Yeros Demio Kalama

 

In this Krybolotinian name, the form name is Kalama and the family name is Demio.

Grand Commander Yeros Demio Kalama
Commander Kalama's official portrait (2402)
Commander of the Krybolotinian Imperium
In office November 17, 2361 – July 22, 2487
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Anderav Kalama
Prime Legislator of the Krybolotinian Republic
In office October 2, 2360 – November 17, 2361
Preceded by	Oros De'aka Foresa
Succeeded by	Olirius Lavassira Hugo
Vice Prime Legislator of the Krybolotinian Republic
In office January 14, 2352 – October 2, 2360
Preceded by	Yivobater Delasse Tryjara
Succeeded by	Olmhen Jadet Maxiom
Legislator to the District of Salboria
In office March 11, 2340 – January 14, 2352
Preceded by	Jennet Hugo Deltres
Succeeded by	Olaven Maxiom Meteser
Personal details
Born	July 9, 2306 Lavassia, Colarium, Salboria system
Died	July 22, 2487 (Aged 181) Salboria Station, Salboria system
Political party	Restoration Party (2328-2361) Imperial Party (2361-2487)
Spouse(s)	Soria Sivity Kalama (m. 2339)
Children	Anderav Holiste Olisen Ba'ade Sanneka
Religion	Tydoba-Odeaism

Yeros Demio Kalama (born Yeros Kalama Demio; July 9, 2306–July 22, 2487) was a Krybolotinian revolutionary and the first Grand Commander of the Krybolotinian Imperium. Being the founding Commander of the nation, Kalama was responsible for the long and deadly Krybolotinian Civil War as well as the enslavement of billions of non-Kryboltinian individuals for economic benefit. Kalama is widely regarded as one of the most brutal dictators in history and numerous psychologists and historians have considered him an embodiment of totalitarianism. His role in the spread and strengthening of Tydoba-Odeaism was not only crucial to the formation of the Krybolotinian Imperium and the centuries of racial injustice that followed it, but also to a long-standing religious divide among Odeaists that manifested itself in numerous conflicts and riots that most likely resulted in thousands of more deaths long after the Imperium fell.

Kalama was born on July 6, 2306 on the Krybolotinian Republic's colony of Colarium, and was thus exposed to other species and the racial tension between Krybolotinians and Surmestos from a very early age. Throughout his childhood, he endured a number of emotional and physical hardships, including a blizzard in 2323 that may have caused him mental damage. As he grew older, Kalama grew to resent Surmestos and eventually every species other than the Krybolotinians. As a result, he grew attracted to Tydoba-Odeaism, a sect of Odeaism that promoted radical pro-Krybolotinianism and subjugation of all other races. His ideas appealed to the long-suffering population of the Salboria system who quickly grew to like Kalama and he was elected to be the Legislator for the system. Despite facing much opposition from the majority Ertoma-Odeaist population of the Republic, Kalama continued to gain favor among the growing Tydoba-Odeaistic population and regularly attended religious conventions and councils. He was eventually appointed Vice Prime Legislator of the Krybolotinian Republic, by potentially fraudulent means, and would later ascend to the seat of Prime Legislator upon the assassination of his predecessor, Oros De'aka Foresa. Now having significant political influence within the nation, Kalama began to rally more and more support among the Krybolotinian population, and his party won seats in several formerly Ertoma-Odeaist star systems.

After an attempt on his life by a Surmesto, which left him seriously injured, Kalama retaliated by releasing a poison into Colarian municipal plumbing that resulted in the gruesome deaths of most of the Surmestan population. At this point Kalama declared that he no longer felt that him and his people were protected by the Krybolotinian Republic and proceeded to form the Krybolotinian Imperium. Upon the formation of the Imperium, Kalama quickly gained control of Colarium but was met with fierce retaliation by the Republic's army. However, in the ensuing civil war, Kalama repeatedly outsmarted Krybolotinian forces and attacked the non-Krybolotinian peoples by targeting specific biological weaknesses of theirs. Through brute force and immense loss of life, Kalama conquered all of the Republic's former territory, turned the remaining loyalist population into supporters through intense propaganda, and began his official rule as Grand Commander of the Krybolotinian Imperium.

As Commander of the Imperium, Kalama ruled with an iron fist. He led numerous propaganda campaigns in his early years of rule to strengthen his rule and approval among the population. He then began utilizing censorship to block out any content or creators deemed to be contrary to interests of the Imperium. He also suppressed freedom of speech and imposed harsh penalties against anti-Imperial activists that could range from severe fines to spending time in a labor camp. Over the course of the 25th century, Kalama gained complete control over the Imperium and all of its territories and rebel activity had been all but snuffed out entirely. Kalama rejected freedom of religion and mandated that all Imperial citizens follow Tydoba-Odeaism or any practically similar Odeaistic sect (which were clearly defined by the government). Despite Yeros's efforts, he was never able to eliminate all opposition against the Imperium and spent much of his rule trying to get rid of the last rebel groups, a task which both he and subsequent Grand Commanders were unable to complete.

Yeros Kalama was killed on July 22, 2487 during the Salboria Space Station Attack, an act of uncharacteristic violence by the Krybolotinians for Liberty organization. He was succeeded, in accordance with Imperial law, by his eldest child Anderaav Demio Kalama.

Ancestry

Yeros Demio Kalama is a member of the Kalama form and is thus a direct descendant of Odeais's daughter Kalama. He was the third child of entrepreneur and business owner Divio Kalama Demio (2252–2323) and aspiring chef Ulira Kalama Aldagora Demio (2257–2331). He had three siblings: Haxan Kalama Demio (2299–2489), Sivia Kalama Demio (2303–2323), and Holiste Kalama Demio (2310–2327). Being a member of the Kalama form, Yeros used his heritage to explain the importance he placed on form-based careers: members of the Kalama form were generally expected to take political or propaganda-related jobs. because of this, Yeros pressured citizens of the Imperium to pursue jobs related to their forms' stereotypical roles.

Early life and childhood

Birth and early years

Yeros Kalama Demio was born on July 9, 2306 in the city of Lavassia on the planet of Colarium. Colarium was within the district of Salboria, which comprised of the star Salboria, its planets, and all other bodies within the system. From a very young age, Yeros displayed signs of extreme intelligence, and his parents enrolled him in primary school at just 5 years old—two years before most Krybolotinian children. Instructors recalled that he was by far the brightest of his pupils and constantly under challenged by his work. Other instructors noted that Kalama especially enjoyed logic puzzles and other sorts of actvities that involved high levels of strategy and comprehensive thinking.

Yeros and his family lived in a two-story family home near the mountainous outskirts of Lavassia, and the young Kalama was reported to spend hours wandering the woods with his older sister Sivia. His father entertained a number of nature-related hobbies, including gardening, hunting, and fishing, which he taught to his children.

Yeros Kalama in a school photo taken in 2316.

Early on, Yeros was exposed to the social divide between Krybolotinians and Surmestos, a purple gelatinous race that was introduced to Colarium by the Krybolotinians for them to provide resources and materials to the Krybolotinian Republic. Though the two species largely lived in different parts of the planet and rarely crossed paths, there was evident tension between them when they did. In early conversations with his parents, Yeros expressed a harsh attitude towards Surmestos, which they were quick to discourage.

Yeros's family were practicing Ertoma-Odeaists, and so he regularly attended an Ertoma-Odeaistic sactiel and partook in religious observances. He later remarked that his religious upbringing had taught him to be compassionate with other Krybolotinians but also that he began to look down on all other species.

Adolescence

In 2318, when Yeros was 12 years old, his parents began having marital issues after Divio discovered Uliira had been having an extramarital affair. Though this in itself was not usually a marriage-ending revelation in Krybolotinian culture, Uliira had also been considering leaving Divio and eloping with her other partner. After undergoing marriage counseling and trying to fix their relationship, Divio and Uliira separated and were officially divorced in January of 2319. The two decided to split custody of their children equally: each parent would have two of the children at any time and would then swap custody every eight months. Notably, Yeros ended up being separated from his sister Sivia, which outside observers noted seemed to devastate him. Uliira, Yeros, and Holiste moved to an apartment in downtown Lavassia whereas Divio, Sivia, and Haxan moved to a more spacious farmhouse in the countryside. This arrangement, however, did not last long: Divio was offered a job in Trymentatine and soon moved to the planet.

In the year 2322, Uliira began suffering from financial troubles and sent Yeros to live with his father for a year in order to gain her bearings. Yeros, wanting to see Sivia again, readily accepted the offer and departed that April. The trip was a positive experience for Yeros at first, but soon the long Trymentatinian winter set in. Due to Trymentatine's high axial tilt and slightly elliptical orbit, the northern hemisphere of Trymentatine (where the Kalama family lived) experienced warm summers followed by bitterly cold and long winters. Though most people migrated to the southern hemisphere for that time (which was in summertime and significantly warmer), Divio stayed in the north to take advantage of lucrative ice mining opportunities.

In March of 2323, in during the coldest part of the winter, a strong winter storm formed and swept across much of the planet's northern hemisphere. Though residents were advised to evacuate ahead of the storm, Divio chose to stay for now-unknown reasons. Yeros, Sivia, and Haxan begged him to reconsider, but he wasn't swayed and the Kalama family remained where they were. By the time the storm reached their area, it had gained incredible strength and began to destroy their home. Divio and Sivia attempted to escape through to a more hospitable location, but were both lost to the storm and never seen again.

In the meantime, Yeros and his brother Haxan remained at the house while it was being torn apart. The two descended into the basement for protection from the snow, but the extremely cold temperatures there caused severe hypothermia despite the two starting a fire. Yeros fainted sometime during the blizzard and may have suffered a stroke at this time, though the specifics are unclear. The storm eventually passed after about a day, at which point Haxan rushed Yeros to a hospital, where he was treated for the cold shock and remained there for over a week as he recovered. In the ensuing search-and-rescue efforts, Divio's car was found about four miles away from the house, and a set of footprints was found leading into a large cave system where it is likely the two Krybolotinians perished from the cold or some sort of aggressive cave animal.

Upon being discharged from the hospital, Yeros and Haxan returned to Colarium to live with their mother, who continued to suffer from financial troubles and eventually turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Yeros had apparently become a different person entirely; teachers and peers noted that he had completely shifted his demeanor and shut people out. Where he was once a high-achieving and happy student, he had become more lazy and reclusive. He displayed a complete lack of social qualities, ignoring people who tried to talk with him and acting generally abrasive towards everyone he knew. Though many of his teachers expressed concern over what had happened, Uliira was far too depressed herself to notice or care.

In 2327, when Yeros was 21 years old, their mother got into a physical altercation with Holiste and accidentally stabbed him. Yeros and Haxan both fled the scene and called the police, and Uliira was arrested. Holiste died a few days later from his wounds and Uliira committed suicide shortly after finding out. Yeros and Haxan moved in together, but the two eventually separated after Haxan expressed concerns about his the Yeros's mental state and how it may have affected his newborn child.

Notably, in order to avoid entering the foster system (as he was still legally a Krybolotinian minor until he turned 25), Yeros declared financial and legal independence and took up a part-time job at a delivery center. In this way, Yeros made enough money to rent a low-end apartment in the inner city.

Independent life

According to friends, Yeros experienced some sort of spiritual revival in 2329, when he was 22 years old. He allegedly began attending Ertoma-Odeaistic sactiels and even started partaking in more religious observances. However, he also wrote about being frustrated by the passivity of Ertoma-Odeaism, saying that he wanted to find an Odeaistic sect that brought "proper retribution to non-Krybolotinians".

This belief was only further strengthened when, in early 2330, Yeros was making a delivery to a part of the planet largely inhabited by Surmestos and was attacked by a group of them when re-entering his truck. He escaped with moderate injuries but had to leave the truck behind, and all of the goods he had been carrying were stolen. In order to pay back his employer for the loss, Yeros's pay was docked for a few months and he struggle to pay his rent. After receiving aid from both his employer and his landlord Yeros was able to remain in his apartment and recovered from the financial loss rather quickly, but the harsh treatment of the Surmestos toward him likely stuck with him for the rest of his life.

Immediately after the attack, Yeros stopped regularly attending his sactiel and seemingly experienced a sort of paranoid breakdown. His brother later recalled conversations the two had where Yeros described feeling lost and surrounded by threats. Some analysts have drawn this up to psychological trauma caused by the attack, whereas othera believed it was a physiological, consequence of brain damage he had received during the blizzard. Either way, Yeros spent about three months in this state during 2330.

As time passed, Yeros slowly began to recover from his mental struggles but never returned to his original sactiel. For some time in 2330 and 2331, he became irreligious and opposed the idea of rejoining any sactiel for fear of supporting their message of acceptance. He began studying at the Lavassian Technical Institute and worked to earn a Institutional Certification in Biolotechnology, specifically focusing the anatomy of Krybolotinians and other species inhabiting the Republic. As time passed, Yeros's segregatory beliefs drew him to the Restoration Party, a political organization in Krybolotine hoping to restore direct Krybolotinian rule over the planet with the other species and push Odeiasm on them. The form of Odeaism they supported, however, was called Tydoba-Odeaism, differing from Ertoma in that it looked down on non-Kryboltinians and considered them biologically inferior. Yeros found himself attracted to this sect and began attending a Tydoba-Odeaistic sactiel in 2332. His brother Haxan vehemently opposed this move, however, and subsequently cut off all ties with Yeros.

Political career in the Krybolotinian Republic

In 2333, Yeros attained his Institutional Certification in Biotechnology, and began looking for a job in a related field. However, he also began dating Soria Maxiom Sivity (2307-2617), a politically radical attendee of his sactiel who believed Yeros's strategic skills would be better used in a political field and convinced him to abandon his biotechnological pursuits. In late 2333, Yeros began studying political science and law. As he began to spend more time around more Restorationists, he earned a good rapport with them. Ji'ende Foresa Oracum, a leader of the party in Salboria, noted that he was "incredibly persuasive and contagiously charismatic," though he pointed out that Yeros's behavior rubbed off on him as excessively forceful sometimes. He received his Institutional Certification of Law from Oxes Institute of Law in 2335, graduating near the top of his class. Shortly thereafter, Yeros and Soria were married and Yeros was decided to be the costrea.

Yeros took a full-time position within the party in 2336, and announced his campaign for the office of Advisor to the City of Lavassia. Though his odds of success initially seemed slim, Yeros gained a massive following in the city by capitalizing off of the racial tension with Surmestos and promising protection for Lavassian citizens against Surmestan attacks. He also campaigned frequently, even going door-to-door with other members of his party to gain a personal connection with the voters in his city. By the time of the election, the only remaining candidates were Yeros, Habires Gosea (of the Integration Party, which was particularly unpopular in Salboria), and Xia Albora (from the Advancement Party). Through rigorous advertising campaigns, Kalama narrowly defeated Albora and won the position of Advisor to the City of Lavassia.

Advisor to the City of Lavassia

Yeros Kalama assumed office on June 24, 2336 and, as one of his first actions in office, began to restrict the flow of Surmestan visitors into the city of Lavassia. He also began to push policies meant to indirectly cause social hardship for the few Surmestos living within Lavassia, including making them undergo inspections whenever they used any form of public transit and repealing several laws preventing them from being discriminated against during the hiring process. During this time, the Lavassian economy thrived due to other policies Yeros instated, and he began to gather a strong following in the city. He also made visits to other mainly Krybolotinian cities in Salboria, including Arsia, Nexus, and Etiva. While visiting there, he began to rally greater support from their citizens and the Restoration Party won more seats in legislatures across the planet. Yeros was re-elected the following year alongside Restorationist candidates in the cities of Etiva and Nexus. He began to quickly emerge as a leading political figure in Salboria during this time and began considering running for Legislator to the District of Salboria during the 2339 election.

In the meantime, however, Yeros continued his political pursuits in Lavassia. After an attack in 2337 where a Krybolotinian was stabbed by a Surmesto, he passed a resolution that banned them from owning any lethal weapons. After a Krybolotinian business was forced to shut down due to being robbed by a Surmesto, he banned them from entering privately-owned businesses. Because of his popularity, his negative attitude towards Surmestos specifically began to grow among the population as well.

Other city advisors began to accuse Yeros of instating discriminatory policies against Surmestos that violated the Krybolotinian Protection Promise of 2155, but Yeros successfully defended his actions by pointing out that no law existed promising equality to species living within Krybolotinian cities. Although several attempts were made by other parties' leaders to stop Yeros from gaining more political influence, he only became more popular with Salborian citizens. By 2338, Yeros's approval rating in Salboria had reached 65 percent, while in Lavassia it was an even higher 73 percent.

In late 2338, Yeros announced his bid for Legislator to the District of Salboria and received the unequivocal endorsement of the Restoration Party. Throughout 2338, he campaigned across the system and gained even more favor among the population. By the time of the election in 2339, Yeros was the most popular candidate by far, and he won the election with a lead of twelve points above the next competitor.

Legislator to the District of Salboria

Yeros Kalama Demio assumed office as Legislator to the District of Salboria on March 11, 2340. Given his newfound influence and political power, he decided to undertake an ideloga, switching his family and form name to become Yeros Demio Kalama.

Yeros Demio Kalama as seen in 2341 as Legislator to the District of Salboria.

As Legislator to the District of Salboria, Yeros now had a vote within the Krybolotinian Legislature. He also had serious influence over political goings-on in the Salboria district, which included not only the Salboria system and all of its planets (including Colarium and the habitable moon Desilar) but also of two smaller red dwarf systems close to Salboria (Kimora and Nasera). These dwarf systems, though lacking any permanent residential population, hosted several mining planets and provided many of the resources used in Salboria.

Yeros immediately began proposing laws meant to socially isolate Surmestos, even going so far as trying to ban them from entering Krybolotinian cities. However, these laws were faced with vehement resistance from Advancement and Integrationist politicians, who, despite losing favor in Salboria overall, still held significant political influence and were able to push back on Yeros's enactments. Though Surmestos themselves operated as a Krybolotinian protectorate and had no vote in the Krybolotinian government, many Surmestan lobbyists worked tirelessly to prevent these laws from being passed.

This political struggle continued for the next year and a half before the next legislative election. During this time, almost every law Kalama tried to pass was either rejected or unenforced by major Salborian cities. This also included many economic laws meant to help stimulate the economy; even though many of Yeros's opponents supported them, they were struck down purely because he was the one who proposed them. As a result, the Salborian economy suffered greatly, nearly entering a recession, and even more people began to support the Restoration Party. By the time of the 2341, almost a dozen major Krybolotinian cities had swicthed from the Advancement Party to the Restoration Party. This eliminated much of Yeros Kalama's political opposition and allowed him to begin putting his ideas in place. As one of his first acts after the 2341 election, Yeros issued the Proclomation of Security, which publicly announced his intentions to "cleanse" Krybolotinian cities of Surmestan influence and bolster the Salborian economy.

Yeros's actions in Salboria did not go unnoticed, however. Krybolotinians across the Republic became more aware Kalama's policies as time passed; fierce debates broke out throughout the country as to the practicality and necessity of Kalama's legislature and whether or not such laws should be generalized and applied to other areas of Krybolotine. Yeros garnered significant amounts of both hostility and praise, and became something of a household name at this time. Unfortunately for Yeros, even though the public was divided on his policies, the government was not and stood almost unanimously in opposition of his ideas. Nevertheless, because Yeros had not yet done anything directly in violation of the Republic's laws or founding documents, his opponents were unable to bring any valid legal charges against him and he was able to skirt on the border of the law for his own purposes.

Yeros Kalama remained the Legislator to the District of Salboria for over twelve years. During this time, Yeros repeatedly strengthened his legislation and was consistently met with harsh resistance by other government officials. However, as time passed, this resistance would gradually decline as the Restoration Party became increasingly influential in other districts. Notably, in 2347, the Restorationist leader Olmhen Maxiom Jadet was elected as Legislator to the District of Oklas, a highly populated and influential star system a few light years away from Salboria. By 2351, a third Restorationist leader had been elected in Berira, another group of star systems adjacent to Salboria.

In 2352, then Vice Prime Legislator of the Krybolotinian Republic, Yivobater Delasse Tryjara died in a sudden accident and left his seat open. As a replacement, Oros De'aka Foresa, the Prime Legislator, appointed Yeros Kalama. It is currently not known what compelled Foresa to appoint Yeros, who he openly opposed, as his Vice Prime Legislator, but modern day historians suspect that some element of blackmail was involved in the appointment. Regardless, Yeros's ascension to Vice Prime Legislator was incredibly controversial and sent the nation into a political frenzy for several years. Many of his opponents tried to claim he gained the seat through unlawful means but failed to bring any evidence. As such, all of these claims were reluctantly dismissed by the Prime Judiciary of the Republic and Kalama was permitted to remain in office.

Vice Prime Legislator of the Krybolotinian Republic

As Vice Prime Legislator, Yeros held significant power within Krybolotine (particularly over the legislature).