#celestial folklore

Azarthus, the Debt Collector

Azarthus's moral compass is very simple: if you keep your word, you are good; if you go back on your word, you are immoral. A self-proclaimed villain that kills hundreds for some goal but never fails to deliver on their promises is practically a saint to Azarthus—while an individual who always forgets to pay back little favors despite promising to do so is a terrible sinner. Despite its simplicity, due to the nature of most thinking beings of never being completely infallible, this moral alignment often leads to Azarthus being fairly standoffish with others. 

However, it is a curious sort, and if another individual is interesting enough and "within reason" of fallibility, Azarthus will be quite willing to engage in extensive conversation. In such conversations, Azarthus's words are often quite sharp and to-the-point, their questions sometimes coming with such an intensity that one might feel interrogated. As Azarthus gets to know others, and if the others don't mind Azarthus's particularities, then its words may gradually become softer, and its posture more relaxed. 

For those it considers friends, Azarthus is typically incessantly tactile—touching a hand, a back, a shoulder, perhaps even the face, feeling how a jaw moves with each word. To Azarthus, this is no different from making proper "eye contact" with their conversation partner, but they do understand that others may not feel the same and will retreat their touch if the other prefers it. 

Tale

Do you know the tale of the Debt Collector? It is the story of a being that seeks out those who have broken promises. It seeks out those who have made fair agreements and neglected to fulfill their part far past a reasonable time. You will know you have caught its attention when, out of nowhere, you remember what you owe. Do not fear, friend, for it is only a reminder, a gentle warning. Fulfill your promises and you will have nothing to fear.

But dear, if you push those thoughts aside—if you think, "Oh, what does it matter at this point?" —then, it will haunt your dreams. Things will chase you, my friend—they will bite and tear at you and ask you why. Why did you go back on your word? Why did you not give what you owe? If you still do nothing then, you will dream of it taking things for you. That is when they are thinking about it. You'll dream of them taking out your beating heart, your shining soul—turning it over in its hands, asking, "Now, then, what is a fair price?" 

This is your last chance, dear. Speak what you owe and fulfill your word. If not… the Debt Collector will come for you. If you are lucky, you will not meet them when they come to collect, for they hold nothing but consternation for those whose promises are naught but empty words. But when they arrive, they will take—not precisely what you owe, but what they think is fair, with interest. It may be something material. It may be something social—your authority or reputation. It may be something more profound—your lifespan, your soul, your identity. It may be servitude, binding you to become one of their Hounds to sniff out others like you until you finish your "term." These Hounds, they say, take care of smaller slights—little promises and agreements forgotten by one but remembered by the other—along with finding the most severe offenders for the Debt Collector to come for in time. 

And what if you are the one who has been promised to, you ask? 

It may be as simple as giving you what it took from your debtor. Of course, this may be an accursed gift, if you did not wish harm on the other and it harmed them nonetheless. It may not be what you wanted. So, my dear, it is perhaps good to remember what you are owed as well—you can let the exchange happen on your terms, or you could let what is owed be officially forgiven, and the Debt Collector will leave all parties in peace. 

But this Collector may be a friend as well, or at least an ally. If you have a promise broken or an agreement unfulfilled—if you cannot rest with that debt still owed to you, invoke their name, and they shall appear. State your case, and if the Collector deems it fair, it will offer a contract. It will not cheat you, but if you demand a difficult task, it will demand an equivalent price. If you wish, become a Falcon of theirs, a hunter by choice of those who owe too much for too long. In time, you will have your scales balanced, one way or another. The Debt Collector seeks your satisfaction—though, of course, it will still have its own cut of the transaction. 

The Debt Collector is not best described as evil or kind. It is just and fair to the best of its judgment, balancing the scales of debts in the universe. It can be your friend or your enemy—but it is best if you do not make an enemy of it. So remember this, friend, and you will never receive its retribution: "Don't forget what you owe."

The tale of the Debt Collector is widespread in the Voidverse, and it has existed for a long time, instilling a fear of going back on one's words. 

Story

Early versions of the Debt Collector's story have existed for a long time—perhaps even before the collapse of the Celestial Planes. However, it never gained enough recognition or cohesion to form a Devilfolk until Auraeum came along. 

Auraeum was still quite a new Godfolk at that time, but when they came across the little fragments of children's tales that held the vague shape of a potential Devilfolk, Auraeum decided to try and refine a specific title and interpretation before spreading the tale across the Voidverse. 

It took many years. In the hands of various civilizations, the tale of the Debt Collector evolved and expanded. Eventually, though, the Debt Collector took form, immediately beginning its hunt of "debtors"—those who have broken promises that had a cost upon the other, those who owe something long past due, past reason—with great prejudice.

The Debt Collector simply went by its title for a long time. It was only after meeting other Folk—including Auraeum—that it decided on its personal name: Azarthus. 

Azarthus was intrigued by the other Folk it met, curious about their tales, their purposes, their desires, their joys. It was through these interactions that Azarthus mellowed somewhat, though its tendency to drastically lose respect for "debtors" was still quite present. This sometimes made amicable relationships difficult, as to err was the nature of thinking beings, but it came to value some individuals as friends or at least friendly acquaintances. 

At present, Azarthus spends most of its time in the Voidverse, though every now and then it will explore other dimensions for its enjoyment or to expand the bounds of its hunt for a time. There are enough Hounds and Falcons in the Voidverse to manage things well enough while Azarthus is away, after all. 

Auraeum - Godfolk

A splinter of an interdimensional librarian. Like their source, they keep a library of abstract forms of stories, some collected or recorded from interdimensional travels and some written uniquely by them. Each story is almost like a living thing, and can be entered, traversed, and changed.

Auraeum is fairly solitary, content with the long times they spend without company. They are much like their origin, with a love of experiencing and creating stories, experiencing countless perspectives and ideas. They wander the universes seeking stories, experiencing emotions through the veil of immersion while simultaneously being dissociated from their emotions and attachments. They think of their existence, and everyone else's, as stories. They are often daydreaming or indulging in some imagined scenario or story; they can also be found curled up with a book, whether one they found or one from their personal collection.

This splinter of Auraeum, more so than others, is particularly devoted to remembrance. They collect stories of all sorts, about many kinds of beings, and commit them to the Gilded Library to be remembered in a place beyond time. They enjoy the role described in their tales, as it is more or less what the original Auraeum wished to do themself. 

Their presence may be eerie or ominous to many, though they are not at all malicious; they may even be considered gentle. They enjoy tactile affection with those they are familiar with. They speak with a resonant and reverberant voice that has a likeness to large metal ceremonial bells.

Tale

It is said that there is a strange library in the interstices of universes, beyond space and time. Its halls are endless, composed of smooth black stone gilded with golden linings; its stories, countless, recording fact and fiction and everything in between. There is only one keeper of this Gilded Library. Some know them as the Librarian or the Curator, one who collects and manages the stories. However, this keeper goes by another title as well: the Storyteller. For they do not solely exist in their Library, though that is the place they return to—no, if you are fortunate, you may encounter them and offer to tell you a story. 

If you so desire, you can offer them a story in return—in turn, you may earn their favor. They say this being can glimpse all possibilities, and that the stories they choose to write carry power. Perhaps they shall write your story in their pages, gently guiding you to a path you desire—or perhaps you shall achieve immortality of a sort, beyond death and beyond time, existing as a story that they will tell once more when the opportunity arises. So, the next time a stranger comes by, consider telling them your story or listening to theirs—or share the story of another. Perhaps your story will be recorded in the eternal Library in time, whether conveyed through the memories of this stranger, or if you are meeting the Librarian themself.

Auraeum's story sparks curiosity and wonder, along with an encouragement to be willing to share your stories with even passing strangers. After all, if you are remembered, in some ways, you will never die.

History

At some point in time, Auraeum—the original Auraeum, that is—visited the Voidverse. They explored with curiosity, exchanging stories with the denizens of the universe. Soon, they met Octo. He was quite receptive to Auraeum's questions, and was more than willing to share his own story. When Auraeum asked if Octo was willing to allow them to accompany him for a time, Octo accepted, and the two wandered together for a time. 

It wasn't long before Auraeum expressed curiosity towards Octo's species. Octo explained that he was a Devilfolk, one of very few remaining; this led to further lines of inquiry that revealed to Auraeum the nature of Celestial Folklores and the process by which they formed. Auraeum asked Octo if it were possible to deliberately create a Folk by propagating a story throughout civilizations, and if it would be troublesome if they attempted to do so. Octo replied that it was indeed possible and not at all troublesome, and thus Auraeum began their little project. 

They slipped backwards in time to a point not too long after the collapse of the Celestial Planes and began to spread a variation of their own story through a combination of playing the role (which was what they normally did anyway) and telling the tale personally. They chipped off a splinter of their existence to be imbued in the essence of the story, and once Auraeum sensed that the evolution of the tale and splinter were well on their way—many years after they began the effort—Auraeum departed. 

After all, their splinter would be present in the Voidverse to explore for them.

The tale of a keeper of stories in a Gilded Library propagated throughout several generations, reaching many civilizations across the Voidverse. The years bent and expanded interpretations of the story, leading to the keeper being referred to with several different titles. 

Eventually, a being took form. A new Godfolk, born of the splinter and the tale of the Gilded Library, knowing of their role, their connection to their origin, and their name: Auraeum. 

This splinter of Auraeum spent much of their time in the Voidverse, enjoying the role described for them in their tales—collecting stories, managing their Library, and sharing stories with others. As the number of Folk declined, Auraeum took on another role by their own choice—attempting to catalyze the formation of new Folk through the creation and propagation of stories, and collecting stories of both new and old Folk to ensure that they would not be forgotten. Perhaps, sometimes, if they are able to find records of forgotten Folk, they will attempt to revive them, spreading the Folklore's tale through their storytelling.