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[h1][color=yellow][b][u]Karamir[/u][/b][/color][/h1]
&
[h1][color=brown][b][u]Arryn[/u][/b][/color][/h1]
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[color=yellow]"So why are you here?"[/color]

They had followed the Warden for some time, as he led them away from Limbo. Now, the Warden had parted ways, leaving Karamir and Arryn to their own devices. Karamir had more or less remained silent during the journey, but now that they were alone and had stopped for a rest, he finally decided to say what was on his mind.

Arryn, on the stump of a recently fallen tree, quirked his head. [color=brown]"My master told me to find you."[/color]

[color=yellow]"Why?"[/color] Karamir asked next.

Arryn shrugged. [color=brown]"You had not contacted him in decades. He wanted to know what became of you."[/color]

[color=yellow]"Why couldn't he contact me himself?"[/color] Karamir demanded.

[color=brown]"Why didn't you just contact him?"[/color]

Karamir sighed, and he knew he was beaten there. He couldn't criticize Kalmar for not reaching out - not without criticizing himself, for he was guilty of the same. He changed tactics. [color=yellow]"So why send you instead of appearing himself?"[/color]

[color=brown]"He had other business to attend to."[/color] Arryn replied.

[color=yellow]"Like what?"[/color] Karamir asked, eyes narrowing.

[color=brown]"Many decades ago, I take it you met a bird that gave you a message?"[/color]

Karamir nodded. It was such a distant memory. At the time, he had been confused. Kalmar had not told him what awaited people after death. Yet the broadcast claimed that all souls burned and suffered. If the broadcast was to be believed, of course. At the time Karamir couldn't help but note how, despite claiming to want to save souls, Azura had allowed a soul to be burned simply to demonstrate what the Pyres did. Furthermore, she herself had admitted she violated the free will of the souls who were already at the Pyres, which suggested she might do it again. And so he was left with two options: either allow his soul to be burned, or blindly trust himself to a mysterious unknown god who would freeze him forever, where who knows what could happen.

In all honesty, he hadn't been sure which one was better, and after a time it had faded from his mind as the more pressing details of everyday life took precedent over his distant demise. He had almost forgotten about it, and to have it suddenly brought up after all this time got him off guard.

[color=brown]"Well, you might not know this, but much of that message consisted of lies and half-truths. The intent was to manipulate the viewer. Katharsos burns souls so that they can make new souls; without him we would have no functioning souls at all. Most beings, yourself included, are a product of this system. But for some reason Azura finds it appalling. Now, our creator seeks to track the birds down to their source and see what can be done about this so-called 'Soul Crisis.' Which, frankly, only became a crisis because Azura made it into one."[/color] There was a great deal of annoyance in the bird's voice.

[color=yellow]"You seem to have a great dislike for this Azura,"[/color] Karamir noted.

Arryn nodded. [color=brown]"I do. She speaks of free will, only to admit to violating it. She claims she wants mortals to see the truth, yet resorts to lies and manipulation. She claims she wants to save all, yet I watched one of her Alma shoot a fleeing man in the back as he tried to get his family to safety."[/color]

Karamir blinked. That sounded... horrible. [color=yellow]"So she is not to be trusted, then."[/color]

Arryn nodded. [color=brown]"She is not to be trusted,"[/color] the Avatar confirmed.

[color=yellow]"So those are our only options, then?"[/color] Karamir wondered. [color=yellow]"Burn into nothingness or fall asleep into nothingness? Is there no alternative?"[/color]

Arryn shrugged. [color=brown]"The only known alternative is to allow yourself to decay into madness. If there was any other way, I'm sure that Katharsos or the Architect would have found it."[/color]

Karamir frowned. Must a world filled with gods who can make and shape it as they see fit deal in such absolutes? Even if Azura's intentions were true, her way could still turn out to be a dead-end. Meanwhile, Katharsos's system was functioning but it left nothing to look forward to after death. At the same time, however... Karamir was created from the soul ash produced by Katharsos's pyres. If Azura had her way from the beginning, then he never would have been allowed to exist - neither would Atalantia, Pyrdon, Diana, Arryn, or Arya. [color=yellow]"I see..."[/color] he said, as that realization dawned.

If the Sky of Pyres had created him, in a sense, then perhaps it would be fitting if he ultimately returned there. If souls had been burned to create him and many others, then wouldn't it only be fair if they suffered the same fate? On other other hand, could it also be said that he had no obligation to the thing that created him when he never asked to be created in the first place?

With a sigh, Karamir rose to his feet. It seemed as if there was still much that needed to be learned before he could decide which course he truly favoured. Fortunately, his death was a long way off, so it was not something he needed to contemplate any time soon. He picked a direction at random and began walking.

Arryn followed, perching on Karamir's shoulder.

[color=yellow]"So now that you found me, why are you continuing to follow me?"[/color] Karamir questioned.

[color=brown]"To make sure you don't get yourself killed."[/color]

He scowled at that. [color=yellow]"Kalmar gave me what I needed to survive on my own."[/color]

Arryn was not satisfied by that. [color=brown]"When I followed your trail, I noticed that you walked with an avatar. And when I found you, you had exited the gateway of another god's sphere. When was the last time you were truly alone?"[/color]

[color=yellow]"Doesn't matter,"[/color] Karamir dismissed the question. [color=yellow]"What was it you did to me back there? I feel..."[/color]

[color=brown]"...smarter, stronger, faster, taller,"[/color] Arryn interrupted. [color=brown]"Your soul is also fortified against decay, your body will no longer age, and you can go longer without food or sleep. Our creator told me to do it."[/color]

[color=yellow]"He did?"[/color] Karamir asked, wide-eyed. Kalmar had made it abundantly clear that he did not wish to expend the effort necessary to give Karamir a longer life. So what changed?

[color=brown]"He had a change of heart,"[/color] Arryn explained.

Another surprise. Even in Karamir's limited interaction with others, Kalmar had never struck him as someone who was easily moved. Still, he did not let this surprise show. The revelation was still sinking in... he was fortified against soul decay, and his body would never age. He need not fear death. Not natural death, at least. And although he was more than a head taller, he had already gotten used to walking around with his enhanced height.

[color=yellow]"So you're just going to keep following me around, then?"[/color] Karamir asked next.

[color=brown]"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"[/color]

Karamir took some to think about that. [color=yellow]"No,"[/color] he said. [color=yellow]"I have some questions..."[/color]

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[hider=Summary]
Karamir talks to Arryn. He asks why Arryn came to find him, what Arryn did to him, why Kalmar couldn't show up in person, and so on. They talk about the soul crisis a bit and Karamir ponders the implications of both Katharsos's and Azura's options. As part of his personal quest to find more information about the world, he decides to ask Arryn some more questions.
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[hider=Prestige]
[u]Karamir[/u]

[b]Starting Prestige:[/b] 3
+1 for minor role.
+1 for major role.
[b]Ending Prestige:[/b] 5
[/hider]