The Thordani Heretic, as told by Thenyr Nontdargo
A parable from the Book of Sun's Blessing, the holy book of the Thordani.
I've long considered expanding the holy writings and teachings of the Thordani, but haven't really had time or inspiration.
Then, the current plot on The Realm of Kaerwyn requires all characters to tell a story to the plotmasters, and I finally wrote this down for Thenyr. This has long been a guiding principle of his life, though he does fail to live up to it at times, so it fits as one of his favorite stories.
I might write more stories in this theme, depending.
"I tell you a story that speaks to me. Once, there was a Thordani who strayed from the light, desiring power and wealth beyond what. It started innocently, but quickly grew to something more. As he gained power and influence, he became defected from Faenya, and cruel. He stopped observing the feasts, studied forbidden lore, and left the church. He even dabbled in the darkest of arts, that of animating the dead.
Eventually, in a bid for greater power, he struck a bargain with a demon. In exchange for power in the current life, his soul would go to the demon after death. But this was of little concern at the time. Instead he enjoyed his newfound power, and used it to grant himself all of his desires. Wealth, a magnificent home, undead servants who would never betray him.
Years later, a wandering priest came upon her manor. Using her holy power, the priest strode to the heart of her home and confronted the heretic, not with power, or weapons, but with words, pleading with him to return to the light, to forsake his deal. Her words fell on deaf ears, and she was slain by the undead creatures.
But the actions troubled the heretic, for he could not understand why one would risk their life to save another. Upon deep reflection, he realized...his life, all his needs were cared for, but there was a hollowness there. and he could not determine why.
Turning to and fro, he searched for an answer, until finally he found one. He lacked happiness. This troubled him, and he sought further counsel from his demonic master, who offered more power. He accepted, and this gave him solace, for some years.
But as time passes, all grow old, as did the heretic. And in the face of mortality, he researched what would happen after death, and he realized the depths of the trouble he had gotten into. He turned to the scrolls of the slain priest, studying them, and compared what would happen to the faithful. On one hand, torture, on the other, eternal bliss, he realized his folly.
He slew his undead servants and burned the bodies. He divested himself of his belongings, giving them to the needy and destitute, and left the manor. Then he went alone, and summoned the demon again, and demanded release from their unholy pact. The demon laughed, and slew him on the spot.
But the story does not end here; he woke up, again, in Faenya's brilliance in the sky, with the priest he slew standing next to her. And he wept, knowing he would never experience this, only to feel a hand on his shoulder. The priest beckoned him up and and spoke. "For your rejection of evil, even after all this time, your soul has been saved. Welcome to the Infinite Sky."
For truly, there is no sin so great that it cannot be forgiven."