Damion Shargath, a Faulted Project / Revelation

[Damion Shargath]

[OOC: Closed Quest. Solo Quest.]

A glimpse into the past...

“[Damion had been born a destined servant to the royal army of Salvar’s monarchy. His childhood was a stale routine of daily indoctrination by the church of Ethereal Sway, followed by disciplinarian and physical training. Not much is known of his parents, as he too was taken from them after the nourishment from his mother ended. This leads to the assumption that they, at most, might have been lesser nobles – and at least wealthier peasants with a firm belief.

As we know from some scholastic systems that split up into different branches, it is no different in the Church of Ethereal Sway. Superiors and teachers had decided to place Damion in a program for the more talented, though not initially for his belief in the Church itself, but more for the physical potential he already had as a young boy. His first combat experience he had gained in the smashing of a tribal resistance force within the city.

A small account of only ten men, of whom the surviving three had been imprisoned and later executed. This happened every once in a while, when individualists and liberals had attempted to putsch the monarchy. Occasionally a larger group, but all of these incidents posed as good opportunities for the Church of Ethereal Sway to see how far their little seedlings would go to defend “their” beliefs.

At the age of 21 Damion was sent on a special assignment north-east of Knife’s Edge, towards the great icy plains. He, and the rest of his “Purifier Force” had been ordered to dispatch of another tribal resistance force in the north. They were to,

“Investigate this region for Tainted ones. If they dare surface and graze under the glorious Salvic sky, cleanse the land of these feeble heretics. Eradicate the speck of dirt that dares to insult the Ethereal Sway. Burn their homes, kill their warriors, dispatch of all that give resistance to the Truth. Bring back those that survive, they are to undergo an inquisition so that their spirits may be cleansed to absolute purity, like that of out holy Church.”

The “Purifier Force” was a group of no more than 6 warriors that had undergone and intense doctrine of the Church of Ethereal Sway. He was to lead this force. Damion had undergone years of intense combat training and tactical warfare within the military bases scattered about Knife’s Edge.]”

[Damion Shargath]

Revelation

They had almost reached their destination. The force, eventually consisting of four greenhorns and one Purifier a level lower than Damion, halted atop a hill prior to the village.

“You all should know the drill…” Damion muttered as he began to stride downhill.
Baffled, the four simple soldiers looked at each other uncertain of what to do. They had just been called into duty, young men around the age of 20. Simple servants of the sovereigns army.

“Don’t ask questions, just follow. It is rather simple. He’s a little harsh sometimes. All we do is inquire the populous and, incase necessary, ‘deactivate’ threats.” The other, lesser Purifier mentioned as he too strode past the puzzled beginners, his eyes fixed one in particular “Feeling alright?”
He nodded mutely.

The six men reached the city gate, self-righteously striding through it. It was the only entrance to the city apart from a path coming down from the mountains. The town itself was largely enveloped by small, but no less steep rock formations, which gave it only a certain amount of sunlight over the course of the day. There was barely anybody on the street. There was a sizeable well in the middle of the city, four buildings to the left, and five to the right. Apart from a small chemist on the left, and the double leveled inn next to it there were only normal family houses. Some two, some three stories high. It seemed to be a rather wealthy little town. Straight through the center, past the town well, beyond a wide set of weathered granite stairs stood a large mansion. It was three stories tall, completely out of brick, shadowed by two large trees at either side of the structure. It was separated from the rest of the town by a tall, pointy, steel fence, giving it a generous amount of garden-space. Small hedges led down the pathway towards the estates gate.

Damion ordered two of the men to stay by the town’s entrance, another to the right side of the well. He then looked at the other Purifier, he carried a two hander in a sheath across his back, was armored lightly, nor was he a muscled bulk, which was untypical for people with such a heavy weapon. Nevertheless, he handled his weapon with astonishing ease. One of the reasons he was in his current position. He was a handsome young man, like with Damion, no one would have guessed them to be such devastating arms of the Church of Ethereal Sway. His wore his semi-short black hair in a shag, extending in length the further it went back on his head. Common for men in their age.

“Follow me.” Damion ushered as he began to walk towards the inn.

“Feeling a little better now?” The Purifier asked the soldier they were taking along.

“Yes Sir.”

“Leave the formalities, we’re friends…” He remarked, Damion strolling off in safe distance of hearing, or simply ignoring their chatter. “So, how’s your training coming along anyhow?”

“Quite well. I’m becoming accustomed the two-handed weapons.”

“Says the man who can barely handle a crossbow or a short sword.” The Purifier chuckled, noticing the disheartened frown of his slightly younger friend then added, “But that’s good to hear, they’re the more useful weaponry anyhow. If you ever need help –“

A door slammed, and Damion was gone. The Purifier grimaced and jogged to the Inn’s door, pulling the soldier along by the shoulder. They entered to see Damion chucking a bag of coins onto the counter, the inn-keeper was standing on the other side, arms crossed, and frowning.

“Five days, six people, that should cover the costs…”

“You people ruin business around here, do you know that? There’s not a decent amount of travelers around anymore since you guys started patrolling every whatsoever little town in the area. You should stick to actually hunting whatever you want to hunt instead of throwing your time away in this wasteland!” The innkeeper raved, Damion turned and walked towards the two men in the doorway.

“Our rooms are upstairs, drop what you don’t need there. You have the day off. Spend it however you desire, tomorrow morning we meet by the well.” Damion mentioned as he walked past his subordinates.

“You know what you should do? Your church already owns that manor outside, why don’t you just-“ Damion slammed butt of his halberd into the ground, cutting the innkeepers rant short. “Bar’s in the back…”

[Damion Shargath]

“By the way, don’t you come from here?” The Purifier asked the soldier, who was planting his helmet on the nightstand by his bed.

He nodded again, “Across the street from here.”

“Gonna visit?”

“Maybe…”

The entire town seemed enveloped in a strange lethargy. Even the innkeepers’ rants seemed devoid of real emotion. Drearily the evening sun shone through the small windows in the upstairs room of the inn. All the night-stands were decorated with the same array of yellow and red flowers. The curtains were of a soft textured, wine-red material, draped and tied to either side of the windows. The wooden floorboards made a sturdy impression, but screeched here and there when a person walked across. A thin layer of dust slumbered atop the closets on either side of the room. Nothing moved. Nothing sounded. Not even the birds outside chirped, not even the leaves of the trees bristled in the breeze. Everything was slowly merging into either black, or a hazy orange, however the light fell. The figures sitting inside the room were silhouetted by the intense burst of an evening sun.

“I’m beginning to understand why you left.” The Purifier began after a long silence, “But what were you hoping to change?”

“I don’t know. Everything.”

“That’s quite a big answer…” The silence ensued again.


---

Damion was already standing beside the well, a soldier shoving small pebbles into the well with his fingers. Although the lethargy remained, things seemed a little livelier compared to the prior day. Yet Damion waited. One after the other the soldiers poured out of the inn, almost stumbling over their own feet in realization of the late arrival. The trees bristled as they picked up a breeze, the birds though had disappeared. Finally the last of the soldiers came barging outside, the lesser Purifier shaking his head. Everyone turned to Damion, who himself wordlessly turned away and began walking to the stairs beyond the well. With sure steps he strode forward, towards a couple of civilians standing atop the stairs. A young woman and her father. He had been acquainted to them the prior evening, looking for an area-guide.

“So…I see you’ve assembled your troop.” The man said, looking away.

“So it seems. And as I’ve come to find, it seems thus far the journey here has been worthless. No tribal uprising whatsoever, for all I know, you people here don’t even give a damn about this entire farce.” Damion had made his position clear, which startled some, yet well knowing that these people wouldn’t have the means to report anything he said to anyone who would have cared, “So either it is, I return with scapegoats…”

“Unecessary.” The guide remarked.

“I return with empty hands…”

“Most likely.” The daughter voiced herself.

“Or I find something of interest on this days guided tour to the chapel in the mountains.”

“You won’t. Everything’s in order here.” The father added.

“Said the man without a choice…” Damion smirked.

“So it is, we take two of the most renowned Purifiers on a hike through our immediate region.” The guide gently urged his daughter forward, “She knows this route best, it shouldn’t take you long either judging that you’re all rather well by foot.”

The daughter scowled her father, which didn’t seem to irritate him. There was no reason for him to worry, as his daughter was being accompanied by people more interested in what they may find as to whom the may find.

“You should return by nightfall.” The young girl’s father suggested.

[Damion Shargath]

It had taken them a mere account of six hours to reach the chapel, which was situated at mid height of a lesser mountain. Accordingly they should be back be nightfall. The air had an uneasy chill to it, and the scenery wasn’t much but a dull mixture of diverse grays and browns. For snow it was too warm, for comfort too cold. Apart from the rather unspectacular slaying of coupled wyvern cubs the hike was rather uneventful, nevertheless the sudden descent of the animals upon the group had forced one soldier off a cliff. To the disdain of the group, Damion had ordered to urge forward, explaining there was no time for such menial tasks as of looking for someone who was probably already dead.

“Soldiers, guard the door. Purifier, come with me.” Damion paced forward, barging through the chapel’s door, almost unhinging the wooden massive. The sound echoed through the chasms and ravines about, amplifying it to a belated thunder.

As Damion’s eyes became accustomed to the darkness around him, he began to realize that what seemed to be a chapel was more a church. The small chapel only served as an entrance hall to something far greater. This explained the strange, tall holes in the mountain above. Huge dormers arrayed randomly about the ceiling. A huge dome like structure had been carved into the mountain, rays and rays of stone benches faced a set of three altars. Two presented themselves in the front, and one stood elevated in the far back. All elaborately decorated, gold and silver chains, plates, and all too similar order symbols found themselves all about. Gigantic statues, depictions of warriors raising swords or pole-arms of sorts in defensive gestures were affixed in the corners of the vicinity. They also seemed to serve as some sort of upholding pillar to the ceiling with their upheld weaponry.

“This isn’t even a church, it’s a dome.” Receiving no answer, the Purifier continued, “There’s no one here.”

Slowly, Damion began to walk towards the furthest altar, ignoring the smaller two. His eyes widened as he came to find the Church of Ethereal Sway’s order emblem embedded into the stone before him. Yet, aligned in a circle around this emblem was a series of arcane symbols he couldn’t possibly identify. Symbols he had never seen before. His glance shot upwards, a gigantic cupola made the ceiling of the church. The same symbols found at its inner and outer circle.

“…What is this?” The Purifier said detestably as he walked past a wall decorated from top to bottom with arcane scripture, “Damion!”

The halberd wielding juggernaut disappeared into a doorway behind the altar. His steps carried him up the left side of a dual stair set. The pompous decoration found in, what seemed to be, a service hall was slowly deteriorating the further he advanced. Every bit of legible scripture or understandable idolatry was being replaced by indecipherable arcane objects and carvings. Damion had reached a door resting at the summit of the stairs. Heedlessly he opened it. Within seconds a vast sepulcher revealed itself to his eyes.

One grave stood tilted almost upright next to the other, every next row on an elevated level. Each single tomb carried The Church of Ethereal Sway’s crest. An eerie, green glow mingled in the air with no direct source to be found. The expected musty stench of decayed flesh was somehow missing, although shadows of faces could be made out through suspicious holes in the head area of the tombs. Something was awkward about the faces though, they seemed irritably lively. A restless, but subtle buzz vibrated off the sepulcher’s walls. The faint dripping noise of water which had trailed its way through the mountain rock over decades and centuries dipped into audible appearance every now and then. Every little detail of the room added to the estranging feeling of the area. Behind the halberdier, steps echoed their way up the hallways he had left behind.

[Damion Shargath]

Slowly, Damion advanced to another set of steps through the middle of the tombs. He took step by step, enough time to examine the tombs to his left and right. Once reaching the end of the stairs, he stood before a barred stone door. It was a giant slab of granite, the Church’s emblem at its top, beneath it a trail of arcane scripture to the foot of it. A certain alignment of arcane carvings stuck out, repeating over and over.

“Damion, what’s the-” The Purifier stopped dead in his tracks, the weight of his sword almost throwing him forward, “Damion…”

“It’s a sepulcher.” The halberdier muttered.

“I can see that, but whose?”

“I have heard of these tombs before. At least I thought I did…” Damion paused, “…but something is different.”

The Purifier stepped back hastily as he spotted the faces in the tombs, the so very lively faces, “They’re alive!?”

“Not in the sense that you and I would call living.” Damion gloomily answered, making his way toward the Purifier, “Feeling alright…? Get back on your feet.”

As Damion helped his subordinate to his feet, the grating of granite emitted from somewhere within the room. Becoming louder by the second, the two became more alarmed. Suddenly, as if a vacuum were being filled with air, an explosive sound came from one of the tombs as it shot open. The top of it crashing as it collided with the edges of the stairs. Out of the white steam rising from within the tomb fell a naked body, curled in pain, screaming in a shrill shrieks. In a rage it burrowed its fists into the ground, leaving behind skull sized craters in the granite flooring. Just as it aimed for another tomb though, it seemed as if all energy was beginning to sift from it. The sound of breaking bones filled the room as the creature drove its fist forward. The tomb one step below remained unscathed.

“By the Thayne…” The Purifier stepped forward past Damion, who simply observed the body.

It was most certainly humanoid, but something had changed it. From once fingers protruded claws, malformed horns from the back of its head. Bony knobs trailed from its shoulders, across its chest, all the way to its abdomen. Hoofs pushed through the skin of its heels. Sharp claws reeked from where there should have been toenails. It curled, shrieked, shivered, and cowered in pain, slowly growing quieter. Moments later it was breathing its final breath, the tumult of minutes ago a peaceful detachment of the world.

“The Thayne draw energy from these sacrificial souls, harvesting their life so that one day they are strong enough to return.” Damion ushered through the silence, “I’ve heard of this. Though, by all means, I can’t quite imagine the Thayne denaturing and mutating human beings into demons.”

“These things were humans?” The Purifier shot quizzically, in shock.

“A long time ago…”

“These beings have been trapped in here since this dome was chiseled into the mountain?” Like a child questioning answers from its parents, the Purifier continued. Damion had learned far more than he did, seemingly all the secrets class 2 Purifiers were not to be revealed until they advance.

“Presumably.”

[Damion Shargath]

Oil lamps began to illuminate the houses from within, throwing shadows of window frames and there-placed figures unto the ground outside. Over the course of the day the slight blanket of snow had melted into the ground, probably creating a thin sheet of ice the following morning. People finished off their chores, drew a last bucket of water from the well, or spoke a few words with their neighbors before disappearing into their homes. The innkeeper went outside and lit the oil lamp next to the “Ale-Inn-Side” shield hanging above the doorway. Mundane humor. A tranquil orange light had now descended upon the city, soon to be replaced by a starlit night-sky.

“Find anything of interest?” The guide’s father greeted the group as they entered the town through its mountain pathway, strolling past the Church’s mansion estate.

Without paying notice to the man Damion continued towards the inn, the soldiers followed him. Only one remained in a still spot for a while, his eyes following the young woman and her father. So long until he was urged on by the lesser Purifier.

“So that’s how things are. How’d she take your return?” The Purifier asked, acknowledging that there seemed to be something between his soldier friend and the young woman.

“She doesn’t know I’m here.”

“What…why don’t you tell her?”

“I haven’t changed anything…”

“This doesn’t mean she might not be happy to see you.”

The soldier remained quiet, shoulders slumped, his feet carrying him to his bed. But I promised.

[Damion Shargath]

Whilst the remaining soldiers and the lesser Purifier let themselves down in their beds, or around the tables in the room, Damion walked downstairs. None of them really took notice, thinking it wouldn’t make much sense to question a man who wouldn’t answer as to where he was off to. By now the sun had taken hide behind the mountains, a dull, dark grey shadow falling over the town. The brightest of the stars could already be seen in the sky, taking their place to watch over the earth while most of it lay dormant. A slight breeze swept through the town on occasion, whirling dried leaves around in miniature tornadoes.

“How long as the estate been unvisited?” He questioned in the direction of the innkeeper, not even fully down the stairs yet.

“The last time your lot showed up was about,”

“My lot…” Damion spat distastefully.

“What?” puzzled and thrown off his train of thought the innkeeper fell silent, though not for long.

“How long?”

“Well, it must have been at least five years. Since then, nobody has set foot in that building. It’s probably crawling with spiders.”

Before the innkeeper had even finished his sentence, the halberdier had already disappeared into the night. He strode past the well, his pace was rash, and it seemed almost as if he was seeking not to be seen. His steps were muffled by a still somewhat soft ground, one that would freeze over with the night’s chill that was slowly sinking on to the region. He took up the stairs swiftly, making sure not to slip. Then suddenly he came to the halt. Damion gazed at the tall gate before him. Throwing aside any further hesitation he firmly grabbed the nearest pole to the lock and pushed forward. A startled look drew itself across his face as the gate rushed open with ease. It hadn’t even been locked.

The halberdier walked forward, wondering why the church would bother so little about its possessions. He wasn’t sure what to think. Was he going to find answers to what he had seen earlier, or was this a dead end? A touch of uncertainty scraped at the back of his skull. A touch that had become stronger over the years and turned into something more like a firm grasp. A strange feeling of acquaintance and relation swept over him in the sepulcher earlier that day. The Church of Ethereal Sway had always only given him sparse information concerning his origin. His steps became uneven in pace the more he spent thought on the subject. With dire determination to find some sort of answers to his questions he pushed down the handle on the door and entered the estate. It was pitch black.

He turned to his left and fingered a fuse from the wall. The fuse led up to the candled chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. After recovering a match from his pocket, he lit it. Almost immediately the room was doused in a flickering orange glow. The paintings of respected order members, cluttering the walls, looked ghostly in the poor lighting.

Row over row illuminated the two story gallery. Straight ahead of Damion lie a set of stairs, that first led in a circle around the room, before joining into one set of stairs leading to the next floor. From the gallery one could peer down into the entrance hall, overlooking every door that led out, or into it. The halberdier decided to examine the ground floor first, though it didn’t take him long to discard the idea after having made his way briefly through a kitchen, a servants storage, a living room, and a servants bedroom. He ended up in the middle of the entrance room once more, slightly vexed. Slowly his head turned, his eyes following the stairs. There was an eerie silence about the house, disrupted only by the noise of bending floorboards.

An oil lamp in his hands, he slowly made his way up the stairs. The rush he was in, dissipated. Walking up the right hand of the stairs, he could make out a lounge somewhere near the end of the gallery’s left hand side. Reaching the top of the stairs, he decided to check the left hand side first, already having eliminated one room from the stairs. To his disappointment he made his way through a servants six bed dormitory and a room full of herbs and plants of sorts, most of which had withered and died by now. Some of the greenery had even burst out of its pot, its roots trying to pull liquid from anything they could reach, mostly other plants or in vain. The room was a disaster, but soon even the last plant would shrivel and die. Damion turned, shut the door behind with an audible slam, and darted across the gallery to the right hand side of the building. After a master bedroom and a storage room the halberdier was on the verge of utter frustration.

He barged through the door of the last room he hadn’t investigated. To his right, a comfy, ornate lounge chair in wine-red coloring. Opposite the door a plain window with curtains on either side made the walls only attraction. A globe stood in the corner to its right. It was affixed in golden bars, one at its top, and the other at its bottom. The bars were marked with fine lines, so that one could geometrically pinpoint precise locations. It didn’t help but affirm the suspicion that these are the types of luxuries and toys the Church officials invested in. As Damion’s eyes trailed to further to the left they came across a strange round protrusion in the corner, some sort brick of tower, yet devoid of an entrance. Then finally his eyes widened. To his immediate left he discovered a cornering bookcase. He stepped into the room, leaning his weapon next to the door. Now he stood directly in front of what he hoped would give him answers to his queries. His eyes darted from shelf to shelf.

“Mere…”

From shelf, to shelf, to shelf…

“Mere…stupefying…” and onwards, “literature!?”

The bookcase was full of historic almanacs of other regions, romantic novels, and ancient to modern prose. There was not a book of interest. Damion clenched his fists. Nothing made sense. A Church estate, with no branding as to whom it belongs, not even a book about its belief. Yet mere hours away a gigantic dome, chiseled into a mountain itself, filled to the brim with archaic scripture and Church of Ethereal Sway deification.

“This is pathetic.” The halberdier stepped back, “Ridiculous.”

Answers he didn’t want to hear filled his head, questioned he had rotated around his head, the uncertainty in his head grew stronger and stronger, “I won’t accept this.”

He didn’t understand why nobody had ever cared to tell him of his origins. He had been adopted into the order because a high priest had felt to do so. He was special, because he had exceptional talent, but was the same worth as everyone else. He came from where everyone else came, they’d said. He was always appointed the most difficult chores. He was treated better than others, then worse. Yet he was never treated equally. In his childhood, the other order boys avoided being near him. Behind his back they mocked him, made fun of him for being different. Now they all want to be by him, protected under his wings. Why? How was he different? There were far more exceptional members of the order, of the Church of Ethereal Sway. None though had, in his age, been appointed of all the missions he had been. Damion tripped backward in a daze of thought. He was losing control, couldn’t put a finger on anything. Why did everything suddenly lose its reason to him? Trying to regain his consciousness, he flailed his arms back attempting to find halt somewhere.

[Damion Shargath]

No one had seen Damion for at least two days. The Purifier and his befriended soldier stood in front of the manor. Its gate stood open for that time of Damion’s absence, the theory thus was near that he must have been somewhere in there. They stepped forward, walking along the cobbled pathway to the house. It did pose a rather depressing domicile, laying always in the shade of the mountain behind it. Rays of sun only touched the building until roughly eleven o’ clock in the morning.

Finding nothing other than their superior, the two ventured to the top floor. Arriving at the room which Damion had last entered the two became weary, their eyes darting around. Where there had once been a brick wall, one they didn't know of, there was now an entrance to what revealed itself as another staircase. The Purifier stepped closer to the shadowy hole. A feebly thin pathway ran in circles down its walls, so far that at one point it plunged into absolute darkness.

“Stay here.” The Purifier muttered as he began to descend down the stairway.

The soldier was left standing at the top, guarding the entrance. Though he had no idea what he was to do if his superior didn’t return. He would simply have to stand there and wait. His eyes trailed the room, the bookcase, the lounger, the globe, the carpet in the center of the room, the layers of dust on top of everything. He figured that no one had occupied this estate for years, not a difficult investigation.

[Damion Shargath]

The Purifier had descended into a mine-like structure. He was at the beginning of a hallway made completely out of the earth it was dug through, apart from the wooden supporting beams. At the end of the tunnel he could make out a strange glow, the only source of light. His feet began to carry him forward. His pulse was out of rhythm. The earth below his boots crunched and squished as he advanced, treading from partially dry to damp soil. His gloved hand slowly traveled up towards the hilt of the sword on his back. Wearily he positioned his gauntleted arm in advance of his body. Something thudded to the floor in the distance. He twitched contractively, then, shrugging the childish shock off, continued. Behind him the towers lower entrance had almost vanished in the darkness, and slowly he was beginning to make out shapes through the doorway ahead. He tread through into a completely cobbled room.

The grip on his sword weakened as weariness became awe. The Purifiers gaze trailed upwards for at least five meters. Gigantic bookcases made the walls of the room. A huge circle that exited in a hallway to the left likewise filled with bookcases. A table cluttered with flasks, vials, and other apparatuses. Some filled with liquids, some with powders, and others with indistinguishable muck. Books clustered a smaller table to the far end of it, opened unto pages with mixture calculations for potions or poisons of sorts. Another candled chandelier hung from the ceiling, small oil lamps dangled from chains that followed the exiting hallway.

“Damion!” The Purifier called, spotting his superior between waist high stacks of books, his hope for answer in vain.

Towers of books lay on the floor, hence the thudding noise. One, two, three, four, the Purifier counted a total of sixteen stacks, all at least ten books high. Damion was wandering around almost aimlessly, dashing his eyes through pages after pages, and then thudding the book onto a stack after a few minutes to grab a different one from the shelves.

The Purifier called again, to no response. He wanted to set towards the halberdier, who immediately shot him an icy glare. The two stood for a few seconds, their gazes meeting. Something was different about the first class Purifier. His eyes were empty, devoid of emotion. It seemed as if his gaze had pierced right through the Purifier. It sent a shudder down his spine. Finally he turned away and descended down the hallway toward a desk, letting himself down into the chair adverse of it. After another vain set of tries in trying to seek Damion’s attention the Purifier lowered his head, shook it, and began to walk from the room.

[Damion Shargath]

To Damion’s tragic satisfaction, the books carried the answers he was looking for. Answers to the arcane scripture. Answers to his origin. Answers to his being. Answers to his destination. Answers to all of the questions he had sought. Though…these weren’t the answers he had hoped, nor even expected to find.
The Church of Ethereal Sway had an arcane mages and chemist sect, whose only point in existence it was, to create the perfect soldier. The perfect Purifier. Their way of doing so, was to take a child born from one of these sects sanctified, no more than, concubines. Although, in the scripture that revealed itself to him, they had lovingly been dubbed Holy Maidens of the Ethereal Sway. Whores to the Church’s bidding.

[Year 0; Project Vitaria Malus]

“The infant, Damion Shargath, is now ready for infection itself. The arcane taint of [i] is to be spread in the child at leveled doses “…” throughout the first five years. The first direct summoning will commence this day. First signs of increased activity have already taken effect after birth, no less the taint is being contained. Subject 1987:47, further information in the following chapters "..." No necessity to decrease dose at hand.”

Their overzealous confidence sickened Damion. The report was over three hundred pages long, and this was only the primary annum. Over years it seemed they had summoned some sort of, what they called “Taint” into him. An unbridled, uncompromised, consuming force. They had hoped to gain control of it somehow, by dosing it. Once they had gained control of it, they had hoped to destroy its very source or bend it to their will. It was an experiment to determine what means are necessary to purge evil. The halberdier had not only found out about his 'infection', but of that of the woman they had chosen to serve as his mother, Vitaria Malus. How they had brought the dark matter into her. What they had done to her. He had learned of others that had been undergoing this project with heavier or lesser doses. Those with lesser doses remained almost untouched, as weak as any other being. Some didn’t even have the slightest connection to a military fraction until later in life, but had been recorded as a test subject from their childhood on. One subject even hailed from this very town. Those with heavier doses had ended up as the horrific monstrosity Damion had witnessed in sepulcher three days ago.

He tossed the book he was reading to the floor, rose from his seat, and searched for the next recording.


...

[Damion Shargath]

The sun had almost disappeared, the warm glow slowly dissipating into another chilling night. Birds claimed their last flight as they disappeared into their nesting adhere to chimneys. The blue eyed soldier peered from the inn’s window, into his house. His mother was washing dishes, sweeping the house, her every day routines, before she would sit down in the living room and wait to grow tired. Ever since he had left, it seemed she had no joy left in her. She simply lived alongside what was happening in the world, in her region, in her town. He felt ashamed, for leaving, and not having accomplished anything more but the mere duty of a soldier.

The boy was becoming unnerved. He wanted to see what the Purifier had seen. He couldn’t imagine Damion Shargath so detached, derailed. Everything he had aspired to be would flail into non-existence. He routed to the estate, hushed through the door, fleeted up the stairs, turned right, again, then left, and finally stood in front of the tower opening. There was still no sign of the halberdier. Then, he descended down the stairs. He ducked through the doorway at the bottom and paced along the earthen hallway. A voice called from the desk at the end of the bookcase hallway, the soldier followed it.

“Damion…” He muttered below his breath.

“It’s meaningless.” He said, setting a book aside.

The soldier could only observe with a puzzled look on his face.

“Have you ever asked yourself, if you have a reason?” Damion paused, then began anew, “You don’t. You’re a bastard, a marionette.”

Quizzically the soldiers’ eyes grew wide.

“You wouldn’t have the means to understand. A lie. All of it! And you are part of it...” The halberdier snapped.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m a perfect abomination, you’re a failed freak!” Damion cackled, his eyes wide with insulting amusement, “You don’t know anything, you feeble puppet! You’re despicable. No less despicable than the entire Ethereal Sway!”

A silence fell into the room, until finally Damion took his feet from the desk and rose from his seat.

“No less despicable than I am…” The words were almost so silent that the soldier could barely hear them.

Following another short silence, Damion violently thrashed the desk aside and charged for the startled youngster. He advanced faster than the boy could think to step aside. Seconds later he felt the pole of Damion’s halberd crash into the side of his head. Everything dull went alive with bright sparks as he flew through the air, but as he collided limply with the cold, cobbled ground of the library everything vanished into darkness together with his consciousness.


...

[Damion Shargath]

“Wake up!” A firm grip shook the soldier’s limp body.

He didn’t react.

“Wake up!” It shook harder, “We need to go, now!”

His eyes formed tiny slits through which the basement’s light seemed like the brightest flare of sun. The soldier groaned, his head throbbing with pain. Instantly he was hauled to his feet, grabbing the side of his head with one hand, his other on the shoulder of whoever was there.

“He’s gone mad! Follow me!”

Finally the soldier opened his eyes. The Purifier grabbed his arm and began to jog. They exited the basement library, rushed through the damp, earthen tunnel towards the tower’s foot. His head throbbed, he was in utter agony, barely able to keep himself on his on two feet. He couldn’t quite recall what happened, his mind dodged about. Trying to figure out what he was doing here kept him occupied, taking his mind off the pain. He couldn’t even imagine how long he must have been lying on that floor.

“You won’t believe this…” The Purifier said as he shouldered the estate’s door open.

The soldier’s consciousness shot right back into reality. The entire town was doused in a bright, orange glow. It wasn’t a sunset, nor was it dawn. The town was ablaze, flames licking at the pitch black night sky. The Purifier released his grip on the soldier, whose adrenaline would now keep him on his feet. They sped down the stairs, to the well. A trail of blood led to the bodies of two slain soldiers. Their guts drenched the cold, frozen ground with a warm crimson hue. Their helmets had massive cavities, blood sifting in pulses from them. The young soldiers eyes widened in horror. Left and right of them pylons of flames ate away at the walls of houses. The inn was still fairly intact, not yet reached by the fire…

The Purifier shot a glance over his shoulder, his friend stopped dead in his tracks. The arson had reached his house as probably one of the first. Like released by a crossbow the young man darted towards the flame blazing grave. The Purifier followed, barely grabbing him back before he would have lunged himself inside. Seconds later, half the house collapsed unto the entrance bridge that hovered over a small stream.

“Damion?” The youth questioned, shaking his head in refusal to accept what had just happened.

No answer had also been an answer. The young man shot a glance to his right, the guide and his daughter fled from their house, almost tripping over their own feet. A small group of survivors was gathering around the well. They couldn’t believe what was happening to their small, idyllic, peaceful existence. They began to greet one another, grateful to be alive.

“You have no idea how insignificant you all are.”

The halberdier walked calmly out from behind one of the houses near the estate. Blood glinted in the orange glow as it dripped from his weapon.

“You worthless puppets play no part in this, from which you could change the course of what is to come.”

“You bastard, what have you done!?” A large, brawny man yelled as he charged forward, efforts vain to stop him.

People watched him run. They watched him run further into his demise. They called his name, he didn't listen. Every step he made past the well, every step across the town center, every step up the stairs toward the armored lunatic, was a step that would end his life sooner. In reach of the halberdier, he simply felt a sting in his abdomen. For him undisclosed reasons he wasn’t moving forward anymore either. All he saw was the boot of the halberdier crashing into his face. The kick launched him backwards, sending him toppling down the stairs, breaking his neck probably several times. What the others saw was the armored maniac thrusting the man backwards off the halberd he had impaled him with. Guts and shards of skin hung from the weapon, fluttering in the gusts of heat the flames were sending about.

Wordlessly Damion turned, feeling their spiteful gazes upon him, but none of them moved. Their hate humbled him. He disappeared through a gap in the wall of flames, which soon after closed behind him, sealing the town off from the entrance to the mountain path. There was only one thought on his mind. One. He craved, longed, lusted, burned…lived for the destruction of those who have made him what he was; A crossbred freak, a mutant adversary to normality. He despised himself, but grew to hate everyone else even more. His wish was to douse the Church of Ethereal Sway in flames. He wanted from now on only to burn the world, unleash upon it arcane wrath of something they shouldn’t have awoken. He would strive to control the power they had fused him with.



___________

[Ebivoulya]

Greetings, and salutations. I am your judge for this fine solo, and before we start with the technicalities, I'd like to make a few general comments. Overall, I enjoyed the read, and I feel like I got a pretty good look at your character, and his motives. The interactions between the other members of the church, and the members of the town were refreshing, and appropriate, and I was pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end. I am a little saddened you didn't actually describe Damion setting the town ablaze, but I can understand it was for suspense. All in all, a fun read, and I hope you find my comments insightful.



Story: 19


Continuity: 7.25

Throughout the entire thread you maintained a definite sense of realism, and I was never left wondering the 'why' of anyone's actions. Damion's past, or what is known of it, is clearly, if hurriedly, laid out in the first post, and occasionally built upon as the thread nears its climax. Damion's thoughts on how he'd been treated his whole childhood set the mood perfectly for the discovery of his past. I was also drawn in by the soldier accompanying him who was struggling with visiting his mother now that he'd come back home, his reasons for that struggle, and the effect his exodus had on her. Damion's ultimate purpose upon leaving the village, and his comrades behind, seems appropriate given the revelations about him in the thread.

Setting: 6.5

Your descriptions of the setting were consistently detailed, yet concise, especially in the village. You gave the reader enough information to clearly visualize the scene without ranting about the way the sunlight lilted in through the dusty windows. I believe you did especially well once you reached the abandoned church itself, and your description of the tomb underneath it felt as eerie as a tomb should feel. The initial description of the town aflame was almost detached, and befitting of the mind-state of the character beholding it at the time. You occasionally go into specifics about things like birds, the sun, and whatnot, but you mainly give a more or less black-and-white image of the village especially. It's not very important, but you could've mentioned more about it visually than the positioning of the buildings, despite your short descriptions of soime of the shops.

Pacing: 5.25

The 'backstory' of your first post starts this thing off quickly, and you jump right into the story at hand, but you grind to a crawl shortly into the second post. None of your description is done badly, it just seems to be all done at once. During the dialogue, the posts just fly by, and even at some points in the narrative the pacing is good. I would recommend trying to spread out the dialogue and description as evenly as possible, so your posts will maintain a flow rather than jumping up and down You could possibly accomplish this by adding a little more specific description inbetween lines of dialogue, as if they're being noticed during the conversation.



Character: 22.75


Dialogue: 8

Damion's dialogue does well to display the subtle nuances of his personality, all of which seem to fit in well. The change in his tone is almost audible once he finds the ancient arcane script, and his confusion and wariness become paramount. The reaction of people to the presence of the Purifiers, and their mentioning of them showed an underlying mistrust, and set the tone very well for Damion's 'defection.' His denial upon finding the library of ancient books was well done, but his dialogue after truly realizing what he was really showed some depth to Damion, and highlighted the effect that realization had on him.

Action: 7.25

Damion's body language suggests a man with too much on his mind already to waste his time, mostly in his dealings with the soldiers accompanying him. Also, I must say, the appearance of that 'twisted sacrifical soul' was both surprising, and well done. I could very clearly picture the thing in my head, along with the shock of the lesser Purifier, and the almost unreadable consternation of Damion. His actions toward others begin to change, understandly, as he pieces together everything, and his responses, or lack thereof, in the underground library while the lesser Purifier tries to talk to him are definitely of a man finding answers he didn't want.

Persona: 7.5

Damion's past seems to have an appropriate effect on his attutide toward the other Purifiers. They respect him accordingly, but his non-chalance with regards to the Church of Ethereal Sway and his personal opinion also seems to have an appropriate effect on the others. His cynical wit seems well-done as well, and befitting of a man unsure of his allegiences. He becomes almost detached after they visit the chapel for the first time, and even deranged after his discovers the truth about his past. This was a truly revealing thread for your character. The complete personality shift upon discovering proof of his 'taint' was pretty unexpected, and seemingly out-of-character, but I believe it was meant to highlight the distressing effect of his discovery of his past, and that it did.



Writing Style: 17.75


Technique: 6.75

The most noticible thing, to me, was the fact that you seem to write in past perfect tense almost constantly (he had, it had). This is generally reserved for explaining a situation in which something happens before you arrive there. By simply removing all those 'had's you can move to the more versatile past tense, which your writing seems to favor. You can get fairly detailed with your descriptions, and the little things like the birds chirping, and other small details, help add realism. You could thicken your writing a little with more of these little things, I believe, to offset the fast pacing set by your dialogue.

Mechanics: 4.5

You have a tendancy to use incomplete sentences for what I guess to be dramatic effect. The same effect can be achieved with well placed commas and semi-colons, while improving the flow of the prose. All those periods create a sometimes staggered effect, and that affects the pacing as well. Other than that, the only real errors I noticed were the occasional missing comma, apostrohpe, or run-on sentence. You also have a tendency to string two complete thoughts together by a comma, but without the use of a conjunction such as 'and' or 'but.' Also, to my knowledge, verbs seperated by a comma when written in past tense must switch suffixes from 'ed' to 'ing,' and back as neccessary.

Clarity: 6.5

There were a few instances when strange wording led me to re-read in an attempt to glean meaning from it, but overall I read through this relatively easily. You occasionally seem to mix phrases, as noted a few times in my notes, and your descriptions can get confusing occasionally as well. Almost all of the time, though, I know and understand what is going on. Your tendency to use unusual phrasing does not neccessarily detract from the readability of this thread, though it does open up some possible second meanings in a few cases.


Wildcard: 5.5

Though this was a good thread, nothing definitively jumped out at me in the process of reading it. Your character's personality shift could've warranted a bit of a bonus, but in re-reading it, it's still a little out of place. That may be due to your decision not to write from Damion's perspective much after he began discovering his past.


Total: 65


You receive 2,375 EXP

You also receive 156 GP


My notes are as follows, post by post. Several of them are clarity errors, and they should all be taken more as suggestions than corrections. if there are any questions concerning my notes, or judgement, feel free to PM me.


"Not much is known of his parents, as he[,] too[,] was taken from them..."

"As we know[,] from some scholastic systems that split up into different branches..."

"[It was a] small account of only ten men, of whom the surviving three had been imprisoned and later executed."

"Occasionally[, it was] a larger group, but all of these incidents posed[] good opportunities for the Church of Ethereal Sway..." -- By saying they 'posed as' good opportunities, it sounds as if they are disguised traps of some sort.

"At the age of 21[,] Damion was sent on a special assignment north-east of Knife’s Edge..."

"He, and the rest of his “Purifier Force[,]” had been ordered to dispatch[] another tribal resistance."

"...no more than 6 warriors that had undergone an[] intense doctrine of the Church..."
-----------
"As we know from some scholastic systems that split up into different branches, it is no different in the Church of Ethereal Sway." -- You start as if you're about to explain what you're talking about, but then refer to an as-of-then undiscovered conclusion as 'it.' That led to some confusion.

"Damion had undergone years of intense combat training and tactical warfare within the military bases scattered about Knife’s Edge." Instead of concluding this proof of Damion's capabilities with some vindicating statement, you left off as if it should speak for itself, but it feels like the post was cut short.
"[They were s]imple servants of the sovereign[']s army."

"...his eyes fixed [on] one in particular[.]"

"...and the double leveled inn next to it[,] there were only normal family houses."

"...beyond a wide set of weathered granite stairs[,] stood a large mansion."

"It was three stories tall, [made] completely out of brick,[ and] shadowed by two large trees at either side of the structure."

"Small hedges led down the pathway towards the estate[']s gate."

"He then looked at the other Purifier[. The man] carried a two hander in a sheath across his back, [and ]was [neither ]armored [heavi]ly, nor was he a muscled bulk..."

"Nevertheless, he handled his weapon with astonishing ease[, whuch was o]ne of the reasons he was in his current position."

"He was a handsome young man, like[] Damion,[and ] no one would have guessed them to be such devastating arms of the Church of Ethereal Sway."

"H[e] wore his semi-short black hair in a shag, extending in length the further it went back on his head[; c]ommon for men in their age."

"The Purifier chuckled, noticing the disheartened frown of his slightly younger friend[,] then added..."

"They entered to see Damion chucking a bag of coins onto the counter, the inn-keeper[] standing on the other side, [his ]arms crossed, and frowning."

"The innkeeper raved, Damion turn[ing] and walk[ing] towards the two men in the doorway."

"Damion slammed[ the] butt of his halberd into the ground..."
-----------
"He nodded mutely." -- The last subject referred to as 'he' was the lesser Purifier, and though the speaker's identity can be gleaned from the response, it did cause some momentary confusion.

"There was barely anybody on the street. There was a sizeable well in the middle of the city..." -- While this technique works fine for explaining things quickly, you would paint more of a mental image if you gave the things you talked about action. For example, saying hardly anyone tred the street, or the well sat in the middle of the city, instead of just saying 'there was a well.'
"Even the innkeeper['s] rants seemed devoid of real emotion."

"Drearily[,] the evening sun shone through the small windows..."

"...were silhouetted by the intense burst of[] evening sun."

"Yet[,] Damion waited."

"One after the other[,] the soldiers poured out of the inn..."

"The trees bristled as they picked up a breeze[;] the birds[,] though[,] had disappeared."

"Finally[,] the last of the soldiers came barging outside..."

"Everyone turned to Damion, who[] wordlessly turned away and began walking to the stairs beyond the well."

"...a couple of civilians standing atop the stairs. [It was a] young woman and her father."

"Damion had made his position clear, which startled some,[] well knowing that these people..."

"The daughter scowled [at ]her father, which didn’t seem to irritate him."
-----------
"The entire town seemed enveloped in a strange lethargy. Even the innkeepers’ rants seemed devoid of real emotion." -- Much like my comment about the phrase 'There was' in the last post, these sentences would sound better if you gave the things you described direct action. Instead of having the town 'seem' enveloped, say it was, and the inkeeper's rants were devoid, rather than seeming that way. Strong verbs help visualization and pacing, and 'was' is more solid than 'seemed.'
"...which was situated at mid[-]height of a lesser mountain."

"Accordingly they should be back be nightfall."

"For snow[,] it was too warm[,] for comfort[,] too cold."

"Apart from the rather unspectacular slaying of coupled wyvern cubs[,] the hike was rather uneventful[. N]evertheless[,] the sudden descent of the animals..."

"...explaining [that ]there was no time for such menial tasks as[] looking for someone..."

"...almost unhinging the wooden mas[terpiece.]" -- This was just a suggestion. As far as I could find, massive is only a noun as the name of some specific mountain.

"Huge dormers [were ]arrayed randomly about the ceiling."

"A huge dome[-]like structure had been carved into the mountain, r[ow]s and r[ow]s of stone benches fac[ing] a set of three altars." -- I can only assume you meant rows. I don't know what a ray of benches would be.

"...and all[-]too[-]similar order symbols found themselves all about."

"...warriors raising swords or pole-arms of sorts in defensive gestures[,] were affixed in the corners of the vicinity."

"...also seemed to serve as some sort of upholding pillar[s] to the ceiling..."

"[They were s]ymbols he had never seen before."

"His glance shot upwards, a gigantic cupola made the ceiling of the church[, t]he same symbols[] at its inner and outer circle."

"The halberd[-]wielding juggernaut disappeared into a doorway behind the altar."

"The pompous decoration found in[] what seemed to be[] a service hall was slowly deteriorating the further he advanced."

"Heedlessly[,] he opened it."

"One grave stood tilted almost upright next to the other[s], every next row on a[ further] elevated level."
-----------
"Accordingly they should be back be nightfall." -- You suddenly switched tenses here, and could've avoided it by making your character the subject thinking this, such as 'Accordingly, he estimated they should be back by nightfall.'

"...explaining there was no time for such menial tasks as of looking for someone..." -- In cases like this, there's really no need to add the word 'of.' Leaving it out simplifies the sentence, thus enhancing clarity.
"He took [it] step by step..."

"[The noise b]ecoming louder by the second, the two became more alarmed." -- The other way, it sounds like they are becoming louder by the second.

"The top of it crash[ed] as it collided with the edges of the stairs."

"...screaming in[] shrill shrieks."

"In a rage[,] it burrowed its fists into the ground, leaving behind skull[-]sized craters in the granite flooring."

"Just as it aimed for another tomb[,] though, it seemed as if all [its] energy was beginning to sift from it."

"From [what were] once fingers protruded claws, malformed horns [protruding ]from the back of its head."
-----------
"As Damion helped his subordinate to his feet, the grating of granite emitted from somewhere within the room." -- Despite the preceding dialogue, I don't believe you ever mentioned your subordinate losing his footing.

"...claws reeked from where there should have been toenails." -- I'm not sure if you are referring to the stench, or intended to write 'raked,' as in raking at the ground.
"...soon to be replaced by a starlit night[ ]sky."

"Without paying notice to the man[,] Damion continued towards the inn, [and ]the soldiers followed him."

"[He stayed there s]o long[] he was urged on by the lesser Purifier."
-----------
"Oil lamps began to illuminate the houses from within, throwing shadows of window frames and there-placed figures unto the ground outside." -- This seems like an unneccessary use of 'began,' as well as 'there-placed,' which is a new one on me.

"Only one remained in a still spot for a while, his eyes following the young woman and her father." -- The way you wrote this, it sounds like the spot was still, not the man. It sounds like you combined 'remained still' and 'remained in the same spot.'
"By now[,] the sun had taken hide behind the mountains, a dull, dark grey shadow falling over the town."

"...chill that was slowly sinking [into] the region."

"Then[,] suddenly[,] he came to the halt."

"Throwing aside any further hesitation[,] he firmly grabbed the nearest pole to the lock and pushed forward."

"His steps became uneven in pace the more he[] thought on the subject."

"With dire determination to find some sort of answers to his questions[,] he pushed down the handle on the door and entered the estate."

"Almost immediately[,] the room was doused in a flickering orange glow."

"Straight ahead of Damion l[ay] a set of stairs[] that first led in a circle around the room..."

"From the gallery[,] one could peer down into the entrance hall.."

"...briefly through a kitchen, a servant[']s storage, a living room, and a servant[']s bedroom."

"Slowly[,] his head turned, his eyes following the stairs."

"To his disappointment[,] he made his way through a servant[']s six[-]bed dormitory[,] and a room full of herbs and plants of sorts..."

"...anything they could reach, mostly other plants[,] or in vain."

"...the right[-]hand side of the building."

"After a master bedroom and a storage room[,] the halberdier was on the verge of utter frustration."

"To his right[ was] a comfy, ornate lounge chair in wine-red coloring."

"As Damion’s eyes trailed []further to the left they came across a strange round protrusion in the corner..."

"Then[,] finally[,] his eyes widened."

"Answers he didn’t want to hear filled his head, question[s] he had rotat[ing] around [it], [and ]the uncertainty in his head grew stronger and stronger..."

"Yet[,] he was never treated equally."

"Now[,] they all want to be by him, protected under his wings."

"None[,] though[,] had, [at] his age, been appointed of all the missions he had been."

"Trying to regain his consciousness, he flailed his arms back[,] attempting to find halt somewhere."
-----------
"By now the sun had taken hide behind the mountains, a dull, dark grey shadow falling over the town." -- I think you might've meant 'taken shelter,' but just 'the sun hid behind the mountains' would've been fine.

"It was pitch black." -- Instead of just stating how dark it was, it would've given the post a more engaging feel if the darkness did something; for instance, enveloping everything within the chamber.

"Straight ahead of Damion lie a set of stairs, that first led in a circle around the room, before joining into one set of stairs leading to the next floor." -- You refer to only one set of stairs, but then say it 'joins into one set' leading upstairs. That sounds more like there were two sets of stairs.

"The room was a disaster, but soon even the last plant would shrivel and die." -- By using 'but' there, you made it sound as if the plants dying soon would contradict the room being a disaster.

"It didn’t help but affirm the suspicion that these are the types of luxuries and toys the Church officials invested in." -- You switched tenses again here, and could've just put 'were' and stayed in past tense.
"Its gate stood open for th[e] time of Damion’s absence, the theory [being]that he must have been somewhere in there."

"It did pose a rather depressing [obstacle], laying always in the shade of the mountain behind it." -- Saying it 'posed a domicile' sounds like the house was staged, or something.

"Rays of sun only touched the building[after] roughly eleven o’ clock in the morning."

"Arriving at the room which Damion had last entered[,] the two became weary, their eyes darting around."

"...so far that[,] at one point[,] it plunged into absolute darkness."

"The soldier was left standing at the top, guarding the entrance[. t]hough he had no idea what he was to do if his superior didn’t return."

"He figured that no one had occupied this estate for years[; n]ot a difficult investigation."
-----------
"Finding nothing other than their superior, the two ventured to the top floor." -- You say 'nothing other than their superior', but I believe Damion is the only superior of the lesser purifier there that you're referring to.

"Where there had once been a brick wall, one they didn't know of, there was now an entrance to what revealed itself as another staircase." -- You make it sound as if the staircase did something to reveal itself other than be open.
"The earth below his boots crunched and squished as he advanced[] from partially dry to damp soil."

"Wearily[,] he positioned his gauntleted arm in advance of his body."

"Behind him the tower[']s lower entrance had almost vanished in the darkness..."

"The Purifier[']s gaze trailed upwards for at least five meters."

"A huge circle that exited in a hallway to the left [was ]likewise filled with bookcases[, and he saw a] table cluttered with flasks, vials, and other apparatuses."

"Some [were ]filled with liquids, some with powders, and others with indistinguishable muck."

"Another candled chandelier hung from the ceiling, small oil lamps dangl[ing] from chains that followed the exiting hallway."

."Finally[,] he turned away and descended down "
-----------
"A huge circle that exited in a hallway to the left likewise filled with bookcases." -- It is unclear if this is on a second story, or some kind of railed-off area in the room.

"The Purifier called again, to no response." -- While the meaning is clear, I think you either meant 'to no avail,' or 'recieving no response.'

"It seemed as if his gaze had pierced right through the Purifier." -- It would've helped clarity if you had called him the 'lesser' or 'other' Purifier.
"To Damion’s tragic satisfaction, the books carried the answers he was looking for[; a]nswers to the arcane scripture[, a]nswers to his origin."

"[They were a]nswers to his being[,] to his destination[,] to all of the questions he had sought. "

"The Church of Ethereal Sway had an arcane mages and chemist[s] sect. whose only point in existence[] was[] to create the perfect soldier[, t]he perfect Purifier."

"Their way of doing so[] was to take a child born from one of these sect[']s sanctified[] concubines. "

"...Holy Maidens of the Ethereal Sway[; w]hores to the Church’s bidding."

"...summoned some sort of, what they called “Taint[,]” into him[; a]n unbridled, uncompromised, consuming force."

"How they had brought the dark matter into her[, w]hat they had done to her[...]" -- Elipses (...) can be used when you want to leave a sentence unfinished, but use them sparingly.
-----------
"Their way of doing so, was to take a child born from one of these sects sanctified, no more than, concubines." -- This thought remains incomplete. You moved onto the Holy Maidens without saying what they actually did.
"...claimed their last flight as they disappeared into their nesting adhere[d] to chimneys."

"A voice called from the desk at the end of the bookcase hallway, [and ]the soldier followed it."

"The words were[] so silent that the soldier could barely hear them."

"Seconds later[,] he felt the pole of Damion’s halberd crash into the side of his head."
-----------
“It’s meaningless.” He said, setting a book aside." -- At that point it is unclear the lesser Purifier is who you're referring to.
"Instantly[,] he was hauled to his feet..."

"Finally[,] the soldier opened his eyes."

":They exited the basement library, [and ]rushed through..."

"His head throbbed, he was in utter agony, [and ]barely able to keep himself on his o[w]n two feet."

"...flames licking at the pitch[-]black night sky."

"The young soldier[']s eyes widened in horror."

:"[As if] released by a crossbow the young man darted towards the flame blazing grave."

"Seconds later, half the house collapsed [o]nto the entrance bridge "

"The young man shot a glance to his right. the guide and his daughter fle[eing] from their house..."

"For[] undisclosed reasons he wasn’t moving forward anymore[,] either."

"There was only one thought on his mind[; o]ne."

"...unleash upon it [the ]arcane wrath of something they shouldn’t have awoken."

Assistance from Christoph, Atraxis, and Taskmienster.

[Taskmienster]

Exp and GP added!