pc: lucas

[sacredpath]

Comments

[sacredpath]

It's beautiful.

[it's not her sort of church, but she recognizes how happy it's made him. there's something wistful about that.]

It's wonderful that you remember it well enough to recreate it this way.

[faithkept]

Thank you. [Even though he knows she is a mistress of the darkness, but at least the moonlight probably helps here.]

I do remember it well. I imagine that will be the case for years and years to come. [His head cants a little to the side at that, though, curious.]

Did you have any one particular place of worship that you frequented?

[sacredpath]

...I could try to show you, but I'm not sure it would work. If I remember it well enough.

[faithkept]

Ah... [A little concerned furrow of the brow.] I would love to see it, if it wouldn't trouble you overly-much to try...?

[sacredpath]

I will try.

[she will... do whatever thing you do to make it happen. concentrate. it starts to look very gloomy and purple in here. she's conjuring the shape of a temple (ignore the fire), but it's hazy on the edges, she can't make out the details entirely. there are statues of shar and a large, imposing altar, but she loses it shortly after trying, making a frustrated sound.]

...No. I can't recall it. Even now that I'm dead, I still can't.

[faithkept]

[He watches as things start to unfold! It sure is gloomy and purple... Which suits, for what little he's learned so far of her faith.

When it falters, though, he'll turn to look at her with some faint concern.]

...I'm very sorry... That must be a painful thing. May I ask why you've forgotten...?

[sacredpath]

[she'll let go, touching her bandaged hand.]

Shar values discretion above all else. When we go out in the world to serve her, we surrender our memories. If I were to be captured, tortured, enspelled, even then I would be unable to betray any of her secrets.

...But it shouldn't still be like this.

[faithkept]

A very clever way of handling secrets...

[It sounds kind of cruel, but he will keep the sentiment to himself, watching as she touches her hand and frowning faintly.]

After death, you mean? Were you meant to remember it all then?

[sacredpath]

I should think it would have lifted. It wasn't permanent, after all. A temporary enchantment.

[frowning.]

[faithkept]

Mm... Perhaps it has something to do with being in the domain of another god?

[The enchantment said axolotls specifically can't know the secrets.]

If you talk to one of the angels, they may be able to help you.

[sacredpath]

That's a decent enough idea. It would be nice, to remember some of it again.

[faithkept]

I do hope that you're able... Even if this is merely a stop in the afterlife, one ought to be granted the comforts they wish to have in Heaven.

[Said with a little sigh. This heaven is weird but that's what happens when you leave axolotls in charge, apparently.]

[sacredpath]

You're too kind.

[but she's frustrated, obviously, even if there's a solution.]

Enough of this. Let's - you had conjured a beautiful image of your home.

[faithkept]

[He would definitely feel just as frustrated in her shoes, so there's a lot of sympathy there, but.]

Ah... Well! I doubt my church is very well-suited to your tastes, so I could show you something that I think you might enjoy a little more?

[sacredpath]

Yes! I'd quite like that.

[and to not focus on her lack of memories so much.]

[faithkept]

[Her magical amnesia...

But!! After a second of concentration, a different church begins to form around them! It's a bit similar in structure to the one he'd shown before, but there are no windows in this one, and the architecture is more gothic-leaning with ornate arcs and a spiraling staircase. The pews are made of a dark oak wood, with bouquets of flowers tied to the end of every pew. The only light source are these strange pillar structures emanating a red glow, which are wrapped in thorny vines and roses.]

I recalled this and thought it might be something you enjoyed.

[sacredpath]

It's beautiful.

[it's still not much like the style of sharran temples, but then, the sharran temples are fairly ugly.]

Where is it?

[faithkept]

[NOT THE UGLY TEMPLES... Lucas mostly brought her here because it's dark and vaguely gloomy.]

It was a church that belonged to the founding Minister, back in the days when the Royal Family were persecuting the faiths. It's actually below the ground, so there were few ways to allow light in.

[sacredpath]

[yeah! it's nice.]

Your faith was being persecuted, then?

[faithkept]

They all were, to an extent... Fortunately, that was a short-lived passion project and the Royals lost interest fairly quickly...

[sacredpath]

The royals tried to persecute religious groups and then gave up?

[faithkept]

[GAZING INTO THE MIDDLE DISTANCE FOR A MOMENT with a polite smile.]

...They're a very fickle bunch.

[And also stupid.]

[sacredpath]

[yeah. it sounds that way.]

Well. Perhaps that is the measure of the power of faith, isn't it? Shar worship is illegal for good reason - the corrupt and comfortable have reason to fear us.

Any faith worth believing in must sometimes challenge the powerful, I think.

[faithkept]

I would agree! It's a wonderful thing that the true and devout can't be defeated by any attempt at silencing them, no matter the world it takes place in.

[sacredpath]

[what a scary icon.]

Of course, then comes the moment when two are true and devout, but serve a different cause.