- “Your life is yours alone. Rise up and live it.”
- ―Inscription on the back of the Sundial of Life[src]
Life is a marble statue that Richard Rahl carved while he was a captive of Nicci in the Old World. It was constructed in Altur’Rang in the back room of Victor Cascella’s shop, and using the block of Cavatura Marble that Victor had previously purchased in hopes of one day carving it.
Richard and “Life”
The statue itself depicts a man and a woman standing strongly and defiantly side by side in the “beauty of nobility.” They hold a long staff whose shadow reflects against a large ring, creating a sundial. Life played an important role in the dissolution of the Fellowship of Order’s rule in Altur’Rang; the citizens saw the statue and most were filled with the hope and feeling of life. Brother Narev forced Richard to destroy his work, and in retaliation, the citizens rose up and revolted against their oppressors.
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Richard and Kahlan in the “Life” pose
Life celebrates the sanctity of life and the beauty of human potential, as well as how precious they are due to the limitation of time. The statue Spirit, which depicts the soul of Richard’s wife, Kahlan Amnell, was used as a model for both the man and the woman in Life, reflecting the fact that Richard considers Kahlan the only thing that makes his life worth living.