The Catalyst

The Catalyst is the mythologized events that led to the start of The Shatter. There are many events that led up to the release of Pundras and Disaki, that released many of the other Deceiver Gods onto the realm.

This article will focus on the story as it has been written, historically accuracy is yet to be confirmed. Many ancient scholars have pieced together pieces that involve both the study of the life of Enoch Ylvaris and the dreams that reverberated around the world in the aftermath of this event.

The Catalyst

General Information

Type	Mythologized History
Related Event	Beginning of The Shatter

The Myth

Long ago, there was a prophecy of two people who were destined to cause the end of the world. When written into the Book of Kyndra, the prophecy was clear and definite. But the lovers tried to diverge from the prophecy. Undone by the threat of a powerful fiend, The Ranger heard the prophecy first, destined to destroy the world by meeting The Dreamer. So they hid from the world, in a cabin isolated to hold themselves safe, and to protect the realm.

The Dreamer walked various paths, looking to follow the possibilities that lie ahead of them. They gathered knowledge Arcane, Natural, and Divine. They learned to weave it all together and harness it from a young age. A soul well beyond their years. Upon a dark winter's night, the lovers met for the first time. A long winter brought the two closer together than they anticpated. A pssion forming in their hearts for the other. The Ranger only then realised who this must be, a dreamer of ages gone by. They shared the prophecy, a knowledge joined together, they both remained together in aims to defy the prophecy from coming to pass.

For years, the lovers defied the odds of the prophecy, learning and gaining more skill. The Ranger harnessing their divine blessed gift of the arcane, The Dreamer learning of their future, the ascension that awaited them. The pair falling deeper in love with the other and harnessing that love into a greater understanding of what love meant.

A third figure, The Arcanist, had a very different path to The Catalsyt. Driven by power and corruption, they lost a love who had as much ambition, for she failed in her duel with death, her name erased from existence, The Arcanist was tortured by his memories of her, yet never able to capture her name or likeness, each always escaping his mind. As someone with an astute grasp of the arcane, he realised that he would have to look into dark magics and bargains to reveal the path to his loved one.

The Arcanist was the first to arrive at the floating city, he spent time integrating himself within the lineage of archmages, finding a way to place among its most powerful members, secretly making deals with darker and darker powers to grant him more. Eventually two kind presences made themselves present to him, offering him the power to return to her, if The Arcanist would help them with one favor.

The Ranger and The Dreamer arrived on the city, building a life for themselves far from the ground, believing it would save them from the prophecy. Without realising it, they became close with The Arcanist, the trio acting as part of a group of somewhat rebellious, but kind forces to topple the class division in the city.

The day it happened was the return of The Dreamer who had made a visit to the grounds of an ancient temple dedicated to Dreams and Nightmares. Their home was attached to the Arcanus Lodestone, a large device that kept the city floating, and something deeper, a ritual that bound The Deceiver Gods from the material.

The Archanist approached the two, a figure of malice and destruction. A confrontation, The Dreamer in his sights, that and the Arcanus Lodestone would release him from his contract. A blast of destructive arcane energy launched from his form. The Ranger deftly stepped in the path, taking the blast within themselves, leading to their slow and inevitable destruction. The Arcanus Lodestone took the brunt of the blast, exploding into shards. The Dreamer tried to ward it away from the pair. While it protected The Dreamer, a chunk landed in the side of The Ranger and cut The Arcanist down.

The floating city crashed, its form landing into the seas. An ancient ritual broken, in its waste, The Great Deciever and The Conquering General arrived onto the material plane for the first time in centuries. A great scourge upon the land for centuries yet to come.

The Players

There are a number of vaguely named figures in this tale, some have been identified, while others have yet remained mysterious. The most prevalent theories are presented here, with the names of the people believed to be involved.

The Dreamer

It is quite often considered that The Dreamer is the mortal form of Tral'Vokar before his ascension to his domain. Primarily many texts that speak of his mortal life refer to him as The Dreamer, an optimist. Additionally, the dreams that informed much of the myth were said to be his mourning cries during The Shatter.

The Ranger

The identity of The Ranger has remained a constant source of debate. While there are tales of heroes linked to Tral'Vokar, none of the historical accounts of these heroes are close enough to the figure as described here. Some scholars believe that the name of this figure was wiped from history like the Arcanist's Lover.

The Arcanist

The simplest figure to identify, it has long been known that the figure who started The Shatter was Enoch Ylvaris, a powerful arcanist from the Age of Creation. This is the first and only myth that attempts to explain Enoch's motivation. Many dispute its words, claiming that the identity of The Archanist's Lover is incongruant with the tales of Enoch's past.

The Arcanist's Lover

The mention of a duel with death and erasure of a name lets many concur that the figure is meant to describe The Whisper Wraith, the only figure known to have fought with Death for the domain they controlled. However, this doesn't align with the theories that Exa was a singular poweful figure in the Arvadian culture.

The Great Deciever

An easy link for many, Disaki's divine domains include Deciet. Also generally, he was considered the leader among The Deceiver Gods during The Shatter. He was among the first released. Disaki and his infernal hordes are often linked with deals and offers, which links with the actions of The Arcanist.

The Conquering General

The second divinity to be pulled onto the material plane, The Conquering General is often considered to be Pundras. Part of this is his domain of Conquest, the other being historical fact. While he is less inclined to make deals as mentioned with The Arcanist, the strategy is indicative of his tyrannical strategies that continued throughout The Shatter.