Togae, He Who Sings Death

Singing life stories of the recently deceased

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Oh, Guardian of Glass
How light shines through you
Oh, Crystal protector
You were delicate, if only we knew

— Flawed Protector, by Togae

Togae comes from a village of harsh conditions and hardy people; a place where death is embraced as a part of life. The passing of one life makes way for another, and tales of the deceased become the basis for lessons taught to new generations. Togae spends his life as the Singer of Death, the Voice of the Fading; he speaks to those about to be welcomed into death's embrace to learn their story, and then sings it aloud to pass along the tale to all that will listen.

Early Life

In his formative years, Togae was quiet, almost reclusive. He enjoyed nature and song, spending hours listening to both. Socially, he spent much of his time observing those around him, listening to what they had to say, rarely interjecting with an opinion of his own. When he did speak, it was often with a small, shy voice, and anything he said was usually missed during the bustle of conversation. Because of this and his love for music, Togae developed the habit of singing to himself; softly, under his breath, he'd keep a sing-song account of all that was happening near him.
Life during Togae's youth was tough; living in Soom-Shida was never easy, but the years during which he grew up were some of the hardest. Bad harvests, brutal weather, and the threat of Hansun going to war were omnipresent -- the general population of Soom-Shida reached its lowest point when Togae turned just 10 years old.

The thing I remember most is how year by year, the silence grew.

— Togae

Wishes and Orders

The people of Soom-Shida, tenacious and always looking for an opportunity to better their lives, were desperate. Thus, when the government of Hansun came looking for a place to kickstart the creation of Catalurgists, the local leaders of Soom-Shida accepted without second thought.

Togae's parents, Soyun and Hyunji, were proud Soom-Shidans, examples of citizens who loved their city despite the trials associated with living in it. They had long wished for their son to be strong like them, and when the call for Catalurgists came, they saw an opportunity to put an end to what they saw as useless singing and introduce a powerful magic user to their family and the world.

To most outsiders looking in, Togae's relationship with his parents was ordinary; perfectly fine, even. It appeared as if he respected his parents wishes, yet to Togae, it felt as if he had no choice but to follow orders.
Togae began to suppress his love for song, as his parents slowly and methodically replaced his dreams with their expectations.

Presented Sex

Male

Age

36

Hometown

Soom-Shida

Published Songs

17

Parents

Soyun Ro and Hyunji Ro

Nicknames, Alternate Titles

Voice of the Fading, Voice of the Dying, Storysinger

Togae Ro

As a result of a difficult youth, Togae is under average in both height and weight. Because of this, the often extreme cold of Soom-Shida effects him greately; thus he's usually seen bundled up in many layers of thick clothes.
His chest and arms bear the telltale marks of a failed Catalurgic procedure, but he keeps these hidden with tight wraps on his arms and a thick shirt that he rarely ever removes.
When Togae sings for people, his voice is soft and quiet, yet somehow absolutely demanding of attention.

by Amelia Bartlett

Interactive Interview

Hover to trigger continuation of conversation

I know now that it was the wrong choice. What a mistake it was. But at the time...

— Interviewee

At the time, you were doing what you thought was best.

— Togae

It felt like it was the only option.

— Interviewee

Hover your mouse over this section for 1 second to continue the conversation

Was it though? Truly the only option?

Did you not look for alternatives?

I'm not trying to make excuses for my actions. They're inexcusable. I just want to provide context as to why -- you have to understand, when you've lived through what I have, you need to make the tough decisions every time in order to survive. If you're lucky, they'll be the kind of decisions you can live to regret. If you're unlucky...

---

Introduction to Mortality

Togae was to become a shining example of Soom-Shidan fortitude and ability; with one "simple" medical procedure, he'd become a Catalurgist and gain the power to help bring the settlement back into glory, as well as win some much needed attention from the government of Hansun.
Local leaders, equipped only with limited knowledge, professed that the operation is easy, with low risk; a simple "in and out". Take one thing out of the body and replace it with something new, granting the power to process Ichor and create magic. Yet their doctors were untrained, the tools and precautions required were alien to them, and in the early stages of Togae's operation, it all went wrong.
Togae began to lose blood at an astonishing rate, and the situation quickly became dire. With his life rapidly draining away, his doctors made their case to his parents; he needed blood, and as all doctors of the time knew, it needed to come from family. Togae's father, Hyunji, volunteered. He was quickly brought into the operation room, pre-op checks skipped, and soon a web of tubing connected the two. As the doctors worked to stop Togae's bleeding, his father's blood slowly began to replenish that which Togae had lost.
One final tragedy struck that night; as Togae began to stabilize and the doctors began to relax, a hidden heart condition held by Togae's father made itself known. The strain of giving so much blood cause the rhythm of his heart to falter and slow. Hyunji slipped into a coma, and 4 hours after giving blood to save his son's life, Hyunji died.

---

Finding Hope in Death

The guardian had been put on it's path
Its nature set in crystal, too fragile to change
It could only act as it knew
as pain became what it reflected

— Flawed Protector, by Togae

The following years provided no relief for Togae. Unable to reconcile his anger at nearly dying with the fact that his father gave his life to save him, Togae slowly withdrew from people as a whole. Things that he once enjoyed lost all lustre; he no longer sang for himself, he no longer took joy in the simple things in life. By the time he became a young adult, Togae was merely going through the motions.
Unable to look his mother in the eye anymore, he moved himself into a solitary hut on the far edge of town. Using knowledge from his time observing nature in his youth, he began foraging for survival; as he retreated from society, he found sanctuary in the wild.

Slow Silence of Nature

For 5 years, Togae remained in near total isolation. He'd see another person now and again when he needed supplies from town, but the interactions were always brief.
Throughout those years Togae slowly began to appreciate his surroundings once again. He took in the quiet of the woods and the stories of the lifeforms that called them home. He observed as animals, insects, and plants all constantly fought for survival. There was beauty in their struggle; there were stories in their death.
He felt close to nature during those years. And after a time, he began to see reflections of that struggle showcased in the people of Soom-Shida. He slowly learned to accept the decisions people make in the goal of survival.

Singing the Impending Silence

After a time, Togae began breaking the silence; softly his voice drifted through the trees as he sang the songs of the forest creatures. Quietly did his music drift on somber air as he sung of life attempting to survive.
Slowly he began to work humanity into those songs, and with that, come to terms with the horror of his past. The melody of nature became Togae's path to healing.

I sang of grass and of trees, of birds and of bugs. Things quick of death and slow of life.

— Togae

Soom-Shida

Soom-Shida is a settlement within the country of Hansun, nestled precariously in between a cluster of sheer cliffs and sharp mountain peaks. It is blasted with wind all year round, with winters of ice and summers of torrential rain.
The people of Soom-Shida are thus a very hardy type; nothing goes to waste in the town, as anything can and will be repurposed rather than made anew.

Funerary Traditions

This propensity to re-use extends even to human life. Death is accepted and embraced, and often those who are dying will leave plans for their body to be used in whatever way necessary to ensure the survival of the community.

I know my father, and I know he'd simply be happy that I'm still getting use out of his blood, all these years after he died to give it to me.

— Togae

by Kellen Riggin

Interactive Interview

Hover to trigger continuation of conversation

Things were bad for a time. Really bad. I had lost everything... of course, I wasn't the only one. But I only saw things through my own frame of reference, and that made it hard to see the hurt others were going through as well.

— Interviewee

What allowed you to change?

— Togae

Time. Time itself does not heal all things. Yet it provided me the space I needed to get at my core pains. Those years without you or your father were the hardest years of my life. And now at the end of my journey, I'm a better person because of it.

— Soyun Ro

Hover your mouse over this section for 1 second to continue the conversation

They were the hardest years of my life, too.

I know.

Forcing me, forcing anyone into that procedure... it's not forgiveable.

I don't expect it to be.

I don't even hope to be forgiven. I wasn't a good person, but I tried.

You have no idea how proud I am of you. That despite the damage your father and I did, you became who you are today.

---

Acceptance

Singing once again woke the humanity within Togae; previous brief interactions with people in town grew longer as he begun to converse with those he had isolated himself from many years ago. He talked with them of what had changed, of how things were going; he learned that others too had undergone the dangerous operation to become Catalurgists, with many of them dying. Togae's parents were far from the only ones to have been tricked by false promises.

People were merely taking any opportunity they saw to better their lives, despite the danger. I don't blame them.

— Togae

Togae found his mother in a home dedicated to long term care. Some time within the last year or so, she had taken ill; doctors said she was on deaths door, yet still she remained, in the hopes of seeing Togae again. Together they spoke, and slowly her story of hardship and regret was heard.

Telling her tale

Listening to and observing the struggles within Soom-Shida became second nature to Togae, after his years in isolation. He had a keen ear for hidden truths, and a sharp eye for noticing the marks of buried pain. It took many visits, but gradually he listened to all that his mother had to say; Togae was with her in the end, as she breathed her last breath and told the end of her own story.

Togae's First Song

A small funeral was held for Soyun; not many had known her all that well, especially after what had happened. Those who did show up did so because of Togae. Despite the pain, his habit of singing under his breath had returned, but this time his voice carried a weight that it hadn't had before; those who heard it quieted themselves to better hear Togae's somber melodies.

During the funeral Togae finally let his voice ring free; no longer under his breath, powerful yet still quiet, he sang the song of his mother. He sang of her willing blindness to pain in the hopes of survival, and of the rigid, unchanging way that she loved those around her.
Much of the song was wrapped in metaphor, to the point that it seemed a work of fiction. Yet those that heard it that day found the truth and understanding within the melody.

The song became popular in the months following, heard in quiet places -- a mother singing her sick child to sleep, or a from an old man remembering his youth.
Many had no idea at the time that they were singing of Togae's late mother. To them, they were singing of the Flawed Guardian; a protector made of fragile glass, doing what it can to raise those it loves, but failing due to the inherent flaws contained within.

The Work of Togae

It wasn't long before Togae had other people requesting to speak with him, to tell him their life story. Those close to death, who had heard what he did for his late mother, wanted the same sort of closure for their time of passing. His method of honoring those who have passed on became highly sought after in Soom-Shida, and soon it became common-place to have a personal song sung at one's funeral.

There's much I want to tell, yet I lack the ability to tell it properly. Please, would you sing my death?

— A request to Togae

Togae himself has only sung for a handful of people so far. Each person he's sung for has had a tale that resonated with him; containing either a connection to his own story, or an importance that he feels must be spread to the world.

That song really put their life in perspective. They're still a bastard, but... I can see where they're coming from. I'm going to miss that old bag.

— Overheard at a funeral Togae sang at

by kilarov zaneit

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