Current Holy Events

## Current Holy Events by Eloisa Gomez

Holy See, Holy Do

Many of you have encountered “the priest”. You know, the frocked fellow that doused the library in holy water, that has shown up to urge anyone within earshot to forgo their ties to the demonic. Father Damien Karris is clearly a brave soul whether you agree with him or not to come alone to a home to so many demons, their friends, and stewards.

The Scryer recently accepted the invitation to the St. Francis Xavier Church, Father Karris’s home away from the Vatican. Indeed, Father Karris is the chief exorcist for the bishop of Rome. His mission on the grounds of our Academy? Nothing short of controversy.

**Father Damien Karris:** Good evening Ms. Ellie. Thank you for coming.

**Ellie:** Thank you for the invitation, Father.

**Father Damien Karris:** Don’t mind the choir. They are practicing downstairs.

**Ellie:** Not at all, not at all!

**Father Damien Karris:** Allow me to introduce myself. I am Father Damien Karris. I am presently the chief exorcist at the Vatican. My predecessor, the late Rev. Gabriel Amorth, head of the Association of Exorcists, instructed me on the origins of demonic possession.

Were you aware that more than 90 percent of the cases of people who are possessed come from spells? People with anger or vendettas seek out magicians to cast spells.

**Ellie:** That sounds plausible.

**Father Damien Karris:** It is with that in mind that the bishop of Rome, our pontiff the blessed Pope Francis graced our association with the mission to rout out practitioners of dark magic, and witchcraft.

Thus it is, Ms. Ellie, that we have taken an exceptional interest in the curriculum and behavior of students of the academy.

In particular we are deeply troubled by the potential for misadventure in the demonology classroom. Ms. Blackheart is coaching many students, sending them off with an inappropriate knowledge of dangerous spells They have risked bringing the end of times upon humanity by raising Satan, his watchers, legions of fallen angels and demons. Our fears are now coming to fruition.

**Ellie:** I see. You know, that makes a lot of sense. You might think that a person like you might stick out on campus, but the more I’m coming to understand your perspective, the more things fit into some… cosmic lattice.

**Father Damien Karris:** The lattice of which you speak is the equilibrium, or battle rather, between good and evil fought every day. This delicate balance becomes upended when the children at Magika Academy lackadaisically frolic with forces they cannot begin to comprehend.

**Ellie:** Would you describe exorcism as a branch of magic?

**Father Damien Karris:** Some pagans may refer to the act of the rite of exorcism as magic, for they cannot understand the underpinnings of demonic possession. Each culture has such notions (of good and evil) intrinsically embedded in their society. It’s the means of delivering one from evil that differ in practice.

**Ellie:** I know this is a harsh question. What makes you sure that goodness and evil are any more than strong polarities in an arbitrary context?

**Father Damien Karris:** It’s not an unreasonable question. The Church defines evil in the context of the desire to destroy God’s creations or cause suffering.

**Father Damien Karris:** Have you heard of the Holy Grail?

**Ellie:** The fountain of youth?

**Father Damien Karris:** [chuckles] In a sense, one could say that. I was referring literally to the original cup of God, used by Jesus at the last supper. It is a very important and powerful relic of the Catholic Church.

It so happens that it is stored in a chamber deep in the catacombs below Magika Academy. It is part of my responsibility to keep it secure.

Sadly, I’m afraid there are demons or other terrible creatures within the Academy who seek it out for destruction.

Ms. Ellie, has it not occurred to you there is a reason for the presence of so many demons at that school. That something was attracting them? Like flies on a rib-roast on a hot summer day…

**Ellie:** Well Father, there are many demons. Yes, many varieties of demon. Most of them are gentle souls, loyal to others and agnostic to anyone’s alignment to good, evil, or neutrality.

**Father Damien Karris:** Despite what you claim, I was confronted by one such beast deep within the labyrinthine catacombs beneath the academy in the very sacred place where the original Holy Grail is secured. He wanted to desecrate the artifact.

**Ellie:** Did he have a name?

**Father Damien Karris:** Oh… Ms. Ellie… Did he have a name!

This non-human creature haunts passages in the Bible, the Quran, and Torah. He manifests as both an unclean bird of prey, a goat, or a serpent. The demon is known by the name Azazel.

This timeless and wretched beast led Adam and Eve to original sin, taught humans to create weapons and wage wars, and introduced lipstick to ancient civilizations to promote fornication and unrest.

He is also associated with the gut-wrenching and terrifying phenomenon of, “goat demons” found throughout the historical literature. Have you seen any goats, Ms Ellie?

**Ellie:** No, I can’t say I’ve seen any goats on the grounds.

**Father Damien Karris:** Likely because they are underground.

**Ellie:** What would you plan to do to a demon at Salvatore? It sounds like they would be in danger.

**Father Damien Karris:** Ms Ellie, I am sure you have heard of the abominable group known as Necromancers? Have you heard of Lady Grave?

**Ellie:** I have. Those that revere the Necronomicon.

**Father Damien Karris:** Lady Grave dispatches interlopers to the depths of hell in a fashion that is quite uncivilized as you might expect for her kind. We are different.

A properly and safely performed exorcism merely dispatches an evil spirit to the realm from which it came. They go back to tormenting like-minded spirits within their own realm. Look at that place as though it were a penal colony.

I shall remain close at hand in the near future to monitor the activities at the Academy. I will not hesitate to expel any putrid entities that interfere with God’s will.

~\*~

To conclude our introduction to “the priest” we are confronted with many questions. Did Father Karris indirectly admit exorcism is magic? What branch of magic might we be dealing with here? What of humanity?

What of Fae, Therianthropes, Succubi? There are many beings from myriad realms that vie for relevance, respect, for peaceful purposeful lives.

Is the Holy Grail or some artifact it could be mistaken for present deep below the grounds? Has the demon Azazel been here?

This piece is not an endorsement of any world view, but an opportunity to understand a mysterious presence on campus. It is to provoke thought, and for your awareness.