The Paladin in the Abyss

"Cranvo?" Soveris repeated the name in confusion, "The current Lord of the Dead?"

"Correct." Lancelot nodded, "Milko was the holder of that title several generations ago."

"The Lord of the Dead had a succession? When did that happen?"

"Over a hundred years ago, there was a cataclysm known as the Saint Catastrophe in the multiverse. The gods were expelled from their divine kingdoms in the outer planes and were forced to walk the earth in the forms of saints. The gods, who usually opposed each other through churches and agents, clashed directly in the mortal realm, causing a series of disasters. The main culprits behind all this were Milko and Bane. I won’t go into the details, but the end result was that the three gods of death were killed, and their divine offices were taken over by a mortal named Shrek, ending the Saint Catastrophe. Ten years later, Shrek was replaced by Cranvo as the Lord of the Dead, though the former did not die and still retained the divine offices of lies, intrigue, and deceit. Incidentally, we found some evidence in that ancient ruin suggesting that those witches might have been collaborating with Shrek."

"This is… unbelievable." Soveris was overwhelmed by the flood of information, "This Cranvo you mentioned, what kind of god is he?"

"As a mortal, he was a kind, sincere, and determined warrior. But after becoming the Lord of the Dead, influenced by the ancient Grim Reaper Yago, his alignment shifted to lawful neutral." Lancelot shrugged, "That’s the official narrative. Personally, I feel that the part of him that was once mortal hasn’t disappeared, but the duties of the Lord of the Dead leave no room for personal feelings."

"You flatter me, Sir."

A familiar voice suddenly echoed in the room. Lancelot turned his head to see a figure in a black robe and silver mask appear in a previously empty corner. It was none other than Cranvo himself, whom they had been discussing.

"Allow me to introduce, the Lord of the Dead, Judge of the Doomed, Mentor of the Crystal Tower, the great Ferryman, Grim Reaper, the honorable Cranvo Lanceban."

"Thank you for the introduction, Savior of Oasis Fort, Mogrondale, and Pascaler, Protector sworn against demons, Dragon Slayer, the one who melts glaciers and extinguishes volcanoes, Paladin of the Abyss, Prince Lancelot Durek of Twin Bridges Town." The god’s illusion replied solemnly, "Did I miss a title?"

"No." Lancelot said, slightly exasperated, "You’ve added too many."

"Likewise." Cranvo shrugged, "To save us precious time, I propose we address each other by name from now on, shall we?"

Soveris stood nearby, utterly shocked. Not everyone is prepared to meet a deity. Yet, the elf knew for sure that standing before him was a true god. It was a feeling unlike any he had ever experienced before, a certainty akin to instantly knowing someone’s gender with just a glance.