The Third Flame — Volcanic Glass Spirit Figure

The Seven Flames were not gods with faces — they were forces with presence. This War Flame idol was likely kept in the Third Temple, where soldiers prayed before battle. The featureless face is a deliberate theological statement: the divine cannot be reduced to human form.

Inscription

Gar keth-an thul-an sha meren keth-na

/gaɾ keθ.an θul.an ʃa meɾen keθ.na/

Translation

“The great spirit of the third flame burns within the stone.”

Interlinear Analysis(click to expand)

Form	Gloss	POS
gar	three	numeral
keth-an	flame-GEN	noun
thul-an	stone-GEN	noun
sha	spirit	noun
meren	great/sovereign	adjective
keth-na	burn-PRES	verb

Script: top-to-bottom, right-to-left

Description

A stunning figure carved from a single piece of volcanic glass, depicting a humanoid form wreathed in stylized flames. The face is deliberately featureless — Kethari religious art never depicted the Flames with human faces. Gold leaf accents the flame motifs. The base is inscribed with the name of the Third Flame (the War Flame) in formal Kethari script.

Scholarly Analysis(click to expand)

The volcanic glass is a rare variety found only at the summit of Mount Serath — acquisition would have required a pilgrimage to the volcano's most dangerous slopes. The gold leaf is hammered to approximately 0.1mm thickness, an extremely skilled technique for the period. The formal script inscription reads: "Keth-Serath-Vor: He Who Burns in Battle, Third Among Seven." This is one of only three complete Flame idols ever recovered.

Provenance(click to expand)

discoverer: Dr. Helena Vasquez-Mori
discovery date: 2024-01-20
condition notes: Exceptional preservation — found in sealed stone box with desiccant. Gold leaf intact. No chips or fractures. One of the finest artifacts in the collection.
excavation team: Ashenmere Institute Field Team 3
discovery location: Third Temple foundation cache, Kethport, Stratum V