Character · Book 7, This Inevitable Ruin

Hellik

Emberus's twin, god of Sun and Life, the red brother who, in a dromedarian's telling of bubble 543's sky, chases Taranis and catches him four hours before dark — 'quite obsessed with killing both Emberus and big brother Taranis' — and the obvious suspect in Geyrun's murder, who was in council when it happened; Carl's god quest is to kill him.

Segment appearances

• Chapter 49 — Bijou, Theia and Khepri
• Chapter 50 — The Temple of the Dagda
• Chapter 51 — Dark Purpose
• Chapter 52 — The Temple of Khepri
• Chapter 54 — The Waffle Maker; Hellik's message
• Chapter 57 — Thirty-two boxes; the last prisoner
• Chapter 76 — The Oak Fell

Arc

'You. Begone false god,' and Khepri leaves; an olive-skinned man cross-legged in the burning temple, waving the bugs away: he did not kill Emberus's son; Apito is corrupted, the All Tree is rotting, Nekhebit has returned and is behind it; he will treat with Issitoq; 'Scolopendra stirs. It is all connected.' Carl is a friend of his church (ch. 54). Emberus's answer is a quest to kill a hundred of his worshippers, and a promise of exquisite burning if Carl kills him (ch. 57). One of the three Eris says Carl must kill (ch. 76).