Balase Stock-LaMont

Balase Stock-Lamont-Saerti is the leader of Granny's Sabbath and one of the most influential Mamonme on Ithus. She is also the grandmother ofLiccitia LaMontand (through adoption) ofEiraihaandClover. The Ithusian Chief Goddess Saressha lo Masu also sees her as an important mentrix. Since the events of 'Trading Tales' she's entered into a relationship with Job Stock, and married him sometime between 'The Inn of No Return' and 'Taking Chances'. Since then she has accepted being a granny in the Saerti-clan, though she eats as little rice as possible. As a Baphomet her magical powers are a force to be reckoned with.
=== Early life ===
Balase was born sometime after Heradise val Masu changed monsters into Mamonme, to a couple that maintained a chapter of Sabbath in a heavily contested area. By the time she left, her magical prowess allowed her to slip through the Order of Radiant Light's military lines in disguise. Traveling to the mountain range near Tallfort she discovered a natural cavern that had served first as a lair and later as a tomb for a pre-change dragon.
She sold its bones to fund the founding of what would later be termed Granny's Sabbath. During this early period her Witches accidentally discovered the Boulder Breasts spell that would be her signature punishment spell through later years. It is also speculated that during this time she dated (off and on) a relative of the Demon Lord's, which would later get her volunteered to help later generations. This relationship terminated when she met her first husband Richard.
After a rocky start, they got married and spent several decades together, culminating in the birth ofMinnie LaMont. Sadly enough, Richard was murdered by his own brother (who'd been fanatically opposed to Mamonme) for dishonouring his family.
=== Time as a widow ===
Balase tried to raise Minnie as best as she could, but grief and inexperience caused a wide rift to form between them, leading to Minnie's departure at age twenty. Balase spent a century looking for her daughter before the conflict between the Demon Lord and Chief God demanded her time. Over the course of the next four centuries she worked with Heradise and later her granddaughter Harendra to bring about a more peaceful world.
After Saressha rose to the throne she effectively became the most powerful mortal being on Ithus. Shortly before the battle of Tallfort she was called in to break up a small war between an unknown chapter of Sabbath and a pressure group of busty Mamonme. Her surprise at discovering the former group was led by her own granddaughter Licci, whom she hadn't even known, defies explanation. They spent some time together while burying what was left of Minnie's chapter, its explosive demise being Licci's reason for the war.
Upon returning home though, Balase and her most powerful Witches were called to Tallfort where a Sealed One was wreaking havoc. There she met Damast and his (at the time) boon companion Kaori, who'd led the town's efforts against the fiend. After they had recovered, she accepted an invitation to attend the wedding of Damast's friend Mari and met Job Stock.
=== Second marriage and involvement on Praxis ===
Balase eventually could not deny her attraction to the balding mayor of a small village and upon finding her affections returned, married him. After discovering several portals beneath the town, and the skeleton of a dragon-kin the two of them used the latter to fund the expansion of the village into the boomtown of Gateway. She also led the exploration of those portals her chapter could get to work again and through one of them ended up on Praxis where she met Lady Eiraiha and discovered that two missing friends were alive.
She participated in the conference, bringing useful information to the table and offering advice when Malus Lockedheart declared war. Though abiding by Saressha's standing orders and not personally getting involved with the war, Balase was the main political motor behind the Ithusian aid to Lady Eiraiha's camp. Including sending Licci over in her stead and using state of the art portal research to bring aid.
However, when Licci was fatally wounded, Balase's alarm spells went off and she dashed off to Praxis, effectively pulverizing Malus in his most powerful form before being batted away by a Hellspawn that emerged from the headless corpse. When she later went with Eiraiha to Old Heaven and the latter requested a blood sample to resurrect Licci, her fear of knives caused a mixed blood sample to be presented to the resurrection device. She later helped Clover to evacuate Old Heaven during the near-apocalyptic destruction brought on by the Old Council.
=== Current life ===
Balase returned to Ithus, but took her husband on a honeymoon to Praxis following Eiraiha's visit to Ithus. There she traveled through the heartlands before going on a test-cruise with Jackrum Boots and his wife Nautillia that inadvertently brought them to NeverNeverLand where Alyssum and Rosebay were only too happy to have the couple over. They spent some time journeying the mythical land, collecting a vast menagerie of animal friends, including Tazzy the Tasmanian devil
==== Following the events surrounding Fennich's bid for the Vault of Ages, she has decided to share some of her adopted Celestial granddaughter's burden. Various Praxian groups are filled with dread at the prospect though. One of her main projects two years into the Renaissance is monitoring test-subjects (chiefly elderly Ureonggaksi) during trial runs for the Haletide blessing. ====
==== Trivia ====
* Despite her admittedly capacious wisdom she has a childish side that prompts her to give creative retribution to those who harm people dear to her.
* She considers Kira, Rika, Alyssum and Rosebay her equals and Job her husband, but has a tendency to treat everyone else as children.
* Her Sabbath chapter devised the standard magical text books for Ithus and owns several printing companies.
* While she has extensive knowledge of the Gods, Balase has in fact refused a position amongst Ithus' pantheon.
Category:Characters
Category:Mamonme Characters