The temple of Culnul, Cear

[vastgoten]

The dark robed priest has his back against the small crowd assembled for the sermon.

He turns and lowers his hood revealing the pale yet charismatic face of Father Arghivius. No where is the signs of Lochwar exposed on his dark priestly garbs but from his waist dangles a small chain with a black skull engraved inside a purple ruby.

He cracks a wicked grin which is meant to both intrigue and frighten his listeners – some in shock others without insight of what they are witnessing.

”Mortal souls are simply homage we all must pay to the Gods, less we are nothing in their eyes. Those of you who do not recognise the truth – that your lives are payment to a larger scheme are naïve and not worthy of these words.” he makes a dramatic pause, just long enough for all to ponder his words but little time to actually leave.

”The Lord of death - the lord of decay is infuriated! ” the priest points his bony hand toward those who listens and grimaces as if he just sighted vermin. ” My mouth carries the Grub lords words and they are clear indeed. None here will ever know the mercy of Peralia, none here will ever know the blessing of Culnul. All of you will burn as unfaithful traitors!” the words echo for a while in the crypt like temple before the priest continues.
”Your souls will be torn in realms unimaginable for all eternity and there is no salvation to be found at the side of false prophets or abominations from other realms. You have failed your god and yourself! You have served a false faith! You have gone astray from the truth and righteous teachings of the Grub lord. ” Father Arghivius makes a small pause – putting his palms together he hides his lips as he utters a silent prayer and allows the group in front of him take it all in. then he lifts his chin and with a superior stance he continues:

”I am your only hope for deliverance. I am your only hope to find your way back. I am sent here to harvest your souls and make safe the path they are meant for. ” He lowers his hand, exposing a curved dagger. Slowly he lets it saw through the skin on his palm. ”For it is written that our vitae is but sacrifice he chants and turns quenching his hand like a fist watching the blood drip onto the black alter.

Now with his back yet again facing the small flock he announces: “Amen!”

”Sacrificing your blood is the first step - Your life and soul the second. Let it be known that a new voice has arrived – one who speaks truth and offers penance to those who seeks it. Let it be known that I carry the word of the Grub Lord to those of true faith.”

The priest spends a long time in silent contemplation before he himself leaves the temple.

[The Explorer]

Hearing the commotion from his study Kez studying certain delicate artifacts and reading through the Necronomicon turns to orders knowing Reox would be in the meeting room eating and waiting for orders.

"Silence that loud pompous fool either by word or blade he isn't a true servant to our Lord as he has no discretion and I never gave permission for anyone but Deathseeker Locke to preach in Drorry's absence."

[Hvrankel]

The little Blackshield puts down the meat he has been eating on the plate and nods.
Will be my pleasure to silence this human. He should know better but maybe the Lochwarians did get tired of him and his rantings so he has to find new people to satisfy his ego. Hmmm.. Wonder which god he screams after when he dies.
A strange gleam can be seen in Reox remaining eye when he leaves the room and goes after the deluded priest.
Come join the fun Kez. Drorry would have wanted you to.

[vastgoten]

As the halfling approaches Marrent turns around.

"Finally, one of the fameous harbingers emerges. We should talk." he states. He then holds up a calming hand trying to slow the hostile approach of the halfling...

(check your inbox for the continuation hvrankel)

[Alterity]

After Marrent has long since left the Temple, a shadow slips in through the door unseen. A slight visage seen by the woman upstairs may startle the woman before it is downstairs, passing the Deathseeker.

With the slight jingle of a set of thieves tools, the door to the Harbinger's rooms is unlocked. The shadow slips through the door and closes it, caring little if it was seen that he entered. Slipping out of the shadows the hunter enters Kez's study.

"Kez Ryskill" the man says quietly. "It has been a while since we last spoke, when I attempted to help you secure those slaves for your work."

The man moves slightly closer, non-threateningly toward Kez. "I did you a favour in the past, now I need information from you."

[The Explorer]

Kez raises his voice towards the doorway

"Reox someone left that door open again"

Kez turns to the visitor looks at his face with a vague recollection of meeting him once before

"Next time I suggest you let the Deathseeker at the entrance know that you want to speak to me, What is it you want tallie?"

[Alterity]

With a graceful maneuver the man pulls a bag from under his cloak. He lets it drop to the table with a soft clink. The drop reveals the contents of the bag slightly, gold. Within is a thousand coins, a hefty payment even being crowns not emperors.

"Kez Ryskill, Master and Deathseeker of the Temple of Culnul of Cear, I ask for information on..."

The rest of his words become so quiet only Kez and someone close to Kez could hear.

((Check you inbox Explorer))

[The Explorer]

Kez hears the man out and glances at the bag of coins

"Reox come and get this donation to our temple and put it somewhere safe perhaps with Lady Tess"

Kez looks directly at the visitor

"Is that all, well the former Red priest had the pleasure of being slain and now is a Priest of Culnul though he and our Priest Locke are yet to meet he did pass the test and prove he is at least partly a servant of Culnul, Deathseeker Locke will be able to confirm if Marrent is solely Culnul's or not upon meeting him though just as Drorry would have. If theres nothing else I have far more important things to do than conversing with you or thinking about Marrent if we have another task for you I'm sure one of the Harbingers can find you"

[Alterity]

A lip curls in a smirk before the man nods.

"That is all Kez Ryskill, good day, and kill many", the mans lips turn into a twisted grin before he leaves the study, the backrooms, the temple and disappears into the shadows.

[Hvrankel]

Reox takes the money and eyes the leaving man.

Expected that there would be problems.

[vastgoten]

Entering from the side alcove of the temple Father Arghivius approaches the alter clad in black silk. Spreading his arms resembling a cross he drops parts of his robe exposing his naked and severely scared back to the small crowd watching the sermon. Keep facing the alter he starts.

"Penance!" the word lingers in the room, rising as a cobra watching its spectators with a playful wickedness. Then it strikes without warning and vanishes into thin air.

”Penance must be paid to all gods, Culnul very much so. Death is the only idea, thing and fate we all can be certain off. No one escapes the final end except the gods themselves. “ lowering his arms his posture is somewhat less imposing.

”We must all understand that what we ourselves want, is not always what the gods want. Culnul asks us to harvest souls in his name. But mind to harvest the souls that taste the sweetest to our Lord and Master. To follow the Master of Undead is not a simple undertaking by any, priest, noble, commoner or those who already has taken half a step inside his realm. Eternity is under his command and we can never allow ourselves to belive that it is ours as well. We can expect rewards, tremendous awards in our eyes but in the perspective of eternity it will be a droplet of blood in a fountain death – nothing more.” allowing his chin to drop to his chest it looks as if all is hopeless. Remaining in that position for a moment he then turn around, exposing his equally gruesomely scared torso.

“Why then serve? You ask. ” he states rhetorically. ”Why bother if the gods does not share their power with you?” he strokes his chin with a deformed arm, resembling little more then a chewed bone, fingers claw-like sliding down his neck – slowly opening a wound.

”Because we are mortals and they are the gods! If you did not worship! If you did not pay homage! If you did not repent! If you did not pay penance! then your life would be forfeit before you even lived it. ”

”To pay servitude to the Grub Lord is a grave matter. He offers ways to avoid eternal death…. For a while. Most mortals are not meant for this, but a few are. A few are selected to serve longer then otherwise. Let it be known that the baptism of blood is the first step in being embraced by Culnul, Lord of the undead. Let it be known that most who do roam this path are doomed to fail. Only those truly attuned with the dark lord’s wishes will receive the ultimate reward. Amen. ”

[Farwalker]

*One human man who is very well noticed stands in the back of the worship hall. His armor of full plate and his long and broad cape look more like funeral garments then battle armaments. His forehead is wrapped with a deep red head band and a crow on a blood red shield adorns his armor. Brother Kenshin Bushido, the foreigner from Anjiro called to the service of Peralia by the Goddess herself and a man know to have been in the presents of the Lady's Avatar, the Red Crow, three times since his comming to these lands has joined each and every sermon in the last several weeks. Quietly he stands and listens. Once the sermon concludes without a word he leaves and still returns for the next.*

[vastgoten]

”Truth!?!” Father Arghivius eyes watched the flock in front of him. He recognised the new ones with an almost imperceptible nod.

”The truth is not of importance to us. he continued firmly. ”No, the truth is but an illusion created for weak minded to have something to strive for. For us feeble creatures that roam this plane there is no gain in trying to hound it. The truth changes shape and direction for every breath that you take. The truth is not important.” his voice dropping down to a whisper as he continues:

”What You need to know is what does the eternal Torment want from you? What does he demand from each and one of you?” recognising some of the flocks immediate bloodthirsty thinking Marrent slowly shakes his head. ”The wishes of the Grub Lord is not easy to recognise. They are not something that you may perceive by simply dressing in dark robes and bow before this Alter. Killing randomly is not the way.
The mass-murderer may claim to have sent his victims to the Grub Lord and believe that his own soul will be saved. ” raising a finger he shakes his head with more force to underline his next statement. ”I say that the murderer who died by the end of a rope, suffers unimaginable at the feet of the grub lord who enjoys this soul even more then the very victims that was sent to him through the deed of the murderer.

”Culnul is not chaos. Do not mistake his rule for the pandemonium offered by false prophets and lesser necromantic tricks. The many who pull the strings of the dead habitually does so for their own gain. ” holding up a waging finger he silences a low murmur from the crowd. ”Culnul sees nothing wrong with this - unless it is done carelessly and without proper insight of what it means to his rule. Many are those who wandered down the path of self-righteousness using the dead for own ends. All of them are doomed to pay the price that Culnul demands of such conduct.” taking a small break Marrent turns and again cuts his hand allowing blood to drip down the alter.
”Through our blood we can make penance. It is the coinage that Culnul demands for our brief time here. Children, do not act without thought – serving the Eternal Torment is only for those with profound and deep faith – the others will perish. Amen.”

[Mensha Khaine]

A hooded figure stands up in the back row "Lyuq! Lyuq yril satcelll ay ucvel!", the heavy set man moves with purpose to the aisle.

"Buhhuf zuon ufc yruowryl, ib yrel ynoyr il ocisqunyacy, ib iy il selnelhz ac ihholiuc, yrelc ruf vac zuon ufc funtl pel isqunyacy un eljelc ynoel?

Lelel yrel vunnoqyiuc ic zuo ufc funtl, al yrel ynoyr vac cuy vracwel bnus ucel pnelayr yu yrel celgy, bun fray vracwell il cuy yrel ynoyr, selnelhz fray zuo pelhieljelt yu pel ynoel il qnujelc bahlel.

Zuon pnuxelc sict il tilyunyicw nelahiyz, zuo'nel yfilyicw sictl act vunnoqyicw luohl yu biy zuon qlzvruyiv telholiucl. Lyact tufc act nit zuonlelhb ub yril satcelll pelbunel iy il yuu hayel!"

[vastgoten]

Marrent passes the hooded man smiling politely at him. He does not seem to react on the message. Instead he passes a short blessing over the hooded man as he does with any who ask for it and then returns to the alter starting to clean it thoroughly.