Verv-Hoondai Chalskal

Verv-Hoondai Chalskal was a Skalithai ambassador during the Dark Times.

Biography
Ambassador Verv-Hoondai Chalskal planned a coup on Skalithai. Hearing of Professor Fallomax’s lifeshroud project, he contracted Brian to test their effectiveness by attempting to kill the demonstrator, Estinee, during a demonstration on Andalia. He presented himself as “High Ambassador of Skalithai and Standing-Throne Being of the Pan-Victis Defensive Alliance”. In truth he had no connection to the Alliance and hoped to use the lifeshrouds as armour on his mercenary forces to enact his coup.

After Estinee was captured by the Kotturuh, Brian contacted Chalskal and spoke with the Doctor. He claimed to want to put the lifeshrouds into the public domain, as a philanthropist. They agreed Estinee needed to be rescued, tracing her using “snoop DNA” that one of Chalskal’s tracers had injected into her. He later traced the Doctor and Brian to Fallomax’s ship via the same method. He was horrified to learn that a Kotturuh attack on his world was within weeks, as Estinee had overheard the Design’s date for Skalithai from the revenant that had been his predecessor. He agreed to let the Doctor and Fallomax work on making fully functional lifeshrouds, but insisted they work on his flagship rather than on the planet. This made the Doctor suspicious and he had Brian look into Chalskal. Brian discovered that Chalskal had not informed the President of the coming attack or the lifeshrouds.

When he came to inspect progress, the Doctor and Fallomax forced Chalskal to wear the prototype to test how long it worked. With him contained, Brian forced him to hand over control of the mercenary fleet to the Doctor. Brian supervised Chalskal whilst in the prototype, which worked for six hours before failing when it’s Mordeela crystals exploded. Brian found the resulting detonation “unexpectedly violent” however Chalskal survived and was taken for treatment on Skalithai, with the authorities assuring Brian that he’d be fit to stand trial soon. His fleet was given over to the Doctor as promised, as the authorities were horrified at the thought of having to pay them and accepted Brian’s claim that the Doctor could pay. (PROSE: The Knight, The Fool and The Dead)

Appearance
Chalskal was a diminutive creature with three tails which he used as limbs, only having vestigial arms and legs. He had a single yellow eye. (PROSE: The Knight, The Fool and The Dead)