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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Blind Azathoth" data-source="post: 3766008" data-attributes="member: 22041">When Father Zantus starts calling for him, Ravi is in the middle of stealing brief glances at Ameiko through the crowd, like a schoolboy, and trying to work up the courage to return to her table and speak to her again. He mutters under his breath as he does so, reciting phrases he has memorized from books, struggling mostly in vain to speak even a sentence without stammering on every other word. I should have stayed. No--the stutter--I would only have embarrassed myself... Oh, never mind the stutter. I was rude--and stupid--not that she'll remember me--I... He glances around. Is someone calling my name? he has time to wonder, and then Abstalar Zantus is upon him."A t-tour?" he manages as he is gently pulled along, setting the remnants of his food down as he goes. "B-b-but Father, I d-d-don't--" he stammers, during the elder priest's brief pause while he points out the group of townsfolk, but Zantus does not seem to hear. "I, ah, I... F-F-Father Zantus..." And then the priest is gone, disappeared into the crowd.Ravi turns to the assembled quartet, gives them a nervous smile, and bows slightly. "I, ah, I, I am Acolyte D-D-Delling, as you may h-h-have heard. If, ah, you will f-follow me, I'll show y-y-you what we in Sandpoint have, um, wo-wo-worked so hard on for the last f-f-five years."Ravi leads the group into the cathedral, stuttering all throughout his tour of the truly magnificent structure, all polished stone and glittering glass. The indoors section of the cathedral is dominated by individual shrines honoring the six deities the cathedral is dedicated to: Erastil the hunter and Abadar the lawgiver facing the south, beautiful Shelyn and aloof Gozreh the west, and to the east, starry Desna and solar Sarenrae. Ravi says the last name with more than a hint of pride in his voice--and with no stutter. "The goddess of th-th-the local Varisians," he says, gesturing to Desna's shrine, and then to Erastil's, "and the god most p-p-popular among the settlers. And the g-g-gods and goddesses of the town's f-f-four founding families. Not that I ha-ha-have to tell you that, s-sir," he adds, bowing his head to Rainier."A-a-and this," he announces, as the small group heads out into the open courtyard in the center of the cathedral, "should be familiar, i-i-if you visited the chapel b-b-b-before the, ah, fire." The courtyard contains seven large standing stones, surrounding a wide, circular altar. Both the short stone pillars and the altar have been worn over time; it's clear they've been here for quite a while. "Th-they were here b-b-before even the ch-chapel, h-however. Ancient V-V-Varisian place of worship, th-th-the older Varisians say. Seven stones dedicated to De-De-De-De... I, ah, I am very sorry... to Desna, re-re-representing the seven towers of her ce-celestial palace."As the tour winds down, and throughout his stammering speech, Ravi will respond to any questions or comments made by the small group. When the tour is finished, Ravi will lead the four outside, politely wish them a good day at the festivities, and meekly await any others curious to glimpse the inside of the cathedral or hear about the church's history.</blockquote>

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