St. Ansell

The legend of St. Ansell, a vicar who slayed the chaotic beast of the lake.

The Legend of St. Ansell tells the tale of the vicar of Tarnton who sacrificed himself in the name of Order to slay the chaotic beast in the lake of Eastdale Tarn that was summoned by Hanord sacrifices.

Sometimes we need the helping hands of others to follow The Architect's blueprints.
— St. Ansell

Overview

History

Ansell lived his life as a vicar of Tarnton, near the beautiful lake of Eastdale Tarn. He was an exemplary model of good morals, behaviours and habits, and he preached the ways of The Originator's Order so that others could follow the way of The Architect. He was loved and respected by all, and he worked as hard as everybody else in the village. No task was beneath him and he always put others before himself. He helped the village folk with farm work, child care, midwifery, construction and repairs, even covering shifts in the local shops if someone was too poorly and needed to rest! Ansell lived in the small vicar's house in the middle of town and had very few possessions of his own. He frequently received gifts of trinkets, furnishings and tools, but if he had no use for them he always re-gifted them to people who were really in need. At the time of his death he only had a bed, a bookcase of The Architect's teachings, his journal, and some cooking utensils.

Death

One day, reports came in of Hanord pagans dumping large sacrifices into the lake, with unnerving splashes and thrashing disrupting the serene peace of the night. Later that week, a fisherman was dragged beneath the water by a beast of chaos, and the lake was deemed unsafe. Ansell was called upon for aid on what to do. He borrowed a harpoon from the fisherman's lodge and went down to the lakeside to banish the beast in the name of Order. As Ansell began to pray, the waters turned and three slick tendrils rose from the lake towards him. Before he could react, the tendrils coiled around him like foul snakes around his ankles, lifting him high above the water. The water swirled as a hungry black maw opened up - Ansell plummeted with the grace of a high diver, holding the harpoon forward as he dove into the mouth of the beast. The writhing beast consumed the vicar, and after a long minute all grew still. Ansell had slain the beast from within, but lost his life in doing so. The carcass of a monsterous squid-like beast floated to the shore where Ansell's remains could be recovered.

Legend

The Legend of St. Ansell is now remembered a little differently, the tale is now told that the Hanord wanted to desecrate Eastdale Tarn to feed the slumbering beast called Vicarbane who had not been suitably fed in thousands of years. The chaotic beast Vicarbane is now depicted as being bigger than a house (sometimes larger), and is often portrayed as being an oily black colour, with innumerable tentacles. Connotations of chaos are depicted throughout the old paintings, such as dark storm clouds, chaotic shapes, dark colours and even textures. St. Ansell is always depicted with a bright aura, wearing white clothes lashed with black ink from where the beast held him.

Remembrance

Orlendians all across The Isles of Orlend celebrate St. Ansell's Day every year at the lakeside. During the morning they hold a grand fishing tournament, with the biggest catches being cooked up in a midday feast. The day is full of retellings of the Legend of St. Ansell, with performances, poetry and painting. The evening is spent meditating on his teachings whilst floating candles are sent drifting into the middle of Eastdale Tarn.