Paul
From The Heretic Knowledge Vault
Paul | |
Race: | Humans |
Gender: | Male |
Introduction: | 2004/03/01 |
Appearances | |
Chapter 7 03/01, 03/03, 03/05, 03/08, 03/10, 03/15 Chapter 11 12/17, 12/20, 12/22 Chapter 12 04/11, 04/13 Chapter 22 07/17, 07/19, 07/21 Chapter 23 09/18 Chapter 27 03/14, 03/16, 03/19, 03/21, 03/23 Chapter 31 11/19, 11/21, 11/23, 11/26, 11/28, 11/30 Chapter 37 11/17, 11/19, 11/24, 11/26, 11/28, 12/01 Chapter 41 07/15, 07/17, 07/20, 07/22, 07/24, 07/27, 07/29 | |
Mentions | |
2004/12/31 |
A high-ranking member of the Ensigerum, who has most likely been with the Order for quite some time. Paul appears to be Anita's right-hand man, second-in-command at the very least, and seems to normally tend to the issues and problems within the Order.
Paul normally has the function of interacting with the Veracian Church, as he's a bit more experienced in brown-nosing diplomacy than Anita. This has given him access to some of the church's secrets, although whether this extends as far as access to the Heretic Knowledge Vault itself is uncertain. He is also considerably more conservative in outlook than Anita, whom he finds brash (with good reason). He believes that the minimal contact between Ensigerum and the outside world has generally been a good thing that has kept the Order alive over the years, and is not pleased with Anita's plans for expansion and elimination of the Gewehr Wraiths. In his traditionalist role, he's the one who recalls the business of testing new recruits' loyalty by setting them against someone from their former lives, sending Sara down the path that leads to Jon, Sarine, and who knows what.
All of that said, he doesn't shy away from getting his hands (or more accurately, the Ensigerum's) bloody when appropriate. After the Winston Maurel gig misfires, he joins Anita in jumping to erroneous conclusions as to what happened, and doesn't hesitate to send "several" monks out to wipe out the Wraiths in Veracia. Cautious and conservative, yes; a wuss, not.
He's high enough in the hierarchy of the Ensigerum that he normally is able to send others out to do the bloodletting rather than get his own hands dirty. However, he definitely has the Time-ninja skills of a working monk, as he shows here when enraged by Ian's nonchalance about the carnage he caused in Emerylon. So Paul has a bit of sympathy for Veracia? Well, considering that he hails from Emerylon, that's not so surprising. But Anita also suspects him of keeping track of his relatives there, which is a bit surprising -- in fact, at odds with Ensigerum policy -- for a staunch traditionalist.
Paul is part of the party when Ian and Anita try to enlist allies among the trolls, with highly unsatisfactory results, the trolls having recognized Ian as a "Marime" and wanting nothing to do with him. This gives Paul yet another chance for an "I Told You So" moment at Anita's expense.