Species: Human
Ethnicity: Kolkat
Affiliation: Independent Aphroditian; later allied with Mitsuko Yamato and the Children of Amargosa
Known For: One half of the “Butchers of Sanctuary”; defender of Mitsuko Yamato; political leader in Aphrodite’s provisional government
Keernith is a Kolkat native of Aphrodite, known both for her violent past and, later, for her critical role in rebuilding the planet’s political structure. As one half of the notorious “Butchers of Sanctuary,” she and her partner Patchi earned their reputation during one of the more brutal phases of Aphrodite’s civil strife. Despite their infamous moniker, Keernith later revealed herself to be a fiercely loyal and unexpectedly visionary figure.
When Mitsuko Yamato escaped from radical Cubist leader Gerard Kurz, she was rescued by Keernith and Patchi, who hid her under their overturned boat and spirited her downriver to safety. The couple was strikingly unselfconscious in their behavior—especially Keernith, whose enthusiasm for exhibitionist sex and insatiable appetites were explained by Patchi with gallows humor. He joked that her lovemaking had “killed the other husbands” in their former plural marriage and that he looked forward to the same fate. While shocking to outsiders, these behaviors reflected Keernith’s personal quirks rather than any broader Kolkat cultural norm.
Keernith and Patchi protected Mitsuko from attackers in the village but were later misled by Sakimoto, whom they believed to be a loyal Compact officer. His betrayal—an attempt to sell Mitsuko to Jez Salamacis—was thwarted when Compact Border Guard and Marines arrived to enforce the planet’s new protectorate status. Keernith and Patchi were briefly detained due to their past but spared prosecution when Mitsuko invoked Section 11 to execute Sakimoto and vouched for the couple’s loyalty.
Following the death of Gerard Kurz in the final raid on Mt. Buxanshal—where Patchi was killed—Keernith leveraged her elevated standing and notoriety to begin stabilizing the planet. Though never shown on the page, later accounts confirm that Keernith played a key role in forming Aphrodite’s provisional core world government, which was fully operational by the events of Breaking Liberty.
From feared warfighter to founding politician, Keernith represents the complicated redemption arc of Aphrodite itself: violent, chaotic, but ultimately determined to survive and grow.
Appearances: Keernith