Der Grossmann
An angel of German origin that punishes the wicked and eradicates basilisks at all costs.
Der Grossmann, translated roughly as "The Tall Man" in English, is a legend of an angel that resides in the Black Forest of Germany. Sources vary on whether or not Der Grossmann is a regular angel or a fallen angel, though most art depicts it as a regular angel. Despite its holy appearance, literature tends to depict the being as neutral in nature. More a force of nature and fate rather than something inherently good or evil. The oldest literature about Der Grossmann seems to be a handful of folk tales, likely having existed beforehand and only being spread verbally. The three most common stories are as follows.
The Boy and the Painting:
A young boy sees a beautiful painting sitting against a stone wall while passing through the market. He asks his mother for it, but he is told that it doesn't belong to him, and to leave it alone. They go home through the woods, but the boy can't stop thinking about the painting. After his mother falls asleep, he sneaks into the woods towards the market. He feels watched, but he can't see anything, and he's too determined to have the painting to turn back. Once at the market, he searches and searches the empty boothes. Almost losing hope, he finds it and begins to take it home. But on his way through the woods for the third time, he can't help but be confused about why it was left out in the first place. Don't people want to protect what's theirs? That's when he looks over the painting and realizes something terrible. The angel on it is gone.
His mother is awoken by the door slamming open, and she rushes fearfully to check what it was. There she sees a grim sight- her child reaching out in terror from the entrance, oddly extended insect-like arms wrapping around him. The boy drops the painting as he is pulled into the night, and the poor mother sees only a blank canvas on the floor to remind her of her child.
The Knight:
A corrupt knight once lived in a nearby castle. (Different areas say different things about the knight, so I'm really simplifying here.) Due to being part of the nobility, he was never punished for any of his malevolence. The knight was good at fighting, and powerful, but he had one weakness. His confidence. One day, he overheard whispers of a strange monster whom no one could describe out by the outskirts of the fortress. Knowing that his fellow knights had surely already been wittling down the beast, he could sneak in to take all the glory at the last moment.
He snuck out to where the monster was, but found only the bodies of his countrymen. While prideful, he was not a foolish man. Knowing the creature was likely still around, he drew his longsword, eyeing the surroundings. After a full rotation, nothing, not even a peep. Another look around, still nothing. But then, on the third, he caught it in the corner of his eye. Then, he could see. An unearthly tall man, no, no, it was an angel wearing a knight's chestplate. Quickly realizing his mistake, he attempts to leave while apologizing profusely, but the angel recognized his intent. It spoke simply and bluntly,
"Why do you raise your sword if you do not recognize me?" said the angel.
The knight stammered out a half-hearted excuse, but he knew it was not enough. He charged at the angel, sword held high, only for the angel to remain unmoving, its segmented legs expanding until they functioned like a dozen lances. His sword clashed against one with a clang, only for another to come from underneath and spear through his armour. The angel flicked its leg, sending the dying knight flying through the air. As the knight hit the ground, dying, he realized he did not know what he had even fought, and neither would the world remember his crest.
The Tall Man and the Basilisk:
This one is a lot more simple. There once appeared a dastardly basilisk in a village in the low countries, following a flood during early spring. For a time, it terrorized the already scarred townsfolk. The people of the village knew they couldn't do anything to drive it out or slay it, so they simply tolerated the beast's presence. Eventually, everyone stopped going near the river for fear of being the next victim. So the basilisk moves closer into the village. It feeds for a time, but soon the countrymen begin moving away and into the woods. The basilisk, always hungry, moves down into the woods. But there it finds no more men, only an angel clad in knight's armour. The basilisk tried to kill the angel, but it simply held out its fingers and absorbed the magic of the deadly gaze. It slew the basilisk and left just as quickly as it had came, leaving the village in a silent peace.
Last Edited by Webmaster A. on June 12, 2009.
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