There was a great silence over Sanvādam as it’s lord had begun to reminisce, there was nothing else he could do but that. It was something he remembered he liked to do before he had come to this realm, good times when he was but a mere prince to his father’s throne. It was certainly a good life that he had been living, of course that was before something within him had changed and set him down a path that he would never return from. Yet, he could not remember what caused the change of how he got to where he had been. The memory seemed to have escaped him.
Then all he could remember was massive form coming from a lake, it’s head was beyond large and many tendrils came. Vakk had hid by burying his face in his legs, but then his deep voice had begun to speak; a terrible and deep voice that only frightened him further. However, it seemed to calm him and a certain sway had brought his head up to look at the being. It asked what he liked; thinking upon it Vakk had said that he liked music. It responded by spinning a music box that played a terrible melody, all he could remember was his mind shattering.
Vakk had shook himself free from this memory and allowed confusion to wrack his mind before his head craned so that he may see his own magnificent form. It was this form that he remembered, the form that he was most certainly frightened over and he could not fully understand how he had seen this from such a small and feeble view. Such a strange occurrence was of a mild concern to Vakk, he was not one to be afraid of himself so the reason was beyond him.
He let out a sight and began to delve back into his memory, this time remembering when he had eaten some of Chopstick Eyes delicious food. That was such a good time and he felt a happiness knowing that he would be able to see her again soon, just for that food as well. However, Vakk’s confusion only worsened from that point as Vakk knew he didn’t consume food like a mortal, a god was above such things. It took some time for him to shake himself free of the confusion to see if there were any other strange memories that did not exactly make sense.
One memory stood out in particular, the dance with K’nell. It was a soothing memory but a memory that he knew was false as Vakk knew that he had never truly met the dream god. Nothing made sense and he did not immediately have an answer for what such questions that he did have before a hellish realization came upon him. It was something that he had only briefly thought of in the moment, but had never truly considered.
Li’Kalla’s memories were integrating with his own, causing conflict with things that he had been doing at the time. He drew a deep, shaky breath as these memories took hold of his mind and he felt as if he had lived two different live. Vakk looked around him, seeing the Echoes that he had created, all of them moving about to find some soul that perhaps strayed into their territory. He did not know what to think at the moment.
”No,” Vakk growled, his tendrils slamming themselves against the reflective floor of Sanvādam. He would not allow for these false memories to influence him, at least not willingly and not as long as he could contain the memories. Yet, he knew that merely suppressing them memories would sever precious information that may be useful against the other gods. It was certainly a conundrum that Vakk could not leave unattended. He mumbled for a moment as he thought to himself.
It was but a few silent moments before Vakk had thought of a probable solution, simply deal with it. It would be a hard enough task, however, he would have to spend some time to sort through the memories to figure out which was his and which was Li’Kalla’s. That was something the ever impatient Vakk would have to slave over, yet, it would at least be an ease to his torture. Such a thing was not something Vakk would do, as his impatience would cause him to drift away from his original task.
He remembered yelling for help, his wing hurt, and no one would come to him. Then, the cursed speech began, much to his ire, as it spoke. Vakk could not help but feel broken, betrayed, and afraid before the being set two tendrils on either side of his head and suddenly the memory ended. Vakk only growled as a result before he looked to the Echoes around him, knowing that memory was Li’Kalla’s.
He needed to find a way to escape the hell he created for himself.
Vakk spends some time in Sanvādam thinking of his past. He soon realizes that some of the memories are not his own. He does not like this.
For a time, there was a silence in Sanvādam as a mutual hatred formed between Atmav and the Echoes that forced her to stay where she was. Having no bearing of time, Atmav only watched the Echoes moved back and forth, their white eyes burning into her very being. She could give a growl back as she fought the temptation to try and break free from her prison. However, restraint was the key to the situation as rushing to would merely lead to the swarm of soulless wretches attacking her from all sides, even if they certainly seemed a bit dull.
They were nothing more but mere animals, incorporeal animals, but animals all the same. They would slash at another of one came to close which indicated some territorial nature between them, likely some personality that Vakk and they shared. Atmav learned much about this species, however, her mind was also thinking of how it was possible of how Vakk had become so powerful. She remembered how his form was not this gargantuan, or ugly for that matter, nor did he have the ability to will creatures to life. It was a strange chain of events that she could not fully comprehend since she simply missed whatever process had made Vakk into what he was.
Her thoughts stirred as she heard utterances of words, the Echoes spreading a single word around themselves like a wildfire. “Talk,” they said. Their voices were hushed and many had stopped their movement to look in a singular direction. For a moment, she could only see the darkness of Sanvādam, then there cake the gargantuan form of a worm. Such a being was hard to forget, especially the form of the one that had brought her to life.
“Hello, Vakk. Find what you were looking for?” Atmav asked, her voice was sarcastically indifferent towards the being she faced. Such bravado was something only fools would dare to do in a captive situation, but she knew that Vakk wanted her alive for the time being, even if it was just for torture.
”Unfortunately, I have run into a problem and as such my item has been lost.” Vakk stated, looking down upon the still kneeling form of Atmav. ”Have you had time to realize the position that you are in?” he asked, some tendrils gesturing to the numerous creatures that surrounded both of them. It was clear where the Lord of Talk was going with the conversation. Such talk was no surprise to Atmav, she had heard all the same from him before.
“Yes. Though I must say, this reminds me of one of our first encounters. When I was merely a war-slave who was subjected to a war that I nor my brothers and sisters wanted,” Atmav reminisced, similarly indifferent to memory before she let out a yawn. She had thought about what to do, things that may get her freedom.
”Do not try to change the subject, Atmav,” Vakk interrupted her thoughts. He leaned his head down a bit, before he continued to speak, ”Why do you resist my will? You know your loyalty to your old master was waning by the time our final fight had come.”
Atmav shook her head for a moment, knowing what Vakk was trying to do and unable to say anything about it lest he starts torturing her again. “I made a promise to protect him until my death,” she said before she began to feel cold. She knew what was going to come next, knowing that Vakk was going to use her words against her.
”But you have already died. It was by my mercy that you were resurrected. I am giving you a chance, a chance to live a normal life in this place. The only price is that you do what I ask when I need you.”
His offer seemed tempting, but she could not put things together properly. Hadn’t he last said that he planned to get them home? Perhaps he changed his mind and wanted to stay? She couldn’t think properly. There was too much noise around her, the Echoes had begun to repeat part of their conversation and they wouldn’t stop. She just needed them to be quiet. Atmav needed silence
”You will love the life you want. The Talk, nor I, will have any say in what you do.”
All she wanted was freedom and here it was. She looked up before rising to her feet, slowly gauging his response.
”Do you accept?
She silently nodded.
With that she was whisked away, Vakk’s tendril wrapping around her and navigating her through Sanvādam. The darkness gave way to light. She felt salt water spray on her face from the crash of waves against rocks, she could finally see a new world before she was forcibly thrown onto the ground. Despite her treatment, she was happy to just experience something other than torture and the coldness that had surrounded her. Atmav took in a breath of the air, slowly getting to her feet once more. Her four wings stretched out, finally being able to escape the cramped nature of her hell.
”You are free to go.” She stopped taking in the scenery for a moment, turning to face the gargantuan form of Vakk, she cocked her head to the side, “But I do not know where we are. Where do would I go from here?”
”It is your life. Figure it out for yourself.”
“Can I at least have something to defend myself with?”
Vakk seemed to think to himself for a moment. ”No. Figure it out yourself, you were one a guardian. Now, I will remind you that I will call upon you when I need you. Other than that, you are free.”
“How will I know you need me?”
”I will send an animal to fetch you.”
With that Vakk retreated back into the depths of his sphere, leaving the woman where she was with no clue as to where to go. She looked around and saw a storm brewing in the distance. However, as she had time to properly think, she could not understand why she so quickly agreed to the offer Vakk gave. Was she really that desperate to lead her own life? Or was it something that worm did to her mind? Atmav did not know, but she was at least happy to earn a modicum of freedom even if she would occasionally have to do things for someone who had once been her enemy.
She let out a sigh and flapped her wings, taking her body into the air.
Her mind continued to go back to the conversation, how it seemed like Vakk was able to achieve what he wanted so easily. It bothered her, it bothered her immensely. However, what was she able to do? He held the power in that situation and he made a deal that she could not have achieved otherwise.
The storm grew closer, but she did not care. The winds grew, but she did not care.
She couldn’t think straight and soon the storm was on top of her.
The noise was everywhere. The rushing wind, the lightning, the rain.
She was unaware of it all until she hit the sea water.
The sound of splashing awoke her.
“Is it okay?” “Do we even know what it is?” “I think it’s just an animal.” “Can we please just get back to the fun?”
She moved her arms to push herself up, what she saw was a strange people that moved away from her upon her stirring. They seemed frightened even though she had been at their whim only a few moments before. Atmav slowly got to her feet and looked around, there was only them.
“Should we get Yimbo?” one asked another.
“Please, stop talking.” Atmav requested, the beings giving a shocked impression that she could speak. She looked them over, gauging their attitude. They certainly did not seem hostile, but she was always the cautious one and preferred to take no risks. Atmav took a single step towards them, they moved back. Another step, another few back. It seemed that they were cautious of her as well.
“Who are you,” Atmav asked.
“We’re the Selka,” one answered.
Atmav stepped to the side. “Okay.”
There was an uncomfortable silence between the two for a few moments. Atmav charged at them before she took flight, causing them to give shrill screams and running away. She could see that there were quite a few of these beings, most of them doing some form of celebration. However, as she climbed into the air, she could see no other sign of civilization and even then those Selka had no shelter. This caused her to let out a sigh before she looked back down at the Selka, they seemed to be pointing at her. Some seemed worried, others seemed enthused to see her.
She would have to keep an eye on them, but for the time being, she needed to find food.
Atmav gains her freedom after Vakk returns, the price of such being that she do what Vakk tells her to do when he needs her.
She is taken out of the sphere, but all she can hear is the talk of the sphere. A byproduct of being in there for so long with nothing else but to listen.
She then gets lost at sea.
After a nondescript amount of time, she awakens on a shoreline to meet the some Selka who are just as cautious of her as she is of them.
Atmav takes flight, some Selka and more of them see her. She decides some food would be good.
Some time had passed since Vakk had dared to break the mind of Li’Kalla, now sitting on a cliff overlooking the boiling strait that lies between his continent and Kirron’s own. Vakk was gitty, not from transforming Li’Kalla into the monster she now was, but for knowing the one who had his box, Hermes. However, he knew that perhaps he would need to lie low, being best for him to avoid Li’Kalla who may just start stalking him like the animal she had transformed into. The Lord of Talk continued to smile, his plans coming to fruition almost as great as he had imagined them, though the slight imperfections did plague him.
The imperfections, though small, did serve to hinder his future efforts. Of course, his mind went straight to the enemy he had made with Eurysthenes, but now he had to contend with the likes of the uncontrollable Li’Kalla. That was why he needed the box. The Box of Orchestration would allow him to pull the strings of every god easier and easier as it’s power to influence was unmatched, as far as he knew. Yet, Vakk knew it was now a matter of finding this ‘Hermes’ and bringing the box to him that would prove more difficult. He would need some form of tracker in order to find the thief and bring her to Vakk’s loving embrace.
Although, thanks to the memories of Li’Kalla, Vakk knew what the presence of Hermes very soul felt like. He looked to the stars for a brief moment, considering using Katharsos to aid in his hunt, but the idea was quickly snuffed out since Vakk already owed the death god. His mind went through several possibilities of hunting Hermes himself, one consequence being Li’Kalla coming to attack him. While he could theoretically prepare himself for such a fight, he would prefer to keep such a fight in a location where it would not be a challenge. His gaze shifted to the steaming water, thoughts emerging left and right before he settled on one particular thought that continued to persist in his mind.
If he were going to be too cowardly to find Hermes himself, he would simply delegate another creature to do such task. Vakk looked at the tendril that Li’Kalla had bitten into, while it no longer bled, he could remember the pain it brought. The tendril moved across the earth, gathering a bit of the ground while another took one of the stone trees, crushing it in his grip. He took the rocks, fashioning a frame from them before spreading the dirt across, however, it was not sticking to the rock. Vakk let out a sigh before he looked back to the steaming water.
With a thought, Vakk grasped the frame he built and threw it into the steam. While one would expect the stone to crash into the water below, the frame hung in the air, suspended by some invisible.
”Thieves and souls, Perceives and patrols, Tooth and fang. Hunt Hermes, Bring her to me.”
The frame began to shift, the steam from the water wrapping itself around until it became dense enough to form muscle and skin. The being soon became whole as the tail of the beast developed into a strange form of mace. It soon became conscious and began to prance about in the air, moving through the air in a fluid fashion before it landed next to Vakk. It’s form was ten times the size of what would have been a normal man, teeth the size of forearms and claws of hardy stone. It licked its lips expectantly, waiting for its master.
”Find the thief, Hermes. Track her through he very soul,” Vakk said tapping the creature on its nose. It raised its head into the air, sniffing for a bit before it let out a roar and bound off the cliff. The beast landed on the water, running across the surface of it, barely even touching the ocean. It would track Hermes down to the ends of Galbar.
It was only a matter of time.
-Vakk is found thinking on the Kick -He thinks of Hermes and how to catch her -He fashions a creature from stone and steam -This creature, going to be dubbed the Steam Cat, is a very large, agile feline with the ability to specific souls across Galbar. It can run in the air or along the water, is extremely durable, and rather powerful. -Vakk returns to Sanvādam.
Might -2 FP for a single beast of phenomenal power.
The travel back to Galbar had been a pleasant one, much unlike the effort and trickery Eurysthenes had imposed upon him in his travels to the Sky of Pyres. Despite the setback, however, Vakk would remain triumphant and his goals would be furthered. His form glided across the ocean’s surface, his tendrils dancing across the water, spraying the liquid into the air as he began approaching the small island that housed his gateway back to his home. For far too long, Vakk had been outcast from his own home for far too long, and if he were going to enact his plans (and revenge), it was going to be within the comforts of the Realm of Talk.
His tendrils pulled the small soul of Atmav forward and he could not help but contain a chuckle, knowing all to well the torture he would impose upon her for stealing his victory from him, thus outcasting him to this existence. Vakk gazed upon her for a moment, before letting out a sigh, knowing that it was not her wish to be sent here either. That was the fault of Vakk, but any feeling of remorse was sent away as he focused on his own sadistic desires. Yet, as he traveled to the entrance of his home, the thought continued to plague him as despite all the torture he inflicted upon others, namely Li’Kalla and Eurysthenes, Vakk knew deep in the back of his mind that souring relationships with potential assets were something he could not afford.
The entrance now stood in front of him, and the thoughts were pushed even further back as he could hear the whisper of the riddle, ”That which I am speaking of belongs to another, not myself. This may confuse some, though it is clear as day. What do I speak of?” Soon, the whisper was drowned out by the talk of the few echoes that escaped from the sphere, yet Vakk would focus on the riddle alone. He knew not of what he had stolen, as the riddle was made for Vakk’s purpose. The riddle had been made to be given to Vakk. There was no other that it could belong to, but even then did Vakk know that Eurysthenes was ever sly and confusing. The Lord of Talk and Manipulation knew all too well what the riddle’s answer was now, his time in the maze had shown him this. Eurysthenes still believed the riddle belonged to him, simply for having been the one to gift it to Vakk.
It was at this point did something creep back into Vakk’s mind, the Box of Orchestration. He had made that for Li’Kalla, thus it was hers and she could treat how she wanted. Yet, he could not help but feel insulted knowing that she would simply leave it to the elements. How could he have known it would have an adverse effect on her?
”The riddle,” Vakk said, his deepened voice silencing those echoes who had gone astray. He had to stay focused on his task, the very one he had to put effort into achieving. Eurysthenes maddening laugh could quietly be heard, Vakk knew he had gotten the riddle correct and proceeded to enter the cave system. It had been too long, yet Vakk knew the exact path he had crafted to get to the Realm of Talk. Following the echoes and whispers until finally, he entered nothing but darkness. The only thing to accompany him was his own reflection, further ahead than him and copying his motions as he moved forwards. Surprisingly, he was not happy to be back in his home, but he was not sad either.
The Lord of Talk stopped, his reflection disappearing and the darkness surrounding him. It allowed him to contemplate, at least for a little, as he began to recollect on his journey. It was a success, but he knew that it was not optimal with all the trouble Eurysthenes had caused him. However, he could count on Katharsos being friendly, Melantha was something to watch as it seemed she could see through his motives He had learned much. He had learned to not make unnecessary enemies, to use his magic sparingly, and, perhaps most importantly, to use his words to gain control.
”Perhaps the future will bare more fortunate outcomes,” Vakk said to himself, bringing the soul of Atmav to his face before letting it fall from his tendrils. He watched it fall before a terrible grin come across his face, ”However, your future will not be so kind.”
He spun his tendrils around the soul, catching it before it hit the ground. Then, his tendrils began to move around one another, snaking their way around what would be the form of the body; the head, neck, waist, wings, all it was perfectly traced by Vakk’s touch. Then the screaming began, as blue lights shown through small gaps, the arc of arcane lightning shot through, gliding across the tendril. The screams became louder and louder as the lights furiously danced and thick smoke began to escape through the cracks. Vakk’s tormented laughs began to follow as he painfully began to reconstruct Atmav’s body, piece by agonizing piece. It had seemed like mere moments had passed for Vakk before Atmav’s body had been finished, and he acquiesced his grip, setting the mortal upon the ground.
Her first experiences was that of agonizing pain, jolts of electricity hitting her very soul before her body was painfully being reconstructed. There was no rhyme or reason to how she had been reconstructed either, her wings having been made separately from her body which had been stabbed into what could have been called a spine. Her head was momentarily attached to her arm before a painful separation and reattachment to the appropriate part of her body. It had been the most excruciating thing she had felt and her screams ripped at her vocal cords, making them coarse and almost lifeless.
Atmav could only give a small sigh of relief when her torturous creation had been completed, only for her to be thrown into a pure black ground. She let out a groan, she could feel the steam lift off her body and she could barely see it move upwards. Her vision was hazy and her breath was slowed just enough due to feeling that she may just die.
However, her mind raced as it retraced its steps.
The fight.
Something jabbed her stomach forcing her from her thoughts, the hit had sent her legs and upper body reaching for the air before she turned and held herself up. On her hands and knees, she gasped for air before something massive slammed into her back, forcing her body to the ground once more.
The portal.
Slowly, with aching muscles and joints, did she began to force herself up, hands and knees supporting her as she shakily breathed. Atmav looked up, to see the being that was causing so much pain to her, only to find the massive base of flesh. She followed the base upwards, occasionally getting lost in the many tendrils of the creature, before she was essentially looking straight into the air. What she saw was a being of flesh and teeth, a horrid amalgamation of features made her skin crawl as she instinctively reached for a weapon that she did not have.
Vakk.
”You still chose to go for a weapon rather than look in awe upon my form,” the being chuckled insidiously, his voice shaking her to her very core.
Atmav had not been one to know much fear, she had always thought with her weapons and skill at arms, but this was a being she could not fight. She had not seen anything that had resembled this creature before and she could only stare as horror-filled what small amount of facial features she had. A moment of silence passed between the two before Atmav had finally mustered up the courage to talk to what towered before her.
“Who- who are you?” A fear-filled voice asked.
”I? You do not remember me, Atmav? After you denied me my victory over the Endless Talk?”
She kept quiet for a few moments before she cocked her head to the side, her fuzzy memories began to return to her. This being could not be the same one she had fought mere moments before her own death. That being had, at the very least, been honorable, a fighter, and a bit of a talker. This thing was certainly not…something so grotesque.
“Vakk?”
The titan let out a low rumble which could be acquainted with satisfaction, a simple confirmation that needs no more words. She felt his tendrils suddenly wrap around her and she pointlessly struggles to break free for a few moments as Vakk lifted her into the air.
”It is fitting that I should be the one to revive you. You caused my death and yet, I bring you life. A delicate balance that needn’t be disturbed any longer.”
Atmav would have furrowed her brows if she had the facial capacity to manage such a task, but the confusion was certainly there. Was he implying that she should be grateful for being brought back from death? Or had it been some strange attempt to mock her? She couldn’t tell before Vakk wrapped a tendril around her throat, slowly tightening and making it harder and harder to breathe. It had already been hard to draw a full breath, but now it was almost suffocating as Vakk only allowed in enough air for her to survive.
”I am a god now, Atmav. I can control every facet of your body and personality as I wish. You are my puppet!” his terrible voice marred her ears and his terrible laugh rung throughout her head. His laughter soon died out as he began to speak once more, ”I do plan to return home and finish what I have started. This time, you will not be in my way.”
“Then why bring me back from death? Surely I would be better that way,” Atmav snapped, continuing to struggle before the grip around her neck tightened. She gasped for air, coughing and internally pleading for the torment to end.
”Trust me, I do want you dead. However, watching you be helpless and inevitably falling from your morals is much sweeter of a fruit.” Vakk said, the humor in his voice slowly turning to a sadistic anger. For a few moments, it seemed that he would end Atmav, before his grip on her neck loosened, sending into a coughing fit as she could finally breathe again. ”There is still time for you to willingly come to my side. You can end this torture by merely pledging your allegiance to me. Then perhaps, I can take you back to our home.”
“You know I can’t do that. My honor… my family. I cannot betray my oath,” she coughed looking at the ground.
”Then you leave me no choice,” Vakk rumbled, he turned his head for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. ”I could easily turn your mind. In fact, it would be so incredibly effortless, that it would be the best option for me to do. Yet, I am not done satisfying my own sadistic pleasure, so for now…”
He slammed her into the ground.
”Jīvikkuka, pratidhvani!” An invisible pulse went throughout the blackened realm, pushing Atmav even further into the ground.
”Keep her from leaving, my echoes. Do not kill her.”
Slowly, she got to her feet, looking up at where Vakk had been, though now he was gone. In his place, she saw a single pair of glowing, white eyes, only for another pair to open up next to that. She looked around and noticed these beings surrounded her. Their forms were almost indistinguishable from that of natural background of the hell she was in. Whispers could be heard coming from their spiritual forms. ‘Leaving’, ‘echoes’, their voices repeated what she had heard Vakk say.
She wanted to leave, but she knew it was suicide. Atmav sat, gazing at the beings around her.
‘Soul’ one said.
‘Mine’ another.
‘Talk’
‘Kill’
‘KILL’
”SOUL KILL MINE” They said in unison, she could vaguely see hands reaching for her. They flew towards her but were stopped by some force.
Atmav gazed into the abyss.
It stared back with many eyes.
Vakk flies home and thinks for a bit
He finally figures out the riddle and gets back into his sphere.
He immediately gets to work reconstructing Atmav.
Pain.exe and POV transition go
Atmav is reborn as a hero - 2 MP spent here.
Exposition.exe where Vakk toys with Atmav.
Vakk offers Atmav to join.
She denies.
Vakk makes Incorporeal Echoes - 3 FP spent here - from the echoes within the Realm of Talk and leaves.
The echoes want Atmav dead. Unknown why. Probably that juicy soul she has.
Might Summary 2 MP spent to make Atmav hero. 3 FP to make the extraordinary but unintelligent species, the Echoes. Incorporeal creatures that can repeat what they hear, can obey basic commands, and are seemingly hungry for that soul that Atmav has. Do with them what you will.
Atmav gets 1 Prestige for being the main attraction of this post.
Finally, the end was upon Vakk’s journey, after having dealt with a disrespectful goddess and playing the game of a god too puzzling for the Lord of Speech to truly like, he had arrived. The god could feel the presence of the souls all around him, and upon looking around the domain felt… rather disappointing, to say the least. The reek of souls burning, the nothingness other than the souls of the weak and feeble things that had come with them, it was all just underwhelming to the God of Speech.
He grimaced as he finally took in the smell of the domain. Disgusted and thoroughly annoyed, Vakk hoped that he would be able to find Atmav amongst all these souls. His form moved among them, listening and waiting for any hint that one may have been the harlot that cast him to this horrid existence. Vakk began to think as he looked amongst the endless sea of souls that Katharsos sought to burn before he began to think to himself.
When he found the soul of Atmav- if he found it, what would he do then? He had no more power for the time being to properly bring her back, no power make her a proper puppet amongst the gods. Vakk was tired. He grew weary of this venture and now only sought to rest in Sanvādam when he cracked the puzzle that Eurysthenes had set upon it. Even then, Vakk was stopped as he knew not if he could even go back the way he came, or even if wanted to try and deal with the God of Puzzles if he could. This was the torture that wracked Vakk’s mind as he attempted to find the needle in the haystack.
He could not focus.
Yet, Vakk knew Katharsos was here, he knew the likes of the spirit god would seldom leave his domain. The God of Speech huffed, hoping that he would have been able to find the one soul among many, but he was no god of luck.
”Katharsos!” Vakk called into the sea as he now moved to find the soul god.
The words were carried along by forces far greater than that of mere sound, so they echoed through the vast expanse to the most distant of stars. Somewhere, near one of those stars, Katharsos stirred. Unlike Melantha in her initially shy approach, this new visitor was trying to make itself known.
”You are demonstrating good progress,” he (somewhat absentmindedly) declared to Melantha as she tried to follow his instructions in her attempts at manipulating memory. A strange and awkward silence followed while he sat with a quizzical look and she awaited the words at the tip of his tongue. ”But something distracts me… another god is very near. Far, far away from us, but still near in that he’s found his way to this Sphere. He’s calling out to me,” he finally declared.
Melantha straightened her back from the hunched position she’d been for who knows how long. Being under Katharsos’ tutelage had been quite… interesting to say the least. She had grown used to his odd personality and the occasional bouts of absent-mindedness that came up whenever a stray thought entered his mind that he found worthy of consideration. “Ah, another god? I would not have known of this without you telling me about it. It would seem my powers are quite limited while inside another deity’s Sphere,” Melantha told him, and indeed it was so. Her detection capabilities ever since entering Katharsos Sphere had been significantly reduced. Melantha reasoned it might be a defensive mechanism of the Spheres themselves, but she was not entirely sure about her deduction and thus did not really give it much more thought.
The god of death paid her comment little heed, distracted as he was. He turned out to face some unknown direction in space, and projected one thought, ’I will come to you.’
And now he was torn. Leaving Melantha alone and to her own devices seemed exceptionally curt and rude, altogether the wrong way to treat guests if he ever expected them to return whilst they still lived. That created some conflict, for a part of him did long for company and to be held in high esteem by his fellows. But then some dark thought found his way into his mind and he realized that he would never truly be alone--there would always be a tide of souls to watch, and perhaps eventually to speak with. Of course, their company would be fleeting like the winds…
He shook that out of mind; he needed to make for this unexpected new guests, but perhaps there was a way to avoid offense on all sides. ”Would you care to come with me?” he suddenly asked Melantha.
“Very well,” she simply replied. There would be nothing to do within Katharsos’ empty Sphere anyway, and she had already exhausted her supply of questions about souls and memories. She would have to go out and try what she learned for herself in order to verify her new knowledge, so accompanying Katharsos to see this new arrival before leaving was the least she could do considering the death god’s surprisingly swell hospitality.
”I sense his presence there, nearest to that star,” Katharsos said, a short-lived tendril of fire escaping his mouth to indicate the one in question. ”Seeing as you made it this far, I presume you have some way to get there in a timely manner. I will… devise a way of my own.”
The god squinted into the distance, and his desire to bridge the gap between himself and the newcomer translated into acceleration. As he soared forward, he willed himself to ever greater speeds, and soon he was not a colossal head but rather a long and fully unraveled streak of otherworldly fire. In this state he found himself capable of going swifter than he had ever imagined, so he raced across the night sky at unimaginable speed and a few lonely creatures upon Galbar beheld the sight of a most unusual comet.
Melantha followed behind Katharsos, rapidly fading in and out of existence in an almost illusory-like way.
Meanwhile, Vakk had wasted no time in continuing his search amongst the souls, listening to them, hearing their words and fractured stories. At least now he knew that Karthansos was on his way. He would try to listen to them all, but it was futile as he felt he did not have the time amongst the countless souls. He let out a long sigh before he felt a presence rapidly closing in where he was. He turned his head to see a comet coming at him, as well as the presence of the death god, as well as another, Melantha.
”Come Katharsos, Come Melantha, Join me in this plight. Join me in this extravagant hunt. Come Katharsos, Come Melantha. Let us search for this blight.”
A smile crept across his face. Perhaps, he would finally be able to achieve that sadistic goal that he desired.
The great fiery glow grew larger and closer, steering straight for Vakk, but it was slowing. Just before it came near enough to warrant worrying about a collision, its movement was violently arrested and the globular streak rearranged itself into the shape of a tiger’s head, the one that was becoming Katharsos’ favoured visage. After a split second, Melantha materialized from the darkness next to Katharsos, silently taking in the new arrival.
Greetings were in order. ”I bid you welcome to my realm, dear Vakk. Your company is an unexpected but pleasing surprise.”
”Hello, Katharsos and Melantha, it is good to finally make your acquaintance,” Vakk said, moving his head down so that it would be level with the likes of the death god. He snapped his jaws as he heard some forgotten soul talk about its last meal, a rather loud one that one was. The Lord of Talk continued, getting right down to business, ”I must say that I am not here just to meet you. I have come in search of a particular soul, one that had followed me when the Architect had dragged us all here. I was wondering if you might be able to aid me in finding it.”
While Katharsos was taken aback by the candor of that request, Melantha’s eyes sparked as she thought about the consequences of such a request being granted. Katharsos’ first thought was that it seemed strange to be concerned about one soul in particular when there were so many around, but then in the next instant he realized that the obvious explanation was that Vakk had some sort of...attachment to the soul that he sought out. It sparked some thought. Katharsos remained silent and mostly expressionless as he rested in thought; Vakk could afford to wait for his answer.
This soul of his is likely already gone, but a few of the original ones remain. Should I entertain this request?
If this were any mortal praying for such a favor, the answer would have naturally been to deny the request. Rules had to be followed, the natural order that he created had to apply evenly to all--equality in death. But then, the gods were above most such rules. He had bent his principle in allowing Seihdhara’s spirit to leave, because she had swayed him that it would be to the betterment of all and because a deep part of him yearned to be liked by the other gods. He took no joy in trapping a soul, or in refusing and denying anyone’s pleading. But he had a duty, too.
Perhaps it made sense to allow Vakk this one favour, as the act in itself was small in the grand scheme of things. What could be much larger was the precedent that it set; Melantha’s bearing witness was an unfortunate thing, Katharsos now realized, because he did not want to be known as one that would acquiesce to the whims of others when it came to matters pertaining to his dominion over the aspects of death.
The dilemma tore at him. Ultimately, his decision hinged upon Vakk’s answer to one burning question, ”Why? What value does this soul have to you, and what would you do with it?”
Vakk thought long and hard of what to say, the answer not being one he wanted to divulge to another. Katharsos was the watcher of these souls, this was his domain and, as Vakk had learned in the Infinite Maze, saying the wrong thing or creating an enemy would come to haunt him. His words had to be careful lest he anger the Death God and make yet another enemy. He let out a small huff before he would deliver his answer, the tone of his voice becoming seeming lost in the past, ”She was once an old friend of mine and her death is partly the fault of the Architect for opening his portal and destroying our mortal forms. I do not believe that it is fair that she should suffer while I get to live.”
He let out a small sound that almost seemed like sorrow before his gaze subtly shifted to Melantha for a mere moment. He did not know what to make of her, but he hoped that she could not see through his lies. ”It would do me much pleasure if you would grant me this request.” Vakk continued, while this statement was not a lie, it certainly held ill intentions.
That reason seemed innocuous enough...believable, too. Not all of Katharsos’ peers were as capable of detaching themselves from such sentiment; he had realized that much already. Melantha, however, had her doubts about Vakk’s motives. Just when Katharsos was about to speak and grant Vakk his favor, she interrupted the two, her voice clear, her words perfectly articulated.
“Excuse me for interrupting, but I have a couple of questions for our dear god of Speech,” she said, first waiting for Katharsos’ approval of her interjection before facing Vakk directly. Although Melantha’s eyes were unable to see his visage, his overwhelming presence was clearly visible in her mind’s eye.
Katharsos was taken aback by the abrupt outburst, bearing an expression of shock and briefly flashing pink and yellow. He recovered after a moment and reluctantly offered affirmation, ”By all means.”
“Firstly, I thought all the gods were unknown souls wandering the endless Beyond before being summoned in this universe by Him. Yet, here you are saying that you not only had mortal, living forms before all this but were somehow torn from your own reality by the Architect’s grip? Suppose that is true, didn’t that other reality also house deities? I find it entirely implausible that they would let a foreign force invade their domain and take away souls by force, without any retaliation.
Secondly, I find it… strange that you would call this favor, should Katharsos allow it, a ‘pleasure’. Rescuing a friend from the clutches of death is nothing short of miraculous, not even close to a ‘pleasurable’ experience in my opinion. You could be grateful, of course, but your choice of words was different. Why is that?”
To these words, Vakk had internally began cursing at Melantha, and so he was silent for a time, merely looking at the Goddess. He lifted his head, towering above the two as he looked back at Katharsos. Apparently, he was to be met with an obstacle at every turn and he began to contemplate whether it was worth all this trouble just to satisfy a sadistic need. Yet, he had come too far to give up now and all fruits tasted better when they were ripe enough for the taking.
”I have come from another realm. Cast out for not believing in a certain way like the rest of the sheep in that cursed place,” Vakk stated, perhaps allowing it to come out a bit more defensively than he had wanted. ”Perhaps you, Melantha, were a lost, forgotten, miserable soul, but I was something more! I had a life before the Architect opened his rift, and so did she. Would you damn another to a death they did not deserve? Would you be so heartless that you would allow a poor girl to not live out her life after being taken from her home?“
His gaze returned to Katharsos, unknowing if his words would sway him fully. After some time, Vakk began to speak, mainly to Melantha and with it, his powerful words crept into both of their minds, ”Forgive me for becoming so defensive. I care for this one more than you may possibly understand. Would you truly take me for a liar if I had come all the way from Galbar just to seek this one soul?” He knew he could sway them by using his true power, it was only a matter of time before he could chip away her resolve for questions.
“Heartless? It seems you have misunderstood me. Souls beyond divine ones are beneath my wasting time arguing about. What I am arguing is whether your motives are true or not. Galbar… is a long way from here, that is true. It is also true that what I experienced might not be what others experienced during their summoning unto this world. This much satisfies my first question, but you have yet to answer the second…”
”Do you truly care?”
Melantha was taken aback by Vakk’s question, and she pondered on it for a good while. In the end, she sighed. “I guess I do not,” she replied. “But I strongly believe that once posed, a question must be answered, whether the answer is meaningful or not. I thought a god like you, with a domain over Speech itself, would relish in the mere chance at talking, much less answering simple questions. It appears I was mistaken…”
Vakk allowed a frown to come across his face, ”Our roles were not chosen. I am still myself, despite the Architect transporting me here. I do not like questions, especially ones where one does not truly care what the answer may be.” He craned his head down to her once more before speaking, ”Did you wish to be a goddess of question asking?”
”If it were up to me, I would not have been brought here in the first place. But that’s not something that can be changed now, I am afraid…” Melantha said before going silent. She moved behind Katharsos, now evidently having dropped the matter altogether. At the end of the day, it was him that was faced with the decision to help Vakk or not and not Melantha.
And then Katharsos broke his silence. ”This argument is being rendered moot by one bleak reality: Vakk, it might well be beyond the realm of possibility to grant you what you seek. Much time have passed and I have already recycled the majority of the broken souls that were brought here alongside us. If the soul in question still remains, time is of the essence and you must tell me all that you know of it if there is to be any hope of retrieving it in time. We can defer this discussion and speak of these other things while we look.”
For a moment, Vakk kept his eyes on Melantha as she moved behind Katharsos, almost looking through him before he snapped his jaws. ”Her name is Atmav and I am… close to her. After all, she was dragged here with me, perhaps she could be repeating my name? Regardless, she is a capable warrior with unwavering loyalty. As for how she may look, I remember she has four, blackened wings. She also has two large horns on her head and she lives without eyes, just as I.” Vakk spoke, returning his true attention to Katharsos before he looked out onto the sea of souls. ”I merely hope that there is enough time to find her.”
”Time?” Katharsos’ echoed, his face contorted into some unknowable expression. ”We need more than mere time! I must devise some means to go about sorting through the millions of souls. I am not omniscient here; try as I do, I can witness only a small fraction of those that enter the pyres. Never in my mind did I conjure some scenario where the fate of one particular soul would be of any consequence in the grand scheme of things, where I would need to find and isolate it. Nonetheless, you have presented me with an interesting challenge, and one that I will accept.”
But he was ever a pragmatist and a realist. ”Naturally, the odds still do not favor you. It is unlikely that we will find this ‘Atmav’, but now then, let us waste no more time on idle banter,” he declared, and yet even as the last word fell from his mouth and he grew silent, he simply remained. Were it not for the gentle ebb and flow of the tiny flames that made up his incandescent form, he may as well have been a statue suspended there in space.
Sometimes Katharsos’ strange mannerisms came across as outright infuriating, and here, when he seemed to be doing precisely nothing and yet by his own admission time was of the essence, Vakk felt angry. He let out a low growl before he spoke to Katharsos, ”Do you wish to make a fool of me? Why do you just sit there looking like a fool yourself?” Vakk snapped his jaws in annoyance, trying to get the death god’s attention once more.
The flames of his teeth elongated as Katharsos’ entire form flared up and became an ominous red. Yet there was still only a tinge of anger that crept into his words, ”Calm yourself. You are meant to be the very god of talk; you must know to think before you speak. And all beings should strive to reflect before they act!”
The stain of blood diffused away and he quickly reverted to his usual orange hue, and once again he suspended himself in silence and stillness. The other two’s patience was tested for a while longer before Katharsos suddenly proclaimed, ”To order all souls to assemble themselves before us and be inspected would be absurd; those decayed ones that cry out for mercy do not deserve the cruelty of being tortured or humiliated so. Besides, to manually inspect them all would take far too long and even then we might overlook the one that you seek. No, we need a more elegant system--a filter, of sorts.”
Over the coming minutes, the light of all the surrounding stars suddenly dimmed. As the tide of souls that had been fueling the pyres’ raging forms abruptly halted everywhere at once, the sky seemed ever dimmer.
But there was a great, glowing aurora of nebulous souls that was being formed as they were all brought together.
Vakk thought to himself for a moment, watching the aurora form before he turned his head to Katharsos. ”A filter? Perhaps something that allowed us to sort through what they may be speaking of? The one I seek would no doubt be talking about her adventures,” he suggested, his voice calm and steady after Katharsos had snapped at him. However, perhaps the God of Death had a point. It was Vakk’s irrationality that had caused Eurysthenes to become an enemy, and to make Li’Kalla suffer like the grindstone he used her for.
”I would presume that she too would be in better condition than many of the other souls, considering she entered alongside you. So we know this soul’s shape, its name, its…persona.”
Before the rapidly approaching stream of souls, there flew a lonely object that gleamed faintly as it reflected the light of Heliopolis. It was a massive crystal, the same that had first borne Katharsos to his Sphere. Not knowing what to do with the thing, he had abandoned it to drift through space, but now he realized a new and final purpose for it.
Its blurring speed came to an immediate halt right before Katharsos’ bulk, and from his mouth the god breathed a stream of cold fire. The flames engulfed the crystal and wreathed it in a layer of strangely colored and pulsating lights, and when they receded, the big hunk of quartz had been reforged into a prismatic and perfectly circular lens. The object hummed with power, and as Katharsos leaned in to whisper to it all that he had been told of the one called Atmav, her faint and ghostly likeness (as imagined by Katharsos, anyways) began to appear inside the lens’ depths if one squinted closely enough.
Then the vast tide of souls was suddenly upon them, and by the wordless direction of Katharsos, they all soared right for the massive lens and passed through it with their ethereal masses. The stream broke apart upon passing through the Lens of Souls as all the individual spirits were swept away back towards the stars that they had been destined for. Hundreds flew through every second, their wailing and shouting and confused muttering all blending together into one din; however, there was still a line so long that it stretched so far into the distance of the empty void that it blurred out of sight.
Katharsos carefully examined the process for a few minutes before deciding that all was working as he had envisioned and intended, and only then did his rigid expression fade. ”If this soul that you seek is still in existence, it will be found and separated from the others,” he assured Vakk.
Melantha observed from the sidelines the creation of this divine object, and marveled at how it was able to distinguish souls from one another. She reasoned she could learn more about souls by meditating on it, how it filtered and chose which souls to let through and which to keep behind. For now, though, she opted to remain silent. Vakk’s business seemed to not be over just yet.
”This is good! I must thank you for your effort, Katharsos,” Vakk said a true smile coming across his face, knowing that this nightmare of a journey would soon over. He looked out out into the sea of souls, watching the filter cast the rejected ones back to whatever dark hole they had crept from. This was good, progress was being made and now he knew what more he had to do, knowing that if he could control death then he would control life, ”You have been a spectacular friend. I must say, you are more powerful than I have imagined, such is befitting a God of Death. I have full faith that even if we do not find her, you and I may create fantastic things.”
His head shifted to face the Goddess, ”Even with you. You watch and gather information, such attribute is excellent with creating magnificent things, but… what stops you from using your power?”
“I do not understand your question, Vakk. I cannot find any reason for using my powers under the circumstances. Katharsos has created the necessary tool for finding the lost soul you seek, and quite a finely crafted tool it is, If I may add,” Melantha replied curtly. Katharsos softly uttered his thanks, but kept his gaze transfixed upon the Lens of Souls.
“You should take a note from Chopstick Eyes and make something… superfluous,” Vakk said before he looked back at the souls.
Superfluous? Now Melantha was genuinely confused as to what Vakk meant with those words. “I have yet to visit Galbar and have no knowledge of the other gods’ creations. However, I do plan on descending at some point. I will keep your suggestion in mind for when that moment comes.”
“I can tell you that there is much on Galbar,” Vakk informed, not shifting his gaze as the device continued its filtering.
How were those two able to so quickly lose sight of their objection and then banter back and forth about nothing? Katharsos remained silent and allowed the conversation to die. Time had grueling gone by, each second turning into untold hours of simply watching the Lens sift through the souls that slowly made their way through. Vakk had been impatient and the silence between the three gods did not help him as he did not know what the Lens would do if it did find Atmav. Would it even find her? Was this whole expedition doomed to failure? What would he do if it were a failure?
Vakk growled before breaking the silence that plagued him for so long, a disappointed and frustrated voice taking control, ”It seems that this task was doomed from the very start. Perhaps you had burned her soul already, I do thank you for-” He ended his sentence abruptly as he looked back at the Lens of Souls, noticing that a soul was trying to pass through it but failing to for some unknown reason. It was like a fly trying to find the window, merely hitting the side of the lens in a futile effort to get through it. What was once a frown of frustration turned into a twisted grin of questionable intent as he gave a low laugh.
”Thank you for finding her.”
Melantha flew closer to the lens, her divine sense enveloping it, analyzing it. The interaction between the chosen soul and the lens was something of note, as the lens seemingly barred the soul from leaving and instead kept it locked near its surface. “Katharsos, you must let me study this creation of yours after all is said and done,” she exclaimed.
”Of course,” he answered both of them without hesitation. Pride and fascination beamed across Katharsos’ face for the first time since he had attained godhood. Ah, here was something that he could be proud of--a plan that had worked, and one that had been recognized with praise rather than riotous objection. It was only then that he realized this soul was trapped on the Lens and struggling like a fly in a spiderweb, pressed against the strange object by the inescapable pull driving the current of souls. With a thought, Katharsos broke that current and permitted the Sky of Pyres to return to its natural order; the endless stream of incoming souls dissolved as they were all swept to the nearest of those various stars strewn across the void. Meanwhile, Atmav was gently lifted off and guided closer to the three watching gods.
Vakk could not help himself as he moved his massive head towards the soul of the one it had taken far too long to achieve. He wanted to enact his revenge against her at that moment, but there were witnesses nor did he have the strength within him to make her suffer the way he desired. ”Atmav…” Vakk muttered, his tendrils slowly moving forward to touch the soul, they stopped mere hair lengths away from Atmav. ”No…
His head craned towards Katharsos before speaking, ”It is not my place to bring back what is dead. You should bring her back from this dread. This is only fitting.” Vakk retracted his tendrils from the soul as he had spoke before shaking his head. It seemed as though he was hesitant to bring back what he had traveled all this way to acquire, but Vakk would leave the choice to Katharsos, as death was his domain and not the Lord of Talk’s.
That shouldn’t have taken Katharsos aback, for Vakk had already offered his motivations and his purpose, but it nonetheless did. There was something...repugnant about the very idea of something being restored from the dead. So Katharsos looked inward, worried that it might be rooted in some hubris or pride, but he was left without any immediate answers. He had felt this overwhelming urge once before, when Seihdhara had pleaded for her release. But even that was not so bad; he had not restored her so much as released her that she could find a means to enliven herself. It seemed nothing short of obvious that the dead should remain that way; to think otherwise was like arguing against the oceans of Galbar (that walled garden far, far below) being blue.
”Why should this one be ‘brought back’? Is it not enough to have this one returned to your safekeeping, be it in flesh or in soul only?”
He had already sacrificed principles and bent the rules on that day just in creating that great procession of souls that he’d sent through the Lens, and now he was doing it once more in permitting this one soul to be claimed by another god. Now, he was beginning to realize that he didn’t truly hold Vakk in such high regard that he would bend a third time as part of this grand favour.
”As I have said, it is not fair that she should have died due to the Architect bringing her here when it only should have been me,” he feigned desperation before he seemingly calmed himself. ”I suppose I have bothered you enough, however. Perhaps I should go to another god to try and bring her back,” Vakk sighed, turning away from the death god to gather Atmav’s soul. The struggling form of Atmav tried to pull away from the invisible guide to escape from the Lord of Talk, but he muttered a few simple words which broke her fight. Afterwards she was silent enough, a feature Vakk appreciated of Atmav. His tendrils gingerly wrapped themselves around the soul before he turned to face Katharsos.
He appeals to fairness and justice, ignorant of the hypocrisy therein. How is it ‘fair’ that one can escape death when all others must succumb?
”I did enjoy this time. Perhaps when I visit again, it will not be a favour I ask?”
Regret and doubt were already beginning to circle around his mind like vultures, but through his concentration Katharsos staved them off. He nodded his farewell to Vakk, and answered, ”Treasure this most valued consideration that you were given, for I do not think that this will be a common occurrence. Perhaps one day our positions will be mirrored and it will be I who asks for a favor from you, my friend and equal. Until such time I shall bid you swift journeying. Know that you are welcome in my realm, bleak though it may be.”
Vakk only silently nodded with a light smile coming to his face, a few final words being spoken to Katharsos, ”Know a favor will be repaid. Do not be dismayed, or be stayed, from coming to Sanvādam, the Realm of Talk. All you must do is follow the sweet sound in the ground.” Vakk bowed his head before he turned and took his leave.
He stopped a get moments later before he turned back, ”Say, is there, perhaps, a path that may take me to Galbar? I managed to come through a rather… difficult path through the Infinite Maze, and I’d rather not deal with that heartache again.”
”Intriguing! I had wondered just how you had arrived here…” Katharsos blinked a few times, absent-mindedly contemplating this new revelation that this foreign Sphere (which he innately knew to be that of the one called Eurysthenes) could brush up against his own. But then the grip of Vakk’s impatient aura drew his attention back to the moment. ”I have breached the various seals between this place and Galbar; they are held open by the pressure of an intangible storm that sweeps up the souls of the dead and carries them to their final destination here. I could leverage it open wide enough for you to pass through in the flesh, and you could then descend back to Galbar, but beyond that I can offer you little assistance.”
”That would be enough. Though, I grow tired of constantly thanking you,” Vakk joked before his impatience got the better of him, forcing him to finally leave and make his way back to Galbar. Knowing what to look for, it was easy enough to find the so-called Vortex of Souls; he needed only to follow the steady streams of braying souls that were ascending into the Sky of Pyres, and eventually they all led to one rift that radiated power. True to his word, Katharsos indeed manipulated the gateway such that it was barely large enough to permit Vakk’s passage, and so the god slipped through and was swept downwards through the Celestial Spheres.
While the two gods were saying the farewells, Melantha had already started studying the Lens. She did not particularly care about Vakk enough to see him off and considering that they were not in her Sphere where she would be their host, it made even more sense for her to stay quiet and proceed with her own interests. Trying to be as gentle as possible with Katharsos’ creation, Melantha exerted her power upon it. A film of darkness enveloped the faintly glowing Lens which Melantha used to absorb whatever little essence leaked out of the divine object. By analyzing the composition of said essence she could pinpoint what changes were made to its fundamental form due to the Lens’ mechanisms, and thus she could deduce how those mechanisms worked. Of course, Melantha also could rid herself of the hassle by simply asking Katharsos to explain how it worked, but she thought the challenge of reverse engineering the divine tool was something worth her time and effort.
It took him only a moment or two to realize what she was doing. ”It is a much more precise, delicate, and…elegant tool of purity than these astral fires that I am made to use elsewhere. Take care not to contaminate it with any of your own divine essence, for that might irreparably damage it.” Lost in her thoughts as she was, however, Melantha did not hear his words.
At first, she was confident in her deduction skills, but as time progressed she realized that she’d stumped upon something quite difficult, her mental strain evident by the ever-evolving frowning of her brows. Nevertheless, she refused to turn to Katharsos for instructions.
He remained there for a while, watching her as well as the distant stars. One by one the pyres began to glower bright once again as the (temporarily diverted) stream of souls was now being directed once more as it had been. The silence and the nothingness about were rare moments of peace, but he could hardly enjoy them. There was a growing itch of sorts; he felt like he was in dereliction of his duty as he remained just suspended there in idle rest. He had to watch over the pyres. It was his duty, to see all the memories that he could before they passed away, so that someone would remember.
Gingerly, he broke the silence and Melantha’s concentration. ”I must return to my place now. I will need to bring the Lens with me.”
Having not made much progress in her understanding of the Lens, Melantha’s displeasure was evident upon coming out of the trance-like state she had fallen into. “You assured me that you would let me study your creation.” The goddess looked around before turning back at Katharsos and continued. “I don’t see Vakk anymore, so I assume your business with him is over? If that’s the case then I hope you will indulge me this small favor. You promised.” If Melantha’s eyes were not covered, they would be staring straight at Katharsos.
”Vakk is gone,” he granted, ”and yet I have held to my promise. You have probed at the Lens for a long time and realized nothing, and nor will given another hundred years, for your method is flawed. You will not understand it by trying to witness what leaves the vessel. One must look instead at what enters, so retract that film with which you’ve covered it.” Taken aback by the revelation, Melantha sighed and did as Katharsos instructed. “So all my efforts are for naught. I thought all that time spent under your tutelage and the knowledge I gained would be of help, but it seems there is more to this item than meets the eye,” she commented dejectedly.
“To break an object, there is always one angle that works best--one point weakest to outside forces, and one direction to apply the force through that point. Just so, there is always one true perspective. Finding that perspective, knowing where to look, is where all of the difficulty lies,” was his strange and circular way of trying to offer some words of comfort, which Melantha accepted, albeit still feeling a little glum due to what she considered her failure. ”Shall I show you where to look, and what to see? It is the least that I could do.”
“I shall be in your care once more,” she promptly replied.
”If you are to garner or hold to anything from me, let it be to the sentiment that the pursuit of the correct perspectives and opinions is our imperative. One can never have certainty, for there is always a storm great enough to cast down a tree well watered and with the deepest of roots. Natheless, when you contemplate from many different angles and come to arrive at one, you will have done more than most and you will be able to deservedly have confidence in the truth of your path.”
He was silent for a moment, letting that sink in even as he thought for a moment about what to say next. ”I hold strongly that this philosophy is all self-evident; the Great One that brought us here has but only one eye, and in that knowledge I feel affirmed. But there is a chance, perhaps imperceptibly slight, that I am wrong. If that were the case, I hope that I would be able to witness the falsity, accept it, adjust my mind accordingly, and then reconcile my new understanding with what other things I’ve held to be true. But I have digressed too far. Let me explain the intricacies of this Lens.”
His intangible will tugged at the object and spun it such that it caught the glare of distant Heliopolis head-on. Through the prismatic glass did the light travel, and rainbows exploded through every facet of the crystal as the light was separated into its many colors. Aware that Melantha remained blind, he tilted the Lens an almost imperceptible bit such that some of these tiny bands of color fell upon her, hoping that she might sense the difference between them.
”See how the light itself is split as it falls into the crystal? That is its only secret. Call it entropic recursion; the rainbows are split, and their products are split, on and on until only the simplest and smallest and most base of things remain visible, and then all is laid bare and there is no hiding. The boulders are broken into pebbles, which are made into grains of sand, which are made into near nothingness, and then the minutiae can be observed. The Lens only bends and ceases its relentless destruction when it beholds the fundamental thing that it is told to search for; all else is broken into objects so small that they are able to pass right through, almost intangibly, and then be bent and assembled back into shape such that they reform as they were on the other side. This might have been readily seen, but the flaw of your approach was that you covered the Lens in a film of darkness and permitted neither light nor soul nor boulder enter its depths, so of course there was nothing to be seen emerging from the other side.”
Melantha remained silent as she absorbed Katharsos’ explanation, and even after he had finished, she kept to herself. After putting everything in her head in order, a question had arisen which she posed to the god of Death. “You say that the Lens breaks things down to their most minute components which are then observed to see if they are what the Lens is tasked to search for, but creating such an object with a function such as that would entail the creator to have a thorough understanding of nearly everything, so that the reconstruction process can be guaranteed to be flawless. I think neither you, nor I, nor every other deity bar the Architect maybe, is privy to that kin-”
”I think that you misunderstand; it was only a metaphor,” he interrupted her. For emphasis, he conjured a small mote of dust and hurled it at the Lens, and the thing bounced off its surface. ”It breaks light, but any mundane crystal could be shaped for that purpose. This one is made special by how it separates the soul from those dyes that color it, those things that go on to become impurities in the pyres. Interesting though they might be, I care little for what things…constitute the mundane objects around us. My quandary and my purpose in this world relates to soul and that which we cannot touch and feel.”
“So the Lens is, essentially, a better version of your pyres?” Melantha questioned somewhat confused.
”I told you that I think this much more elegant than those crude fires, yes. But its purpose is a different one.”
“I see. I guess then that what you have already taught me covers the inner workings of the Lens. There is nothing more to gain from studying it,” Melantha concluded. “I shall take my leave now. There is much to do yet so little time. Thank you for your hospitality, Katharsos. You have done more for me than you may think you have, and of course, you will always be welcome to my domain.”
Melantha gave a graceful bow as a sign of her thanks as she slowly faded out of existence, rapidly merging with the darkness of space. Only a wisp of essence was left behind in her place to indicate she was ever there in the first place which soon also dispersed into nothingness.
Vakk arrives in the Sky of Pyres and immediately begins his search for Atmav, calling to Katharsos for help.
Katharsos and Melantha are doing a thing before Katharsos hears Vakk’s call and immediately makes himself into spaghetti to move faster to Vakk. Melantha follows.
Vakk says a little poem when realizes Melantha is there too.
Katharsos arrives with Melantha to meet Vakk for the first time. Vakk states his purpose of being at the Pyres when Katharsos inquires.
Katharsos agrees to help Vakk before Mel gets suspicious. Vakk puts her down.
Katharsos makes the Lens of Souls which helps one find a specific soul.
After a while, Vakk gets impatiens and almost gives up before Atmav is conveniently found.
Vakk tries to get Katharsos to resurrect Atmav but he refuses. Even after Vakk tries to manipulate him into doing so.
Still Vakk offers to repay Katharsos with a future favor before he leaves.
Mel stays behind to ask Katharsos some questions and look at the Lens, then goes home.
Katharsos -3MP spent to purchase the ability to spaghettify his body and fly really fast as a huge streak of fire. I’ll name the ability…Unravelling of Form. -3MP spent for Katharsos to create the Lens of Souls, a divine artifact that can help him sift through the millions of souls entering his Sphere and find particular individuals based on the appearance they took in life or whatever other criteria he wants. This counts towards Purity portfolio, bringing the total to 3FP and 3MP towards unlocking Purity.
As a player, what is your preferred writing level? Several paragraphs Long stories with heavy collaboration Is grammar and depth of writing important to you? Yes Are there any writing subjects you particularly enjoy exploring? I enjoy almost all writing equally, but I enjoy writing about character development and action sequences. Is there anything you really dislike and want to avoid like the plague? Nothing in particular. Is there something you are uncomfortable with happening to your character? Not really, I am quite open to literally anything happening to my character. Do you have any short-term or long-term goals with this character? Short-term, I want to see my character explore the balance of the force while being tempted to go explore her family history which may develop into a temptation to abandon the order. Long-term, I want to see her develop into a Jedi Sage (or Shadow depending on how her character develops) then maybe into a master.
Name: San Anin
Species: Kel Dor
Homeworld: Dorin
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Rank: Padawan
Master: Kyla Vondin - Current Miljaco Bleslew - Former
Former master(s): Not Applicable
Known Skills:
Form I: Shii-Cho // Intermediate Form II: Makashii // Beginner
Trained Force Techniques: All basic Jedi Techniques - Includes Tutaminis // Trained-Talent. Breath Control // Novice Force Empathy // Untrained Talent Tapas // No Training
Known associates: Padawan Bryethe Farlance - Friend
Favored Equipment and clothes: Traditional Jedi Robes A green-bladed lightsaber with a curved hilt
Personality type:
Inquisitive, Anti-Social, and Focused
San has proven herself to be exceptionally dillegent in her studies of the force and how it operates. She has shown to block out most distractions so that she would be able to hone her focus on the Force even further, yet this does tend to alienate her from some of her peers. Additionally, San seems to alienate herself from most others as she has exhibited a mild tendancy to view others as a distraction from her studies, even if the would be valuable advice from a teacher. San, simply shows no interest in the dealings of others, yet, her focus on the Force has made her an effective user of it.
Known flaws:
San has essentially abandoned her studies in lightsaber combat, making her dueling skills rather lackluster compared to most of her peers.
Due to her anti-social nature, San has become rather awkward with talking, even to instructors or masters.
San still holds to her family close to her mind. She is finding it difficult to let go despite being taken to the Jedi Order at four.
Detailed appearance. Imagery insufficient.
SUBJECT: San Anin AGE: 16 DATE OF ENRRY: 09.23.05
San Anin now stands 5'7" and has adopted to painting the markings of Baran Do among her body, notably on her left shoulder as to hide it with her Jedi robes. Her breath mask and goggles are as standard as they come, grey in color to continue to contrast with her bright orange skin. Her skin is just as wrinkled as most other Kel Dor, but her skin does not bear any scars or deformities that exist within her species. Beneath her goggles, San continues to have the silver eyes that are prominent within force users of her species. She does, however, have longer nails than normal, perhaps due to the fact she does not clip them often. Additionally, the sensory organs on the sides of her head are smaller than average but does not seem to have any detrimental effect to her normal functions/
Report on natural ability with the Force, as well as all known Force Techniques and the skill level.
Author: Renshe Tathol, Jedi Watchman Subject: San Anin Date: 13:00 3.12.4 [9 Years Ago]
Youngling San Anin has proven to have a strong connection of the force and has seemingly dedicated herself to the study of it. However, it has been noted that even in her free time she has taken to studying the force and is rarely seen with her peers outside of instruction. Her instructor has been informed to encourage her to interact with her peers outside of her teachings.
Author: Renshe Tathol, Jedi Watchman Subject: San Anin Date: 13:00 9.02.2 [7 Years Ago]
It has been noted that Youngling San Anin has continued a heavy study of the force, however, she has shown no development of interactions outside of her studies. Her understanding has led to her being more advanced than other younglings in a practical use and spiritual use of the Force. Despite constant urging from her instructor, San has only interacting with very few other younglings and these events are too few and far between to take notice of.
Author: Nala Morso, Jedi Watchman Subject: San Anin Date: 15:00, 1.10.4 ATC [3 years ago]
Youngling San has shown to be delving into the more advanced techniques in the force and has taken to furthering the uses of Tutaminis. San has been practicing the techniques needed to properly hone in this ability and has shown such an advancement that she is remarkably ahead of her peers in terms of Force understanding. However, she is not ready for her Initiate Trials.
It is with a happy heart that I may report that San Anin has achieved a mastery over the basic Jedi arts and has managed to achieve a vast understanding of Breath Control and Force Empathy. The latter of which was learned so that she may better understand how other creatures may feel, as well as to get past her long period of awkwardness in conversation. She is aware of the risks that Force Empathy has, but she has a strong mind, so it is doubtful that she will be swayed by emotion.
Report on skills not directly rooted in the Force, including level of skill
Author: Renshe Tathol, Jedi Watchman Subject: San Anin Date: 10:00 3.15.2 [7 Years Ago]
Youngling San Anin seems to be a surprisingly well adapted to navigating star charts, she seems to simply know the quickest routes between stars and it makes me believe that should she fail her initiate trials, she would make a fine member of the Exploration Corp. It is almost as if she is a droid designed for the same purpose, but she does have her imperfections in it. I believe it is all that time she spends studying that allows her to have this precise knowledge, at the very least she will be effective in such a position.
Author: Nala Morso, Jedi Watchman Subject: San Anin Date: 15:00, 2.10.1 ATC [5 years ago]
Youngling San Anin has shown herself to be quite the investigator, her time spent studying force abilities and techniques have induced a skill of research that is highly developed within a child. No doubt that as she grows older, San will become a person who may do some good keeping records or investigating into matters that most others may have trouble on. She is quite the competent one with matters of deduction and the like, though this has still translated into poor lightsaber skills.
Report on known combat experience, training and lightsaber training.
San Anin, despite having been trained thoroughly on the arts of dueling and three of the lightsaber forms, has shown utter negligence in practice of the abilities of her weapon. While she knows the maneuvers and strikes, she seems to have never put them into practice despite constant urging from instructors to be able to properly complete her trials if she wanted to become a proper member of the order. However, with her lackluster lightsaber skills in practical uses, she is knowledgeable of what she needs to do in order to hold her, it is merely a problem of putting that knowledge onto the field where the problem lies.
Detailed notes on political influence and associates.
N/A
Detailed notes on known rivals and enemies, outside and within the Order and Republic.
N/A
List and description of other known associates, including intimates.
Bryethe Farlance - Friend
Kyla Vondin - Master
List of all known ownership, including vessels, (non-standard) equipment, and locations.
Old Holo-Recorder with a recording of her family - Currently Confiscated
Several Holobooks on the Force and Force Abilities.
Psychological evaluation of Jedi Order member.
SUBJECT: San Anin AGE: 16 DATE OF ENRRY: 09.24.05
Youngling San Anin is a rare case, being taken into the Order at the age of four, she has already had her family cemented into her mind and she continues to find it difficult to let go. She does feel a connection with her family on a personal level, even though her memories also make her view the Jedi Order as a family as well. Moving forward, it is imperative that the Order tries to minimize this connection as little as possible, however, taking away her Holo-recorder may incite resentment in the Order.
San Anin is, however, a diligent spirit who remains focused on her work and will likely continue to keep her head in some form of a data-pad. She is very much one who will block out distractions and focus on the task that she has in front of her, which may benefit her ability to get tasks done. Yet, San Anin will also block out others who may be trying to help her and she does sever her connections with others even if it may be more beneficial for her to have another person's insight. It is with this that San Anin has become rather awkward when dealing with others, which is rather unbefitting of a Jedi. This awkwardness stems from a fear of saying the wrong thing, embarrassing herself, and overall, just trying to not make a bad impression of herself.
While socially, she may be awkward and overthink a bit, San Anin is a very inquisitive person and tries to satitate her curiosity by finding any knowledge that may pertane for what she is currently obsessed on. She does have a lasting love of reading anything that is related to the Force, which is something any master may need to instill caution in as her curiosity may push her too far. While currently, this obsession is currently with what she can learn from the Jedi, it is unknown if she is fully aware of the allure of the Dark Side and if she is actively limiting herself to the Jedi Archives or not. Caution must be taught to her, lest she walk down a path she can never return.
List and description of known and suspected flaws. To be put into restricted database.
Suspected connection to her biological family may lead her to the dark side.
Her curiosity is a facet of her personality that may lead her to a darker path in an attempt to satiate her own desire for knowledge.
Her anti-social nature makes it hard for her to be a negotiator, as Jedi typically are, furthermore it makes her alienated from the rest of the Order.
All known interests of the force-user.
Furthering her knowledge and understanding the Force.
Desire to become Jedi Sage
Learn more of her family and potentially reconnect with them.
Notes on skillset specialization, if applicable.
N/A
Major achievements on record.
Successful Completion of Initiate Trials
Construction of Lightsaber
Major failures on record. Confidential.
Found Holo-recorder with family. Having trouble detaching from her family and their traditions.
Lightsaber skills almost have caused her to fail her Initiate Trials. Unlikely to hold own in a duel.
San Anin was born and partially raised on Dorin, during the Great Galactic War where she would know relative peace from the blights of the war. Her biological family had kept her from the sight of the Jedi Order for a time before a recruiter had investigated a tip that there may be a force-sensitive child in the family. Initial questionings of the family were fruitless as they denied to have had ownership of San Anin in an effort to keep her away from the Order. It is believed that the family hid San Anin in an attempt to hide her from the war, not wanting to know that their daughter died in a fight that was not hers to fight. However, a dedicated recruiter eventually had a sight of the young Anin, seeing her peak out of her room with the silver eyes that the Kel Dor force-sensitives had. After a brief, yet forward conversation, the recruiter managed to get the family to willingly give up San Anin. The family had a very long, saddened departure from San Anin before the recruiter could finally take her to a proper location.
Being a later arrival to the Order made it hard for her to properly separate from her biological family, a challenge that still has a grip over her. San Anin has, however, taken very eagerly to being a member of the Order, namely learning about the Force and all of its qualities. She is an inquisitive girl and has shown no signs stopping this curiousness that she holds for the Force. Yet, it has been noted by a few of her instructors over time that she prefers to keep to herself and tends to solve problems on her own rather than with her fellow initiates. It would be learned from her parents that this anti-social behavior was even normal before she had been recruited to the Order. It was not the fault of the transition to a new environment, but rather it has seemed to be a born behavior that was likely further instilled as her parents tried to keep her from the Order. It was with this information that it is understood what had caused her to develop an awkwardness as she has never truly interacted with another on a personal level, purely on some form of Professional level.
Yet, there was one other Initiate to properly break through this awkwardness, Bryethe Farlance. That initiate managed to break through San Anin's awkwardness after years of constant persistence in interaction to the point where San Anin did not become so shy or timid around her. It was during this time of friendship that San Anin shadowed Brythe for quite some time until Brythe's ascension to becoming a Padawan. After losing Brythe, San Anin reverted back into her anti-social self which has shown that she operates best with someone who can break through those initial barriers.
Later, she engaged in her Initiate Trials, a rather recent event, where she passed the first two portions of her trial with flying colors, given her connection and understanding of the Force and the Jedi Code. The construction of her lightsaber was a rather unique one in that she studied each piece one by one through the force before connecting the pieces. It was as if she sought to understand every facet of her weapon, however, she does not wield it effectively. Her third part of the trial, however, was the tensest as she had to face what would tempt her to the dark side. While it is assumed that she faced her family, San Anin did not want to divulge too many details regarding the event, only that she succeeded in her trial. Whatever it was clearly troubled her. However, it was this part of the trial that had caused her to initially fail her ascension into becoming a padawan.
This caused to her to turn into herself even further, and when she was eventually coaxed to reveal what she had faced in that third trial. The reasoning for her failure was indeed that she had to let go of her family, something she found increasingly hard to complete. With much guidance, she eventually returned to face the trials in which she managed to pass in successfully letting go of her attachment to her family.
After passing her trials and earning the title of 'Padawan', Miljaco Bleslew elected to be her master. While Miljaco proved to be an adequate master for San Anin, it was merely not meant to last as it would not be but two months later when her master would be assassinated by a bounty hunter employed by the sith. Miljaco was killed while protecting San Anin, who merely did not have the skill to fight such a battle against a trained assassin due to her lack of skills with her lightsaber. However, he managed to buy her enough time to escape. When she was found once more, it was very easily sensed that she was a mess of emotion and while San Anin was controlling them, there was much conflict within her.
To compensate for her lack of training with a lightsaber, she was assigned to Battlemaster Kyla Vondin.
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