Ballaster Kodira

Kodira , or Oxana , is the Ballaster of Defense of Founder's Wake and leader of the Chaperones. She is an NPC played by Griffin McElroy in the Ethersea campaign.

History
Kodira spent her youth on the shoreside community during the events of the Prologue. She is a former finner and a good friend of Amber Gris. Kodira spent some time working as a gatherer for the community before losing her kaiser blade down the Trash Hole. She asked Amber for help in retrieving it, fearing a demotion; however, Amber ultimately failed.

Kodira later became a Chaperone aboard the Biggest Baby. When it came time to sail the ship, she had forged the strongest relationship with Coda, the vestige whose body the ship was built from, and was made leader of the Chaperones.

In Founder's Wake, she became the Ballaster of Defense and continued to lead the Chaperones, which became the paramiltary-like organization within the city. She has invited Amber to join the Chaperones multiple times, to which Amber has always refused.

Undersea Interlude II
Ballaster Kodira visits Amber at the Cloaca in order to question Amber regarding the death of two of her men. She and Amber trade friendly barbs, and although Amber admits to killing the two Chaperones at the Abyssal Auction, Kodira does not attempt to arrest her, likely because the Chaperones had been breaking the law—or perhaps because of their friendly relationship. Kodira offers Amber a job, which Amber declines; it's implied that this has happened several times before.

Cambria's Call
When the crew of the Coriolis is called before the Ballast, she puts in a good word for them with High Ballaster Hermine.

In Episode 28, Devo requests that the Biggest Baby follow them into Cambria's underground city to provide backup. Kodira discusses it with Coda, and initially they say no, leading Devo to pull out the Kodite that he acquired from the Abyssal Auction. Kodira is briefly possessed by Coda, and attempts to approach Devo, backhanding Amber out of the way in order to do so. She is apologetic to Amber afterwards. Eventually, Hermine orders Kodira to follow the Coriolis to the underground city; Kodira is angered by this, and she takes the Kodite wordlessly before storming out of the room.

In Episode 30, Devo requests that Kodira bomb the underground city; she does so.

Benefactor's Folly
After picking up the Coriolis crew from the wreckage that was once Crescendo, while returning to Founder's Wake, Kodira is informed that the Hand of Guidance has been found dead in her office. She and the others rush home and head to the Benevolent Parish, where Kodira offers to let Amber, Devo, and Zoox privately investigate what happened so long as she is kept in the loop. She allows them to look through Guidance's office, although it is an active crime scene.

Kodira comes to talk to the Coriolis crew again after seeing them preparing their ship for travel; after learning that they suspect that Benefactor Orlean had something to do with Guidance's death, she requests to come with them. Although Amber doesn't believe she can "party," they agree, and Kodira joins them on the Coriolis.

She is understandably shaken after Amber tells her that she had a vision of Coda, whose corpse was turned into the Biggest Baby.

Kodira stays behind as backup while the others go to confront Benefactor Orlean; she takes out a number of the bleached Brinarr and prevents them from interfering while the others fight the coral dragon.

When Amber goes to check on her, Kodira is possessed by Coda, who tries to convince Amber to work as his servant in order to prevent magic from infecting the "next" world. When Amber refuses, they fight. Kodira and/or Koda's blood is spilled, which opens a portal to the blink sharks' home world. This causes Coda to panic; he threatens to kill everyone including himself if Amber doesn't do as he says. Amber leaps through the portal, and Coda, still possessing Kodira's body, runs after her.

Kodira and Amber enter the blink sharks' world as gods. They have grown massively in size, and tower over the jungles on the island they find themselves sitting on. Kodira and Amber talk about whether Amber did the right thing; Kodira explains that Coda doesn't seem to think so, but that is also doesn't matter what he thinks anymore, as in the absence of any kodite, the piece of Coda inside her cannot maintain their connection anymore. He dies.

Kodira teasingly threatens to become a jealous and vengeful god after Amber endears herself to the blink sharks, stating that Amber is clearly their favorite.

Physical Appearance
Ballaster Kodira is in her mid-forties at least, as she grew up on the shore twenty-five years ago. She has aged heavily due to the pressure of her position. She wears formal white plate armor and holds herself very primly and professionally. She has long, dark, curly hair. She speaks with a southern accent, similar to Amber's.

Powers and Abilities
Kodira fights with a long knife, almost like a machete or a short sword. When possessed by Coda, she has the ability to summon up to six glowing red arms, similar to Amber's Arms of the Astral self.

Name Spelling
Within the transcripts, there are inconsistencies, in which Kodira's name was spelt "Kodira" at one point, and "Kodeira" in others. However, in the Benefactor's Folly arc, her name appeared in the episode description, spelt "Kodira," and thus is taken as the intended spelling. Within the fan community, spelling differs between these two, and sometimes will be spelt with a C, because Koda was spelt with one at first.

In Episode 10, we are introduced to Oxana in a flashback, and when her pre-Koda name is used, it is consistently spelt in the transcripts as "Oxana." Oksana is a much more common spelling of the name, so before and even after the transcripts, many have taken to spelling it that way, though "Oxana" is the official spelling.

Oksana is a Russian and Ukranian name meaning "praise to God."

Trivia

 * She finds the whole god-skeleton-ship thing creepy.
 * When she and the Chaperones commune with Coda, a red eye appears on and above their forehead. It seems as though Coda has some influence over Kodira's body while in this state.
 * She makes very good dip which takes weeks to prepare.