Apsel/History

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## History

In his previous life he was a simple pet - a loyal dog to his human.

Times were changing, and people were working to adjust. This was his understanding of the group who adopted him, and the man who raised him within the care of his home. Located a distance from Almaria itself, the gathered homes were not quite a town, but fostered a unity, its pulse radiating across the fields from a humble stone building. Each week the people here would gather, coming to terms with their hardships and fears, sharing their prayers and seeking comfort in the presence of each other. Always in attendance, he would watch his caregiver send messages to the gathered people, and thereafter join the crowd that sought to offer words and comfort to each other. It was during these times he would often find children and those bereft of companionship seeking his attention, to hug, to play, to talk with- he carried no judgment to them, and the soothing features on their faces for this time brought a joy to him.

Yet, nothing is forever, as was true for his human, and the sermon’s he lead- the absence leaving a gaping hole. Now alone in wandering the humble church that held so many hearts, he would watch the upheaval of the words that had once guided those dear to him. The disruption was enough to reach beyond the living to the ancestor’s that had been placed on the grounds, but he would not live long to see these effects through his current eyes.

With his passing, his own spirit was distressed, recalling the fear that had overwhelmed what he loved, and hearing the prayers that had steeped within the church walls. Unable to cross over, the little bits of power held in those sincere emotions, and his own desperation to offer peace to his church, gave him a new life, quite different to the one he had held before. Whispers in the small community would begin to tell of a large dog that was sighted around the church and in its halls, its size massive, with reddened eyes and hot smoke spewing from its mouth. In short time the restless spirits would begin to grow quiet, and so too would the intimidating presence of the dog keep living footsteps from disturbing the field dedicated to the former love of this group, and its members that had passed.

Abandoned to the judgment of time, it is only in recent years that the old church began to spread its name. While often quiet, there is now a figure seen, on occasion, working the grounds and burying physical shells. Those willing to travel beyond the main city into its outlying scenery may be surprised to find the land and building, in spite of its supposed age, appears well maintained.

Apsel, as the sole known occupant and worker, is an enigmatic shadow whose only known existence in this world is bound to the grounds which he keeps. Scarce in appearance and few in words, many seeking to explain his presence liken him to the old dog, who is still seen taking hollow steps on occasion, and heard howling at the dead.

If one were to see him, it would be undeniable that the man bears a resemblance to the black dog said to haunt the area, but he wastes no words in explaining while he could be working.