Palathadric

I roll my eyes and move forward to shake Ratabor's hand. "The world can be a rather depressing place these days. I'll give you that much. Demon walk about at will and seem to mix with humans freely. Pah! Still, we've got to keep a stiff upper lip." I then see the wheel Atramor is standing on. "Hmm, that could make a great spare for my cart."

On my way out of the hall, I pass by Erik. "I'm off. Remind me to talk to you about the Crimson Crown next time we meet. It's all a rather strange business."

I spy Thalion approaching. "Ah, Thalion, how have you been since our last quest? Well, it really hasn't been that long ago, now, has it?" I nod in parting to Boomingham.

I chuckle somehow having gotten over my dark mood after the events of the last quest, "Well, perhaps two paladins are overkill for any party. Quest well and respect the little fellow on your shoulder. He seems a decent enough fellow, although I can't say I appreciate his comment about my angel embarrassing me. Still, I would have probably said the same thing if I didn't know my angel." I hesitate and then mutter to Barty, "Watch out for that girl, the red-head. She seems to have her mind open to the influences of demons. She talks well one moment, but then switches the very next. If your charge quests with her, keep an eye out. Make sure she doesn't get too close to any demons. It can't do her or anyone else any good."

"Hmmm...I've never tried whacking mine away, but you know I don't know how she'd take it...or the others around. She's not quite just a handful like yours here. She is more of...well...some would probably describe her as several handfuls, but never mind all that. I like to think that she means well, but sometimes I wonder... "Still, it seems wrong to push an angel...even if my angel seems a bit wrong to me. She does her job of protecting me and I suppose I should be thankful for that." "Hmm...I would be interested in knowing what you think of her actually. Maybe your charge and I will go on a quest one of these days." I chuckle at Atramor's dagger. "I would look a tad foolish with a shield like this and a knife of that size, but I do like the gleam. If you find a sword or staff with those properties, colour me interested."

I think it's mine too and that's really saying something, because Sandy has had some of the best quests so far.

"I haven't quested with him yet...not sure if I'd want to, but he seems to know where to get the items one's looking for. I purchased this flail from him, but he looked more like a arms dealer than a hero then. Now he's gone all shiny on us. So, Paladin of Ennoc without much of a taste for him? How does that work? I am a paladin myself. Although I am glad my angel doesn't take the liberty to appear randomly. She has left me embarrassed more than once. Yours seems like a more respectable fellow."

I always imagined Althior very tall and lanky. I guess I was wrong. At the end of the day, most heroes are on eye-level already.

My word, I didn't realize it was SP: 4 at the start. I thought I recall it being SP:1 or 2, but that must have been a weaker version or something. That is devilishly powerful in the right hands. Kintobor, why didn't you take my on your quest? No, really, one of these days I'm going to have to get on one of your quests.

"I'm not that young myself," I chuckle slightly, taking a seat, "but I cannot say that we have spoken. I believe I must have seen you around the hall though. It seems like you and the hall's resident weapon dealer," I nod towards Atramor, "know each other fairly well. King of a lost kingdom, you say? Is that the kingdoms name or is the kingdom lost? I suppose if it were just the name you wouldn't be sitting here." "Anyhow, the name is Pretzel, Monk Pretzel."

I grumble a little as Karie turns down my offer and stroll over to Atramor instead. "Well, you're looking in a better state than the last time I saw you. Any new items for sale?" I chuckle.

I look up at Karie as she rushes to leave. Some people are just unwilling to analyze the facts when they're staring them in the face. They are so easily beguiled these days...and willingly too. I shake my head, but then remember something and call after Karie. "So, are you willing to part with either of those staves? Name your price." At least, clearly, my message has impacted others in the hall. I should try to get into more conversations... I muse, making a note to speak with Atramor later on.

"God cannot just intervene in the world. He has set some things in place. For instance every one of us has the ability to choose between what's right and wrong. If God were to come and intervene and make everything right it would be denying mankind that choice. For example, that man had a choice to make. I do not know what brought him into that 'low in his life,' but whatever it was he had a choice of whether to let that dampen his fires or force him into even greater deeds. I tell you, Karie, many of the finest heroes here are here because when they had their low times, they refused to give and refused to give up. They determined that their lows would only make them stronger. If I had quit heroing once Daxus had died, if Erik or Mizuki had as well, think of how Eubric would be different? I don't know all that Mizuki and Erik have been up to recently, in fact I wondered if Mizuki was even still around considering how badly she took the blow, but I just heard from her again recently. Got a letter. We are the image of God in this world and we need to act like it." "Demons purposes rarely are to just kill. They are more crafty and sinister than that, especially the ones that try to get in at your mind. They have an agenda, they always do, but often it's more their design to influence you in some way than to kill you. Can you think of anything that undead may have done to influence you recently. It's more than likely there if you make the decision to really look at it. Of course, if you let your emotions get in the way, then they will cloud your perception, but just think and think hard. Surely he has an agenda, it's your duty to find it. I must ask you though, if undead are not possessed by necromancers then how do they function? Their mind has stopped working along with their body. There has to be someone pulling the strings somewhere. There is a huge difference between healing and necromancy. In rare occasions, by a miracle of God, a man may be healed from death, perhaps to complete a mission on earth, but undead are not healed. They are still just walking corpses. Their minds are switched off."

I'm pretty sure I mentioned it before, although it must have been at least a year back.

"Well, apparently I am holding the whole hall in captivation from the looks of it," I reply, sneering. "Do you fear the name of God? Do you? The reason the name of God is not heard more is that for long God has used his 'lesser gods' you can say, to carry out His commands and instructions to mortals. God works unseen, his underlings not so much so. Some have seen Ennoc and the other angels, although many have attempted to twist the truth in their own way. Nevertheless, God has His messengers who he sends from time to time for specific purposes; usually to repairs the injuries brought to the world through demons influencing man. I am not answerable to you in any way. When you asked whom I learned it from, you assume much, too much, but how could I expect you to understand." I nearly splutter out when Sorrow mentions Karie being his granddaughter, but I manage to regain my composure quickly enough. My splutter turns into a laugh. "What stunt are you trying to pull now? Are you attempting to use some machination of the mind to make this girl believe she is related to you? Don't be ridiculous! It will not work." I turn to Karie. "You see, these are the stunts that demons pull to influence humankind. They make one believe in something that is not at all true. They come in softly, pretending to have no evil intent, but then when you don't suspect, they begin their more dirty work and slowly begin to influence one's mind to the point their target begins to think the story is reality." I turn back to Sorrow, but continue to address Karie. "Look at this sad creature, once a decent man, by all appearances, maybe not good, but probably decent all the same, but his body is being used by some necromancer or some demon somewhere to sow confusion and discord in this Hall of Heroes. Cannot the world let the dead rest as they deserve? No. People who seek power but do not receive it from humans look for something else to give them that sense of power, even raising the dead to a state of undeath where the necromancer can possess the body of a corpse. It is a terrible thing."

I sigh. "As they say, if the light is in your life, there is no room for darkness. The most important thing is to know the truth and to embrace it. Every time you do the right thing, you step closer to the light and further from darkness. Doing the wrong thing works the other way around. These days people argue about what is the right thing and the wrong thing to do and they try to rationalize wrong actions, but ultimately everyone has a conscience instilled in them by God which is meant to be a guide to them on the path of light. Granted, people who have their consciences for so long have a detached connection to them, but that is why it is important to heed it when you hear it speaking to you. Certainly yielding to the will of God in your life is almost certain to grant you freedom from any forms of attack from outside influences, especially demons, however, it is not easy to reach that state of mind. It is not just a one-time fix where you claim to believe in God and He solves all of your problems for you. It's a daily living. It requires great dedication; a lifestyle change really. In all honesty though, I have to inform you that demon possession is easier to stay away from than it is to fall into, although things seem to be changing these days as more and more the hearts of humanity turn away from what's right. In the past people found it relatively easy to live a good, worthy life even without the help of God. These days it's far, far harder, because few people really believe in everything. The world is grey to them. They see a demon and think that perhaps it's just a darker shade of grey. But tell me, is it easier for somehow you don't know and whom you are suspicious of to rob from you or to kill you, or is it easier to be killed and robbed from by someone who has your trust? The answer is quite obvious. The main problem with demon possession is that many people more or less invite the demons into their lives by leaving their minds wide open to receiving them. It's not that difficult to spot the workings of a demon, in truth, but these days people seem to be so dull to their workings. I would instruct you in the ways of God, but it is very difficult for people to understand that sort of power. I imagine, from looking at you, that you are not the most religious of sorts. In that case, I would strongly advise that you get a basic foundation. For that, I would strongly advise going to the Temple of Ennoc and learning about him. Ennoc is one of God's chief ministers for warring against demons, some people go so far as to think he is God Himself. In any case, learning of him will likely help you to understand more and know what to avoid and how to fight most effectively against demons to help those who are possessed by them. It is good that you asked me about this. I would be wary of asking too many others, especially if you sense darkness behind them, for some people would use your desire to help those who are possessed and turn it into a fascination for such possession to the point where you will be seeking out to be possessed by demons. It's a dark world and seems to be getting darker, but in darkness is when light shines the most brilliantly."

"God is God. Other people have their own definitions for God. Some people would call angels, 'gods' or anyone with spiritual authority. When I speak of 'God' though, I refer to the God who created all things truly living; all that is natural, pure, and good. Unfortunately, not all of it stays that way, but you, me, all of us here, are his creations. There are differing views on Who He is, for He many titles, but the most common name, although even that is rarely, rarely used, is Theleg Oco. Some people confuse him with Ennoc, for some strange reason, but really Ennoc is just a portion, an underling if you will."

I know. But don't they always? Ha, ha! Just you wait.

"Oculoids...? Am I supposed to know what that is? If I once did, it has slipped my mind."

Phew! So many interesting quests up. I really want to go on a WBD quest, but then new host quest are usually very fun to go on as well and we've got two at once here. Then Endgame's finale...wow!

"That only works with the physical manifestations of demons. For instance, in my last quest, all the demons had a surreal quality, your spells would have done next to nothing against them. Sometimes there is no power like the power in healing." "Erik, you were with them fighting demons right...?" I hesitate. "I'm not sure how many quests you've been on since we last quested together, but...you remember the Crimson Crown, don't you?" I chuckle. "So I guess it's only two generations old then, eh? I guess it won't get much older than that, unless you have brothers who are less adventurous than yourself." "Well done to you. That academy has long been a place of spiritual wickedness any cleansing of the area can only be good. I have to say that I worry about Eubric's up and coming generation. Between you and me, they lack discipline of any kind and they will tear this island apart once it falls into their hands. But we shall see. Perhaps before then we will be able to change Eubric for the better...who knows?" When Karie asks her final question, I once again lean forward and stare intently at her for a long while before sighing. "It is...well...how can I put this...terrible? Terrible, really, hardly seems like a word strong enough. I just came back from a quest where we had to fight possessed people. It is awful! Having to fight a friend who lacks control of his own mind and wants to kill you. Like I was saying before, in those cases the options are few and you have to pray to God that you choose the right one because the wrong one may turn out being the death of both of you. Thankfully, in my last quest the demons were manifesting themselves ethereally, even though they were possessing their minds, so just knocking out the gnomes was enough to remove the demons. Still, knocking out someone you care for is not an easy thing, especially when you're working with others who just see it as a business at the end of the day and who are killers more than anything else. ..." I trail off and remain silent for a moment. "But that was not really what you were asking. What exactly would you like to know about demon possession? It's a large topic. For instance, in one my earlier quests, I helped an alchemist create a sword that he was desirous of. As it turned out though, the items put into the sword released a demon on their coming together. That demon passed through the sword and took hold of the man, his son, and his pets and they attacked us. So you see, possession isn't always just incurred by associating one's self with evil people, demons can latch onto objects, at least the spiritually manifested ones, and from there they can latch onto a person. Ultimately though, the greatest protection against such possession is a firm belief in God and reliance on Him. One has to be strong mentally as well and to clearly know in his, or her I suppose, mind what is right and what is wrong. Demons cannot enter a mind that is set in its beliefs, they have to look for one that wanders hither, thither, and you; a mind that is uncertain is a devil's nesting ground. That is for the spiritual attacks, mind you. The physical and ethereal ones can happen to anyone, but they are also easier to fend off physically. The worst thing about demon is possession is that the demons could make the possessed person do anything, even things they would never want to do, but their minds would be clouded into thinking that its their thoughts. In that way, necromancers try to emulate the power of demons. They raise the dead into a state of undeath so they can control their minds. That is one of the most terrible things about the undead. They have no control over their actions, even their words. Some necromancer is behind them using them. Those necromancers are clever, mind you. Sometimes, without you knowing it, they can sneak their undead right into your circle of trust by using cunning words, but if you would know the "man behind the mask" or in this case the necromancer behind the undead, you wouldn't take to them nearly as quickly." I pause to catch my breath before muttering. "Even death is better than possession. I would sooner have my body burned than let it be a vassal of some vile human or a demon who would only use it to the destruction of others." I query of Em, "What is this 'Regret' anyway? And what has he to do with the proggs? I hope it's not the Death Progg reincarnated."

Nice new avatar for Atramor, CMP.

"Why would one feel the need to cover up the natural yellow of his or her skin. It is a shame. Yellow is what separates us from the less advanced species. Of course, some would argue that white is a higher form of yellow, but anyone can paint his or her face white, even someone at the...how can I say it...even a demon can. Generic yellow though...there is no disguising it." "So...how did your family come to inherit such a name as 'Alderflask'?" I wonder aloud. I sit back in my chair and study Karie for a few good moments as if weighing up her intelligence and how she what she would do with the knowledge given. Then, slowly, I lean forward. "Demons are highly varied, just like humans are. There is no one way to fight a demon. It takes years of study to learn about the various arts demons employ in their...attacks? For instance, their are the spiritual attacks, the mental attacks, the physical attacks, and...the ethereal attacks. Those are the four main factions, although I've heard some even trim it down to just physical and spiritual. It's hard to just explain how to fight a demon, because it really depends on the kind of attack. For instance, when one counters a physical attack, it is a rather glorious task for the results are visible. However, the spiritual attacks are not visible and do not rely on the sudden manifestations of power than the physical attacks rely on. Therefore, they are more subtle and unless one has a very good eye for them, they can be almost impossible to notice. Mental attacks are similar to the spiritual ones, but usually slightly more noticeable and often the results are a little longer lasting even if they are properly dealt with. For instance, since coming to Heroica, I have fought demons in almost every single one of my quests. In my first quest I had to prevent a demon from plaguing a village. By the way, when quests are written about destroying demons and the like, it's almost always referring to physical manifestations of the demons and sometimes ethereal. Anyway, in that quest I used the raw power of divine healing to destroy the enemy and send it into the pits of hell. In my second quest we were also fighting a physical manifestation of a demon, but this time it was manifested in the form of a beast, a terrifying beast no less..." I see Punii enter the room. "What do you know, I picked up that trinket on that quest. Can't say I did it on purpose though." "Well said, Heckz! Well said. As I was saying, I have to take the blame for originally bringing that little shrimp to the hall, but in my defense, I was not the one who hid him in my cart and I had absolutely no idea that he was present, so what could I do? Really?" I turn back to Karie. "Anyway, as I was saying, in my next quest I had to cure someone who was undergoing a mental attack. That was different altogether. When the attack is not manifested physically, then dealing with it can be very tricky. Sometimes, you need to lay the person's life on the line because there are times when, in trying to kill the demon someone else gets hurt or dies, but from my experience, it is never wise to let the demons alone in those cases, because more often than not, the person sucked into their trap will suffer more in life under a demon than in death. Sometimes you have to take the risk. What I despise is the way those Phoenix Essences fail to work when you need them the most...anyway. Fighting demons is a tricky business and a huge subject in itself. ...Are there any specifics you would like to know though?"

I will reply to Karie soon, but I've got to run now and I'm not sure how shortly I'll be able to talk. Slaying demons is a favourite for Pretzel so it may drag. If I explain it quickly, it will take more time to think of what to say, so either way I won't have time right away.

Yeah, I can't really recall hearing anything bad about 15 before now. I thought it was a fun quest and was actually one of the ones that got me really interested in Heroica. Plus, Maurice's relationship with Hybros and Eric was great.