Brother Kleun Tale is a monk, or an “Eye Opening Precursor,” in the Order of Sea Enlightenment. He is a tormented, choleric, and somber soul, described as having a “dark nature.” Physically, he sports a classic monastic hairstyle: one side of his head is shaved, while the other side has a long, dark wave of hair that reaches his collarbones. He has almond-shaped eyes that often remain serious even when he smiles. His attire consists of a stunning pearly robe accompanied by several pearl rosaries hanging around his neck.
His backstory is tragic. He is the son of two pearl forgers who were apprehended, and he was placed in a public orphanage by the Order at the age of six. Upon reaching the “first threshold of maturity” at sixteen, he was obligated to serve the Order for a minimum of ten years, a path he did not choose. He naturally grapples with a choleric temperament and many personal issues. Davika feels he longs for a conventional life, to be a law enforcement agent, and to have someone to love and share simple pleasures with, all of which his monastic life forbids.
His primary internal conflict is his helpless, secret, and hopeless love for Davika. This love “torments him so deeply” that he confesses in a mental projection, “I want to plunge a knife into my heart and end this love with my life.” He is entirely self-controlled in person, however, never betraying his feelings and even denying them when directly asked by Davika, stating it would be “inappropriate.” He is always concerned for her safety, protective to a fault, and her presence is the one thing that gives him the “will to live.”
Despite his inner turmoil, he is a trusted confidant for Davika, and they share a bond over their love for cheap detective books and their shared sense of being prisoners to their duties. He assists her in the search for Kamon, and his attempts to infiltrate Kamon’s mind reveal the terrifying, surreal “Temple of multiple Kamon Thanis,” showcasing his powerful but harrowing psychic abilities.
