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Today our Character Codex series continues with a closer look at the endless waves of cytokinetic cloned insanity, the Kathari.
We also have the honor of revealing the juicy stats for a new Aftermath card, including details on a FREE pack giveaway.
Same as before, you can view the “disclaimers” for this series below, along with links to the other installments, as well as our Emerging Lore series.
But before we dive into the icy depths of Sepulii and its inhabitants, let’s reveal that Kathari Aftermath card!
Introducing Adaptive Camouflage.
First and foremost, this card features some mind blowing artwork from Dhenzel Obeng. This new unnamed Kathari character is full of deception and intrigue, so I hope we see more of it in the future.
As a one-cost upgrade, this card could be lethal when attached to Kathari units like Maritus or Ottius. Or you can try sticking it on an opponent’s unit and rake that card back into your hand when it’s destroyed!
Dhenzel always brings the heat on every card he designs, so get to know him better in this Parallel Team Spotlight.
As we approach the highly anticipated Aftermath pack drop on November 23, we want to make sure fans have a chance to join in on the fun. That’s why we’ll be doing a few different giveaways leading up to “Pack Drop” day.
For this specific giveaway, just find our pinned post on @ParallelLore, make sure you’re following us, like and reshare that Tweet, and you’re all set.
As always, huge thanks to Parallel for giving us the opportunity to reveal one of the TCG’s newest cards!
A few weeks ago, I was summoned to one of Jurmy’s excellent Parallel streams on Twitch. A few viewers had made some astute observations regarding a couple of Kathari names, which ended up turning into an awesome 20-minute conversation about their lore and backstory.
One of the names we discussed was Accalia. A simple search reveals its Latin roots, including a connection to Rome’s origin story, featuring the mythological foster mother wolf and her two legendary sons, Romulus and Remus. Accalia’s Cradle is also one of the most creepy looking cards in the Kathari collection, so that alone has everyone wondering who in the heck owns that darn cradle.
Another name that we discussed was the legendary Romus, Recombinant Justician. Again, a simple search reveals its meaning as “Son of Rome.” Oh yeah, we’re talking about the glorious Roman Empire.
While we could safely assume that Roman culture (and the Latin language) was at least one influence on the team’s design of Kathari characters, we also noted that there were a few other ancient cultures breaking through the surface of Europa.
For example, multiple Kathari characters have surnames like Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma, revealing some obvious Greek influence. Furthermore, one name that pops up in the codex is Chrysus, which happens to be the same name as a Greek minor god, the personification of gold and riches.
Nordic and Scandinavian influences also appear in the Kathari codex. “Magnus” is about as Swedish as you can get for a first name. Scandinavians (generally speaking) also have paler skin tones and the ability to thrive in extremely cold environments.
Just like the other Parallels we’ve explored so far, this is certainly not a comprehensive or exhaustive breakdown by any means. It’s merely a fun place to start. If you take some time to dig through the Kathari character base, however, you’ll find all kinds of awesome easter eggs.
Ultimately, I think it’s important to recognize that influences surrounding sci-fi lore like Parallel never happen in a vacuum. Whether it is through subconscious archetypes, conscious decisions, or various names and locations used in other movies, books, and games, it’s rarely ever just one single thing that drives a new TCG or sci-fi IP.
This giant melting pot of influences, writers, artists, styles, backgrounds, and imaginations mixing together in a genuine and creative way is what makes Parallel so special. And right now is one of the best times to be following along, as the diverse team continues to reveal their authentic and original sci-fi universe through a second expansion set [Aftermath].
Whatever the “true influences” may be for the Kathari, there’s no denying the enjoyment that comes from digging deeper into their never-ending family tree.
There are a number of clones and characters in the Kathari lexicon, so one way to sort through them is by also looking at their roles.
+ The Archivists “carve and hammer the flesh” of other clones, as seen in Aetio’s Archivist Forge.
+ The Convergents include a bunch of cards and names, including the Velitus, Princept, Centurus, and more.
+ The Disciples of Maritus are self-explained and allude to other Disciples and types of devout followers.
+ The Gallians adhere to the teachings of Galli, who appears to be some god-like deity in Kathari lore.
+ The Hydrolists are plentiful, and there could be multiple types, as seen by the Alkaline Hydrolist.
+ The Iterants are token clones that permeate Kathari civilizations like the Galli and the Scipians.
+ The Lustricians are just one type of Convergent unit, and they have really awesome helmets.
+ The Recombinants are integral to Kathari survival, as seen with the Legendary Romus.
+ The Scipians follow their leader, the Paragon Scipius Magnus Alpha.
+ The Valerusi are commonly referred to and include Standard Bearers, Strikers, and Cohorts.
Again, this not a comprehensive list, but a really good example of the expansive roles in Kathari lore. FYI: I used the word “Orders” in this section’s sub-header, but that is not an official term. And for sure there will be even more characters getting introduced in Aftermath!
Another intriguing piece of the Kathari character codex is found in the enigmatic Palms of Galli.
Right away, we’re drawn to two key units, the Sixth Palm of Galli and the Eighth Palm of Galli. We can assume the “Palms” are characters because of the artwork, but if you look deeper, you’ll find more layers. Twelve, to be exact.
For starters, here’s the Sixth Palm of Galli, which features a Kathari character with one of the coolest weapons in the entire game.
And here’s its flavor text:
“Kathari exemplify change. We must embrace change, if we are to grow as a people. Death is simply another change.” – Sixth teaching of Galli
A similar vibe can be found with the Eighth Palm of Galli:
Similarly, the flavor text reads:
“Just as we must be the water that flows over and around any obstacle, so too should we embody the immovable rock, defiant and resolute.” – Eighth teaching of Galli
This reveals that we not only have potential “Palm” characters, we also have individual teachings.
Next, consider the card Gallian Recombinant and its flavor text:
“Maritus may be one of a kind, but if she is the future of the Children of Europa. We must remake ourselves in her image just as we are made in Galli’s.” – Fourth Palm of Galli
Aha! This pairs nicely with the card Swelling Tide:
“Seek strength from balance. If an obstacle would stop you, swell the tides and meet it with equal measure.” – Fifth Palm of Galli
For those two cards, it is not completely clear if the flavor texts are direct quotes said by the individual “Palm” characters, or if they are the individual teachings that just so happen to feature random characters on the card art.
This is why it’s important to never assume anything, especially while so much lore is still emerging! Until it is 100-percent clear whether the Palms are exclusively characters or exclusively teachings, or what appears to be a combination of both, we have to look for more clues.
Sure enough, for those who have been collecting cards since the beginning, you’ll remember the Eye of Galli. Aha! A giant clue emerges:
Barely a speck among the stars, the Eye of Galli looks down upon the battlefield. Jumping excitedly out of his seat, the Second Palm of Galli points at the battle map. “That one! I want that one, Gamma! Fire the beam.”
There we go! The Palms are for sure characters. My initial guess is that they are a group of preachers and prophets, each one possibly representing one of the “teachings” of Galli.
Lastly, the codex reveals another juicy clue in my all-time favorite Parallel character, the legendary Gallian Orator.
The flavor text reads:
Galli’s Twelve Tenets are passed down to every Kathari as they are born. Ask any Kathari and they can recite them by heart.
That’s pretty revealing, right? Maybe this Galli character and his 12 sacred “commandments” lay the foundation for the entire Kathari religion. And maybe the characters we see in the five cards mentioned above are special in some way, with their own stories to tell in a future expansion set or comic.
Regardless, I think everyone is curious to see what else can be learned about the Twelve Palms of Galli. As of today, we know that five of the Palms are revealed, while seven are still completely unknown. We also have to distinguish between the “Palms” and the “teachings” in order to fully clarify which is which.
First Palm: Unknown
Second Palm: Eye of Galli [character]
Third Palm: Unknown
Fourth Palm: Gallian Recombinant [character]
Fifth Palm: Swelling Tide [???]
Sixth Palm of Galli
Seventh Palm: Unknown
Eighth Palm of Galli
Ninth Palm of Galli: Unknown
Tenth Palm of Galli: Unknown
Eleventh Palm of Galli: Unknown
Twelfth Palm of Galli: Unknown
Let’s see what Aftermath brings for the Palms and this mysterious component to Kathari lore!
Below we’ve listed some more cards that reveal Kathari characters and nuggets of lore. Feel free to share your own findings on X and tag us so we can share it with the rest of the lore goblins!
Aetio, Exalted Hydrolist
Gnaeus Valerus Alpha
Scipius Magnus Alpha
Accalia
Aetian Subjugate
Alkaline Hydrolist
Antius
Apolli Demetus Alpha
Aramus Beta
Chrysus
Cunning Scipian
Convergents
– Benefactoran
– Centurus
– Domina
– Princept
– Salvatorum
– Velitus
Disciple of Maritus
Drusian Exhorator
Eumetia
Fiscius, Elder Formatician
Formatician’s Exalt
Gallian Iterants
Gallian Orator
Gallian Recombinant
Gnaeus’ Valerusi Inductus
Hadriana Beta
Hadrius Beta
Indutius, Master Armorer
Jubia Maximus Delta
Julius Delta
Kalare Benedictus Beta
Kathari Iterants
Lustrician Donata Beta
Octavia Delta
Ottius, Cytokinetic Legate
Reciprocal Hoplite
Reliant Gamma
Resplendent Lustrician
Romus, Recombinant Justician
Scipian Praetor
Tenerus Gamma
Titus Gamma
Valerusi Cohorts
Valerusi Standard Bearer
Valerusi Striker
Vania Beta
Vitus Delta
Wicus Beta
For this Character Codex series, I’ve included some disclaimers to help clear up any ambiguities.
If you’d like to catch up on the Character Codex series, here are the other installments:
If you’re new to Parallel and haven’t explored the game’s basic lore, below is a series I wrote for Prime.Wiki a few years ago. Disclaimer: Always refer to Parallel’s official website for the latest version of the lore.
Inside the Lines is a program dedicated to Parallel lore. If you would like to contribute, please contact @Goldy_TGG. Don’t forget to follow @ParallelLore so you don’t miss future posts and giveaways from us. If you’d like to play Parallel, please use our referral link!