Jen was a male Gelfling who was raised by the urRu after his clan was destroyed during the Garthim War. One of the last of his kind, he was tasked by urSu to retrieve the Shard of the Division from Aughra, thus putting an end to the tyranny of the Skeksis. During his quest, he met another survivor, Kira, who ultimately accompanied him to the Castle of the Crystal, where he used the Shard to heal the Crystal and restore the world of Thra to its former glory. He later married Kira, and the two became the new guardians of the Crystal, ruling for 100 trine and regenerating the Gelfling race.
As he and Kira aged however, the running of the new Gelfling Nation was entrusted to the Crystalline Eminence, whose misrule corrupted the Crystal and nearly caused the extinction of the Fireling race. After defeating the Skeksis one more time, the two co-rulers of Thra came to terms with the consequences of their inaction and ascended to the stars with the urSkeks, leaving the Crystal under the stewardship of Kensho.
Biography
Early life
Born in the late Age of Division, Jen's clan was destroyed during the Garthim War, but was saved by urSu, who raised him in the Valley of the urRu. There, Jen was taught how to read, write and play the firca, but spent his childhood believing he was the last of his kind.[1]
Retrieving the Shard
Some trine later, urSu was near death, and cryptically told Jen of a prophecy stating that he had to take the Shard of the Division from Aughra before the next Great Conjunction in order to overthrow the Skeksis. Jen left the Valley and arrived at Aughra's observatory, where he asked the sage what he was to do with the Shard, but received no definite answers. Upon identifying the true Shard among other crystalline fragments by playing his firca, the observatory was attacked and destroyed by the Garthim. Jen escaped into a swamp, where he encountered Kira, another Gelfling. After dreamfasting, the two headed for Kira's village.[1]
Discovering the prophecy
Once at the Podling village, Jen explained his mission to Kira, but expressed confusion as to what to do with the Shard. The two were interrupted by a Garthim attack which resulted in the village's destruction. They were almost captured, but were saved by the intervention of skekSil. Blaming himself for the loss of Kira's home, Jen threw the Shard away. The next day, they found the Shard lying among Gelfling ruins containing an engraving which Jen could read. He came to the realization that the Shard was a piece of the Dark Crystal that needed to be reinserted. SkekSil appeared and tried to convince Jen to make peace with the Skeksis, but was rebuffed. Animated by a new sense of purpose, Jen journeyed with Kira to the Castle on a pair of Landstriders.[1]
Healing the Crystal
Upon arriving at the Castle, Jen and Kira set their Landstriders on a troop of Garthim in order to free the Podlings previously taken from Kira's village. After the battle, they entered the Castle's catacombs and encountered skekSil again. Jen retaliated against skekSil's attempts to detain them by stabbing him in the hand with the Shard, provoking the Skeksis to bury him under a rockslide. Guarded by Kira's pet Fizzgig, Jen eventually sensed Kira's fear and freed himself from the rubble. While searching for an entrance to the Castle's upper levels, Jen found himself confronted by the Garthim. He escaped through a hole leading to the shaft of the Castle. Jen ascended the shaft and reached skekTek's laboratory, where he met Aughra. Upon receiving confirmation that Kira was alive, he went to the Crystal chamber, where he found both Kira and the Skeksis, the latter awaiting the Great Conjunction. The two Gelflings were noticed, and Jen launched himself onto the Crystal, dropping the Shard in the process. Kira retrieved it and threw it to him, only to be killed by skekZok. Consumed with grief, Jen healed the Crystal and cradled Kira's body as the urRu marched into the Castle and merged with the Skeksis. The resulting urSkeks thanked Jen for his bravery and resurrected Kira before leaving the Crystal in their care.[1]
Guardianship of the Crystal
During the Age of Power, Jen eventually married Kira and the two restored their nearly extinct race, thus forming the Gelfling Nation. When the two reached advanced age, they entrusted the Crystal to the Crystalline Eminence and went into a long sleep, during which the Eminence decreed that visitations to the Crystal for its healing powers were to be conditional on material offerings. One hundred trine after healing the Crystal, the two co-rulers were awoken by the weakened Crystal and were visited by the Fireling Thurma, who requested a piece of the Crystal in order to heal her world's dying sun.[2] During the ensuing argument, Jen and Kira learned from Kensho that Thra had grown sick in their absence, despite the offerings to the Crystal. Thurma eventually cracked the Crystal, causing the return of the urRu and Skeksis,[3] and Kira to weaken.[4] Jen incarcerated the Skeksis, thanks to his control over the Garthim with the Scepter of Office and went in pursuit of Thurma and Kensho.[5]
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Henson, J. & Oz, F. (dir.); Henson, J., Kurtz, G. & Lazer, D. (prod.); Henson, J. & Odell, D. (writ.) (December 17, 1982). The Dark Crystal (Motion picture). New York City, NY: Jim Henson Productions.
- ↑ Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal, #1, Archaia, USA, February 2017
- ↑ Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal, #2, Archaia, USA, April 2017
- ↑ Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal, #3, Archaia, USA, May 2017
- ↑ Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal, #4, Archaia, USA, June 2017
External Links
Jen on the Muppet Wiki- {{{4}}} in The Dark Crystal - Encyclopedia
