Part 10
Update 9: Hunting the Scientist
Rei it is, then.
And with that, the flashback ends.
(concept art not shown due to Imagesocket sucking right now)
She is the absolute ruler of Valhalla!
Delicious delights.
It is awesome in a way. It has a casino, a Colloseum, and a DISCO!!!
No!
And that would be a very nice thing.
So, it was a portal to the Abyss? Bah, I thought that he was doing stem cell research.
No choice to be done here. Madam wants it, and Madam gets it.
Back to the low class area, then.
Pet? What pet?
A PET.
Hooray!
Before going back to the slums, a bit of exploration was required. Why? Because there was an area that was not checked before. That's why.
Pipes!
A place where one can fuse demons!
But. Buts.
Hawk is the CHAMP!
Bah!
Map!
After that, It's time to go back to the Slums.
And Kerberos helps with its uncanny sense of SMELL.
Oh no you don't!
Ah, lazyness. Incredible motivator.
And after Hanada's death, this demon appears:
Mercurius!
Wikipedia posted:
In Roman mythology, Mercury (IPA: /ˈmɜːkjəri/, Latin: Mercurius listen (help·info)) was a major god of trade, profit and commerce, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter. His name is related to the Latin word merx ("merchandise"; compare merchant, commerce, etc.). In his earliest forms, he appears to have been related to the Etruscan deity Turms, but most of his characteristics and mythology were borrowed from the analogous Greek deity Hermes.
Mercury has influenced the name of a number of things in a variety of scientific fields, such as the planet Mercury, the element mercury, and the plant mercury. The word mercurial is commonly used to refer to something or someone erratic, volatile or unstable, derived from Mercury's swift flights from place to place.
Click me for video battle!
And with that, the Demons start entering the world once more. New encounters appear.
Jack O' Lantern!
Wikipedia posted:
A jack-o'-lantern, sometimes also spelled Jack O'Lantern, is a pumpkin whose top and stem have been cut out and interior removed, leaving a hollow shell that is then decoratively carved. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the holiday Halloween. The term is not particularly common outside North America.
An Irish legend tells of Jack, a lazy but shrewd farmer who uses a cross to trap the Devil, then refuses to free him unless the Devil agrees never to let Jack into Hell. The Devil agrees. When Jack dies, he fails to gain admission to heaven and is barred from entering hell. He is then left wandering the Earth. In need of light, Jack carves out one of his turnips, puts a candle inside it, and begins endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He is known as "Jack of the Lantern," or Jack-o'-Lantern.
There are variations on the legend, some of which include:
The Devil mockingly tosses a coal from the fires of Hell at Jack, which Jack then places in the turnip.
Jack tricks/traps the Devil a variety of ways, including placing a key or other item in the Devil's pocket while the Devil is suspended in the air, plucking an apple from a tree, or carving a cross into the bark of a tree the Devil is in. Some versions include a "wise and good man" or even God helping Jack to prevail over the Devil.
Different versions of Jack's bargain with the Devil. In some variations, the deal is only a temporary bargain, but the Devil, embarrassed and vengeful, refuses Jack entry after Jack dies.
Jack is considered a greedy man and is not allowed into either Heaven or Hell, without any mention of the Devil.
Despite the colorful legends, the term jack-o'-lantern originally meant a night watchman, or man with a lantern, with the earliest known use in the mid-17th century; and later, meaning an ignis fatuus or will-o'-the-wisp.[1] The names "Jacky Lantern" and "Jack the Lantern" persist in the oral tradition in Newfoundland, referring to the will-o'-the-wisp type phenomena, rather than the carved pumpkin jack-o'-lantern.
Ukobach!
Wikipedia posted:
In Dictionnaire Infernal, Ukobach is listed as a demon of an inferior order who maintains the oil in the infernal boilers. He appears with a blazing body and short stature.
In Hell the Ukobach is often seen throwing Burning Coals on the souls of the damned or tormenting them with flames.
He always appears with an inflamed body and the blood of the Ukobach is seen as a powerful energy source, and has been used (in mythology) as the lamp oil in Jack O'Lantern's Lamp for his infernal wondering. He is said to be the inventor of fireworks and the art of frying foods. Beelzebub has assigned to him the task of keeping oil in the infernal cauldrons but also we find him mentioned in many other stations, almost as if he were the "Stationary Engineer" of Hell.
A distortion of "Urobach" meaning "Ignite" or "Tinder." Ukobach is not often summoned by occultists, when he is one requires a higher ranking demon to make him talk or perform any action, as he has no free will but is at the whim of all other demons. His nature is simply to spew forth fires wherever he may be required, for good or evil. He is also seen as being a demonic force of the west residing where the sun sets.
Alp!
That isn't very similar to the Alps in SMT, methinks...Wikipedia posted:
An Alp is a nightmare creature originating from Teutonic, or German folklore.
Not to be mistaken with the similarly named, newt-like Alp Luachra, the alp sometimes likened to a vampire, but its behavior is more like that of the incubus. The word "alp" is also a variation on the word "elf", and it also is known by the following names: trud, mare, mart, mahr, Schrat, Walrider and presser. Many other variations exist in surrounding European areas.
An alp is typically male, while mara and mart appear to be more feminine versions of the same creature. Its victims are often female, and it usually attacks during the nighttime, controlling dreams and creating horrible nightmares. An alp attack is referred to as an "alpdrucke", and "pressing" is a favorite night torment of the alp. The alp "sits upon" a sleeper's chest and becomes heavier until the crushing weight awakens the terrified (and breathless) dreamer. They may awake terrified and unable to move under the alp's weight. This may have been an early explanation for sleep apnea and Sleep paralysis, as well as Night terror .It may also include lucid dreams An alp will repeat these sessions until it is repelled sufficiently, for it is quite persistent and determined once it selects its victim, and have been known to travel great distances to and from their favorite haunt.
The reason it is sometimes associated with vampires is because it may drink the blood from the nipples of men and young children. Alps also exhibit an elf-like tendency for mischief, like souring milk and re-diapering a baby. A maid must sign a cross on the diaper or the alp will put the soiled diaper back on it. They also enjoy tangling hair into "elf-knots" or chewing and twisting horse's tails. They will ride a horse to exhaustion during the night and may sometimes crush small farm animals to death during a pressing attack.
It is said that alps originated from rather friendly elf-like beings, then turned toward more negative and malevolent ways. They are often likened to hobgoblins in this way. The Alp in many cases, is considered a demon, but there have been some instances in which the Alp is created from spirits of recently dead relations. Children may also become an Alp if a mother needs to use a horse collar to ease the pain during an extremely long and torturous childbirth. Also, a child born with a caul or stillborn may become an alp. As with the case of werewolves, it is sometimes the case that a human or animal may become an alp during the night. Proof of this is injuring or marking the alp during the attack and seeking the being with a similar mark during the day. Also, people who have eyebrows that meet are suspected to be alps.
Sometimes an alp is a spirit sent by a witch or a person wishing harm on another. Tricking an alp shall lead you to the one who sent him to you.
The Alp also is known for its shape-shifting abilities, similar to the creatures from werewolf lore. It may change into a cat, pig, dog, snake or a small white butterfly. It has also been said that it can fly like a bird and ride a horse. In almost all accounts and manifestations, the Alp is said to wear a hat, giving it an almost comical appearance. The hat is said to possess magic powers and give the alp the ability to turn invisible (Tarnkappe, essentially a cloak with a hood, but in the case of the alp it is simply a hat, or "cap of concealment"). An alp who has lost this hat will offer a great reward for its safe return.
Protections against an alp include laying a broomstick under a pillow, iron horseshoes hung from the bedpost, placing shoes against the bed or placing a mirror on the chest. Steel and crosses are also used. If awoken by the alp, finding him still there, one can address him by asking him to leave and come in the morning to borrow something/have coffee. It is said it will dash away at once, arriving in the morning in his "true" form for his gifts. Also, plugging up any holes (specifically keyholes) before a visitation will keep the demon out, while during a visitation will invariably seal him in the room, as they often leave only through their original entrance. A light kept constantly on during the night will also effectively ward off an alp, as they tend to shrink from the light.
Nope.
Where should that lone point be used?