Niamh Eshe Kaket Onuris - the beautiful, yet unnerving lady pictured above - is one of the last of a race of creatures known as the Akhet.  The Akhet are all immortal, or at least old enough that historical records have always made mention of them.  There are only seven of the Akhet left, all of them unable to bear children, and all having a solitary nature.  The remaining number seperated long ago, spreading to the far corners of The Void, and setting up the foundations of what would become the Seven Great Cities in the coming millenia.  They set themselves as rulers of these cities from the first, and eventually the term "Akhet" or the singular "Akhae" became synonymous with the word for "Ruler" or "King/Queen."

They all are vaguely human in appearance at first glance, but interestingly, each of the Akhet has innately differing physical characteristics.  Niamh, for example, has her characteristic "tentacles" instead of regular human hair, which has earned her many colorful nicknames over the centuries, including the inevitable "Snakehead."  It is unknown why physical appearance differs so much from each individual, nor which of these traits would be passed on, had they been able to produce offspring.  All of the Akhet are similar, however, in that they all have hands with four knuckles per finger, and all have distinctive, ghost-like eyes, glazed over with a grey color similar to cataracts.

Niamh rules the Great City of Nevanne, located along the Northwestern Divide.  Niamh is also the adoptive mother of the human Princess General Alaam, who commands all branches of the Ripmorum located within the city.

Some very early thumbnails of Niamh from my sketchbook:

That's all for now....More to come!

-L