Thanks for the help on the last query (I'm now thrashing Yeti with reckless abandon!). New question: How come my ranger occasionally gets an "aura cleansed" message? He doesn't seem to be cursed, or in any way "dirtied" prior to this message. Any help? Thanks.

i think that having your aura cleansed stops you from losing your status as a paladin or ranger. If they do too many "evil" acts they can lose their class and become a fallen version.

I've found that I receive the "aura cleansed" message only when a party member has a full inventory and some NPC gives that PC an item. The extra item ends up on the ground.