In 1st to 3rd edition DND, if a paladin betrays their morals, their honour, or their faith, they are stripped of their class and abilities. In the epilogue, Mike is no longer referred to as the paladin—instead as the storyteller. Having betrayed himself and lied to the people he loves, he no longer possesses the strength he once had. He can no longer be Mike the Brave, only the narrator of an incomplete story. But the difference did not come in the ending, it came before that, perhaps when he failed to save the children, when he realized Will ‘no longer needed him,’ or in some other moment of weakness. From the start, Mike lied to himself, and as a consequence; slowly faded away. Even Will could confront the truth about himself, but all Mike could muster was a lie. Will grew into the powers of a cleric, learning to control the ‘undead’ like his class foretold. Holly grew into her persona as Holly the Heroic, listening to the advice of her brother. But as everyone else blossomed, Mike shriveled away. He couldn’t be brave. Not this time.
