K'YNDARII race
Classification: Extradimensional (Reality-791) extraterrestrial humanoids
Location/Base of Operations: Cymoril, third planet from the sun
in the K'yndar system (K'yndar III, homeworld)
formerly Carillon (K'yndar IV, colony, now
destroyed)
Habitat: Presumed to be Earth-like
Gravity: Unrevealed (presumed to be Earth-like)
Atmosphere: Suitable for oxygen-breathing life-forms
Known Members: (Cymoril) Baku,
Gerin, Shari
Estimated population: Unrevealed
(Carillon) pilot (name unrevealed)
Estimated population: (Carillon) 1 (presumably resettled on Cymoril); population prior
to planetary destruction unrevealed (but numbered in the millions)
Affiliations: The Ben'yr Federation, Ship, Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill)
Enemies: The Haalmhad community
First Appearance: Marvel Preview#15 (Summer, 1978)
Powers/Abilities: None known
Special adaptations: None known beyond pointed ears
Type: Humanoid
Eyes: Two
Fingers: Four (plus opposable thumb)
Toes: Five
Skin color: Light
Hair: None on males
Average height: 6' (estimated)
Type of government: Led by a president
Level of technology: Superior to Earth, with interplanetary spacecraft and laser cannon. Also possessed technology that enabled instantaneous communication across interstellar distances (but this may have been a gift from the Ben'yr Federation).
Traits: Peaceful but willing to defend themselves when necessary
History:
(Conjecture) - The humanoid race known as the K'yndarii (or the K'yndar) evolved on the third planet in the K'yndar star system, a world that they called Cymoril.
After developing the technology needed for interplanetary journeys, some K'yndarii travelled to and colonized the fourth planet in their star system, a world that they called Carillon.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - Existing on two worlds, the K'yndarii became an interplanetary culture. Being peaceful, they saw no need to build a starfleet, but Carillon did have some outer defenses as well as ground-based defenses in the form of massed batteries of laser cannon.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, the K'yndarii (or at least some of them) began to worship "the mother-goddess." Little is known about this deity except that she is believed to welcome innocent souls into Heaven.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - The K'yndarii may have known of the Haalmhad but apparently had no contact with them. For their part, the Haalmhad knew of the K'yndarii's interplanetary culture but did not consider it a threat to their survival.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - Fifty years before the encounter with the Haalmhad, stringent anti-pollution statutes were enacted in and around Cymoril's sprawling capital city.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, a K'yndarii named Baku, a man born in the Highlands on the far side of the planet from the capital, became president of the world-wide government on Cymoril.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Baku married a woman named Shari and they had two children together.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - Eventually, the K'yndarii allied themselves with the interstellar Ben'yr Federation. Learning of this alliance, the Haalmhad debated the possible threat that it posed to the survival of the Haalmhad. A majority of the community decided that the K'yndarii had become dangerous, and that the threat had to be eliminated...by destroying the K'yndarii.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - When the Haalmhad homeship arrived in the
K'yndar system, the K'yndarii welcomed them, believing that the Haalmhad would greet them as
friends. The Haalmhad refused to acknowledge the K'ynadrii's radio transmissions, a choice
which later prevented any attempts to surrender.
As the Haalmhad homeship began its weeks-long approach, the Carillon High
Command began to gather every ship they had to serve as outer defenses for their planet in
an attempt to stop the Haalmhad.
(Marvel Preview#15) - On "Monday morning," Carillon High Command sent every available ship to stop the Haalmhad attack, but the result was a massacre. The Haalmhad Starhawks easily smashed Carillon's outer defenses and in only a matter of hours they had command of local planetary vectors. However, when the first Haalmhad assault wave began to attack ground installations, they were cut to pieces by massed batteries of laser cannon. Learning from their mistake, the Starhawks began to neutralize the ground bases one by one using lasers or tactical fission nukes or strategic fusion nukes. Eventually, all military targets were destroyed, and the Haalmhad gunships began targeting Carillon's cities.
By the following day, most of the K'yndarii on Carillon had been killed. In one city, only a handful out of its half-million residents were still alive. Of the dead, the lucky ones died in the initial blasts of the megaton airbursts which reduced the city's proud towers to rubble or in the resulting firestorm. Those of the dead who had been less lucky had lived long enough to know pain. And the survivors, those who had been untouched by the attacks, were as good as dead because, although they still breathed, their bodies were already being consumed from within by radiation poisoning.
Carillon had been transformed into a "radioactive dust-ball (that was) instant death to any life...for at least the foreseeable future" but the Haalmhad commander, Caine, wasn't finished yet. Fearing that the planet's resources could still be used by others against the Haalmhad, Caine ordered the homeship's main energy cannon to open fire on pre-programmed coordinates. In a single salvo, huge energy beams burnt deep into Carillon's crust, cutting along the planet's natural geological fault lines. As a result, the planet's internal forces were released and Carillon almost instantaneously exploded into rubble.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - Unknown to the K'yndarii on Cymoril, the sensors of the sentient starship known as Ship had detected the destruction of Carillon. As a result of the strong empathic rapport between him and Ship, Star-Lord exerienced that destruction as a nightmare while he slept.
(Marvel Preview#15 (fb) - BTS) - On Cymoril, long-range sensors recorded the destruction of Carillon and monitored the Haalmhad homeship as it began looping over the sun, above the plane of the ecliptic, now on course for their world.
(Marvel Preview#15) - On Cymoril, at sunset in the capitol city, President
Baku asked Gerin for any news. Gerin told him that there was only more of the same: Carillon
was no more, the Haalmhad ship was looping over the sun, and the aliens would be in range of
Cymoril by morning and would probably begin their attack sometime the next day. Faced with
less than a day of life left for his world, Baku told Gerin that if any of his staff wished
to return to their families then they should be allowed to do so.
Baku then received an incoming audio-visual communication from the Ben'yr
Matriarch who asked if things were as bad as the reports said. Baku confirmed that the reports
were true and that he feared they would not talk again. Baku spoke briefly about how his people
were a peaceful race who had never seen the need for a starfleet and who had welcomed the
Haalmhad, thinking they would greet the K'yndarii as friends. Stating "what a waste" the
situation was since the two races could have helped each other so much, Baku admitted that
he had never realized that the Haalmhaad were so afraid and then excused himself to the
Matriarch, saying he had "much to do...and so little time." Baku then left for home.
At his home, Baku held his crying wife, Shari, and told her there was no
hope. Baku then took up a handgun and went into the bedroom where their two children were
sleeping. Stating that he didn't want the children to live to see the Halmhad attack that was
coming the next day, Baku tried to talk himself into shooting them so that they would die in
their sleep, with nothing but happy memories. Ultimately, Baku was unable to kill them and
he broke down crying in Shari's arms. Shari comforted him, reminding him that they yet lived
and while they lived they had hope. She ended by saying that if death came to claim them,
then they four would meet it together.
(Marvel Preview#15) - In space, at the outer reaches of the K'yndar system, Ship detected a single female humanoid life-form that was still alive and Star-Lord brought her into Ship where he provided medical treatment that saved her life.
(Marvel Preview#15 - BTS) - Working together, Star-Lord and Ship carried out a plan of sabotage which rendered the Haalmhad homeship powerless, reducing it to a billion-plus tons of inert metal. Star-Lord then gave the Haalmhad a choice: They could allow him to tow their disabled homeship to G-3 star system about twenty parsecs away where they would then be resettled on a Type-M planet that was primitive but livable. Or they could stay there in the K'yndar system and die when their emergency life support systems ran out.
Star-Lord predicted that the Haalmhad would accept his terms, albeit grudgingly and with anger at having been humbled, and Ship expressed her thanks that he had saved the K'yndar homeworld.
The reaction of the K'yndarii to being saved from the Haalmhad threat has never been revealed but it seems safe to assume that they were REALLY happy!
Comments: Created by Christopher Claremont, Carmine Infantino, and Bob Wiacek.
The story in Marvel Preview#15 is drawn in black-and-white makes it difficult to be sure what color skin the K'yndarii are supposed to have. The fact that they are not depicted as grey suggests that their skin color is lighter rather than darker. Given that they appear as pale as the Haalmhad, it may be that their skin color was, like the Haalmhad, meant to be identical to that of Caucasian humans.
I wrote this profile based on the idea that the people of
Carillon were members of the K'yndarii race who had colonized another planet in their home
star system. This seems to be a VERY reasonable assumption on my part, for the following
three reasons:
1. The people of Carillon look exactly like the people of Cymoril, with both groups being
humanoids with pointed ears, females having hair while males are bald, and their hands having
four fingers and an opposable thumb on each. Not conclusive, but significant.
2. The fact that the K'yndarii "possessed an interplanetary culture" means that members of
their race inhabited at least two planets in the same star system.
3. The destruction of Carillon and Cymoril were both phases of the same Haalmhad operation
whose purpose was to eliminate the threat posed to them by the K'yndarii.
Although this premise seems obvious, I cannot find any "official" or online confirmation of it so it remains an assumption.
Another thing that was never established was whether or not the governments of the planets Cymoril and Carillon were integrated. As such, Baku could have been the president of just the K'yndarii living on Cymoril or he could have been the leader of his entire species.
Profile by Donald Campbell.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The K'yndarii (or K'yndar) race and the planets K'yndar III and K'yndar IV have
no known connections to
The Ben'yr Federation has no known connections to
The planet Carillon has no known connections to
Gerin has no known connections to
Shari has no known connections to
Baku is a male K'yndarii who was born in the Highland region of the planet Cymoril, halfway around the world from that planet's capital city. Little has been revealed about his life prior to the Haalmhad crisis.
At some point, Baku met and married a K'yndarii woman named Shari. The couple had two children together.
At some point, Baku became president of Cymoril. Baku often meant to take a vacation in his Highland birthplace with Shari and their children, but his job kept him so busy that he was never able to find the time.
It was during Baku's presidency that the K'yndarii allied themselves with the interstellar Ben'yr Federation. Unbeknownst to the K'yndarii, the alien Haalmhad race decided that this alliance meant that the K'yndarii had now become a threat to them that would have to be eliminated.
When the Haalmhad homeship arrived in the K'yndar system, the K'yndarii welcomed them, with many K'yndarii (including Baku) believing that the Haalmhad would greet them as friends. They soon realized that they were wrong.
The threat posed by the Haalmhad kept Baku from getting any sleep for a week.
After watching the sunset on Cymoril, Baku entered the command center and asked his aide Gerin if there was any news. Gerin informed him that Carillon was no more and Cymoril was probably next, that the Haalmhad ship was looping the sun and would be in range by morning, and that they would probably begin their attack sometime later that day. Baku commented that there was not even a day left, then told Gerin that if any of his staff wished to return to their families he should let them go because one should meet the end with loved ones. Baku then received a communication from the Ben'yr Matriarch who bid him "Good morrow" and asked if things were as bad as the reports said. Baku pointed out that while it was morning to her it was sunset to him and then confirmed that the reports were true. The Matriarch remained silent while Baku pondered aloud about how the K'yndarii were a peaceful race who had never seen any need for a starfleet. Baku then spoke of how his people had welcomed the Haalmhad as friends, and of "what a waste" the situation was because the two races could have helped each other so much. After stating that he had never realized that the Haalmhad were so afraid, Baku asked the Martriarch to excuse him as he had much to do and so little time, and then told Gerin that if he should be needed he would be at his home, and left.
At his home, Baku was greeted by his crying wife. As he held her, Shari asked him if there was no hope and Baku confirmed that there was none, that their ships were gone and Carillon was destroyed, and that they had a day left. Baku then took out a handgun, went into their childrens' bedroom and spoke of how it would be better if they were to die in their sleep "with naught but happy memories" instead of living to see the Haalmhad attack. Baku then stated that the Mother-Goddess was kind and would surely welcome the children's innocent souls into Heaven. Baku then said that the children were so small, so beautiful, and asked Shari to help him do what he felt he must do, but he ultimately was unable to kill them and fell to his knees where he broke down crying in Shari's arms. Crying herself, Shari told her "dearest one" to weep and to let her comfort him, reminding him that they yet lived and while they lived they had hope. Shari ended by saying that if death came to claim them, then they four would meet it together.
--Marvel Preview#15
The Ben'yr Federation was an interstellar federation that was (presumably) located near the K'yndar star stystem. Nothing has been revealed about the size of this federation. At its bare minimum, the Ben'yr Federation would consist of a number of partially self-governing states on a single planet (the Ben'yr homeworld) which were controlled by a central (federal) government. Another possibility is that the federation was composed of only two planets, the Ben'yr homeworld and a single colony. A larger federation could have been made up of the Ben'yr homeworld and its multiple colonies. Finally, the largest possible Ben'yr Federation would encompass the Ben'yr homeworld and its colonies, plus the homeworlds and colonies of one or more other as-yet-unspecified species. However, due to the limited data provided, it's impossible to determine the federation's actual size.
Whatever its size, an alliance with the Ben'yr Federation apparently did not include any form of mutual defense pact under which its member worlds would unite to protect each other from external threats. At least, there was no indication that any members of the federation even offered to help the K'yndarii against the Haalmhad. Of course, it could be that none of the federation members would have stood any chance against the power of the Haalmhad homeship and that the K'yndarii were aware of this and so chose to not drag their new allies into a fight that would doom them as well.
Little is known about the Ben'yr race who are (presumably) the founders and/or leaders of the Ben'yr Federation. The Ben'yr themselves appear to be led by a female, the Matriarch, who may automatically be the leader of the federation as well. The Ben'yr are a bilaterally-symmetrical lifeform who appear to be avian in nature. Their heads are very bird-like with toothless beaked jaws. Ben'yr have two hands that have three fingers plus an opposable thumb each but resemble birds' claws in the narrowness of their digits and their wrists. Ben'yr may possess wings (retained from their ancestral form) but if not then they may favor wearing cloaks which are designed to resemble wings. During her communication with Baku, the Ben'yr Matriarch appeared to be surrounded by a glowing aura but it is unclear if this glow was natural or artificial in nature. Although the Ben'yr are presumed to be semi-humanoids with two arms and two legs (plus their wings), it's possible that they are more bird-like in form with their wings being modified forelimbs. If so, then they would have no arms and their "hands" (as seen in the image of the Matriarch) would actually be their feet.
Following the destruction of Carillon by the Haalmhad, the Ben'yr Matriarch contacted President Baku on Cymoril. She bid him "Good morrow" and asked if things were as bad as the reports said. Baku pointed out that while it was morning to her it was sunset to him and then confirmed that the reports were true. The Matriarch remained silent while Baku wondered aloud about the Haalmhad, and then Baku asked her to excuse him as he had much to do and so little time.
Little is known of the level of technology possessed by the Ben'yr Federation. They presumably possess the capability for faster-than-light travel and it seems likely that they gave the K'yndarii the technology that enabled instantaneous communication across interstellar distances.
Note: It is (theoretically) possible that "Ben'yr Matriarch" is just the title held by any female leader of the Ben'yr Federation. This could mean that the individual who communicated with Baku was not actually a Ben'yr herself. Then again, why make things more complicated than they have to be?
--Marvel Preview#15
The fourth planet from the sun in the K'yndar system, K'yndar IV was also called Carillon by its inhabitants. The planet had apparently been colonized long ago by members of the K'yndarii race who had traveled there from their homeworld, K'yndar III (also known as Cymoril). With members of their race living on both planets, the K'yndarii were regarded as possessing an interplanetary culture. The number of K'yndarii living on Carillon at the time of the Haalmhad attack has never been revealed but, since at least one city was inhabited by a half-million people, the total population was definitely in the millions.
When the K'yndarii allied themselves with the Ben'yr Federation, the nomadic Haalmhad came to view them as a threat that had to be eliminated, so the Haalmhad homeship traveled to the K'yndar system. The K'yndarii initially welcomed the Haalmhad as friends but soon realized their hostile intent and the High Command began to prepare to defend their planets. When the Haalmhad Starhawks appraoched Carillon, the K'yndarii sent every ship they had to serve as outer defenses for the planet. Unfortunately, their ships were greatly outmatched by the Starhawks who massacred the defenders. Only one pilot is known to have survived the battle.
With Carillon's outer defenses smashed, the Starhawks then turned their attention to the planet itself and initiated air-to-ground attacks. However, in their arrogance the Haalmhad had not expected much opposition from ground-based installations and thus their first assault wave was cut to pieces by the massed batteries of laser cannon on Carillon's surface. Recovering quickly, the Starhawks began to neutralize the ground bases one by one using lasers or tactical fission nukes or strategic fusion nukes. Eventually, all military targets were destroyed and the Haalmhad gunships began targeting Carillon's cities. Within a day, most of the K'yndarii on Carillon had been killed and (most of) those who still survived were already terminally ill from radiation poisoning.
Shortly before the end, it was almost as dark as night on Carillon's surface as the miles-high clouds of smoke and dust from the nuclear detonations blocked the sunlight so that the only light came from the still-burning fires. Almost all of Carillon's military installations had been destroyed, as had their industrial and population centers. There was massive surface and atmospheric ionization, radiation levels that were far above that which the K'yndarii could tolerate, and extensive ground and marine contamination. Additionally, the mean surface temperature was increasing, there was considerable tectonic activity, and the Haalmhad's bio-analysis indicated a minimal possiblity for survivial of any life form more advanced than basic protoplasm. However, although Carillon was now a "radioactive dust-ball" that would be instant death to any life form, the Haalmhad commander, Caine, still feared that its resources could someday be used against them so, on his order, the homeship fired a single salvo of huge energy beams that seared deep into the planetary crust, cutting the planet open along its natural geological fault lines so that, in almost no time at all, its internal stresses caused it to explode into rubble.
Three light-years away, the sensors of the sentient starship known as Ship monitored and recorded Carillon's destruction, and her empathic bond with Star-Lord caused him to experience a very bad nightmare.
The only known survivor from the population of Carillon was the pilot who was rescued by Star-Lord and Ship.
--Marvel Preview#15
Gerin was a male K'yndarii who appeared to be Baku's chief aide. Since Baku was the president, and Gerin had a staff of subordinates, Gerin's title was probably the K'yndarii equivalent of "chief of staff." It was not revealed how long Gerin had held this position prior to the crisis with the Haalmhad.
At sunset of the day of Carillon's destruction, Baku entered Cymoril's command center and asked Gerin if there was any news. Gerin replied:
Only more of the same, Mr. President. Carillon is no more; we're probably next. The Haalmhad ship is looping the sun, above the plane of the ecliptic. They'll be in range by morning, and probably begin their attack sometime tomorrow.
Baku commented that there was not even a day left, then told Gerin that if any of his staff wished to return to their families he should let them go because one should meet the end with loved ones.
Shortly afterwards, following the conclusion of his conversation with the Ben'yr Matriarch, Baku told Gerin that if he should be needed he would be at his home, and then left.
--Marvel Preview#15
Although the K'yndarii were a peaceful race who had never seen the need for a starfleet to defend them, Carillon had defensive ground installations that were equipped with massed batteries of laser cannon. When the first assault wave of Haalmhad Starhawks began their air-to-ground attacks on the planet, these laser cannon were able to cut them to pieces. Unfortunately, this was only possible because the Haalmhad, after easily smashing Carillon's outer defenses, had become so arrogant that they hadn't expected much opposition from any ground-based defenses. Once they realized their mistake, the Starhawks began using lasers and tactical fission nukes and strategic fusion bombs to neutralize each ground base one by one until they had all been destroyed and Carillon was left defenseless.
It was not revealed if any such massed batteries of laser cannon had been emplaced on the planet Cymoril. However, even if they existed they would have been ineffective without the element of surprise which had enabled the Carillon laser batteries to wipe out the first Haalmhad attack wave.
--Marvel Preview#15
The pilot was an adult female K'yndarii whose name has never been revealed. She is presumed to have been an inhabitant of the now-destroyed planet of Carillon, but she might have been a Cymoril native who came to assist in defending Carillon from the Haalmhad attack. Actually, it was never established that she was a pilot, but I needed to call her something.
The pilot was aboard one of the ships which the High Command sent to stop the Haalmhad attack force. Unfortunately, the K'yndarii ships were far outmatched by the Haalmhad Starhawks who smashed through Carillon's outer defenses as if they hadn't existed and massacred the defenders. The pilot's ship was damaged and she survived in a spacesuit that was tethered to her damaged ship.
Later, after Carillon's destruction, the sentient starship Ship arrived in the vicinity of the battle, and her sensors detected the presence of a single living life-form that was humanoid and female. Ship's sensors revealed that the pilot's vital signs were stable but weak, and her suit's environmental levels were dangerously weak. In response, Star-Lord exited from Ship, severed the pilot's tether and brought her aboard Ship. Once Ship confirmed that she breathed oxygen and no environmental modification would be needed, Star-Lord removed her suit and brought her to the medical section where he and Ship then provided medical treatment. It was touch-and-go for a while but the patient survived, and Star-Lord stated that she would recover.
What happened to the pilot subsequently has not been revealed. She was presumably still aboard Ship during the confrontation with the Haalmhad homeship, but it seems likely that Ship brought her to Cymoril before towing the homeship away from the K'yndar system.
Note: The Omniscient Narrative states that Ship and Star-Lord found the survivor drifting "in the outer reaches of the K'yndar system." This would seem to be inconsistent with the idea that Carillon's defenders only challenged the Haalmhad Starhawks when they approached the planet. This could mean that this pilot was part of a force that had opposed the Haalmhad at some earlier point in time, before the main attack began. However, there's no way to confirm this so I've been forced to assume that she was part of the only space battle depicted in the story.
--Marvel Preview#15
Shari was the wife of Baku and the mother of their two children. Nothing else has been revealed about her past. It was not revealed if she had married Baku and bore their children before or after he became president.
Shari was waiting for her husband when he returned home. Shari was crying as she embraced Baku and asked him if there was no hope. Baku confirmed that there was none, that their ships were gone and Carillon was destroyed, and that they had a day left. When Baku took out a handgun, went into their childrens' room and spoke of how it would be better if they were to die in their sleep instead of living to see the Haalmhad attack, Shari was shocked but didn't move to stop him. However, ultimately unable to go through with the mercy killing, Baku dropped the handgun and sank to his knees. With tears running down her cheeks, Shari embraced her husband and said:
Weep, my dearest one. Let me comfort you.
We yet live, Baku, and while we live, we have hope. The two blessings are handmaidens.
And if death comes to claim us, we four will meet it together.
Little has been revealed about Baku and Shari's two children, not even their names. Judging by their size, they may have been the same age, possibly twins, and their lack of hair suggests that they were both boys (unless female K'yndarii are also hairless in their youth?).
Both children remained asleep, with happy smiles on their faces, as their father wrestled with the idea of killing them while they slept. Among the toys seen in their bedroom were a male doll, a female doll, a dog-like stuffed animal and a book entitled "Trek to the Stars" which featured a familiar-looking starship on its cover.
--Marvel Preview#15
images: (without ads)
Star-Lord: Worlds On the Brink#1 (February, 2014), page 50, panel 1 (main image)
page 49, panel 5 (Baku)
page 50, panel 2 (Ben'yr Matriarch)
pages 42-43 (Carillon after attack)
page 44, panel 3 (Carillon as radioactive dust-ball)
page 50, panel 1 (Gerin)
page 41, panel 3 (Carillon's laser cannon)
page 52, panel 1 (pilot and ship)
page 52, panel 5 (pilot being treated)
page 51, panel 6 (Shari holding Baku)
page 51, panel 4 (Baku and Shari's children)
Appearances:
Marvel Preview#15 (Summer, 1978) - Chris Claremont (writer), Carmine Infantino (penciler),
Bob Wiacek (inker), Rick Marschall (editor), Ralph Macchio (associate editor), Roy Thomas
(consulting editor)
Reprinted in Star-Lord: Worlds On the Brink#1 (February, 2014)
Last updated: 10/28/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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