He gave Chell a curious look. "You're quite likely the first person ever to express pity for a Primal," he said. "The beast tribes revere them as their gods incarnate, though how much of that is genuine and how much is the doing of the Primal itself warping the minds of its worshipers to produce fanatical faith is difficult to tell. Most others justifiably fear them for the inherent destruction and suffering they cause."

"...In fairness, however, few beast tribes resort to Summoning lightly or out of pure malevolence. Though some do have aggressive ends, primarily, their motivations are desperation and fear, which has only become greater since the Calamity. No group involved is wholly innocent, but as things stand, it is a problem with no clear solution. A Primal, once summoned, must be slain, often at great cost, lest its hunger and aggression wreak untold havoc. Yet doing so only drives the beast tribes further into fear and despair and thus provokes further Summonings, often of ever strong incarnations of their Primals. Tis a cycle that feeds on itself, with no end in sight, despite the efforts of wiser men than I."

"And forgive me if I misheard, but did you say that you mean to show me your soul? To peel back the layers of your wooden flesh and show it to me directly? Souls are, so far as I'm aware, entirely incorporeal by their very nature, so I'm not certain that such a thing would be possible, even if I thought it wise to attempt."