The Archbishop led Hethir to a small chamber, only the two of them were admitted in. Mary, Garius and Val were brought chairs--Hethir was honestly surprised to see that they were padded and looked rather comfortable; he had expected differently. Inside, the room was bare to a fault. The walls looked to be rough stone crudely scraped smooth, the floor only improved by thousands of footfalls having worn it smooth. There were no ornaments or furnishings; and the room's only other notable feature was a round stone table set in the exact center of the room.
That was merely the physical appearance of the chamber.
Hethir barely set foot in the chamber before he felt a gentle psychic touch from within. It felt like a blade being sharpened and polished by a caring hand; only the blade was his mind, and he felt refreshed and ready as he hadn't since the letter from D first arrived on his ship.
"Interesting effect isn't it? This stone had lain idle in the vaults for who knows how long before I discovered its powers, you are now one of only a handful who knows of it. I hope the gesture of trust is not wasted."
Hethir did not respond immediately, time will tell how all things play out Archbishop, but I make it a habit not to betray trust from those who will hold it in turn.
"A fairly stated purpose... more to the point however, this chamber is shielded from everything I have been able to test against it, we cannot be overheard or eavesdropped upon." Very useful indeed, I take it you have doubts as to others you may trust?
"Trust is a curious thing... even the most stalwart can misplace information that was delivered out of turn. 'D' is a subject best broached in private... I am grateful you did not speak that name aloud in the sanctuary."
It seemed unwise, I apparently have the least knowledge of the extent of his influence, and that is enough. He sent me here to obtain a set of Chalices that you have stored away in your vaults somewhere.
As Hethir described what he had been sent to retrieve, the Archbishop's face grew steadily more grim.
"This is worse than I feared... D has learned much more than he should have been able to, and combating him will be more difficult than ever because of it."
Who is he? You mention him like he's been around forever.
"Not forever... but long enough that the difference becomes irrelevant. Since he contacted you, one way or another you will be drug into the fight, I suppose it is best that you know the whole story... and what exactly you've gotten into.
The two men stood around the stone opposite each other, their eyes closed. The stone beneath Hethir's hands felt warm, comfortable, it's psychic touch like an old friend.
What is this stone? I've never heard of such a thing before?
"It is hardly relevant to the matter at hand."
Perhaps not, but I feel like it could be important regardless.
"...Very well, I suppose it is not entirely out of scope. The stone is not from our world. Where exactly it IS from is not known, but Lumis' followers have always gone to great lengths to hide such information."
Why hide such information?
"Because it has been irrelevant for centuries... other worlds may as well not exist, we cannot reach them. By hiding such information we prevent discovery of the barrier, and inquisition into its purpose. The gods maintain their power, the barrier is likewise maintained, and we mortals in a world of dust survive the nightfall of reality. If the fact became widely known that their were beings that the gods could not easily defeat, cults would form within the day, and then power would flow to the enemies of anything with a soul."
Hethir still didn't like it, but he had to admit the Archbishop had a valid point. Why raise questions at all when the answers were meaningless.
There is one thing that troubles me here... you said D wanted to bring down the barrier. But if the rest of his kind is trapped in their own world, how much of a difference could it really make?
"The space between worlds is complex Hethir, it is not like an ocean from which you may sail to any port you wish, it is more like a web, some worlds connected and others alone. the gods have barricaded the worlds that can be reached from Outside, placing that world under siege. When we last thought that D had been defeated, we discovered that D may have found a way to warp the barrier, creating a pathway between our world and Outside. Our world is not barricaded as theirs is, within a day, the war would break out anew."
Hethir thought about that for a while. Their world would simply become a beachhead, the first step in a war of proportions he could even wrap his head around.
Unless we stop him first...
"Unless..."
A loud bang at the door interrupted their concentration, and the Archbishop looked shocked as the wards he had placed simply vanished. Hethir was less surprised as Trace pushed open the door. His shield was strapped on, and his eyes glinted.
"The temple is being attacked."
That was merely the physical appearance of the chamber.
Hethir barely set foot in the chamber before he felt a gentle psychic touch from within. It felt like a blade being sharpened and polished by a caring hand; only the blade was his mind, and he felt refreshed and ready as he hadn't since the letter from D first arrived on his ship.
"Interesting effect isn't it? This stone had lain idle in the vaults for who knows how long before I discovered its powers, you are now one of only a handful who knows of it. I hope the gesture of trust is not wasted."
Hethir did not respond immediately, time will tell how all things play out Archbishop, but I make it a habit not to betray trust from those who will hold it in turn.
"A fairly stated purpose... more to the point however, this chamber is shielded from everything I have been able to test against it, we cannot be overheard or eavesdropped upon." Very useful indeed, I take it you have doubts as to others you may trust?
"Trust is a curious thing... even the most stalwart can misplace information that was delivered out of turn. 'D' is a subject best broached in private... I am grateful you did not speak that name aloud in the sanctuary."
It seemed unwise, I apparently have the least knowledge of the extent of his influence, and that is enough. He sent me here to obtain a set of Chalices that you have stored away in your vaults somewhere.
As Hethir described what he had been sent to retrieve, the Archbishop's face grew steadily more grim.
"This is worse than I feared... D has learned much more than he should have been able to, and combating him will be more difficult than ever because of it."
Who is he? You mention him like he's been around forever.
"Not forever... but long enough that the difference becomes irrelevant. Since he contacted you, one way or another you will be drug into the fight, I suppose it is best that you know the whole story... and what exactly you've gotten into.
Ages ago, the gods we know discovered our world adrift in the cosmos. They brought followers here to shield them from a conflict long-raging. Beings from another realm--another world--marched to war against much of reality. They spawn from a place we know only as Outside.
The beings of Outside feed on mortal souls, and twist the body that houses it into a horrific mockery, enslaved to the Outsider forever. The gods had champions that could hold the hosts of Outside at bay, but they were fighting losing battles. The gods could push back the tides of Outsiders, but not without great costs, and not on all fronts. What most do not realize is that the gods rely on we mortals for power much as we rely on them. Our worship empowers them, making them stronger still. The Outsiders knew this. So while they could not battle the gods directly, they could take their followers, and cause the gods' power to wane.
Our world was created as a haven, a sanctuary for us, a place we could live without fear of the Outsiders, but more importantly a place we would be safe to worship from, and a way the gods could ensure their power remained safe from the Outsiders.
A barrier exists around our world, hedging out anything that would seek to pass between worlds. We cannot leave, but neither can anything come in. Our gods created artifacts and taught the mortals of the time to use them in a titanic ritual, and the barrier was formed. But that formation came at a cost, the gods were likewise locked out, and unable to manifest as they once could. Lumis can--as you witnessed--take the illusion he left behind and use it, but still only as a seeming, his power is negligible through it. The Radiant Pantheon have their own statues in their high temples, and the Charter of Dredge is a remnant of another god. With what amounts to a secure supply line, the gods fought back against the Outsiders, and for centuries of our time they have kept them trapped in their own realm, unable to safely venture out.
But that time may be ending.
'D' is an Outsider. Unknown to the gods, he had slipped in amongst their followers when they were brought here. For years he was hunted, but always managed to slip away. Some centuries ago he was thought to have been destroyed, but I see now that we were wrong.
His goals have always been to find a way to bypass the barrier, something at first we believed to be impossible. Now we have learned that it can be done if the artifacts are again united. Three are held by the church: a pair of chalices, and a flask, holding the blood of the gods themselves. The exact location of these artifacts has long been a secret known only to the Archbishop, but if D sent you here for the Chalices, then it is clear he has managed either to tempt information from my predecessors, or find another method of gaining such knowledge.
What is this stone? I've never heard of such a thing before?
"It is hardly relevant to the matter at hand."
Perhaps not, but I feel like it could be important regardless.
"...Very well, I suppose it is not entirely out of scope. The stone is not from our world. Where exactly it IS from is not known, but Lumis' followers have always gone to great lengths to hide such information."
Why hide such information?
"Because it has been irrelevant for centuries... other worlds may as well not exist, we cannot reach them. By hiding such information we prevent discovery of the barrier, and inquisition into its purpose. The gods maintain their power, the barrier is likewise maintained, and we mortals in a world of dust survive the nightfall of reality. If the fact became widely known that their were beings that the gods could not easily defeat, cults would form within the day, and then power would flow to the enemies of anything with a soul."
Hethir still didn't like it, but he had to admit the Archbishop had a valid point. Why raise questions at all when the answers were meaningless.
There is one thing that troubles me here... you said D wanted to bring down the barrier. But if the rest of his kind is trapped in their own world, how much of a difference could it really make?
"The space between worlds is complex Hethir, it is not like an ocean from which you may sail to any port you wish, it is more like a web, some worlds connected and others alone. the gods have barricaded the worlds that can be reached from Outside, placing that world under siege. When we last thought that D had been defeated, we discovered that D may have found a way to warp the barrier, creating a pathway between our world and Outside. Our world is not barricaded as theirs is, within a day, the war would break out anew."
Hethir thought about that for a while. Their world would simply become a beachhead, the first step in a war of proportions he could even wrap his head around.
Unless we stop him first...
"Unless..."
A loud bang at the door interrupted their concentration, and the Archbishop looked shocked as the wards he had placed simply vanished. Hethir was less surprised as Trace pushed open the door. His shield was strapped on, and his eyes glinted.
"The temple is being attacked."
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