Albert Simon



Cardinal Albert Simon is a character appearing in the Shadow Hearts video game franchise and referred to, though not by name, in the Koudelka video game as well.

Albert Simon: 

“This light this storm, now is the END O F THE WORLD!”

(Albert Simon completing his ritual to summon God.)

History:

Albert Simon was a student of the legendary philosopher and monk Roger Bacon. Roger saw great things in Albert and took him under his wing and taught him law, philosophy, science, astronomy and alchemy. Albert had the makings of a great civil-rights leader and Bacon looked forward with great eagerness to the world Albert would help forge. But in time Albert began to question the “divine right” of the ruling class aristocrats to manipulate, sacrificed and generally mistreat the masses. When Bacon attempted to moderate Albert's views and encourages him to let the world be as it was for the time Albert lost faith in Roger and went to the Vatican to charge Roger heresy for his tolerance of the corrupt. But it was Albert who the church condemned as a heretic for questioning “divine right” in the first place. Albert was locked away for years before his release. The years had changed Albert he became a far less cynical of the church.

After Albert's release he joined a priest of the Greek-Orthodox-Church named Jovis Abraham. Jovis was going to do missionary work in Turkey and was forming an order there he called “Sapientes Gladio”. The two became good friends and did what they could in their small corner of the world to tear down racial, societal and religious prejudice. One day young acolyte named Grigori Rasputin came to join the order. Showing a diligence Jovis and Albert took him on as a disciple teaching him will-power various divine rites. But once Rasputin learned what he needed he showed his true colors as an opportunist and megalomaniac. Rasputin had used his training to form a demonic pact with the king of demons, Asmodeus. Albert and Jovis resolved to beat him but were not strong enough and Rasputin cast them out of the order and inserting himself as it's new leader. Albert was crushed by this second exploitation of his willingness to see the good in people. He opted to beat Rasputin at his own game and to remake the world and made a pact with the god of wrath, Amon.

In the year 1890 or so Albert would come upon a man named Patrick Heyworth. Patrick had just lost his wife and would give anything to see his wife, Elaine again. Hearing of his plight a thought occurred to Albert; Albert knew of three ancient arcane tomes housed in the Vatican that his mentor, Roger Bacon, had translated/reconstructed for the Church. The Émigré Manuscript was one of the, a book with power over death and time. He agreed to steal the Émigré Manuscript for Patrick and while he was there took the other two books as well, The Pulse Tract and the Codex of R'lyeh, each of which had power to warp the fabric of the world. He intended to summon god himself to destroy Asmodeus's grip on the world and create a world of peace and equality in the process. Albert however decided to test out the books first. He used the Émigré Manuscript to attain semi-eternal life, like Roger Bacon before him but unlike Roger seemed to be skilled enough to halt the aging process as well. Then he gave the Émigré document to Patrick to use on Elaine. Patrick ended up bringing raising his wife's body but not her souls and was killed by the undead abomination after which Albert took back the book. He spent years fully studying the books. Albert now intended to call down god until Jovis became fearful of toying with God's works and declined to help.

Albert would pursue his plans testing out the book several more times and killing many people in the process. He was dead set on purging the planet.