopted for more serious triage efforts on the field of battle or when access to a full-fledged medical center was not possible. Sy'Arrian healers and scientists combined their efforts to develop a small, cylindrical medical kit, roughly 30 centimeters in length.
Referred to as mediwrap by those on the battlefield, the term was eventually adopted by the entire Sy'Arrian scientific and healing communities. Through James’ steadfast determination in healing his own broken body, a technique was developed combining both technological and elemental practices, which would help save the lives of many Sy'Arrians in the years to come.
A highly calculated and categorical thinker, James could easily bring order to chaos using rational thought and focused pragmatism. He often mentioned, "Be the calmest person in the room," especially when it came to political negotiations or speaking with his life partner, Liara Mirriam.
For James Striken, it was less about proving your point than it was about navigating towards a truer understanding of why sentient beings react the way they do and how to establish common ground in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. This innate ability would lead to several significant milestones in James' life, most notably the establishment of the Sy'Arrian Warrior class in 2732 and the Amalgamation Conflict.
In 2800, James left Hyprus to unite the scattered and lawless races based on what many referred to as a lofty concept fashioned around universal collaboration and cooperation. It was a bold move, one many of the other races in the universe felt was an overt display of power and the Sy'Arrians were overstepping their authority in matters of cultural politics. Not to mention he was leaving behind his life partner Liara and son, Alexis for a conflict lasting 133-years. Although the universe was less divided and the races could breathe easier to focus on developing their unique cultures, the cost in terms of lives lost was immeasurable. The most notable event was the Battle of Jekka of 2814 in the Zeta star system, where Vadim Larin, Anka Trybus, and Alaric Striken were killed in battle.
In order to facilitate a clear distinction from the Sy’Arrian government on Hyprus, James commissioned numerous engineers, artisans, and architects to build a floating city in orbit above the planet of Altrum to house the new Telerin Confederation. In 2934, construction began on Terakia, aimed at housing the seat of the Telerin Confederation and serving as a hub for all races to convene in a peaceful setting.
James would remain as the Telerin Confederation's first Premier until his death in 3081 at the hands of terrorists, while defending the Altrum Mining Facility.
As always, I wish for you to be safe, be well, and continuously strive to build your mind on a foundation of compassion and unconditional love. By doing so, you will influence others to do the same and help make the universe a much better place to live by helping change one mind at a time for the better.
Thank you for reading.
