Pious

I've spoken to Chief Administrator Kadekawa about the small problem of targeted vandalism and advert-spamming from non-members, which was brought to Admin attention recently and we've decided to restrict page editing to members only. I know for a some people, this means tediously logging in for quick edits, if working from different computers, but lets face it, thats highly unlikely and the security of your pages outweighs the inconvenience of logging in.

The Priest looked Eric in the eyes, leader of the People's Militia, a team of heroes the Priest was a part of and so much loved to work with. He knew Eric to be a kind person and a fine model of what man should be, courageous, strong and loving. "Do you, Eric Mitchell, take Suzi White, as your lawful wife, to love and to honour, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, all the days of your life?"

Ah, yeah that was him. Thanx.

I received an in-game tell from someone in the Pocket D circle, I can't remember who, Synthet probably, asking for a page deletion. Remind me which page, character or article this is please and I'll get it done asap.

Also, theres some discussion about targeted vandalism on the Main Page, I'll look into this with Kadekawa and get back to you. There are ways to stop spam but as always, make back ups of your pages people.

Birth of Evil Part Seven: The Baby

November 8th.

Chiron Medical Centre, Atlas Park.

“Mr and Mrs San, you have two healthy baby twins. One boy and one girl” said the nurse. Sabrina was exhausted from the birth, but she was overjoyed that her babies were finally here. Sat next to her was the ex-Tsoo warrior, her husband, Genesis Blade. The two smiled at each other as two more nurses entered the room holding their babies. “Congratulations” said one, giving the baby girl to her mother. The boy was handed to Hayate, Genesis Blade.

“I have never been so happy in all my life” said Sabrina, tears trickling down her eyes. As a trained killer responsible for almost two hundred deaths, it was as if God had finally forgiven her, with the blessing of two babies. One life for each hundred she had taken. “I love you Hayate” she whispered. “I love you too, more than anything in the world Sabrina” he replied, leaning in to kiss his wife.

“I’m still afraid Hayate. Part of me just wants to jump out of this bed and run away with my babies, go into hiding” she said, crying and sobbing. “Sabrina, I promise you, everything will be okay. I’m here with you now, okay? It was just a dream; no-one is coming to hurt out baby. Not so long as I have the Dragon Sabre.”

Sabrina had dreamt three times, of a young man from the future who had visited her in the hospital, claiming to be her son David Tai San. Each time, he warned of impending danger. The first time, he had warned about his father’s death, then his mother and the third time, he had warned about the death of his sister Jasmina Yu San.

“The dreams were so vivid, so clear. What if it wasn’t a dream Hayate? What if somehow, our son is trying to warn us from the future? Each time I saw him, he had the Dragon Sabre. What if he’d found some way to travel far back in time?”

“Sabrina, I love you, but please, you’re tired and you need sleep. I’ll be here and I’ll stand guard, just get some rest.”

“No” said Sabrina. “Give me my son, I have to breast feed them”

Hayate did not hesitate, but as he passed her the baby, he could have sworn he saw someone move past the curtains. It wasn’t a doctor and it wasn’t a nurse. It looked very much like a Tsoo warrior. He grabbed his son and withdrew his broadsword. With a slide of his thumb, the Dragon Sabre divided into two katana. “Sabrina, we have to leave. Unfortunately, I think you might’ve been right about that dream.”

Birth of Evil Part Six: The Virgin [WARNING: Contains scenes of extreme violence]

November 8th.

Codename arrived at Potters field within minutes and surely, among the gravestones stood the mage Akarist, waiting.

“You have a message for the Priest Akarist?” asked Codename, but Akarist remained silent. Something felt very wrong. She withdrew her pistols and approached the man slowly and with caution. As she got closer, she noticed the man’s face was frozen with fear. Suddenly, out of nowhere a flash of blades threatened to slice through her eyes. Instinctively, she dodged, leaning backwards into a backwards flip. Pistols in hand, she blindly opened fire. If anything invisible had stood in front of her, it would surely be dead now. No. Another sudden flash of blades, directly before her eyes, she ducked to the ground, reaching out blindly into the air. She grabbed something, an arm. It was enough to estimate the assassin’s proximity, within seconds; she had emptied six shots into where the man should have stood. Suddenly, a sharp pain across her right breast, then another on the left, this was quickly becoming a deadly game.

Furious, Codename unleashed a barrel of automated fire in a 360 degree arc, from her position on the floor. With her cybernetic brain, she commanded her suit to camouflage. Without wasting anytime, she flung herself to her feet and took cover behind a gravestone; there she planted a handful of caltrops and two mines. From her inventory, she produced a small anti-gravity targeting drone and linked it to her own cybernetic brain, with that, she could see in thirty different visions including infra-red, night-glow and of course, heat-vision.

With the latter switched on, she peered over the gravestone and there he was, her assassin. He was stood perfectly still, waiting, listening. This man was an experienced hunter, if only his face was clear to see, she could pull up some files on him and find a weakness. She sighed inwardly, whatever Akarist had gotten himself into, it was not going to be easy to fix.

Silently, Codename counted down from three to one. On two, she cocked her pistols and her assassin moved suddenly, charging in her direction. On one, Codename leapt onto the gravestone and extended her arms, ready to execute. The assassin had moved so fast she could not get a clear shot until he was slashing at her face. She did another backwards flip to get some distance but as she did, the assassin leapt after her and in mid-air, he struck with the advantage of gravitational force, stabbing her in both shoulders, piercing her armour effortlessly. As they hit the ground, he pushed his blades in further, pinning her into the grass. He held in the blades as she screamed in pain, then he slowly began to twist. The pain was overwhelming and Codename passed out.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in Oranbenga, suspended above an endless pit, trapped within an incredibly strong gravitational hold. She had been stripped of her clothes, armour and weapons and no technology was nearby to aid her. She couldn’t scream or talk, nor could she move a muscle. Whoever was behind this kidnapping was very powerful, why was Akarist really at the graveyard? Was he back with the Circle of Thorns? No, judging by the look on his face, he was used as bait. But why her, why kidnap a pathetic little girl, were they after the Priest? Why was she above a pit to the Netherworld? So many questions, after a while, it all began to sink in. In all her life, from her early days in the US Army to her time as a Paragon City hero, she had never really felt helpless, but now, she feared for her life. She was usually the one to save kidnapped sacrifice-victims, but now the tables were turned and silently, she prayed for the Priest. She prayed for somebody to come and rescue her, she prayed for a hero.

"Will you accept children lovingly form God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?"

The look in the Priest's eyes was very serious and although it was mostly masked by his eye-plate, he emanated a strong sense of sincerity. The next words out of his mouth were weighted with utmost importance. "Will you love and honour each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?"

"Alright then" said the Priest, commencing the ceremony. "In the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions. Eric Mitchell and Suzie White, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

Rite of Marriage

"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen" Pious prayed, signing the cross as he did so.

"Eric Mitchell, Suzie White, we gather here today, in this church so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of the Church's minister and this community. Christ abundantly blesses this love. He has already consecrated you in baptism and now he enriches and strengthens you by a special sacrament so that you may assume the duties of marriage in mutual and lasting fidelity."

The priest paused momentarily. "If there is anyone here who has any reason why these two shouldn't wed, speak now or forever hold your peace" he said, inviting the congregation to any objections.

In a world of constant danger and life threatening conflicts, one comes to cherish the smaller things in life. The simple elevation of joy deep down inside the bride, the look of relief shining in her eyes and the sound of true love carried through her beautiful voice. It made the priest appreciate his position and responsibilities all the more. Truth be told, Pious did not truly understand the telepathic message he had delivered, but judging by the bride's positive change of mood, it was safe to call it divine intervention.

"Let us read from the book of Matthews, chapter 5, verses 1 to 12" said the Priest.

"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you'", read the Priest, adding his own prayer. "May you find blessings in all that you do."

A moment passed as the priest lowered his bible and exited the pulpit to stand directly before the bride and groom, ready to begin the Rite of Marriage.

Pious was picking up stray thoughts around the room, he tried to ignore them, to no avail. "Let us bring our attention to Second Corinthians, chapter 12 verse 31 to chapter 13 verse 8."

"Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them. If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever. Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end. This is the word of the Lord."

With his mind, the Priest tried to reach the bride with a private message. <Almighty God shows his mercy on your soul, to forgive you your sins and bring you to everlasting life. The hymn you so wholly sing calls for the Lord to visit with His salvation, to enter every trembling heart. Suzi White, the Lord has seen you and he asks only that you love thy neighbour as he loves you.>

The choir once again rose to their feet, this time to deliver the gospel acclamation, Celtic Alleluia.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Stay awake, pray at all times,
praying that you may be strengthened,
that with confidence
you can meet the Son of Man.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

"Let us rise, for the hymn Love Divine" announced the Priest. The energetic zombie-organist leaps into action and the choir enters with the vocals.

Love Divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.

Come, almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy grace receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in thee,
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!

Liturgy of the Word

"Let us consult the book of Genesis, chapter 2 verses 18 to 24" said the Priest. "The LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh."

Opening Prayer

When Pious saw that all was well and organised, the groom and bride stood equally side by side, he stood before them and opened the ceremony with prayer.

“Father, you have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ's love for his Church. Hear our prayers for Eric Mitchell and Susanne White. With faith in you and in each other they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.”

“Let us pray. O Almighty God, who pourest out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

"Eric Mitchell, Suzi White, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit you will go unto the Altar of God, even the God of our joy and gladness. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who has made heaven and earth."

"My brothers, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries let us call to mind our sins." Silence follows a pause, and then the priest continued. "Lord we have sinned against you. Lord show us your mercy and love and grant us your salvation."

"May Almighty God have mercy on us, to forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life. Amen."

"Let us pray. Mercifully regard us O Lord, as we plead the sacrifice of thy Son Jesus Christ, and grant that the feebleness of our intention may be perfected in the fullness of that intention wherewith He offered Himself upon the Altar of the Cross, both priest and victim; who now lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen."

A set of documents appeared near the Priest's large bible, on the raised pulpit. There was a marriage certificate, register and list of members of the wedding party, coupled with a sheet showing the order of service.

------------------------------------------

[u]The Wedding Party[u]

Officiate………………..…… Father Pious Hunter

The Bride…………………….. Suzanne White, also known as the White Vampyr
The Groom ………………….. Eric Mitchell, also known as the valiant Britanic

Maid of Honour……………….. Rachel Mitchell, Adopted Daughter of the Bride and Groom

Best Man……………………... Paul Stone, Close friend of the Groom
Groomsmen……………..……. Bastinado, Leader of the Hyperion Watchmen
………………………………... Dr Edward Mechano, Cathedral Guest of Honour.

Organist………………………. Zombie Horde
Vocalist………………………. Zombie Horde

[u]Order of Service[u]

Introductory Rites
Prelude - "The Wedding Song" by Noel Paul Stookey
Seating of the Families
Greeting from Father Pious Hunter
Entrance of the Bride - "Bridal Chorus" by Wagner
Opening Prayer
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading, Genesis 2:18-24
Hymn – “Love Divine All Love Excelling”
Second Reading, 2 Corinthians 12:31-13:8
Gospel Acclamation, "Celtic Alleluia"
Gospel Reading, Matthew 5:1-12
Marriage Rite
Invitation
Stating Intentions
Exchange of Consent
Blessing and Exchange of Rings
Lighting of the Unity Candle
Hymn - “Ave Maria” by Shubert
Prayer of the Faithful
Nuptial Blessing
Concluding Rites
Signing of the Register and Certificates
Hymn - “Lead Us Heavenly Father Lead Us”
The Lord's Prayer
Final Blessing
Dismissal and Procession out of the Church
Organ - "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn

------------------------------------------

With the congregation settled and members positioned, the Priest politely greeted the church. “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”

Entrance of the Bride

On cue, the incredulously skilled zombie-trumpeter rose to his feet and began to play the Bridal Chorus. In unison, the congregation turned their heads towards the spiral staircase, waiting to see the gorgeous bride descend the steps in all her beauty. The lead vocalist and the church organ snuck in afterwards to support the trumpet with an operatic voice, singing the beautiful lyrics of the hymn faintly and gently.

Here comes the bride,
All dressed in white,
Sweetly, serenely in the soft glowing light.
Lovely to see, marching to thee,
Sweet love united for eternity.

Sounds like a non-social character to me, if thats the case, well, its okay. My character, Pious Hunter is very much non-social and is only seen in plots. You have to make an informed decision if that is the route you want to go down. As far as I'm concerned, you wont find hardcore crime-fighters (ie. Blade, Batman or Daredevil) dancing, drinking and chatting up girls at Pocket D. They might show up at social spots while running an investigation or something but will not generally 'waste good time' partying. If you want to blend in, mingle and socialise casually at Pocket D or the Galaxy Girl statue-in-the-park, I would advice having a second character who probably has too much time on their hands and likes to get drunk or flirt aimlessly or whatever. If not, carry on playing the werewolf hero and have him appear alot in missions and plots. Hope that helps.

"The dress is real, the zombies are real, however mind-controlled. The musics, lighting, floral decoration and the make-up on the undead are my own artwork" said the Priest, positioning three candles before the alter. "Anyone able to attune their senses and pierce the illusion would see a rather dark, dank and damp wedding. So, lets all take joy in what we do not see. Its what you get for choosing Halloween of all days to get married." The priest hoped he delivered the humour well, but there was no time to find out. The musicians had arrived.

The lead choir was a woman in a smart blue dress, followed in by a dozen musicians and a handful of choral singers. They took position along the choir stand, ready for the prelude.

"All please be seated" said the Priest, and two groups of dressed-up zombies filled the rear rows of benches, smiling happily among themselves, as though they were genuinely glad to have been invited. "May the groom, his best man and groomsmen stand to position. Choir, the wedding song please, while we wait for the bride."

From their chair near the alter, the zombie-pianist and other musicians began to play. A male zombie-vocalist took the lead and begun to sing, ever so beautifully. All the while, the church readied for the bride's entrance.

He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts.
Rest assured this troubadour is acting on His part.
The union of your spirits, here, has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love. There is Love.

A man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
And they shall travel on to where the two shall be as one.
As it was in the beginning is now and til the end
Woman draws her life from man and gives it back again.
And there is Love. There is Love.

Well then what's to be the reason for becoming man and wife?
Is it Love that brings you here or Love that brings you life?
And if loving is the answer, then who's the giving for?
Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?
Oh there's Love, there is Love.

Oh the marriage of your spirits here has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love. There is Love.

(At their cues, i.e links provided, play all musics in the background window as you read through these paragraphs. It should enhance the roleplay experience.)

"Teaching the undead to play music. Its as if you read my mind Ms White" said the Priest. With his mind, he threw open the great doors of the cathedral to reveal the latest member of the ceremony. Over the hills, orchestral music could be heard soaring through the midnight air. A new horde of zombies were advancing the church, but somehow, these were smartly dressed in plain suits and white shirts. Their smiling, happy faces were almost human, save for the odd dead-grey skin or bare bone. They carried a variety of musical instruments and sung like a chorus of angels.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see."

"Ms White, there is a room in the East Tower, accessible via the spiral stairway above this door. In the room, awaits an appropriately flamboyant white wedding gown. I think you'll like it. Will somebody please escort the bride upstairs? The undead musicians shall be here shortly! When they arrive, we shall begin the ceremony. Please be seated. Thank you." The talented choir of zombies continued to advance, their angelic voices, carried through the night.

"'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed"

For a short while, the Priest stood motionless by the pulpit until suddenly he threw both arms up into the air, quite dramatically. Floral decorations sprung up all around the high church windows and across the skirting of the stone walls. Unnatural sunlight broke through the fenestrations and poured across the nave, brightly colouring everything in sight. The excess benches, originally set to sit over two hundred vanished from sight, replaced by open space, decorated with coloured candles and flowers. A snow-white carpet paved the way from a spiral stairway above the great doors, where presumably, the bride would descend.

Satisfied, Pious watched the lady, smiling with his eyes. "Is this to your liking? Sadly, it is all merely an illusion, but hopefully you can see it and experience it in full sensory detail."

A moment passed as Pious processed the situation. "Very well. In fact, I have an excellent idea" he said, approaching the alter. "Will you be inviting guests, family or am I correct in thinking this a rather spontaneous decision?"

"Yes, I can marry you..." said Pious, amused at the timing of such a request. Still expressionless, the priest tried at humour, "...but you know, I was rather hoping someone could tell me why a swarm of undead were tearing at the building."

Clairvoyance

Sallum, Egypt. Late evening. Reverend Pious Hunter and his accomplice, Altair Stevens, now known as Sister Mary were camping out on the outskirts of a small town. The two were there on a mission to convert the locals to Christianity. In only two days, Pious had built the infrastructure of a small sustainable temple from which he held sermons and performed miracles. He alone had caused rain throughout the desert villages in an attempt to attract attention. However, although he had gained the interests of some young Muslims, the majority of the villages were in protest of his presence.

Pious had just returned from the town when a vision came to him, all the way from home. When Sister Mary questioned him about it, he explained that Moth Cathedral was under attack.

Astoria, Rhode Island. Minutes later. A faint pop sounded above the Gothic cathedral, the clouds of mist slowly began to dance, quietly creeping lower and lower upon the horde of zombies surrounding the church. Unable to see or smell beyond their noses, the zombies stood immobilized, waiting. Noiselessly, the Priest appeared inside the Cathedral, fully cloaked in his black robes and darkened eye-plate. Through the cross-shaped slits, he could make out some familiar faces; Eric Mitchel and his fiancé, and also the resident church keeper, Dr. Johnson.

"Good evening Edward" said the Priest. "Eric, Ms White"

I actually miss reading up on community recaps and personal stories the media brings to light, so the question is, should I re-open the news and magazine columns? I originally closed them from lack of input and my own limited free time.

Welcome back!