Kalach-Cha

The Kalach-Cha, also known as the Knight-Captain and the Spirit-Eater, was an adventurer of the Sword Coast North in the late 14 century DR who, among other major feats, battled the King of Shadows. The name 'Kalach-Cha' is a nom de guerre coined by the Kalach-Cha's githyanki enemies, in whose language the words Kalach-Cha meant "shard bearer," referring to the close connection between the hero and the Silver Sword of Gith. "Know this name our enemies have draped upon you—this Kalach-Cha—its sound travels far, even reaching the ears of my people."

- Zhjaeve

Birth
The one who would be called the Kalach-Cha was born to Esmerelle in the village of West Harbor in the Mere of Dead Men shortly before or during the village's near-destruction in a battle with the King of Shadows. Esmerelle shielded her child from the blast of the destruction of the Sword of Gith and both were impaled by a shard of the sword.

Although the child was badly wounded, the injury healed rather quickly and miraculously, sealing the shard inside the body. Suspecting that the shard was the cause of this recovery, no one dared remove it. Unfortunately, Esmerelle was not so fortunate and she died from her wounds. Before she did, she entrusted her child to a close friend and former adventuring companion named Shayla. However, Shayla also died from wounds inflicted in the battle, leaving the care of the child to her husband, a wild elf named Daeghun Farlong. Daeghun was deeply affected by the loss of his wife, and rarely showed emotion towards Esmerelle's child.

Early Life
Raised by Daeghun at his house in West Harbor, the orphan's early life would not be easy, and the Mere of Dead Men had a well-deserved perilous reputation. However, despite the troubles, the child grew to become a strong and independent individual, in part thanks to the care of Daeghun and to other factors as well. Unbeknownst to them and the villagers, however, the child was aided by the embedded shard, granting an edge over others in various aspects. Additionally, the druids of the Circle of the Mere secretly watched and aided the child, being curious as to the effects of the shard. In particular, the wood elf Elanee kept a close eye on the child, subtly steering away peril.

But the child rarely stepped far from home in the Mere and, as a result, remained closely bonded to the village of West Harbor. The child formed several strong relationships with other Harbormen, some for good and others for ill. In particular, the child befriended Amie Fern, a wizard's apprentice, and Bevil Starling, a member of the local militia, and together they participated in several activities, such as competing in the annual High Harvest Fair and also make rivals of the brothers Ward, Webb, and Wyl Mossfeld. In the, the three friends even won the Harvest Cup.

Departure from West Harbor
Roughly a generation after the battle, peril again returned to West Harbor on the night after the Harvest Festival in the. After participating in the Festival contests, the now-adult shard bearer awoke to find West Harbor under attack by a band of duergar and bladelings under the command of the githyanki Sword Stalker Zeearie as they searched for the shard. Although its unwitting bearer and the village militia were able to eventually push back the invaders, they were unable to do so quickly enough to prevent the village's devastation and the deaths of many of its people, including Amie Fern.

Immediately after, as the Harbormen tried to uncover the reasons for the sudden and inexplicable attack by extraplanar forces, Daeghun called his foster child to him. Suspecting that the attackers had been intent on claiming the shards from the earlier battle, Daeghun revealed the existence of a silver shard that he had hidden within Illefarn ruins near the village, although he did not tell the future hero of the shard within their own chest. Believing this to be what the githyanki were after, Daeghun asked his foster child and their friend Bevil to recover the shard. Though Bevil was reluctant, they agreed and together they reclaimed the shard from a group of lizardfolk who had taken up residence within the ruins.

When they returned, Daeghun dismissed Bevil and told his child about the battle and how he suspected that shard held great, unlocked power. He commanded his foster child to leave West Harbor with the shard, fearing that the seemingly insignificant piece of metal would draw more githyanki to the village. He said to bring the shard to his never-before-mentioned half-brother Duncan, who resided in Neverwinter and might be able to get help in uncovering the nature of the shard and its history. He also recommended that Bevil stay in West Harbor, a request that Bevil honored, believing himself unready for adventure. With little choice, the shard bearer departed West Harbor.

In order to buy some time, Daeghun deliberately misled the inhabitants of West Harbor about his foster child's path. However, this would ultimately fail and the githyanki would soon be on the trail of the hero once again.

The Road to Neverwinter
The shard bearer headed along the High Road towards Highcliff to charter a ship by sea to Neverwinter. Along the way, the hero picked up three companions. The first was Khelgar Ironfist, a shield dwarf intent on becoming a monk. Khelgar was met outside the Weeping Willow Inn about to get into a brawl with several of the inn's patrons. After aiding the dwarf, either inadvertently or purposefully, the hero earned the respect of Khelgar, who proposed that, since they were both headed towards Neverwinter, they travel together. But then a band of bladelings and duergar burst into the inn and attacked, and were heard to hiss the words "Kalach-Cha!" During the ensuing fight, Khelgar and the Kalach-Cha would cement their bond, traveling together soon thereafter.

Shortly after the fight at the Weeping Willow, the Kalach-Cha and Khelgar approached Fort Locke, an outpost of Neverwinter's Graycloaks. Shortly before entering, they came across a tiefling rogue named Neeshka and prevented her from being lynched by a group of corrupt Graycloaks and Neeshka quickly became the Kalach-Cha's second companion. This encounter may have led to the Kalach-Cha's intervention in the troubles of the fort, whose commander had disappeared and been replaced with the corrupt Lieutenant Vallis Anton and whose patrols had come under attack by increasingly bold bandits.

Next, the group headed further north along the High Road, and were again ambushed by bladelings and duergar. This time, however, they were saved by Elanee, who had been tracking the Kalach-Cha since leaving the village and ambushed the ambushers, saving them a battle. The Kalach-Cha was grateful for Elanee's help and accepted her offer to guide the group through Maiden's Glade, away from the eyes of their pursuers. However, the hero had to wonder at her motives, and just how long she had been watching for.

However, they discovered this path fraught with danger as well and the Kalach-Cha and the party ended up fighting maddened beasts and the transformed Kaleil, a druid driven mad by dark magic corrupting the Mere. The path did provide some relief from the githyanki, whom they would not soon encounter again.

After leaving the Glade, the heroes at last arrived at Highcliff. There, the Kalach-Cha found it impossible to obtain a ship because of constant sabotage and attacks by enraged lizardfolk, who'd been encroaching on Highcliff's land. Forced to deal with this crisis before proceeding, the Kalach-Cha found a way to deal with the lizardfolk, whether by peaceful means or killing their chieftain. Either way, these efforts brought the Kalach-Cha into conflict with shadow priests in the service of a dark being known as the King of Shadows.

Eventually, the crisis in Highcliff was resolved and the Kalach-Cha and companions took passage aboard a ship sailing along the Sword Coast North to Neverwinter.

Troubles in Neverwinter
Although they reached their destination, it became clear all was not well in the Jewel of the North. Duncan was unable to help his wayward kin, telling the Kalach-Cha that he knew no more about the shard than Daeghun did. But he was able to give the hero another shard and enlist the help of Sand, a local wizard, who also proved unhelpful, finding the shards resistant to his attempts at scrying them. The only alternative left was to enlist the help of the aged wizard Aldanon, who lived in the Blacklake District, but this had recently been closed off by Neverwinter's City Watch after the murder of one Lord Dalren by an unknown and magically empowered assailant.

Thus, the Kalach-Cha began searching for ways to enter the Blacklake District while staying in Uncle Duncan’s inn, the Sunken Flagon. Fortunately, the city's troubles proved a boon as Neverwinter's Docks District had become a battleground in a covert war fought between the Watch and a gang under the leadership of a Shadow Thief named Moire. Helping either side provided the means for the Kalach-Cha to enter Blacklake, either legitimately or by stealth. During this time, the Kalach-Cha encountered an arrogant sorceress named Qara, whom Duncan shamed into possibly aiding the Kalach-Cha.

The Kalach-Cha's aid could prove instrumental to either side, swinging control of the Docks to either the gangs or the Watch. In the process, the Kalach-Cha was dispatched to Old Owl Well to deal with the disappearance of an ambassador from Waterdeep. There, the Kalach-Cha met and might have enlisted the aid of the paladin Casavir, a hero devoted to fighting the orcs who'd taken hold in the Sword Mountains, as well as the eccentric rock gnome bard Grobnar Gnomehands.

Rescue of Shandra Jerro
After helping either the Watch or the Shadow Thieves gain control over the Docks, the Kalach-Cha gained their help in entering Blacklake and finally meeting Aldanon. The wizard proved helpful, but did not have all the answers the hero sought. Aldanon did determine that the shards were fragments of a Githyanki silver sword and this was likely the cause of their attacks. He also gave the Kalach-Cha his own shard, believing it to be from the same sword, and recommended seeking out information on the deceased wizard Ammon Jerro, who had once possessed such a sword.

The Kalach-Cha agreed and visited the Neverwinter Archives. However, the githyanki were one step ahead and raided the Archives for information themselves. Ultimately, the Kalach-Cha uncovered information about Ammon Jerro's secret haven and his sole descendant, a farm girl named Shandra, whom the hero had encountered in Highcliff. Realizing the githyanki were likely headed towards the village to kill her, the heroes left at once and managed to arrive just before the sword stalkers, though not in time to prevent the destruction of Shandra's farm.

With Shandra rescued, the Kalach-Cha and companions returned to the Sunken Flagon. They asked Shandra about the shards and her grandfather Ammon's haven, but she knew almost nothing and angrily blamed the Kalach-Cha for her home's destruction. The group rested for the night, only for the githyanki to assault the tavern and kidnap Shandra right under their noses. Although the heroes prevented the Flagon's destruction, they were unable to prevent Shandra's capture.

Expecting the githyanki intended to interrogate and kill her, the Kalach-Cha departed north in pursuit, taking at Duncan's insistence a ranger named Bishop, whose knowledge of the lands around Luskan would prove useful. With Bishop's help, the Kalach-Cha moved quickly and upset a githyanki ambush at the village of Ember, before reaching the githyanki base within some Illefarn ruins near Luskan. There, the Kalach-Cha confronted the sword stalkers' leader Zeearie, who in trying to steal the shards away revealed the truth about them and discovered the one embedded in the hero's chest, which would be lethal if it was ever removed. The heroes killed Zeearie and rescued Shandra.

With Shandra now safely in their care, the companions returned to the Flagon and learned from Duncan the truth about the events surrounding the Kalach-Cha's birth. Additionally, Shandra begged the hero to stay close and protect her and to train her in the use of a weapon. The hero agreed, and Shandra spent much time with the group, learning to become a fighter.

Rise to Prominence in Neverwinter
But shortly after returning, the Kalach-Cha was charged with the slaughter of the entire village of Ember by agents of Luskan, whose sovereignty extended over the village. Demanding justice, ambassador Torio Claven asked Neverwinter to honor its peace treaty with Luskan and allow extradition of the Kalach-Cha. This was irrefutable according to Neverwintan law, which required that inhabitants of common origin, subject to 'Low Law,' comply with this request.

However, with the help of either Nevalle, leader of the Neverwinter Nine, or Axel, Moire’s employer, the Kalach-Cha acquired protection from this clause by becoming the squire of a knight in Neverwinter's service. This officially made the hero a member of the nobility, putting them under 'High Law' and therefore exempt from extradition. Realizing this, the Luskan agents secretly dispatched a band of assassins from the Circle of Blades to kill the Kalach-Cha during the squire's ritual of solace. This attempt to usurpg justice proved unsuccessful and the Kalach-Cha survived, becoming a squire of the knight.

Trial in Neverwinter
However, the Kalach-Cha still had to face trial in Neverwinter. Sand was enlisted once again, this time as an investigator and attorney. Together, Sand and the Kalach-Cha departed north to search for clues in Ember and the nearby town of Port Llast, which lay on the Luskan–Neverwinter border. After recovering evidence and perhaps aiding the locals in some troubles within the Duskwood, the hero returned to Neverwinter for their trial.

Several witnesses were called forth and evidence provided by the defense under Sand's direction. Torio, being the prosecutor as well as Luskan's ambassador, proved adept at twisting words and turning the Kalach-Cha's arguments against them. It is unclear who ultimately won the trial, but the losing side invoked the right of trial by combat, which allowed the defense to challenge the prosecutor to battle, where it was believed Tyr would allow the virtuous to prevail. For this, Torio called to her side Bevil Starling's long-lost brother Lorne as her champion. The Kalach-Cha may have fought, or a companion, either Khelgar, Qara, Casavir, or Bishop, volunteered to fight in their friend's stead.

Ultimately, the defense proved victorious and Lorne was killed. As a reward, Lord Nasher Alagondar not only exonerated the Kalach-Cha of guilt but promised a title and land, though this would not be awarded until much later.

Kidnapping of Aldanon and Assault on Crossroad Keep
Next, Aldanon sent a message to the Kalach-Cha, saying he had uncovered more information about the shards. When the Kalach-Cha went to meet him, however, Aldanon's home was attacked by agents of Black Garius while Cormick, the Kalach-Cha's childhood hero and a fellow Harborman, had been taken hostage. The Kalach-Cha broke in but not before Aldanon was successfully whisked away to Garius's base at the ruins of Crossroad Keep.

The Kalach-Cha managed to rescue Aldanon's assistant, who shared what Aldanon had learned, namely that those recently murdered in Neverwinter had all possessed a shard. Thus, the next victim would likely be Lord Tavorick. The Kalach-Cha rushed to Tavorick's defense and slew the fiends attacking the noble's home. However, the Kalach-Cha learned too late that Melia Ceralle, a member of the Neverwinter Nine posing as Tavorick's lover, had taken Tavorick's shard and fled to the Moonstone Mask as part of a diversion, which the enemy had discovered.

The Kalach-Cha rushed to the Moonstone Mask but arrived in time to witness a mysterious mage taking the shard from Melia's corpse and teleporting away. Defeated, the Kalach-Cha was surprised when Sydney Natale, the new Luskan ambassador, offered information on Garius's location. Revealing his base to be within the ruins of Crossroad Keep, Sydney gave the Kalach-Cha and the Many-Starred Cloak a chance to rescue Aldanon and defeat their enemy.

Together, the group assaulted Crossroad Keep, bypassing the defenses raised by Garius's wizards through an underground passage and interrupting a ritual being cast by Garius and his minions, causing their deaths instead. This was likely the intent of the shadow priests' manipulations, according to the journal of one of them, Arval. Regardless, the Kalach-Cha was victorious and rescued both Aldanon and another prisoner, a githzerai named Zhjaeve, who provided many answers upon swearing herself to the Kalach-Cha's service, including the origin of the name the githyanki had bestowed.

The Search for Answers
With the capture of Crossroad Keep, Nasher fulfilled his promise and granted it to the Kalach-Cha, along with the rank of Captain within the Graycloaks. But the keep had to be rebuilt and fortified for the coming war against the King of Shadows, which the Kalach-Cha carried out to a degree while hunting for further clues.

In time, the Kalach-Cha found Arvahn and learned of the King of Shadows's origin as a construct of Illefarn as well as a way to defeat him, through the power of the Ritual of Purification. However, five statues were required to complete the ritual and only four were found, with the fifth hidden behind a song portal leading to West Harbor. Going through the portal, the Kalach-Cha found the village destroyed utterly, its inhabitants slaughtered, and no sign of the attackers. Realizing the King of Shadows was likely following, the Kalach-Cha departed for the Illefarn ruins near the village and arrived in time to see Ammon Jerro complete the final fifth part of the ritual before mighty shadow reavers, agents of the King of Shadows, destroyed it. The Kalach-Cha defeated the shadow reavers, though only temporarily, and fled.

The Kalach-Cha realized the only avenue left in the search for a method to destroy the King of Shadows was to find Ammon Jerro's haven and reforge the Silver Sword. Shandra reluctantly agreed to assist and the group departed for the Haven. After completing several trials on entering, Shandra was teleported away. Proceeding through the Haven in hopes of finding her, the Kalach-Cha met several demons and devils, who may have helped or hindered.

Eventually, the Kalach-Cha reached the Ammon Jerro's laborator and attacked the warlock, wrongly believing him to be the King of Shadows. Despite initial apparent success, they were nearly killed in the attempt, only to be saved by Shandra, who sacrificed herself to break the bindings that gave Ammon's the power of the Haven's inhabitants. Enraged, Ammon killed Shandra, only to discover her true identity as she died. Guilt-ridden at killing his last surviving kin, Ammon surrendered to the Kalach-Cha, who spared him and the warlock teleported them back to Crossroad Keep.

Knight-Captain of Crossroad Keep
Nasher Alagondar summoned the Kalach-Cha to Castle Never to recognize the hero's efforts and bestow a knighthood. But in the middle of his speech, a group of shadow reavers burst in to kill the inhabitants. With the help of the Neverwinter Nine and the Kalach-Cha, who flanked the assailants by using a secret passage, the attacks were repelled and, in gratitude, the Kalach-Cha was knighted by Nasher and offered a place in the Neverwinter Nine, which the hero may or may not have accepted.

The Kalach-Cha, now a Knight-Captain, was ordered to strengthen the fortifications of Crossroad Keep, which Nasher believed would become an invaluable asset in the Shadow War. For some time afterwards, the Kalach-Cha focused on building up the fortifications of the keep while recruiting agents to enhance both its military strength and its mercantile capacities. For this purpose, the Kalach-Cha might have recruited such individuals as old friend Bevil Starling, the farmer Orlen from West Harbor, Jalboun of the Two Blades, the aasimar mercenary Light of Heavens, or many others.

During this time, the Kalach-Cha also sought out allies for Neverwinter amongst its neighbors, such as Clan Ironfist, had they regained control of their ancestral home by then. Another possibility was the lizardfolk of the Mere of Dead Men, if the Kalach-Cha was able to dissuade them from once again attacking Highcliff and holding its villagers hostage. The Kalach-Cha might even have followed through on Grobnar Gnomehands's unusual recommendation to seek out the help of the invisible Wendersnaven, though this would not have proven as useful as the other possible alliances. The Kalach-Cha could also have formed an alliance with the remnants of the Circle of the Mere, though as it turned out the Circle had become corrupted by the King of Shadows with the exception of their leader Naevan, whom they had trapped in the form of a tree. The Kalach-Cha was forced to slay them and was unable to receive aid from Naevan, who took to mending the dying Mere.

Eventually, the Kalach-Cha was approached by Khralver Irlingstar, an agent of Sydney Natale. Sydney offered a scroll from the Host Tower of the Arcane containing the true names of the shadow reavers, which was required for the reavers to be killed permanently. However, in return, she asked that the Kalach-Cha come with only Zhjaeve and Qara as companions. Though they suspected a trap, the three could not refuse the offer and so accepted. Although it did indeed prove to be a trap, Sydney had come with the scroll as promised and the trio were able to defeat both her and the animus elemental she'd summoned to kill Qara.

With the truenames, the Kalach-Cha had a new purpose: obtain the few final shards of the Silver Sword of Gith and reforge the blade. To do this, the Kalach-Cha and companions lured a shadow reaver into attacking them, though with the true names to aid them the shadow reavers proved much less of a threat. After obtaining another shard, Zhjaeve determined that although they didn't have all the shards it would be enough to reforge the blade. To do so, the group returned to West Harbor where it had been shattered, where of course they were once again ambushed by shadow reavers. But with the power of the Blade the Kalach-Cha proved more than a match, slaying the assailants and returning to Crossroad Keep triumphant.

The Battles of Highcliff and Crossroad Keep
But by now the forces of the King of Shadows had organized themselves and prepared for an all-out attack. Suspecting their first target to be Highcliff, Nasher Alagondar and the Neverwinter Nine, possibly including the Kalach-Cha, departed for the village to defend it against the King of Shadows's forces. However, the horde of undead proved victorious and at least one of the Nine, the bold dwarf Callum, was slain and Nasher himself was gravely injured.

Realizing Crossroad Keep would be the next target and a possible turning point of the war, the Kalach-Cha prepared for the inevitable siege. The bridges leading to the Keep were deliberately destroyed to slow the advance of the enemy army, which was traveling by night. Shortly before the battle, Ammon Jerro departed for the ruins of Shandra's farm, where he lamented her death and was confronted by the pit fiend Koraboros, whom he had enslaved and who now sought vengeance. The Kalach-Cha aided Ammon, banishing the devil from the Prime Material Plane and possibly convincing Ammon Jerro of the error of his ways. The two returned to Crossroad Keep, ready to face the King of Shadows's army and await assistance from Neverwinter's allies among the Lords' Alliance.

However, the battle came more quickly than any had anticipated, with the undead army force-marched under the harsh sunlight of day despite the damage it dealt, in order to give Crossroad Keep as little time to prepare as possible. Early in the morning, as the Kalach-Cha slept, possibly beside a loved one, the army arrived and laid siege to the keep. Rushing to its defenses, the Graycloaks and Neverwinter's allies defended the fortress boldly, destroying many of the siege towers.

Despite their courageous defense, the Kalach-Cha's forces were betrayed—by Bishop who, having made a deal with the enemy, sabotaged the gates of Crossroad Keep, allowing the enemy to enter. There, Black Garius, revealed now to be a shadow reaver in the service to the King of Shadows, summoned an aspect of the King of Shadows to attack the group. With the power of the Silver Sword of Gith, the Kalach-Cha defeated the aspect. With their morale broken and sunlight now beaming down hard on them, the army of the King of Shadows retreated, as did Garius.

Assault on the Vale of the Mere
Next, the Kalach-Cha took the fight to the enemy. Through triangulation and scrying, Aldanon, with Ammon Gerro's and Sand's help, was able to discern the location of the King of Shadows' main fortress, deep within the Vale of the Mere. Although the Mere was filled with necrotic energy and was lethal to many, Aldanon revealed that by some strange process the center of the Mere was almost devoid of this magic and that, with some effort, the group should be able to teleport directly into the King of Shadows's fortress. The Kalach-Cha agreed and together the hero and all of the companions were transported into the Vale.

But they discovered that Black Garius was prepared for them. Within a minute of their arrival, Neeshka was snatched out of mid-air and the group was assaulted by undead. However, through perseverance and teamwork, the group proceeded further into the fortress, towards its bottom level. There, they entered the inner sanctum, finding Garius and Bishop, as well as Neeshka, whom Garius had tortured and exposed to foul magic to gain control over her. As the Kalach-Cha confronted Garius, the mage tried to turn the companions against the hero, playing on the bitter enmity between Sand and Qara, Bishop's theft of the overrides for the Kalach-Cha's construct, Ammon's regrets, and the magic he had cast on Neeshka. Ultimately, Garius was unable to win over Ammon but might have been successful in gaining the loyalty of the others and certainly caused either Sand or Qara to betray the hero. However, the Kalach-Cha might have done the reverse in turn, causing Bishop to abandon Garius and run for his life.

However it happened, the mage was defeated by the Kalach-Cha and the companions and was slain permanently. Yet this came too late to prevent the summoning of the King of Shadows, who appeared shortly afterward. With cold, certain purpose the King of Shadows attacked the Kalach-Cha, whom he saw as an enemy of the long-gone empire of Illefarn. With the help of Ammon's portion of the Ritual of Purification and the Silver Sword of Gith, the Kalach-Cha slew the King of Shadows once and for all, ending its threat to Neverwinter.

Kidnapping by Nefris and Lienna
This would, unfortunately, not be the end of the Kalach-Cha's troubles. The magic unleashed by the King of Shadows' destruction caused the entire fortress to collapse around them. The Kalach-Cha and companions tried to escape the ruins, some successfully, others not. In the chaos, several watching gargoyles seized the opportunity to snatch, knock unconscious, and carry the Kalach-Cha through a portal into the Plane of Shadow. Although the chaos meant most of the Kalach-Cha's companions missed this, Ammon Jerro saw and quickly gave pursuit.

The warlock followed them through the portal and into a shadowy city, where he was ambushed by two Red Wizards of Thay, who had sent the gargoyles to retrieve the Kalach-Cha for their own purposes. One, Nefris, was all too familiar with Ammon and knew his power, so struck quickly and without mercy so he'd not get the chance to upset her plans. Once unconscious, they sent Ammon to the Academy of Shapers and Binders to extract his soul, whilst Nefris and the other wizard, Lienna, prepared another ritual for the unconscious Kalach-Cha.

While the Kalach-Cha still slept, drifting in and out of consciousness, the wizards operated on the hero, withdrawing from the embedded shard. Knowing his would kill the Kalach-Cha, they quickly transported the unconscious hero to a cave near Mulsantir in Rashemen in the Prime Material plane, deep within its lowest layer, near a series of rune-inscribed pillars. Then they left the Kalach-Cha without further action. Nefris headed to Thay and dispatched her daughter Safiya to fetch and revive the Kalach-Cha, pose as a dear and precious friend, and bring the hero to Lienna, who'd be waiting in Mulsantir.

Escape from the Bear God's Barrow
When Safiya arrived, the Kalach-Cha was already awakening, but unable to move, feeling drained of energy and also a deep and unfathomable hunger. This was caused by the magic infused into the cave, which Nefris and Lienna had counted on to preserve the hero's life and inflict the Betrayer's Curse. With Safiya's aid, the Kalach-Cha was able to stand, but was deprived of all but the most basic possessions—including the Silver Sword of Gith, which Nefris had taken.

Not knowing what had happened or where they were, the Kalach-Cha had little choice but to follow Safiya, though recognized her as one of the infamous Red Wizards of Thay. Yet Safiya proved trustworthy in helping the Kalach-Cha escape the caverns and briefly evade the telthors who made their home there and claimed the hero was a danger to them and all other life. Ultimately, however, Safiya and the Kalach-Cha were forced to fight the telthors in self-defense and, in the process, discovered the first major sign of the curse: the ability to consume the souls of nature spirits, as the Kalach-Cha instinctually reached out and devoured the wolf telthor Nakata's spirit.

During their escape, the Kalach-Cha and Safiya may have delved deeper through the hidden passageways of ancient Imaskari ruins. There they could have acquired a magical rod of ancient Imaskar, as well as a golem. They may also have made a deal with the ice spirit Orglash, to enlist his aid in defeating Okku. In any case, they were forced to deal with a blocked passageway, perhaps by blasting it open with the Imaskari rod or by appeasing the telthors within with ritual offerings to let them pass.

Once past, the Kalach-Cha and Safiya were confronted by Okku the bear god, who had, after an ageless sleep, been awoken by the Kalach-Cha's arrival. Sensing the Betrayer's Curse, the telthor condemned the hero as a 'spirit eater', in spite of Safiya's protests. Faced with no alternative but to fight for their lives, the two managed to subdue the still-waking Okku and escaped from the barrow alive. From there, they had a short journey to Mulsantir.

Arrival in Mulsantir
When the Kalach-Cha and Safiya, who was disguised to avoid arousing suspicion among her people's enemies the Rashemi, arrived in Mulsantir they headed straight towards the Veil Theater where Lienna waited. However, as they entered, they discovered another Red Wizard, Khai Khmun, and four gnolls under his command busily attacking the actors and audience. The Red Wizard was no friend of Safiya's, being intent on slaying her and the Kalach-Cha both. But together, the two were able to, either through force or intimidation, ward off the wizard. After this, Magda, a dwarven actor and director, urged them to head into the back and depart through a portal into the Plane of Shadow, where she believed Lienna had fled only to be followed by more enemies.

Acknowledging this, the Kalach-Cha headed through the portal into a dark reflection of Mulsantir and there began to regain some blurry memories of the operation in the Plane of Shadow. However, the Kalach-Cha set aside these memories and pursued Khai, who taunted Safiya by telling her her mother was dead. Together, the Kalach-Cha and Safiya defeated Khai, but were too late to save Lienna. With no answers left to them, the two were confused as to their next action and left through the door of the Veil.

Upon departing the theater, the two were confronted almost immediately by three witches: the hathrans Sheva Whitefeather, Kazimika Vadoi, and Katya. They revealed that Okku had gathered a spirit army around Mulsantir, proclaiming that he would not leave until the Kalach-Cha faced him, whom he called a bane upon life itself. Although Kazimika was suspicious of the Kalach-Cha and outright eager to hand the hero over to Okku, Sheva was willing to let the Kalach-Cha face the bear freely, so long as it happened. With little choice, the Kalach-Cha agreed, knowing fighting Okku was inevitable if the hero tried to leave the city by land.

For aid in the coming battle, the witches recommended that the Kalach-Cha seek allies. Though they claimed few would be willing to help a spirit eater, they felt the hero might have some success with a few other outlanders in the city, such as the group of half-celestial doomguides known as the Menagerie, or the prisons of the city. In the latter, the Kalach-Cha met an unusually handsome hagspawn shaman named Gannayev-of-Dreams, or Gann for short. Offering him his freedom, the Kalach-Cha was able to recruit Gann by engaging with the hagspawn briefly in wordplay.

The Kalach-Cha could also have sought out the Menagerie's missing member, Kaelyn the Dove. Turning away from her siblings' faith, Kaelyn had converted to the worship of Ilmater. Thus, the Kalach-Cha learned her disappearance was a conscious choice, as she sought a way to open the Betrayer's Gate in the Dead God's Vault within the shadow twin of Mulsantir. However, the Kalach-Cha dissuaded her from this for the time being, since she was unable to discover a method to unlock the Gate. With Kaelyn found, the hero might have been able to convince the Menagerie to hlp, although Kaelyn would not approve as she felt concern for her siblings.

Thus allied, the Kalach-Cha left Mulsantir to confront Okku. The bear god once again called the Kalach-Cha as a spirit eater, though the hero did not yet know what this meant. Demanding blood, Okku and his army attacked, but they were routed by the small numbers led by the Kalach-Cha. With Okku defeated, the Kalach-Cha could have spared the telthor, who could then have joined the Kalach-Cha in an attempt to uncover the curse's origins. Otherwise, the Kalach-Cha could have given into the growing hunger, devouring Okku's soul and perhaps later offering what little remained to the creature known as One of Many in the Dead God's Vault, thus recruiting the undead abomination to their side.

Whatever the case, the Kalach-Cha was now victorious, though at a cost. The truth of the curse was now revealed to the people of Mulsantir, who quickly went from cultural xenophobia to outright fear of the Kalach-Cha, who they called exclusively 'Spirit Eater.'

The Betrayer's Curse
Learning of the curse, the Kalach-Cha had to either live with it one way or another or find a way to counteract its effects or even find a complete cure. But no one had done such a thing successfully before and Sheva Whitefeather, and possibly even Okku, revealed that, although there was a history of spirit eaters in Rashemen, none had survived their curse, eventually being consumed by it from within. In fact, the last person to have tried to find a cure was buried within the Bear God’s Barrow, thereby revealing to the Kalach-Cha and others that the curse acted like a magical disease, spreading from a previous victim to another nearby.

Sheva suspected answers might be found in the Ashenwood north of Mulsantir, where dwelt an ancient nature spirit known as the Wood Man, who'd once dealt with other spirit eaters. Sheva recommended this with caution, being wary of the Kalach-Cha's now dangerous and parasitic nature, though she was more forgiving than Kazimika, who outright condemned the hero as nothing more than a bane to be ridden of. Despite these prejudices, Sheva offered the use of one of the city's magical witchboats, enchanted vessels that would bring passengers to any location requested.

Before departing, or perhaps after returning, the Kalach-Cha could have searched for answers in the Death God's Vault within Shadow Mulsantir. There the hero could have discovered ancient texts relating the tale of Akachi the Betrayer who infamously turned on his patron deity, the death god Myrkul, to tear from the Wall of the Faithless a woman whom he loved. Although this was the root of the Betrayer's Curse and the spirit eaters in Rashemen's history, the Kalach-Cha and companions would not immediately connect them. But the Kalach-Cha would also possibly uncover a false replica of the Silver Sword of Gith and a startling truth: the Betrayer had, himself, wielded the Silver Sword during his assault on the City of Judgment.

During this time, the Kalach-Cha could also accepted a summons to the Wells of Lurue by a girl named Ku'arra, who insisted her family might be able to help with the Betrayer’s Curse. But if the Kalach-Cha came, it would be discovered Ku'arra and her father U'juk were uthraki interested not in curing the curse but either venerating or eating the Kalach-Cha, depending on whether they felt the hero "worthy" of the spirit eater "gift." If so, the Kalach-Cha might have learned from U'juk how to devour the souls of all living creatures and not just incorporeal beings like nature spirits or ghosts, in exchange for a "gift of blood"—that is, a family of Shou merchants. Alternatively, the Kalach-Cha could have killed the uthraki.

Furthermore, at the Wells of Lurue, the Kalach-Cha could have encountered ancestors of Okku. The spirits would try to slay the Spirit Eater, though they would prove unsuccessful but this might reveal what had happened to the previous spirit eater, who had befriended Okku in the bear god's previous life. After this battle, the Kalach-Cha may have drank from the Wells of Lurue and had a hazy vision set in the Plane of Dreams of encountering both the previous spirit eater, in the form of an old man; several shadows; a shadow reaver; and a young boy who called himself Araman and claimed to be Akachi's brother. From the boy, the Kalach-Cha would receive a small mask fragment and still have it when roused from the vision.

Corruption of the Ashenwood
The Kalach-Cha and companions headed north along the Lake of Tears by witchboat, hoping to find answers from the Wood Man in the Ashenwood. But upon arriving at the wychlaran outpost on the lakeshore, they discovered the fort had come under attack by several creatures of the wood who appeared to have gone mad with rage, such as telthors or treants, and were attacking Nadaj, an ethran or low-ranking member of the wychlaran.

Once rescued, Nadaj explained there was no apparent purpose to the attacks and her superior, a hathran named Dalenka, did not trust the Kalach-Cha and would likely not allow entry to the Ashenwood to speak with the Wood Man. Regardless, the Kalach-Cha tried to convince Dalenka but made no progress. However, believing the outpost to be in grave danger, Nadaj did allow the Kalach-Cha into the Ashenwood. The Wood Man told the hero that recent events had corrupted and diseased the Ashenwood, possibly weakening the Wood Man gravely and causing the madness of the Ashenwood's spirits.

When the Kalach-Cha investigated, three problems were found to plague the forest: a blight affecting Ashenwood's trees and treants, an invasion by frost giants, and a wildfire stemming from the Burning Grove. The Kalach-Cha fought off the frost giants, either by killing them in battle or ritually challenging the jarl for leadership, and either vanquished the spirit known as Shape of Fire in the Burning Grove through the aid of a bheur or helping it burn down the rest of the trees there. As for the blight, the Kalach-Cha found a treant named Gnarlthorn, who required a magical flask of holy water, or alternatively the blood of a paragon beast, from the area the frost giants had occupied; bark cinders from the Burning Grove; and Gnarlthorn's own diseased leaves. Once these were gathered, the Kalach-Cha left for Immil Vale, where the hero mixed the ingredients into a potion and drank it, before praying to Chauntea or Malar (if using the blood of the paragon beast). In return, the hero was granted either the Toxic Plantbane of the Beastlord or the Blessed Salve of the Earthmother. The Kalach-Cha used one of these solutions, either killing the blighted trees and treants or curing them, with the exception of Gnarlthorn who, no matter the Kalach-Cha's choice, perished.

While at Immil Vale, the Kalach-Cha may have slept in the shadow of the Mosstone because of rumors of its magical power. Once asleep, the Kalach-Cha would enter the Plane of Dreams and encounter a mysterious group of four intent on killing a red-robed woman, whom the dreamer initially thought was Safiya only to discover she was not and who identified herself merely as a "memory of love." Forced to slay the men to protect the woman, the Kalach-Cha was given a small fragment of a mask, which the hero again retained on awakening.

Afterward, the Kalach-Cha returned to the witches' outpost. There, Nadaj said one problem yet remained: Dalenka herself, whom Nadaj claimed was secretly a durthan, a heretical witch banished from the wychlaran, and must be slain. The Kalach-Cha may have believed Nadaj or suspected treachery and reported her claims to Dalenka. Either way, Nadaj turned on the Kalach-Cha, accusing the hero of being a traitor, and unleashed her berserkers. The Kalach-Cha and companions pursued Nadaj into the Ashenwood, where they discovered she'd become possessed by the "fury, the outrage, and the vengeance" of the forest. Forced to fight her and the corrupted Ashen Tree within which the diseased Wood Man dwelt, the Kalach-Cha ultimately succeeded in slaying Nadaj and the other creatures serving the dark spirit of hate occupying the Ashenwood.

Once done, the Wood Man appeared to the Kalach-Cha, revealing his pain and offering little clues to the mystery of the Betrayer's Curse, merely reiterating what others had said—that all who suffered it perished completely. He was able, however, to discern that the Kalach-Cha's curse was divine in nature, thus placed by a god, but not which god, only not one of the natural world. After learning this, the Spirit Eater may have devoured the Wood Man's spirit or else cured him of his corruption, while struggling to fight off the hunger through sheer willpower.

With the troubles of the Ashenwood solved, the Kalach-Cha journeyed back to Mulsantir. The hero's return would be greeted with either disgust or apology, depending on whether the Kalach-Cha had proved themselves a slave to the curse or not.

Seeking out the Slumbering Coven
From Magda, the Kalach-Cha received a lead for uncovering more about the curse and the possibility of a cure. Magda said that shortly before her death and the Kalach-Cha's arrival in Mulsantir, Lienna had sought the advice of a circle of night hags known as the Slumbering Coven, who dwelt in the sunken ruins of an Imaskari city known as Coveya Kurg'annis. The Coven were reputed to be unparalleled seers, capable of seeing truths hidden to others and glimpsing into the hearts and minds of all through the dreamscape of the Plane of Dreams. The dwarven thespian recommend the Kalach-Cha seek out this coven, in the hopes that they might bestow some of their unusual wisdom.

The Kalach-Cha followed this advice, but once in Coveya Kurg'annis found others already there and intent on seeing the Coven first. Worse still, the Coven had closed their doors and were refusing to see anyone. Eventually, the Kalach-Cha was forced into the Skein, either through force or by choice and in that flooded complex dealt not only with malevolent elemental spirits but the maddened night hag Gulk'aush, Gann's mother. The Kalach-Cha might also have encountered a group of prisoners led by a figure known as the Sleeper, destroyed an earth elemental on behalf of the dao Fentomy, or reactivated several devices within the Skein. Eventually, the Kalach-Cha was forced into a confrontation with Gulk'aush, but may have spared her life.

Once out of the Skein, the Kalach-Cha found the Slumbering Coven who were of course sleeping, though unbeknownst to the hero they were fully aware of their environment. With little choice but to play their game, the Kalach-Cha slipped into their collective dreamscape and had to pass a series of tests, each located within a dreamscape version of a real place.

The first test revealed a little of the curse, as it placed the Kalach-Cha on the stage of the Veil, where Magda attempted to get the hero to play the role of Akachi in a reenactment of the First Crusade, hinting once more at Akachi's connection to the Kalach-Cha. Another test included the Kalach-Cha's encounter with the spirit of Bishop who, after perishing in the Vale, had been condemned as one of the Faithless and interred in the Wall. Oddly, Bishop did not seem disturbed by this and welcomed his oblivion, though not before giving the Kalach-Cha a small mask fragment and claiming that he'd seen the Kalach-Cha's own spirit within the Wall. Other tests included a game of Hells with a bard named Durler and a confrontation with the mind flayer Gud-bugh-ach, which could either end in the mind flayer's death or rescue from being lost forever within the dreamscape.

Once the tests were done, the Kalach-Cha returned to the Prime Material Plane and learned from the Slumbering Coven of Nefris and Lienna's collaboration and kidnapping. They even showed a memory of the two as they asked the Coven if there was a cure for the Betrayer's Curse. The Coven answered, for them and the Kalach-Cha, that the god Myrkul was to blame and that they should seek answers from him, even though he had died during the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR. The Coven the Kalach-Cha to go to the Academy of Shapers and Binders to uncover the truth, following the path of Nefris and Lienna. The Coven also told the Kalach-Cha that a door within the Shadow Mulsantir version of the Veil led to the Academy in Thay.

At last having a hint of a cure for the curse, the Kalach-Cha departed.

The Truth of the Betrayer's Curse
Having pieced together the root of the curse, the Kalach-Cha returned to Mulsantir, entered the Plane of Shadows, passed through the shadow of the Veil there, and arrived in Thay. The companions found the Academy prepared for visitors, with gnolls manning the guard towers, but inside it was almost entirely deserted. A fight for control had erupted between Nefris, who was the headmistress, and a quiet and unassuming professor named Araman. Nefris seemed to have perished. One of the few professors still loyal to her, Djafi, greeted the Kalach-Cha and Safiya as they entered the Academy and helped them get to Nefris's room so they could see if the headmistress's attempts at finding a cure had been successful.

They found their way to the Headmistress's Tower, only to find a mysterious door with a lock that required four souls to open it. To gain entrance, the Kalach-Cha needed to deal in the trade of immortal souls with two pit fiends. The hero could have bartered for the soul of Ammon Jerro, who would share the fate of their companions from the Shadow War, so far as he knew, and perhaps also pledge his aid. Ammon revealed how he'd been trapped by Nefris, hinting also at his former tutelage at the Academy. Alternatively, the Spirit Eater might have fed on Ammon Jerro's soul to sate the curse's hunger. Furthermore, the Kalach-Cha needed to collected the artificial soul housed within the dying body of Bebtu, a faithful servant of Nefris who'd allowed his own soul to be removed temporarily so that he could store the "item." The Spirit Eater may have also taken a soul from Artesh, a student at the Academy.

With the souls collected, the Kalach-Cha headed to the Headmistress's Tower, but was betrayed by Djafi, who was in fact setting up the hero to be captured by Araman and his loyal wizards. Araman confronted the Kalach-Cha, calling the hero "brother", and ordered his minions to attack as he departed, but the Kalach-Cha might have succeeded in persuading Djafi to aid in the battle. After this battle, the Kalach-Cha departed through the door, which led into the Astral Plane.

There, to the Kalach-Cha's surprise, the god Myrkul himself, or rather his drifting corpse, was wait. Myrkul, dead but not quite undone, glimmered with the faintest bit of life, preserved by the memory and fear his name still invoked in mortals. He told the Kalach-Cha about the curse, which he revealed to be his punishment for Akachi who, after his defeat, was interred within the Wall of the Faithless for his soul to be consumed. But out of sadistic rage, the god of the dead had pulled Akachi from the Wall at the last moment, then bound the dead priest's soul to the mortal world, where it became the Betrayer's Curse, consuming the souls of the living. The Kalach-Cha may even have learned that beneath the sheer hatred for Akachi there was another motive for Myrkul's cruelty, namely using the Betrayer's Curse to extend his life, with each soul destroyed adding to the dead god's essence.

Seeing no fault in his plans, since even ending the Curse with another crusade against the Wall would still preserve his memory, Myrkul had no qualms in helping the Kalach-Cha by opening a portal to the Founder's Sanctum, where he indicated the Kalach-Cha would answers at last. But the Kalach-Cha may not have simply accepted Myrkul's help but instead have chosen to end Myrkul once and for all, either by devouring the god's spirit or using the curse to more peacefully put to rest the god's essence, ironically using the god's punishment for his own death. If One of Many was there and allowed to eat the god, then the essence of Myrkul would become the One among Many, replacing the Child that had previously held the position.

The Kalach-Cha then went the Founder's Sanctum, and there found Araman once again waiting. The aged wizard, apparently Akachi's brother and a doombringer of Myrkul, told the Kalach-Cha and companions that he could not allow his brother's punishment to be undone and thus they must perish. However, the Kalach-Cha was able to defeat and kill Araman, thus gaining entrance to the Sanctum.

Inside was a woman dressed in red, who revealed herself to be the Academy's Founder and the lover whom Akachi had launched the First Crusade to free from the Wall of the Faithless. Alive again, though nearing the end of her second life, the Founder had spent decades working to now save Akachi from his own punishment from Myrkul. For this reason, she had split her soul into four fragments: her own, Nefris's, Lienna's, and Safiya's, and the latter three were replicas of her own body and aspects of her psyche. She had watched the Kalach-Cha from afar and kidnapped the hero after the battle with the King of Shadows, taken the Silver Sword of Gith, bestowed the Betrayer's Curse, and patiently awaited the Spirit Eater's inevitable arrival.

Although the Founder knew the Kalach-Cha had every reason to loathe her, she had all the cards and selflessly gave the hero the Silver Sword, which would be needed to open the Gate of the Betrayer and launch an assault on the City of Judgment to free the hero's own soul, which because of the curse had taken Akachi's place in the Wall of the Faithless. The Founder offered her own life in payment for the cruelty of her acts, for the Kalach-Cha to either spare her or kill her, though in any case she perished soon after from natural causes.

With all the answers needed and a clear course ahead, the Kalach-Cha had no choice but to launch the Third Crusade of the Faithless, assaulting the City of Judgment in an attempt to reclaim the soul and perhaps free those of the Faithless as well.

The Third Crusade of the Faithless
With the Silver Sword of Gith in hand, the Kalach-Cha departed for the Death God's Vault once again. There, using the Silver Sword as a key, the Kalach-Cha open the Betrayer's Gate, creating a portal between Shadow Mulsantir and the Fugue Plane. Then, with companions in tow, the Kalach-Cha passed through the gate, coming before the Supplicants' Gate of the City of Judgment. There, at the entrance to the City, the Kalach-Cha encountered three powerful beings who had served as Akachi's generals during the First Crusade: Zoab, a solar-in-exile who wished to see the Wall of the Faithless destroyed; Rammaq, a power-hungry demilich who sought to become a god; and Sey'ryu, a blue dragon bound to Akachi by oath.

The Kalach-Cha now had two choices. One was to lead these creatures in the Third Crusade, launching an assault on the City and doing battle with the new death god Kelemvor's faithful and the False who served in the City, among whose number was Araman himself after his death. The other was to turn on the Crusade and help in their defeat. Regardless of the choice, the Kalach-Cha determineed the location of the Wall and sought it out while the Crusade was vanquished, having never truly had a hope of defeating Kelemvor or his servants on the Fugue Plane where his power was greatest.

Arriving at the Wall, the Kalach-Cha met the god Kelemvor himself, who showed sympathy for the hero's quest and permitted retrieval of the soul from the Wall. But Myrkul had left one last trap in the Wall to stop this, trapping the Kalach-Cha in the hero's own mind to do battle with the twisted soul of Akachi, personified as the "Faceless Man." Had the Kalach-Cha acquired the three fragments of the Mask of the Betrayer, the hero would receive Akachi's memories of the Founder and Araman, and these protected against the Faceless Man's necrotic magic. The pair fought valiantly, but in the end Akachi was defeated.

At this point, the Kalach-Cha had three choices. The first was to restore Akachi's humanity, permanently ending the Betrayer's Curse through the use of the Mask. If so, the hero left the Fugue Plane and eventually returned to the Sword Coast North, where they may have married Safiya or Gann. The second was to relinquish the hunger but selfishly allow the curse to remain, and to remain behind and become a guardian of the Wall of the Faithless alongside Kelemvor or else travel back to the Sword Coast North. The third was to devour Akachi and become the ultimate embodiment of the Spirit Eater, capable of devouring even gods, becoming a bane of the gods, killing several and wreaking havoc on the Fugue Plane.

Possessions
Most notably, the Kalach-Cha was a wielder of the powerful Silver Sword of Gith. Many other notable items came into the hero's possession throughout a busy adventuring career, beginning with the Harvest Cup won at West Harbor's High Harvest Fair.

Behind the Scenes
Like Gorion's Ward or the Hero of Neverwinter, the Kalach-Cha is a fully customizable player-character in their original appearance in Neverwinter Nights 2. The name, gender, alignment, race, class, background, and appearance are all set by the player within the options provided by the game. There has not yet, as in the case of Gorion's Ward (Abdel Adrian), been an official identity assigned to the character.

However, a few things can be inferred or estimated. Mask of the Betrayer, for instance, specifies that the Kalach-Cha opposed the King of Shadows rather than joining him, suggesting they were likely good or neutral, rather than evil, though not necessarily. It does not imply either whether the hero was lawful or chaotic or whether they sided with Neverwinter or the Shadow Thieves in the city's gang wars, however. Moreover, while the game allows for a player-character of some long-lived races, these do not fit with the game's backstory. Although no clear date is ever set for the first destruction of West Harbor, from the age of several characters who participated, such as Daeghun Farlong and Lord Dalren, it may be inferred that the battle took place sometime within roughly the last twenty or thirty years. As the Kalach-Cha was born during or shortly before the battle, this makes any race with a substantially longer lifespan than humans, such as elves or even dwarves to be ruled out.

The player-character in Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask of the Betrayer is, in both cases, canonically the Kalach-Cha. However, the player-character in Storm of Zehir is not and the story takes place concurrently with Mask of the Betrayer.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights 2 • Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer • Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir (mentioned only)