Near To The Darkness (Part 2)

(And now we resume our scheduled broadcast.  Yeah, it doesn't advance the plot too much, but I wanted to establish more about the Morticians.)

1015 AS

Yanis reflected as she unpacked the crate of tools she would need.  The work of serial killers often looked like the work of a demon, with the ritual-like execution of the murders and void-black darkness clinging to the soul.  There were other similarities in observed behavior as well, and some among the Purifiers argued that a serial killer was merely a soul that became consumed by the blacker emotions in life.  A 'living' demon, the theory went.  Just in case, she pulled the fire pistol and its belt holster from the crate and set it among the other accoutrements she had already placed on the cot.

She looked at the esoteric items on the cot, trying to determine if she had left anything out.  Warded light breastplate with iron boots to protect Yanis against the deathly touch of ghosts.  A short sword with a blade forged in a celestial fire, so she could rend the demon's immaterial body.  There was a helm as well, faceless and mask-like.  These were all forged in an artificer's workshop using celestial aspect energy, giving the metal parts an almost perfectly reflective surface that would not scratch or collect dust. 

The light breastplate dated back to shortly after the Sundering, when the Outsider Incursion had happened.  The softer leather and cloth portions had been replaced many times over the last thousand some odd years, but the metal portions retained the same wards and protections against the immaterial and spirit-like on the inside as then.  She donned the armor, and the belt holding the largish fire pistol as well across her torso.  The sword's scabbard and belt was fastened across her waist, snugged up to keep it tight and at the ready.

Morticians were unsure if the dead who passed on to the next life retained any prejudices or faint memories of their old lives, so the standard doctrine of the Purifiers was to wear celestially forged helms with featureless faces.  Yanis put the helm on, becoming anonymous and unidentifiable.  A satchel with pencils and paper hung on the hip opposite the sword.  All of this had gone over her Purifier robes, the soft cloth of the robes muting the clanging jangle of the metal boots she now wore.

All things in place, Yanis took a very deep breath and walked out of her temporary chambers to be greeted by Father Oren and a youth, also wearing the robes of the Eulogist sect.

"Well, you certainly cut an impressive figure with all that equipment.  Allow me to introduce you to my apprentice, Sister Yanis." Oren gestured at the youth. "This is Brother Arryn.  While only an apprentice he has a rather clever mind."  Oren nudged Arryn.

Arryn blushed, embarassed, and bowed. "P-pleased to meet you, Purifier Yanis.  I hope I can be of assistance to you.  Father Oren has instructed me to accompany you while you investigate the town for the demon's trail.  He feels that if a more familiar face was with you that the townspeople would be less likely to panic."

Yanis supposed the young boy had never seen a Purifier in full battle dress before and had been staring at the incredible mirror surface of the armor.  She smiled under her anonymous helmet.

"Nice to meet you as well, Brother Arryn.  But there is a rule I need you to follow.  You have to address me as Purifier while I'm dressed like this; we believe that ghosts as disturbed as demons are should not be able to identify us."  Her voice was changed by the helm's enchantments into a neutral genderless tone, and it always unnerved her to hear herself speaking with that voice.