Kalar, also known as the Buried Shadow or the God of Souls, is a major god in Hazeron that mainly oversees Gessaria. His domains are souls and shadows. His symbol is commonly depicted as an inverted tear falling upwards from a dark hole.
Description
Appearance
Kalar is often depicted as a floating, dark grey cloak, with the area under the cloak appearing as an impenetrable darkness. Many accounts of interactions with Kalar describe him manifesting in all manners of shadows, speaking with a low, gravelly voice.
However, more often than not, Kalar appears as a mortal being, usually some sort of humanoid. He has been known to take all manner of forms, and will generally assume a role conducive to his current agenda.
Personality
Kalar, like many gods, is largely enigmatic; followers of righteous deities such as Fectovarano might refer to Kalar as shifty and manipulative, while others may see him as convincing and pragmatic. Those who have dealt with the god directly tend to refer to him as collected, gregarious, and charismatic.
Belief and Systems
His alignment is lawful neutral, but this topic is often debated among the members of the Ereidin High Council, as many view him as an evil god. Kalar prizes nonviolent solutions to problems, such as through subterfuge, compromise, or charisma.
Kalar is an unusually proactive god, consistently interacting with mortals and manifesting himself on the Material Plane. While his specific goals remain a mystery to even his most devout followers, he has a keen interest in the continent of Gessaria specifically, and makes efforts to amass soul contracts with those living there.
Kalar does not seem to flex his pure power often, leading many to believe that he is not a powerful god, instead choosing to make deals with people and having them pay their debts to him by working to his ends.
Pacts
The ability to make a pact with Kalar, especially in Gessaria, is general knowledge despite efforts from various other religions. However, most also understand the gravity of deals made with the Buried Shadow, so generally only the brave or desperate make attempts to work with him.
Kalar tends to offer people a means to an end. This could be through magic, luck, power, or more commonly, though small, subtle influences. While Kalar assists an individual in achieving their goals, he expects them to simultaneously work in service of him as well. While the boons Kalar grants can vary widely from individual to individual, Kalar will almost always demand that the individual provide him with their soul as collateral.
The magic of Kalar tends to involve manipulation of the soul, shadows, and charismatic boons. Kalar prefers to work with those who are seeking non-violent solutions to their problems.
It is usually very easy to make a deal with Kalar; simply letting enough people know of your wishes will attract a servant of Kalar eventually, and begin the crafting of a pact. Should you wish to expedite the process, locating a shrine of Kalar and expressing your desires directly to an icon of the gods will have more immediate results. Kalar will either send one of his many warlocks to make a deal with you, or, if you're lucky, will appear himself. All you need to do then is allow Kalar to hold on to your soul, at least until you pay off the debt your deal incurs.
Devotees
While there are those who worship Kalar out of fear, most worship him in the hopes of either establishing a pact with him, or to honor a pact they already have. There are geographically based sects that worship Kalar as a tradition, but these instances are secular and not very widespread. Due to Kalar's influence in the area, most of these sects are in Gessaria.
Kalar is worshiped outside of Gessaria, but he rarely pays those worshipers much mind, occasionally granting the odd boon or miracle. Most of his devout followers migrate to Gessaria eventually.
Apart from those that seek individual rewards from dealing with Kalar, there is a sect of monks known as the Shadehand that seem to work towards his means. The monks are decentralized, sharing their teachings only in passing as they traverse Gessaria. The Shadehand possess a variety of secret techniques for releasing tormented souls and guiding them to the afterlife, but detractors often claim that these souls are instead offered to Kalar. Members of the Shadehand can be found most often in the Deadmarch, where they work to free shackled souls from their rotting prisons.
Commandments
- Keep to the shadows. If you must walk into the light, make well your appearance to onlookers.
- Hold true to the pacts you keep. Debts are timeless until repaid.
- Law is law. Do not stray from your tenants; tormented are those who live in chaos.
Legends
Shadehand Funeral Rites
While there are a number of different rites used by the Shadehand in the event of a death, the most common is the Deadman Rite, which is used in the case where a Shadehand monk encounters a body that has died from an unnatural circumstance. In the scenario where the monk themselves did not witness the death of the creature, the Deadman Rite is generally recited.
Wayward soul lost to chaos
Guide yourself to your next stage
Forget not your debts and struggles
But cling not to the whims of mortals
Find that road through the Farpath
Undeterred by fanciful distractions
Peer not into the shadow
For that chapter has closed
After the recitation, the monk will generally clasp their hands together with a specific hand sign, marking the beginning of the soul's travel to Adzeredish.
Warning to the Hopeful
Be careful with Kalar. Dealing with him can fulfill your greatest dreams, but be careful with the fine print; the terms you set with him must be followed exactly, to the letter, to each stray drop of ink that is spilled on the parchment. Kalar is a god of absolute law. You MUST follow the rules, or your soul pact will never end. - Unknown, Warlock of Kalar
History
In 951 IaC, Kalar reached out to the adventuring party the Peas regarding their ongoing battle against the Nightseeker. Kalar was irritated with the Nightseeker's ambitions of godhood and promised to protect the shadows of the party if they dealt with her decisively. When the Nightseeker was defeated by the Peas, Kalar appeared and prevented a catastrophic explosion by absorbing the shadows that the Nightseeker had stolen, but ended up keeping them for himself. Kalar later made a number of bargains with the original owners of the shadows and had them complete a number of tasks in his name, with the promise of having their shadows returned to them if they did so.