gideonpepys
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
Session 222, Part Three - Things Got Dark
Things Got Dark
The Dons had fingers in every part of the city, and they’d been coordinating ways to keep order, using generosity when possible, broken noses when necessary. Donna Aneenya gave the unit a brief synopsis of Crisillyir’s woes, and what was beyond the Family’s control.
After the the stars vanished, many hierarchs killed themselves and left suicide notes claiming they had lied about the gods, but the military was able to keep order. Then Prime Cardinal Titus Banderesso left for Danor to meet with this Obscurati group that claimed they were trying to save the world from Risur. Things became unstable, and the high priest of the goddess of the night sky claimed that he would call forth a miracle to fix the heavens. That, of course, did not work, and he was dragged out to Plaza Hyperion by a mob. They were about to just kill the man, when a godhand appeared.
The man, Vitus Sigismund, explained that the gods may have failed them, but the people of Crisillyir should not follow the gods’ lead. He said they should not punish the priest, but the goddess herself. He stalled the mob’s anger for a day, and it seemed like perhaps he was trying to make peace. But he demanded the remaining ecclesiarchs send a lawyer to defend the goddess, and anger rose. Riots were just starting when Legate Savina Tullius came to the plaza and announced that the government was silent and offered no defense for the goddess, but she would advocate for the people.
They held that first trial in the square, and Legate Tullius made a case that the goddess must have been negligent in letting the night sky go dark. The high priest said the accusations were a lie, and that some evil force had overpowered his goddess, but that she would return.
That was when Sigismund spoke to the crowd. He claimed he could call the god down and deliver the people’s judgment. The crowd cried out that the goddess was guilty, and should be executed.
Sigismund then called for the crowd to follow him and bring the priest to the top of Enzyo Mons. Vitus said he would use the power of Triegenes—the man who became a god—to transform the priest into his goddess. And to the crowd’s astonishment, after an hour-long hike up the mountain to the edge of the caldera, he did just that. He slaughtered some animals, painted the priest with their blood, then performed a spell.
The priest transformed, grew, and where shadows fell across his body stars could be seen through him. Then he fully became the form of his goddess, but was still reeling in confusion. The godhand pronounced that the goddess had been found guilty and was sentenced to death. And then he struck the huge woman and hurled her over the ledge into the volcano. The crowd looked down as she fell into lava and vanished. For a moment a beam of holy light rose up to the clouds, but then it guttered and died.
The very next day, the military got orders to launch for the shores of Risur, to aid the other nations in an invasion, and began to leave the city. With no military to keep the peace and no head of state to try to control the mob, the city became gripped with a mad desire to punish more gods. Almost a dozen had been executed up to now.
The Family could help those people who were afraid of the chaos, but those who revelled in it were mostly beyond their power to control. The dons admitted they did not have enough strength to fight back. They had considered assassination, but they knew Sigismund shared the spell he cast with others who were loyal to him. Removing him might not help, and could just incite the mob more.
To make matters worse, there seemed to be some strange plague or curse afoot. People were dying without rhyme or reason. The prevailing theory was that as the gods died, spells their priests had cast also ended, and so old wards that held demonic forces and evil ghosts locked away had faltered. Korrigan wondered aloud if this might not be the same sort of backlash suffered by the followers of Srasma when she perished. Rumdoom determined to look into it. “Show me a corpse and I’ll tell you how it died.”
They wondered if this was the sacrament of apotheosis, where Vitus was getting the components necessary: the entrails and blood of an eagle, a lion, a whale and a dragon? Gupta asked if there was any order to the trials and executions. Though the first trial had been random, and the order depended on when the priests were found and dragged out of hiding, it seemed as if Vitus and his allies were dealing with the weakest, less popular gods first. Uriel was unhappy. It was unhealthy for people to rely on the gods for everything. Gupta wondered if the trials risked the formation of hiveminds, if the ‘gods’ could be created by hivemind activity.
They mulled over their choices. The dons had considered a co-ordinated strike; an evacuation to Sid Minos (with as many priests as possible); and an attempt to put up a defence for the gods and bring the trials to a halt that way. The unit considered these options, and also the possibility of just getting what they came for – the Axis Seal Ritual. With the country in this much turmoil it was hard to imagine Crissilyir talking part in an invasion of Risur. Korrigan would not hear of it: “If we can save people, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Korrigan asked if it would be possible to arrange for a meeting with the Arch Secula. Yes, they could. Did they have time to do so before the next trial? Just about. Uriel was concerned that they make the next trial, but was assured that the meeting would be short and to the point. Quratulain asked him what all the fuss was about: “I struggle to see why you are concerned with their fate.” Uriel told her that the gods were not the clergy and that she should not get the two confused. (Her issues with the human institution were understandable…) To avoid drawing too much attention to the meeting, the Family got them into the Grand Library surreptitiously, with the aid of Leon’s illusions.
The Arch Secula was nervous. She told them that she was not a fan of the Obscurati, for obvious reasons, and would have no interest in aiding their invasion of Risur were the unit able to deal with the current problem. (Gupta confirmed she was not wearing an Ob ring.) They got to the point and asked her about access to the Vault beneath the library. She said that they would require the presence of herself and the most senior clergy in Alais Primos. Unfortunately, right now, that was Vitus Sigismund.
When asked about the nature of the vault, Ken Don simply said, “It is very well defended.” With heavy emphasis on the word ‘very’. When they discussed the possibility of intervening in the god trials, perhaps even providing a defence for one of the gods, the Arch Secula and the Dons thought that defending Triegenes might be their best bet. This was the god Vitus Sigismund was least likely to execute! But they would need evidence if their defence was to succeed. Ken Don was equally pessimistic here. The primary document of use to them – the biography of Triegenes – was known to be in the Vault of Heresies on Odiem.
Things Got Dark
The Dons had fingers in every part of the city, and they’d been coordinating ways to keep order, using generosity when possible, broken noses when necessary. Donna Aneenya gave the unit a brief synopsis of Crisillyir’s woes, and what was beyond the Family’s control.
After the the stars vanished, many hierarchs killed themselves and left suicide notes claiming they had lied about the gods, but the military was able to keep order. Then Prime Cardinal Titus Banderesso left for Danor to meet with this Obscurati group that claimed they were trying to save the world from Risur. Things became unstable, and the high priest of the goddess of the night sky claimed that he would call forth a miracle to fix the heavens. That, of course, did not work, and he was dragged out to Plaza Hyperion by a mob. They were about to just kill the man, when a godhand appeared.
The man, Vitus Sigismund, explained that the gods may have failed them, but the people of Crisillyir should not follow the gods’ lead. He said they should not punish the priest, but the goddess herself. He stalled the mob’s anger for a day, and it seemed like perhaps he was trying to make peace. But he demanded the remaining ecclesiarchs send a lawyer to defend the goddess, and anger rose. Riots were just starting when Legate Savina Tullius came to the plaza and announced that the government was silent and offered no defense for the goddess, but she would advocate for the people.
They held that first trial in the square, and Legate Tullius made a case that the goddess must have been negligent in letting the night sky go dark. The high priest said the accusations were a lie, and that some evil force had overpowered his goddess, but that she would return.
That was when Sigismund spoke to the crowd. He claimed he could call the god down and deliver the people’s judgment. The crowd cried out that the goddess was guilty, and should be executed.
Sigismund then called for the crowd to follow him and bring the priest to the top of Enzyo Mons. Vitus said he would use the power of Triegenes—the man who became a god—to transform the priest into his goddess. And to the crowd’s astonishment, after an hour-long hike up the mountain to the edge of the caldera, he did just that. He slaughtered some animals, painted the priest with their blood, then performed a spell.
The priest transformed, grew, and where shadows fell across his body stars could be seen through him. Then he fully became the form of his goddess, but was still reeling in confusion. The godhand pronounced that the goddess had been found guilty and was sentenced to death. And then he struck the huge woman and hurled her over the ledge into the volcano. The crowd looked down as she fell into lava and vanished. For a moment a beam of holy light rose up to the clouds, but then it guttered and died.
The very next day, the military got orders to launch for the shores of Risur, to aid the other nations in an invasion, and began to leave the city. With no military to keep the peace and no head of state to try to control the mob, the city became gripped with a mad desire to punish more gods. Almost a dozen had been executed up to now.
The Family could help those people who were afraid of the chaos, but those who revelled in it were mostly beyond their power to control. The dons admitted they did not have enough strength to fight back. They had considered assassination, but they knew Sigismund shared the spell he cast with others who were loyal to him. Removing him might not help, and could just incite the mob more.
To make matters worse, there seemed to be some strange plague or curse afoot. People were dying without rhyme or reason. The prevailing theory was that as the gods died, spells their priests had cast also ended, and so old wards that held demonic forces and evil ghosts locked away had faltered. Korrigan wondered aloud if this might not be the same sort of backlash suffered by the followers of Srasma when she perished. Rumdoom determined to look into it. “Show me a corpse and I’ll tell you how it died.”
They wondered if this was the sacrament of apotheosis, where Vitus was getting the components necessary: the entrails and blood of an eagle, a lion, a whale and a dragon? Gupta asked if there was any order to the trials and executions. Though the first trial had been random, and the order depended on when the priests were found and dragged out of hiding, it seemed as if Vitus and his allies were dealing with the weakest, less popular gods first. Uriel was unhappy. It was unhealthy for people to rely on the gods for everything. Gupta wondered if the trials risked the formation of hiveminds, if the ‘gods’ could be created by hivemind activity.
They mulled over their choices. The dons had considered a co-ordinated strike; an evacuation to Sid Minos (with as many priests as possible); and an attempt to put up a defence for the gods and bring the trials to a halt that way. The unit considered these options, and also the possibility of just getting what they came for – the Axis Seal Ritual. With the country in this much turmoil it was hard to imagine Crissilyir talking part in an invasion of Risur. Korrigan would not hear of it: “If we can save people, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Korrigan asked if it would be possible to arrange for a meeting with the Arch Secula. Yes, they could. Did they have time to do so before the next trial? Just about. Uriel was concerned that they make the next trial, but was assured that the meeting would be short and to the point. Quratulain asked him what all the fuss was about: “I struggle to see why you are concerned with their fate.” Uriel told her that the gods were not the clergy and that she should not get the two confused. (Her issues with the human institution were understandable…) To avoid drawing too much attention to the meeting, the Family got them into the Grand Library surreptitiously, with the aid of Leon’s illusions.
The Arch Secula was nervous. She told them that she was not a fan of the Obscurati, for obvious reasons, and would have no interest in aiding their invasion of Risur were the unit able to deal with the current problem. (Gupta confirmed she was not wearing an Ob ring.) They got to the point and asked her about access to the Vault beneath the library. She said that they would require the presence of herself and the most senior clergy in Alais Primos. Unfortunately, right now, that was Vitus Sigismund.
When asked about the nature of the vault, Ken Don simply said, “It is very well defended.” With heavy emphasis on the word ‘very’. When they discussed the possibility of intervening in the god trials, perhaps even providing a defence for one of the gods, the Arch Secula and the Dons thought that defending Triegenes might be their best bet. This was the god Vitus Sigismund was least likely to execute! But they would need evidence if their defence was to succeed. Ken Don was equally pessimistic here. The primary document of use to them – the biography of Triegenes – was known to be in the Vault of Heresies on Odiem.
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