Artifact:Soulstar
Soulstar
The Soulstar is an ancient artifact thought to have been created by Nalieth, the Primordial Light, to imprison Kala-o, the Primordial Shadow. It is made of black igneous stone with inclusions of red, ruby-like stones called heartstones that glow with a pulsating light.
History and Use
While the origin of the stone itself is debated, nearly all cultures believe that it is a prison created by Nalieth that contains the eternal essence of Shadow, Kala-o. Legends of the Soulstar have been passed down through many generations, even being present in cultures that originally came from other lands (such as the Aurilore, Fjallmenn, and Caeluvex). It is believed that the Soulstar was created in the "time-before-time," the period before the Exordium, when the world was first created and there was not yet mortals living on it.
In Awa 1,197, Kavrenthak, the Harmonic Architect of the Duuema, was given the Soulstar to study after it was found under Dak var Thera by miners. Identifying it as a relic with powerful harmonies, he decided to personally investigate it. This led to him eventually developing the Harmonic Triad, a set of tools that would allow him to interact with the harmonies the Soulstar emitted. He later became enthralled by the Soulstar and developed a need to "build it a body," so that it could become a new god for the Duuema. This resulted in the construction of the Vahana, a large machine designed to transport the mind, body, and spirit of a person into Celestia.
Not long after Kavrenthak began his experiments on the Soulstar in earnest, Vadmis, an oracle and close friend of Raevoth, informed Raevoth of his visions concerning the Soulstar and the Duuema people's possession of the artifact. This resulted in a violent conflict between Raevoth's army and the Duuema. In an attempt to defend his people, Kavrenthak activated the Vahana. Since the machine was never formally tested, its singular activation resulted in the Vanishment that caused all the Duuema to disappear from Zyrkthraan.
Later, in 902 of the Harmonic Era, a Duuema named Rhzoreck Thrkhav arrived from a far-off realm and sought to bring back the Duuema. He believed that if he could accumulate the Harmonic Triad, he could activate the Soulstar again and bring his people back. While he did not find the Soulstar, he was still able to complete his mission.
In Media
Monarch of the Lost: The Beginning
The Soulstar has a major role in The Beginning. Although it is never actually seen, it is mentioned many times:
- In Chapter 5, when Calen asks Rhzoreck about it
- In Chapter 12, when describing what Kavrenthak's book is about
- In Chapter 13, when the comparison between the Soulstar and resonance crystals is made
- In Chapter 14, when Rhzoreck is explaining the purposes of the Echoblade and Rendan
- Again in Chapter 14, when Rhzoreck is repeating a theory he read in a book
- Again in Chapter 14, when the drekanda mentions the cause of the battle between the Duuema and the Caeluvex in the Awakening
- In Chapter 19, when discussing the relationship between the Soulstar and the Harmonic Triad
- In Chapter 21, when Equae is considering the potential for harm with regards to handling the Triad
- In Chapter 22, when Rhzoreck first sees the state of the Triad
- In Chapter 24, when Rhzoreck is contemplating the effect of the Soulstar on Kavrenthak
- In Chapter 25, when Rhzoreck is attempting to find the Soulstar
- Again in Chapter 25, when Kala-o makes a deal with Rhzoreck