pc: euphausia

[sacredpath]

Comments

[sacredpath]

Even very strong people can be hurt. I trust that they'll all recover physically, but the prospect of having their sense of selves tampered this way is terrifying, isn't it?

[she frowns, though, remembering something.]

...I suspect I said some rather odd things to you, earlier this week.

[trifocal]

[ frowning too... but she lifts her gaze at that. ]

Oh... you did?

[sacredpath]

[yeah eupha truly did just go along with all of it easily, which is a can of worms in and of itself, but even if it's normal stuff to eupha, she still wants to explain.]

All of that Dark Justiciar, sacrifice a Selûnite nonsense. That is how it works, but I'm not - I don't sacrifice people.

[trifocal]

[ oh. yeah, she sure did go along with it easily. ]

... I see. Did you choose a different path, then, than that of a Dark Justiciar?

[sacredpath]

I did. [seeing her reaction though.] I'll still kill people who are really asking for it! Just not in a particularly blood sacrifice sort of wya.

[trifocal]

Oh! That is good to hear...

These "Selûnites" are people who follow a god in opposition to yours, correct?

[sacredpath]

They are. Followers of the Moonmaiden, Lady Shar's hated sister.

[trifocal]

Do you have to fight them?

[ it sounds like she won't sacrifice them, at least, but eupha knows how ugly religious rivalries can get... ]

[sacredpath]

[it's a little complicated.]

Theoretically, Sharrans are tasked with fighting Selûnites wherever we find them, yes. But the ones I've met, I've - not gotten along with, but I haven't felt any desire to fight them, so I simply haven't.

[she is just such a bad sharran.]

[trifocal]

I see... That is a relief to hear. I'm well-acquainted with such tensions between religions... though I choose to believe that there is always some middle ground to be found.

[sacredpath]

I'm not sure there is, between Shar and Selûne, but... maybe it's more of a matter that fighting Lady Shar's wars is not always my top priority.

[even if it's supposed to be?]

[trifocal]

Really? You seem quite devoted to her, though.

[sacredpath]

It does not do to disappoint or show disloyalty to Lady Shar.

[trifocal]

Would she be vengeful towards those who do?

[sacredpath]

[a slight sideways smile.]

Very much so.

[trifocal]

But... I take it that there are other ways to show your loyalty, then? Other than fighting?

[sacredpath]

Yes, but... those are not really good, either.

To be honest, I've been rethinking my loyalty recently.

[trifocal]

You have?

I would not have expected that... What brought this on?

[sacredpath]

It's nothing in particular. Just a few things I've been thinking about for a while.

You mentioned your duty as a priestess, didn't you? [and at the time, she said that was noble, but.] Have you ever wondered whether it's really right for your faith to have to cost so much?

[trifocal]

I... well.

For most of my life, I didn't question it. The more the people around me suffered, the more I felt the weight of that responsibility, and could think of little else. And as I reflected on my own inaction during those times of struggle, I began to think of sacrifice as not just a path of salvation for them, but of atonement for myself.

But... I too had a crisis of faith quite recently.

[sacredpath]

[it does sound to her that the driving force here wasn't necessarily belief but a desire to protect her people. but it's still unclear what eupha would have had to atone for.]

Do you want to tell me about it?

[trifocal]

I don't mind.

[ a small smile. ]

From early childhood, I knew I would one day give my life in sacrifice. And when that day came, I went to the Dragon Temple... My brother was supposed to accompany me, but we were attacked by monsters, and he was wounded.

I was escorted instead by a group of outsiders. As we made our way to the altar, they had so many questions, and there were some I could not answer...

[sacredpath]

The fact that you couldn't answer made you reconsider what you were doing?

[trifocal]

Well... not entirely. I did start to wonder why the ritual was the way that it was, and about the nature of the Dragon God and the calamities we faced... but my conviction did not waver.

Not until I reached the altar, and saw that what awaited me there was not my god.

[sacredpath]

What was it? How did you know?