One hundred and seven years ago, Ganhook slayed a fire breathing demon terrorizing the Southern Venepal. Just before the demon turned to spirit form, Ganhook snared the creature’s last breath in a fire repellent bottle.

Sparks is that last breath, a mix of the demon’s spirit and its final burst of fire.

Once back in his compound, Ganhook interrogated the spirit. The creature admitted that it never wanted to be troublesome. All it wanted was a quiet life, and it offered to atone for its crimes. Now it is content to eternally burn on a bed of its own bones in one of the compound’s underground chambers.

Flues connect this chamber to most of the compound’s living quarters. Sparks’ flames run along these flues, heating and lighting the compound, burning waste, and powering the kitchen ovens.

Embers from Sparks’ chamber can be removed and brought with us when we’re travelling. A single ember stays hot for a month, and can light outdoor, defensive fires in any weather.

Despite his repentance, Sparks likes to boast about his demon days.

Interesting stories indeed.

Oh, and Sparks is getting lazy. At exactly midnight, the flames sink away into embers and won’t rise again until six-thirty AM.

This means cold porridge when we’re up early.