Oragas Ríxfíg
The Oragas Ríxfíg (Moldése for Soul Cage) is a powerful magical artifact which tethers the kíndallan necromancer Stagnekad to the land of Eden—allowing him to remain in that purgatorial paradise even after reality reboots and all non-halflings are meant to be sent back to The World Beyond the River.
This artifact was crafted by Stagnekad from the blood, flesh, and bones of the beloved Winkie explorer Lüe, whom he murdered at the tail end of The First Age. With this vile vessel rests a piece of Stagnekad’s own body, a fragment of himself he cleaved off during a ceremony kíndallans traditionally reserve for procreation.
The Ríxfíg’s primary purpose is to allow Stagnekad as much time as possible to locate the Sister Goddesses of this universe—Phina, the goddess of fire and chaos, and her sister Mira, who holds dominion over the so-called River Without End—to find them and to slaughter them where they stand.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
The vessel is a cube comprised of twelve equal-sized bone fragments, held together by the leathered and magically preserved skin of the deceased Lüe. Inside the vessel, a portion of Lüe’s blood is made to perpetually swirl—by spells cast by Stagnekad—around a small cleaving of flesh from Stagnekad’s own body.
The resulting monstrosity is enough to provide a loophole in the Sister Goddesses’ proclamation that only halflings may reside in Eden after reality is rebooted, allowing Stagnekad—whose existence as a siphon will keep him from ever dying—to remain in Eden for as long as he desires.
Significance
Though elven scholars had long posited the theoretical possibility of soul jars and soul cages, not even the most evil amongst them had ever considered making one. They didn’t need to. They were elves, after all, and already immortal. It wasn’t until Stagnekad’s research in the Edenian Athenæum, during The First Age, that the theoretical possiblity of a soul cage became an actual reality.
And now, ever since, necromancers from across the universe have had a field day with this dark magic. But none have been as successful at protecting theirs as Stagnekad, who has kept his safe and hidden for thousands of years.
Comments