If Wishes Were Paladins

On October 20th, 2011 by the old calender, the guards reported a strange amulet found at the front gate. Demons ensue.

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Datai: a note sealed with a lute and falcon regarding: Demonic Activity

Thu Oct 20 23:18:33 2011

To: Knighthood ( immortal Nadrik Siccara Nazca rp quest )

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Dear Knights,

Today our Knights on guards duty noted a strange medallion which somehow got

left during the changing of the guard. It was tarnished, obviously very

old, with a very nice diamond, some fancy work with flowers and animals, and

an inscription which read "With the fog of your breath, your greatest

desires shall be yours."

As usual, no one saw anything unusual at the drawbridge. (aside from the

medallion)

Fairy fog didn't seem to activate it, and so Sir Galavant, Lord Rithor and I

took it back to the Temple of Nadrik to see what it would do. Sir Galavant

breathed on it, and sure enough it glowed all golden and seemed to spell out

"Your desire?"

At which point we probably should have destroyed the thing. However,

curiosity got the better of us, and Sir Galavant stated his desire, the

same thing he prays for every day, Lord Nadrik's safe return. This seemed

to cause a lightshow and shadows fled the temple as soot covered our statue

of Nadrik in stripes on the white marble. The medallion burned Sir

Galavant's hand, and when he dropped it fell to the floor, leaving a circle

of ash as it disintegrated. Lord Rithor thought he heard laughter.

Lord Rithor and I searched the Keep, and found nothing, and as we helped Sir

Galavant with toweling off our Nadrik statue, the guards at the front gate

called for aid. We arrived to see a disgusting red skinned demon, with an

obese body and spindly little legs standing of the corpse of one of the

Knights. Lady Faelinda joined us, and as it leered at Galavant, clicking

its talons, made the remark "Greedy Greedy". We fought it, and it fell

quickly after Lady Faelinda dispelled it.

This flavor demon is known as a rapax. They come from a class of demons

which deal with greed. These sort of demons usually are weaker, and rely on

tricks to seduce mortals. Lesser servants of Hell, these demons will try to

harvest a soul for the legions of Darkness. Usually, the stronger a

person's greed, the stronger the demon. There are other demons of greed,

stronger, and more subtle. The advice given for dealing with most of the

demons is simply temperance. Most will not respond violently, although they

can summon lesser demons if they feel the need.

While the Temple appears cleansed, Sir Galavant and I still thought we heard

strange tongues. Upon reflection of what we've learned, I suspect that the

rapax was summoned by a stronger demon of Greed, which we still may have

loose in the house. Exercise vigilance and keep a holy symbol on hand. I

ask the clergy to offer regular prayers at the Temple of Nadrik.

Siccara bless,

Lady Datai d'Aggravaine, Shield

PS: I need a priest for confession.

PPS: Did I lend my darkstaff to anyone? I really could use it back now.

A Library Book on Demons of Greed

Several tomes are organized together regarding demons, arranged by the sins associated with them.

One volume stands out to you, a somewhat smaller book that looks almost unread.

The crisp pages open readily, revealing details about demons of greed. The text reveals that they are generally weaker, relying on tricks to seduce mortals. Finally, a familiar illustration is shown on the page the word "Rapax" beside it.

Picture of the Rapax:

Its bare form quivering and almost writhing, this creature seems barely

contained by its reddish skin. Black, greedy eyes gleam in a flat, noseless

face, wicked rows of serrated teeth set in a perpetual, hellish grin. While

the demon's arms and neck are spindly, its torso is grotesquely obese.

Folds of fat ripple over each other at every move. Tiny, stick-like legs

float pointlessly above the ground.

The description of the rapax identifies it as one of the lesser servants of Hell. Usually stupid, they will try to harvest a greedy soul directly for the legions of Darkness. In general, the stronger a person's greed, the stronger the demon.

Other demons of greed, stronger, more subtle ones are described and pictured. Some have only sparse descriptions.

The advice given for dealing with most of the demons is simply temperance. Most will not respond violently, although they can summon lesser demons if they feel the need.

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Kuromaru: *Incident Report* Slime in the Keep

Sun Oct 23 22:55:20 2011

To: Knighthood Rithor Gwaine Datai ( Imm Austinian RP )

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Earlier this evening I was sitting in the Alter room. Drips of slime

fell from the ceiling onto me. As I investigated slightly, I found it

covered the walls, ceilings, and most of the floors.

I heard voices, one in a tongue I could not determine but the other chanted

the word 'Greedy' repeatedly. Shortly after, we heard some knocking on the

walls and other noises.

I have not heard anything further yet, but Lord Thorne believes it may be a

return of the demon known as Greed.

Sir Kuromaru Shiroken

Knight of the Shield

Novitiate of Father Austinian

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Datai: a note sealed with a lute and falcon regarding: Demon Slime Attack!

Mon Oct 24 01:07:38 2011

To: Knighthood ( immortal Siccara Nadrik Nazca rp )

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Dear Knights,

As suspected, the demon is still running amuck in the Keep. Sir Kuromaru

was minding his business on the pews when a drop of slime fell upon his arm.

He looked around for the source, and did not see anything. Then as he

looked over the ceiling a huge blob of the stuff came down and nearly hit

him.

After which he heard whispers, most of the voices he could not make out, but

one was chanting "Greedy, greedy, greedy". Slime was everywhere in the

Keep, then, except for Lord Nadrik's temple. Lord Rithor Thorne, Sir

Rassilon and Sir Kuromaru mopped up the slime. If any of you have collected

a sample, it may be worthwhile to study. Or just totally disgusting.

Be wary, Knights, pray and retreat to the Temple of Nadrik if you feel in

danger. The advice in dealing with these sorts of demons is Temperance. So

be as dull and boring as possible and be generous to others. This shouldn't

be too much to ask of most of you.

Siccara bless,

Lady Datai d'Aggravaine, Shield

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Ashem: Temptations and demons within the Keep.

Mon Oct 24 19:22:52 2011

To: Knighthood

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It is 11:30 am, Day of the Moon, 7th the Month of Futility. DSL started

up at Sun Oct 23 16:30:44 2011 The system time is Mon Oct 24 19:09:13 2011

A single gold rose lay within the Altar room, this eve. An alert was issued

by Father Regus. As we arrived, we discussed what it might be. I settled

to watch, content neither to trust nor curse the rose. Within moments, a

single petal fell and Captain Shiroken was overtaken by a strange trance.

He stated the word 'Fubuki' over and over again, and said 'I'm coming'. The

Captain was restrained as being thought of unsound mind due to demonic

presence. A gold rose was offered to myself, and melted when not taken.

And Sir Keiyns cursed the demon, daring it to come. The gold rose burst

forth into a golden briar patch, from which a portal came. A spirit of

temptation, in the form of a nude woman, came forth. We promptly sent it

back to the depths of hell. The golden briar patch was deminished to a

puddle by Father Draven's righteous holy flame. In the end, no one was

harmed, and the demon sent forth a rather weak spirit to tempt. If you

resist, the rest is easy. Simply stand together and remain true to virtue.

Squire Taba

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Datai: a note sealed with a lute and falcon regarding: Gathered Clues and Evidence

To: Knighthood ( immortal Nazca rp quest )

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Dear Knights,

I have a sample of the slime from the demon slime attack. If any know the

nuances of demon slimes, and would like to examine it so we may better learn

of the creature we facing, let me know. I will happily provide you with the

slime to experiment with.

Also, after the two recent encounters a knocking on the walls like a hammer

was heard. Two knocks after the slime incident, and one knock after the

golden rose incident.

Be vigilant, Knights, and do not give in to temptation. Keep holy water and

symbols on hand. We will find a way to banish this demon.

Siccara bless,

Lady Datai d'Aggravaine, Shield

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Gwaine: Golden Roses

Fri Oct 28 18:51:09 2011

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Knights of Gareth,

This day, Day of the Sun, 20th the Month of the Long Shadows, golden roses

appeared in many parts of the Keep.

They appeared in both the spaces for normal use, and also sanctified places,

such as the Chapel. What this means is still uncertain.

Let none touch a rose, be prepared whilst in the Keep at all times. We know

not what foe we face, or when.

d'Aggravaine, Crown.

* Note: These roses have thus far appeared benign, and were able to be sacrificed. Lord Gwaine and Sir Rassilon have one each for study. 100 of them were found in the rack.

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Rassilon: |Greed Demon Attack on Gareth's Keep|

Sun Oct 30 18:55:19 2011

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Knight's of Gareth's Keep,

This day Gareth's Keep fell under attack by a supernatural demon, in all

likelihood the same one that has been troubling us for the past fortnight or

so. It came in a series of illusions that delved deep into a Knight's

psyche. It made no physical manifestation this time, but at least four

knights were affected by visions. Faith in the Heavenly House of Light

allowed us to break the demon's control, destroy his artifacts, and cleanse

the temple. In the end, no one was found injured or killed, though many

have been left shaken by the ordeal.

All three Generals were present, along with Colonel Elistar, Knight

Snowdragon, Knight Valdaris, and myself.

Knight's of Gareth's Keep are ordered to report any and all strange

occurances, and keep particular watch for strange slimes or unusual foliage,

in particular gold roses. Magical fire and blessed water seem to work to

destroy the unholy items. Faith in its purest form can keep a Knight safe

from temptation, but ware this demon for he knows our thoughts and our

memories, and can twist virtue to his own ends.

Captain Rassilon Shiroken of Gareth's Keep

"Mercy in Victory, Grace in Defeat, Tranquility in Battle"

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Gwaine: Recent demon activity.

Sat Nov 5 20:38:27 2011

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Gareths

There has been recent unexplained activity.

Lady Datai experienced visions of people dying, after which she cried tears

of crimson. After we moved to Temple of Nadrik and invoked the Trinity,

what we attribute to demon activity ceased.

Be careful, within the Keep. Move about in company if you are able.

Keep holy water on your person, and if assailed, invoke your deity's

protection.

d'Aggravaine, Crown.

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Rithor: Demonic occurrences

Wed Nov 9 20:16:33 2011

To: Knighthood Nadrik ( Imm Religion )

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Knights,

This evening well I was sitting in prayer pews began to break within the

Altar room. Using the strength of Nadrik I called to the demon to show it's

face. Shortly there after a demon wreathed in flames appeared. I attacked

quickly and it put up a fight trying to plague and blind me. It's spells

had little effect and were easily cleansed by the blessings of the trinity.

The demon fell to my blades and it's corpse crucified at the entrance to the

keep.

The voice of the demon that is the source of this mess was still present, be

on your guard Knights and keep your faith close. Know that the gods of the

light smile upon us and we never fight alone.

Rithor Thorne

General Lance

Warder to Seredath

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Datai: a note sealed with a lute and falcon regarding: Demon in the Keep

Thu Jan 26 19:42:26 2012

To: Knighthood Galavant ( immortal Siccara Nazca rp )

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Dear Knights,

Some of you may remember our demon from a few months back. We had hoped the

silence on its part was sign we'd finally vanquished it, however, it seems

to have just been napping.

I returned from my quest to find Sir Galavant's missing mace this eve to the

altar room to find a golden rosebush there. Page Travis was transfixed upon

looking for a giggling lady: he thought perhaps Siccara was visiting. Some

holy water and prayer brought the page around, and I poured holy water upon

the rose bush. It all seemed to melt and spell out the taunts "Back?"

"Never Left". Holy water washed the foul melting fake rose bush away.

The demon went on to try to tempt and frighten us with illusions as per its

normal attacks. Prayer and holy water helped the victims come around, and

see through the illusions. Page Travis was able to over hear the whispers

of the demon, or demons. "Gaining.. Strength. Will come.. Resting ..

Galavant"

While following the Lord Lance through the Keep and halls, looking for the

demon, all the torches were snuffed. We prayed, and I sang "As the torch

burns" and the torches relit.

I make the following advice to all members of the Keep: Carry with you holy

water and a holy symbol of your faith at all times. Be wary of any strange,

or very familiar seeming women (or handsome men, Dames) beckoning you. Do

not touch any roses of gold. Report any strange phenomena to the Keep

immediately.

To Sir Galavant: The demon may be looking to eat your soul specifically. I

advise you to stay with other Knights at all times.

Further information on these demons may be found in our Library in the

History section under "If Wishes were Paladins". They are greedy demons,

and will try to tempt you! Don't fall for their tricks: pray and be as

stoic as possible!

Siccara bless,

Lady Datai d'Aggravaine, Shield

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Galavant: Reminder: Demon Countermeasure Protocols

Fri Feb 24 15:58:52 2012

To: Knighthood

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With clan wars drawing to a close, we will be returning from a state of

increased martial activity. Remember that we have been having issues with a

Demon of Temptation. It has previously been defeated in combat, but

evidence suggests that it still lurks in dark places and it is certainly

plotting to ensare unaware Knights.

Please follow the precautions and procedures outlined below:

-Carry holy water and a holy symbol with you at all times. This should be

standard procedure for any devoted knight regardless.

-Beware any golden roses or vines that may appear in the keep - they are the

demon's preferred method of initial fascination.

-Beware any paranormal activity, especially visions of lost relatives or

loves.

-Should you encounter anything suspicious, DO NOT attempt to exorcise the

demon yourself. Put the Keep on alert immediately and follow the orders of

the nearest priest or paladin.

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Methods of Exorcism:

Demon exorcism is a matter of strength of will, purity of faith, and

stalwart purpose. Members of the cloth, and paladins specifically, have

received specialized training in dealing with these things, but any among us

can pit his or her Spirit against the corrupted nature of a demon.

Step One: Presentation of Holy Objects.

Begin by presenting your holy symbol to the demon and channeling your

intention through it. If you have learned how to lay blessings upon

objects, the process is similar.

Step Two: Invocation of Domain.

Gareth's Keep is a holy place, and it has an energy and spirit all its own.

While presenting your holy symbol, command the demon to leave the Keep. At

this time it is also appropriate to invoke the name of your deity, your

house, your comrades or any other aspect of your Purpose and Will. If your

Purpose is true, this will weaken the resolve of the demon.

Step Three: Application of Purity.

While exhorting the demon to leave, you must now demonstrate the Purity of

your Faith. Applications of holy water, rays of truth, and other such

things will enrage and confuse the demon.

Step Four: Combat.

When the demon feels itself losing its hold, it can often be goaded into

attacking those who are performing the exorcism. Do not hesitate to strike

it down. When it is dead, the body must be burned and the place where it

fell purified with prayer and holy water.

Conclusion.

As in all things, our strength lies in our brothers and sisters. Remain

vigilant but do not be a vigilante. Trust in your companions to protect

you, and know that they give the same trust to you.

Nobilis Factum.

Datai: Fresh Ideas in Keep Cleaning

Fri Jan 27 18:49:30 2012

I could quite possibly be the worst Shield General ever.

Now I bet you are rereading that statement and wondering who is narrating

this story. Rest assured, it's the same bard it always is, only with more

authority. This may not help you rest assured at all. You may also wonder

whose terrible idea this was. Well, I say Sir Galavant is mostly to blame.

He was the one who called me out on how I was doing all the previous Shield

General's work most the time. I rather like paperwork, so this situation

where I did All the work, and got none of the blame really appealed to my

bardic sensibilities.

But no, paladins have this incredible sense of responsibility, and justice,

or something which wouldn't let sleeping enchantresses and irresponsible

bards lie. So Sir Galavant, and his lazy squire who sleeps in the museum,

went and called me General for a week till Lord Gwaine finally figured out

what was going on and promoted me. After about a year of dodging the arrow,

I finally got stuck.

(That's an arrow reference, Sir Kleft!)

Anyhow, my claim of being the worst Shield General ever is not any sort of

false modesty. Or any sort of modesty at all. I came to this realization

very early on in my career when during the first week of being on the job I

accidentally set a demon loose in the Keep.

Now, I worked quite closely with Sir Suradis LaFortinas when he was Lord of

the Shield, and I can say that clearly I'm doing it wrong. Shield Generals

are supposed to banish, destroy, and or exorcise demons. Letting a demon

loose in the Keep is a lot like dishonoring my sword. Only I don't know

how to use a sword. So it's more like dishonoring my pew. How can I sit on

my pew without shame when I let a demon loose in the Keep?!

You may also wonder whose terrible idea this was. Well, I say Sir Galavant

is mostly to blame. He was the one who did technically use the fake magic

amulet that summoned the demon. I have to concede, though, I totally let it

happen, mostly because I wanted to see what would happen. That and I just

can't say no to a paladin. I actually wanted to invoke it myself and wish

for the locate object spell.

I suspected a high chance of demons the entire time, of course. I'm not

really naive enough to think anyone, benevolent or not, would teach bards how

to locate or identify objects. I figured that the Temple of Nadrik, and two

paladins should be enough to keep things under control. Unfortunately, all

those weird lines and gems and funny prayers Sir Suradis used to make to

contain demons is not just elaborate showmanship. Those chalk out lines do

something, because without any that demon totally got loose on us.

After about a month of tormenting us around the Keep, the demon seemed to

have gotten bored and knocked off all that evil. Things returned to the

normal I've come to expect around here.

Till just the other night, when I was out wandering the forests of the realm

looking for Sir Galavant's missing mace. Why was his mace missing? Well,

while trying to rescue me from a Keep assault that went bad, which really is

the least he can do for me considering all the trouble he's gotten me into, he

tornadoed his own mace. Let me tell you, as much as I may wish for the locate

object spell, sometimes it is tragically non specific.

A path in the Forest, you may think Great Forest, but no there are a lot of

forest paths out there in the world. I've seen nearly all of them, except for

the one I was looking for! While Sir Galavant had come to terms with his

missing mace in the nonmaterialistic manner you would expect of a paladin, I,

being a bard, was determined to follow through on the quest to find it. It was

the least I could do for him for almost, but not quite, rescuing me from yet

another bad decision. Almost, but not quite, finding his mace is about all I

managed, too.

Anyhow, I returned to the Keep after communing with Zandreya to pass out on a

pew in the Altar room when much to my surprise and horror there was the demon's

calling card: a golden rosebush. Just like all my bad decisions, here it was

again, back to haunt me! Naturally I did the first thing that came to my mind.

After screaming for Lord Rithor of the Lance to come help, I tried to explain

to the spell bound page about our little demon problem in Gareth Keep.

Apparently that demon is the houseguest that never leaves. The suspicion arose

that it may be after Sir Galavant's soul. This would be problematic for me, as

I depend on Sir Galavant for advice, and I'd miss out on a lot of ideas and

excitement without him around to help me out.

I returned to my personal home to see if I had any books on those chalk out

lines Sir Suradis used to draw on the ground to catch demons. On the path to

the veranda, now this is a very specific place, I nearly tripped over a

sleeping minotaur. This also was a houseguest that I had thought had left, but

apparently is back. I also found I was powerless to move him. Though for

reasons more physical than spiritual. I was pretty sure chalk out lines would

not help the poor lost soul, so I gave him a blue blankie which may or may not

shatter any minotaur pride or sensibilities he has left when he wakes up. I've

been passed out in a lot of places myself, and all and all, my front yard is a

pretty good choice. No one ever brought me a blankie. In fact, the last time

I passed out Sir Galavant just brought me a squire with a bucket of really cold

water.

Unfortunately, sleeping demons are not so easily covered up as sleeping

minotaurs. Which isn't even easy, mind you, as minotaurs are pretty big. The

Keep needs a good, old fashioned, Siccara style cleansing, and as the Shield

General, I have to see it done! Fortunately Lady Massadah has joined the Keep

to help out with this kind of cleaning thing. This is good, as I may need some

other input aside from Sir Galavant's.

Now to start drawing my demon trap! With the fine tradition of Shield Generals

of this keep, it is quite easy to be the worst one ever, but I'm not going to

go down in history as the worst without a fight. I mean seriously, Sir

Amargein is on that list, and he was the one who lost our original lute!

(Chalk out lines)

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Falric: The Demon of the Golden Bush

Sat Apr 14 19:24:57 2012

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*in a steady script, the result of many hours of practice*

The Golden Bush's return was a difficult time for all involved. The demon

of greed, of temptation playing foul tricks of a dark kind upon men and

women of good intention and manner, revealed itself some months ago, in a

guise that had before been recognized as its favored form.

Page Travis, fooled by the pleasant appearance of this golden plant, was

taken in by its beauty, tricked into listening for the words of a beautiful

woman believed to the Lady of Healing. When the Lady Shield arrived,

however, the truth was quickly laid bare.

The terrible creature, once its ruse was bested, turned to old tricks,

changing beauty to horror before the eyes of the Knights and Pages present.

Even before my own eyes, I saw the beauty of Austinian's crest on my hammer

fade, to be replaced with the black seal of the God of Evil. Even now I

admit that my fear that day drains me of my nerve, some, but it was the

goodness of those around me, of Sir Thorne and Lady d'Aggravaine, that kept

me sane in the face of evil.

Shortly after, all lights in the Keep were snuffed, the foul thing's attempt

at raising a simple fear, that of darkness. Voices whispered into Page

Travis' ear, terrible words that spoke of ill fortune for the future. The

creature is gaining strength, waiting to return to the Keep and bring its

wrath upon the just and good once more. When Sir Thorne and Lady

d'Aggravaine returned the torches, it appeared as though the demon was

driven away, but for how long, none still may say.

When it returns, however, it does not face the frightened Pages and Squires

of yesterday. Proven Knights await it, guardians of the untested and

protectors of the innocent. No foul creature, spawn of the depths of evil's

black heart will despoil this Keep on its return, but shall find the shields

of the faithful ready to turn its own cursed spite aside, and smite it

justly and return it to the darkness it came from.

The Father's love guides us, and it is His family that guides us and gives

us the strength, the ability to muster our courage to stand in the face of

the horrors that our enemies would unmake our efforts with. Stand strong,

knowing that your brothers in arms beside you do the same, that you can

trust him as he trusts you to carry you to the end.

Do not let fear cripple you, for it is the easiest victory for Evil if it is

but that men of good hearts do nothing out of that fear.

Father guide us all.

Sir Falric Marwyn

Shield