It had been complete coincidence that Verigas had discovered the Book of Reskelion four years ago. He’d been digging through old boxes in the temple library’s storage room, when he’d found it sealed in a wooden box with guard spells on it. Curious, he’d spent many hours to safely open the box, and found the only treatise on demonology ever written by a priest of Tiernon. The book even had recipes for summoning demons!
He’d known that the church superiors had forbidden such spells, but how could he resist. Think of the good that could be done by the right individual. A priest of high moral fiber, in complete control of a minion of evil could make the foul creature do deeds to serve all mankind. The temptation had been too much. After much searching and studying, he’d been able to decode the name of a lower demon, which had been carefully hidden in the text of the book. He’d been scared to death the first time he’d summoned the demon, but he’d taken all the proper precautions and Tiernon had protected him.
At first he’d had little use for the demon he’d bound, but eventually he found small things the demon could do to further the aims of the church. Punishing the wicked for example. The demon was also extremely useful to influence those who were intransigent to the desires of the local temple. A little demonic visit, and they’d soon be banging on the temple door for help. Naturally, the god Tiernon always came through, after a small donation or favor was done, and the demonic plague would end.
Verigas made his way down the tunnel; eventually it left the grounds of the temple and went out underneath the city proper. It ended soon in another ladder, this one led up into another small room. After opening a secret door in this room and stepping through, Verigas was in a small chapel he’d built in what used to be a private residence in the city. There were only two ways into the room, one the secret passageway he’d just taken and the second a door to a back ally that was completely barred from this side. The only other door in the room led to a small living area.
The chapel room was Verigas’ demon summoning room. Over the years he’d gathered all the necessary paraphernalia to conjure his particular demon, as well as the tools to summon others if he ever so chose. With a little judicious prodding, Krysfalkenon, the demon he’d first summoned, had been able to acquire for him some other texts on demonology. These later books, from wizards, were not quite so useful for spell casting as the first book, but their general information level was most useful. Having read the books, he knew that these wizards were exactly what many had suspected, vast perpetrators of sin and evil. Any group of people so well versed in the demonic arts couldn’t be good. For one thing, they didn’t have the moral guidance of religion to help them, nor, Verigas was sure, the overall moral fiber that one such as he had to resist the call of evil.
Verigas went about the room, making sure everything was as he’d last left it. He always kept the room prepared for summoning; one never knew when one might need a demon in a hurry. He lit the many candles in the room, pausing to say small prayers now and then as appropriate. Soon the room was filled with warm, glowing light. He then went to his wardrobe and began to don the proper vestments for the summoning.
It was nothing too fancy, simply the appropriate robes and a few specific talismans of power. He then cleansed his hands in the Basin of Purification, offering up a small prayer to Tiernon that his hands might be consecrated for Holy Action. At this point, he walked over to the main pentacles and began lighting the braziers, being careful not to break any of the carefully etched lines on the floor. Soon all was in readiness. The main brazier was burning, and his small votive brazier was also going.
He began with a small ritual to exorcise any evil spirits within the room, and then brought up the Immaculate Holy Wards of Lesser Demon Containment. The pentacles seemed to glow with power. It was time, Verigas thought. He began to chant, slowly at first and then with more vigor. Reaching out with his mind and soul, searching for the demon he was summoning. “Krysfalkenon, it is I thy Master Verigas, I summon thee. By the rites of high binding, thou art mine to summon. I summon thee. The angels of Tiernon witness my commands, I summon thee to this room. Come by thy true name Krysfalkenon! Come I conjure thee.” Vergias felt a slight stirring in the flames; the demon had been a bit reluctant; he wouldn’t tolerate that. The demon should know who was master.
“By the Holy Azrael and Azaphael, I summon thee. Comest thee, o demon Krysfalkenon. Thy Holy Master Verigas calls thee to do his bidding. Answer demon! The Lord Tiernon will not tolerate insubordination to his Blessed Priests. Come demon! I conjure thee by thy true name. Come demon, come now.” There! Verigas felt the demon. It was about time, he’d have to teach this demon a lesson. He stared into the primary brazier and continued. “I sense thee, demon, getest thee into this chamber. Come, come into this most Holy Place of Power!”
Verigas could feel the demon forming in the flames. Strangely, Krysfalkenon seemed to be manifesting a bit more powerfully than usual. Suddenly Verigas felt the demon backing off, as if it were changing its mind. “Arrestest thou demon. Thou canst not depart! I have summoned thee, thou must come!” commanded Verigas. He was tired of playing these games; why wasn’t the demon behaving in its usual manner.
Suddenly, a tremendously deep bass voice, like thunder on a cloudless night, rang through the room. “Don’t worry, I am coming.” Verigas nearly swallowed his brain. That was not, NOT the voice of Krysfalkenon. Krysfalkenon had a high pitched whiny voice. What had he done? Tiernon above! Below and all around. Protect thy servant. Verigas prayed suddenly.
How could this have happened? He’d gotten the wrong demon! Tiernon’s mercy. He was doomed. This thing, by voice alone, by actions as well, had to be something seriously more powerful than Krysfalkenon. He’d seen warnings of such dangers in the wizard’s books, but never heeded them. Even though they said such an occurrence was extremely rare. What could he do?
Not knowing what else there was to do, he began reversing the spell. Trying to send the demon back. “Return demon, return from whence thou hast come!” This wasn’t going to work! He began chanting in the Holy Tongue of Tiernon. Saint Brian’s Exorcism should get rid of anything reasonable. The flame in the primary brazier didn’t shrink like it should have, instead it began to grow. Sweat began to drip down Verigas’ forehead. The center of the flame seemed to ripple, as if the space was being disturbed in some strange manner. The exorcism wasn’t working!
The only thing he had left was Exorcism True, it was supposed to work against any spirit or demon. Unfortunately it wasn’t a ritual he cast often. In fact, never before. It was in the Most Blessed Thirteenth Order of Holiness, more powerful than a Miracle even! If he could get it right, it would exorcise anything but a Greater Demon or Arch Demon, and it might even work on them. For the ritual, quite a bit of motion was necessary, Verigas was up dancing around in time with the chant. He’d never prayed so hard in his life. He glanced worriedly at his wards. If only he’d cast more powerful ones. He didn’t know anything better than Esther’s Holy Wards of Intermediate Demon Containment, but surely that would have been enough! If nothing else, it would have at least been better.
Suddenly, a hole seemed to open in the middle of the flame. A hole in the very reality of existence! Verigas had never even heard of this happening before. Tiernon! Forgive me, I know not what I’ve done. I’ll never conjure another demon, just let this exorcism work! The hole ripped wider, suddenly Verigas could see what was on the other side. It was HUGE! Unreal, beyond his worst possible nightmares. He’d seen demons summoned by others, including wizards. He’d never seen anything this big and powerful. It was easily twice as massive as any of the Higher Demons that were used in the most deadly and world shaking battles. Only rough sketches in some of the wizard’s books gave him any clue. The thing had to be at least a Greater Demon! He was dead! His soul was about to be consumed by the Forces of Evil for all his Sins and Trespasses.