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[color=orange][h1][b][u]Kalmar[/u][/b][/h1][/color]
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZIEBEyW.png[/img]
[sub]God of Death, Prince of Astral Fires[/sub]
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As Kalmar trekked back into the cave, he began to think. Asceal had told him that Melantha, Katharsos, and Sartravius were mad. If she was wrong about Melantha, then it stood to reason that she could be wrong about the other two. And he had already told Asceal that he would make an attempt to speak with them. It would be best to do that, before she could attempt anything rash.

However, there were two obstacles. Firstly, he did not know where either Katharsos or Sartravius were. Secondly, searching for them would mean leaving Melantha - either that, or taking her with him on the search, which could be a bad idea if they proved to be dangerous.

Kalmar decided it would be far easier to simply do what he had done with Orvus. Call them down for a meeting. He was away from Melantha, so assuming the conversation was brief, now would be the best time. He decided to start with Katharsos.

[color=orange]”Katharsos,”[/color] he thought, reaching out. [color=orange]”We need to talk.”[/color]

There was silence as the thought raced across the void of space and echoed until it found its way to Katharsos, hanging somewhere up in the stars in contemplation as he was wont to be. Sooner, rather than later, Kalmar got his answer in the form of a voice that called out across the Spheres to speak with crystal clarity. [color=goldenrod][i]”I am listening.”[/i][/color]

A quick response. That was good. Orvus had been far less receptive. [color=orange]”Can you speak to me in person?”[/color] Kalmar questioned back.

The request struck Katharsos as a strange one, for conversation was easy enough regardless of distance, as they were already demonstrating. But he ultimately dismissed it as likely being an eccentricity of some sort. In truth he was glad to have his thoughts broken; it was good to remain tethered to reality lest he eventually retreat so deeply into the depths of his mind that he might struggle to escape.

[color=goldenrod][i]”I will come,”[/i][/color] finally Katharsos answered. There had been a pregnant pause in which he’d mulled over it, but in the end hesitance hadn’t crept into his tone. Unravelling his form and taking flight across Galbar again held a certain appeal, so seeing little reason for brevity, he decided to forego wrenching open the Vortex of Souls and rappelling down it. Instead, he manifested in Galbar’s sky as a streak of red that gradually grew larger and brighter as it fell from the heavens and approached the source of Kalmar’s presence.

The descent toward Kalgrun brought him over mountain and plains and forest, and even from afar, Katharsos could sense the presence of life. He took some satisfaction in seeing how far it had spread. Though none of those creatures were of his making, the soul ash that had enabled their existence had been a product of Katharsos’ grim work. It was good to find some vicarious joy in seeing the works of the other gods; it helped to push aside any lingering doubts as to whether his path had been right.

Kalmar waited. He saw the streak of red approaching, and detected the aura of a god. Who else could that be if not Katharsos? He returned his knife to his belt, and kept his hands open at his sides, as he waited for the God of Death to arrive.

Eventually Katharsos grew so close that it became apparent to those below that he was not some mundane meteorite. A massive streak of fire raced down to the surface of the world below, arresting its motion only a short ways above the ground, and then the great thread of fire quickly wove itself into a burning visage.

Kalmar greeted the figure with a wary nod. [color=orange]”Katharsos,”[/color] was all he said.

[color=goldenrod]”You are Kalmar,”[/color] the fellow god acknowledged. [color=goldenrod]”It is good to meet you in person, but I sense some purpose in your words and suspect that this is not meant to be a conversation of pleasantries.”[/color]

Based on Asceal’s description, that was perhaps one of the last things Kalmar had been expecting to hear. However, he did not let his surprise show, and decided to get straight to the point. [color=orange]”I heard you were murdering souls,”[/color] he said.

For his part Katharsos did not hide his surprise, and the long flames of his face bent as he recoiled from the accusation. [color=goldenrod]”Conversation is warranted, then. I shall commit myself to civil speech and answer any of your questions, if you will only agree to the same.”[/color]

Kalmar nodded. [color=orange]”That is why I called you here. I do not want a fight. Now… is it true?”[/color]

Vakk and Melantha had both been straightforward and brash to a point that approached rudeness, but Kalmar’s fast speech and blatant mannerisms surpassed even theirs. It took Katharsos somewhat aback, for he intended to begin by demanding the source of those claims, but Kalmar had already asked his question.

[color=goldenrod]”I do not think so,”[/color] was the answer that he came up with after several moments of thought. He spoke deliberately, weighing each word, and slowly. So slowly, compared to Kalmar. [color=goldenrod]”I have done things that I would not have liked, but all of my actions are necessary, and therefore just. I suspected that some might have objected to the manner in which I recycled those primordial souls that entered the world alongside us and yet were not granted divinity, but [i]murder[/i] is a poor choice of word. No, they were in miserable condition, agonized and half-mad. I took it upon myself to grant them mercy, and in doing so enabled new life to form.”[/color]

 A fiery eye darted to a nearby tree, as well as to some of the animals cowering in it. Katharsos exuded a gentle warmth, but the brilliance of his form was enough to kindle any animal’s instinctive fear of fire. Still, he noticed a small squirrel and inspected it from afar, momentarily distracted by the tiny thing. [color=goldenrod]“I am pleased to see you make use of the fruits of my efforts.”[/color]

Now it was Kalmar’s turn to be taken aback. As he had noted with Melantha, these were not the words of someone who was mad. Asceal had misled him twice, it seemed, and once again he had to wonder if it was intentional. But now was not the time to voice this - questions still remained. [color=orange]”And how do you recycle these souls?”[/color] Kalmar asked, his tone betraying neither approval nor disapproval.

[color=goldenrod]”There, far above us, I found a Sphere that called to me. It was an empty shell, an utterly bleak and miserable place, but it called to me and so I claimed it and have put it to good purpose. Many of those distant lights in the sky are great pyres of my making; they burn the souls of the dead to create ash, among other byproducts. Over time, this soul ash has permeated the Spheres. Do you feel it?”[/color] With some concentration, Katharsos used his mind and divine power to manipulate his surroundings to grasp some of the ash that floated through the forest around them, trying to make the stuff defy its invisible and incorporeal nature.

With only the force of his mind, he squeezed the mote of ash tightly, too tightly, and under his compressive weight it collapsed into a true soul. That had not quite been his intent, and some semblance of a frown appeared on the god’s face. Still, even as he looked at the newly formed soul as it greedily pulled in more soul ash from its surroundings and began to grow, he spoke to Kalmar, [color=goldenrod]”If you had not noticed, it is the source of the new souls that have arisen inside all of the lifeforms around us.”[/color]

At once, Kalmar understood. He was aware of his soul ash, and in his experience he had also noticed that souls tended to decay over time. He had not known where soul ash came from, but he had assumed it was produced by some god’s sphere. And he had also assumed that the departed souls simply decayed into nothingness. But he was wrong - on both counts. [color=orange]”I see…”[/color] he said, after some thought, but two questions remained. [color=orange]”The souls that burn… do they suffer? And does any of their essence go to waste?”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]”I have created a great storm that churns unseen around us, wrenching free the stray souls of the dead and carrying them to my Sphere in the currents. The dead find that confusing, disorientating, distressing...it seems altogether unpleasant, though I see little to be done about it. It is unacceptable to let them wander freely and to make the living suffer those dead that would greedily stay past their time and [i]inflict[/i] themselves upon the world. Upon entering the pyres, there is pain. A soul has many components, and to fully recycle one back to ash, I must separate them all. Breaking down the link between a soul and its memories has proven to be the most challenging aspect,”[/color] Katharsos spoke on and on, looking at the soul of his accidental make and trying to subdue and restrain it whilst he decided what to do. 

Without looking away from it and back to Kalmar, he went on, [color=goldenrod]“They relive their lives in a sort of cathartic way as the flames wrest their memories away, one by one. You might compare it to a state of paralysis that they exist in as they gradually lose consciousness and identity and eventually even sapience. For those that struggle, I will not lie and deny that there is pain. Rest assured that I take little joy in the process and do try to at least watch the passing of as many as I can. It...it…”[/color]

The soul stopped writhing, and so Katharsos finally was able to cease wrestling it and loosen his magical grip on the thing. But still he seemed at a loss for words.

[color=goldenrod]”It...helps to ease my mind. And there is much to be learned from the memories of the dead. I believe that those who live fulfilling or interesting lives are worthy of respect, so I do endeavor to watch the passing of as many of them as possible. But there are so many souls, and I am only one. I cannot possibly see them all, though I do try.”[/color]

[color=orange]”You could try to find a way to make it less painful, or find a way to store their memories…”[/color] Kalmar mused thoughtfully, [color=orange]”...but if your words are true, I see no other issue with your process. It seems I was misled… I’m sorry.”[/color]

The orange fires of Katharsos’ body pulsed golden for an instant. That was about the closest that he came to beaming. [color=goldenrod]”I will think upon what you have said. I gladly accept the apology, even though it seems unwarranted if you were indeed misled. And that brings me to what I had been meaning to ask--who was it that spoke to you of this? Only three have entered my Sphere, and each came asking for a favor.”[/color] He began to look more troubled. [color=goldenrod]”I had my doubts in each case, but ultimately acquiesced and granted each that which they’d asked of me. I had thought that all three parted with me as friends!”[/color]

[color=orange]”It was Asceal,”[/color] Kalmar told him. [color=orange]”She did not tell me much, just that you were murdering souls, and she thought you mad. I don’t know if she misjudged you or if she deliberately misled me, though I suspect she might try to interfere with your process either way. I will talk to her, but I have other things to do first, and she might not listen.”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]”Asceal? I have never spoken with her, nor even stopped to see her or her works. I did suspect that some might find disagreement with my methods and my actions, or perhaps [i]question[/i] me in other ways, but I trust that all such contention is rooted in ignorance and that I will be able to enlighten her someday. I can only imagine that it is not all too pressing for her, as she’s yet to visit my Sphere or so much as tell me anything of an objection.”[/color]

[color=orange]”Not all of our kind are as quick to resort to words,”[/color] Kalmar pointed out. [color=orange]”Orvus tried to kill Phystene. Shengshi threatened to kill my avatar over a disagreement, and I threatened him in return. Vakk attacked Li’Kalla, and somehow turned her into a monster. And something erased Melantha’s memories, but I don’t know what. Asceal already told me she doesn’t see any point in talking with you.”[/color]

Listening carefully, Katharsos initially seemed to hold onto that almost smug, albeit unintentional, dismissiveness that he’d shown a moment earlier, but it cracked over mention of Vakk and Melantha. [color=goldenrod]”The immature, the vain, and those not used to power will make idle threats and perhaps even scuffle if they grow sour enough toward one another; I expected that much, and will merely try to remain detached. If they come to me, I will do what I can to teach them the error of their ways. But as in for Vakk? A god such as he should know better. Surely you are misinformed, or somehow there is more to the situation. When next I see Vakk, I will ask him of the matter.”[/color]

Then Katharsos rested in silent thought. After a long pause, with some trepidation in mind but not in voice of body, he finally spoke of Melantha, [/color=goldenrod]“And as for Melantha, I believe that...that state of hers is of her own doing. She came to me seeking to understand the mechanism of my pyres, you see. But she seemingly cared for little besides the process of separating memory from soul, and asked that I show her how to perform such feats. And then I helped her to practice, and she returned to amicably to her own realm. I suppose she must have went on to erase all of her own memories, then.”[/color]

He became so troubled that the bodiless soul in his grasp nearly escaped, but the god of death was not easily defied. When he willed a soul to come or go, his grip was unyielding and his will near unbreakable. So it was that the spirit did not go far before being returned to his side.

[color=goldenrod]”Erasing one’s own memories would be no small feat; I do not think that she would have managed to do it nearly so easily were it not for my assistance. Perhaps I was wrong to give her the tutelage that she sought. But then, who am I to judge what she chose to become?”[/color]

Kalmar was genuinely shocked. He had assumed that the erasing of Melantha’s memories was the work of some other god. But to find out that it was her own doing? [color=orange]”She.. she erased her own memories?”[/color] he asked, the surprise and confusion evident in his voice. [color=orange]”Why?”[/color]

Katharsos had no words.

[color=orange]”To erase her own memories… she should use her experiences to make herself stronger, she shouldn’t hide from them…”[/color] Kalmar sighed in disappointment. [color=orange]”But she is a different person now, and she promised to be better…”[/color] his voice trailed off. [color=orange]”I will need to tell her. As for Vakk… be careful - if the story about him breaking Li’Kalla’s mind is true, he can do the same to you, though you might be made of sterner stuff. Either way, my avatar is searching for the truth as we speak.”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]”You will do as you think best.”[/color] It was in that moment that Katharsos realized that he had been too detached. Too much had transpired; he needed to stay on Galbar for some time and investigate much of what Kalmar had told him. While he was there, he could also explore the creation of the other gods. [color=goldenrod]”I do not fear Vakk, but will be more wary of his intentions for what you’ve told me. If this [i]avatar[/i] of yours finds something of value, I hope that you will inform me.”[/color]

Kalmar nodded. [color=orange]”I will. Let me know if Asceal tries to move against you. Death is both a hunter’s ally and a hunter’s enemy, but it is a vital part of existence nonetheless.”[/color]

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[hider=Summary]
On his way back to Melantha, Kalmar decides to contact Katharsos. He does, and Katharsos agrees to a meeting. Katharsos is happy to notice the prevalence of life on Galbar. The two discuss the effect of Katharsos’ sphere and what Asceal said about him. Katharsos demonstrates the presence and purpose of soul ash and accidentally creates a soul in the process. Kalmar eventually comes to see little issue with Katharsos’ philosophy or actions, and concludes that Asceal either deliberately or accidentally misled him.

Kalmar then tells Katharsos what some of the other gods have been up to - most notably, Vakk’s attack against Li’Kalla, and the erasure of Melantha’s memories. Katharsos is skeptical about what occurred with Vakk, and then informs Kalmar that Melantha likely erased her own memories. Kalmar is surprised, and decides she will need to be told.

Katharsos then decides to spend some time on Galbar. He and Kalmar part ways, agreeing to inform each other if the situations regarding Vakk or Asceal develop any further.
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