The Sixth God (Book)

"The Sixth God" is an anonymous text written in 4E-204, outlining the mythological origin of death and the Undercaverns.

## **Text**

The end of the Third Reign brought about a new problem for the gods to consider. As populations grew, Garn began to become overwhelmed with life. Birzolli did not consider himself capable of managing so many creatures within his realm, and convened the gods to discuss a solution to the problem. The conclusion they came to was death.

Death would serve as a final end to life on the mortal plane. This would separate the gods and mortals, and the gods would only die when their Reign was over. However, as the dead accumulated, their souls began to wander the land. As the years passed, the wandering spirits began to make the living uncomfortable. A new solution was required.

Ribble, the toad, offered up the waters of the Blue Mist Lake as a final resting place for these wandering souls, noting that his followers were largely burying their dead at sea. The gods rejected the idea, worried that the dead would still wander the rivers and end up among civilization again. Ribble conceded.

Birzolli, the rat, wondered if the dead could all be buried beneath their native homes, so the discontented spirits would be more comfortable with their sites of burial. The gods rejected the idea, worried that families of the dead would find too much strife in living above the corpses of their relatives. Birzolli conceded.

Kiltera, the cat, stated that the dead could be thrown from the cliffs of the plain, so that the souls would be kept on the eastern ridges and away from any civilized dwellings. The gods rejected the idea, knowing that a forced exodus of spirits to an untamed wasteland may upset any living relatives left behind. Kiltera conceded.

Harver, the hawk, recommended that the dead be cast beneath his nest, and into the deep wells of fire within the Redfang Mountains. The gods rejected the idea, as death should not be a punishment but a release from the woes of life. Harver conceded.

Malefik, the panther, spoke last. He told of the vast tunnels beneath Birzolli's forests, where the gods could build a home for all lost souls to dwell. The gods considered the idea. The tunnels would act like a maze, which could be fortified to discourage the dead from attempting any escape. The soils of Garn would act as a buffer between the world of the dead and the world of the living, preventing either from interacting with the other. Malefik and the gods were pleased.

The gods begged the Runepriest to use his powers to create this realm, and the Runepriest was delighted with their ingenuity. The Runes twisted the stones beneath Birzolli's realm, and thus the Undercaverns were born. At the Undercaverns' deepest depths, a vast well of crystals was forged. As a creature died, their Soul would be absorbed into the ground beneath them, and brought to the heart of Garn itself. Each Soul would enter these crystals, and rest for eternity in a dormant sleep. The well of crystals grew to be known as the Spirit Archives. The Shell would remain on Garn, allowing the loved ones to bury their deceased however they chose. Some would be released to the Blue Mist Lake's seemingly infinite depths, while others were thrown from the eastern cliffs, never to be seen again. Ribble and Kiltera were pleased, as were Harver and Birzolli. But most pleased of all was Malefik.

Malefik pleaded with the Runes for the chance to rule this realm. The Runes, seeing the sincerity of his passion, accepted. A massive citadel, the Ebony Palace, was forged above the Spirit Archives, and Malefik took up residence in his echoing halls. Malefik took the Souls of the gods before him, such as Firsir, Skall, and Ranio, and offered them rooms in his great castle. The gods continued to live like kings, even in death. Eventually, the end of the Third Reign came. As the Dark Day approached, Malefik pleaded once more to retain his dominion over death. The Runes, more hesitantly this time, accepted his request. Malefik was handed over to death itself. His Shell evaporated, and his Soul possessed the Undercaverns as his Shadow passed on. Malefik was now one with the Undercaverns, and the dead rested forever under his watchful eye. Malefik was given a league of panthers to guard the entrance to the tunnels, to discourage any of the living from entering his sacred realm.

Malefik, now existing beyond death, had become the sixth god. Light, Darkness, Fire, Water, and Nature had their stewards, but now death had its own domain.