Episode: Dominus
Posted by Story on 11/16/20
The days since the assassination of Dominus Orazio, and the terrible, bloody attacks that accompanied it, have been chaotic to say the least. Faith leadership, from acting Dominus to archlector, have done their best to assess and mitigate the damage, while showing a united front to an angry and frightened populace. Still, there's a lot to sort through, a lot of pieces to attempt to put together, and a lot of dead to account for. That's why it takes a little while to notice one particular name that remains on the list of the missing.
It only takes a little longer for word to spread like wildfire throughout the city of Arx, carried by thousands of distributed copies of a written proclamation, much as the words of Ivan Helianthus so many months before. But this proclamation does not come from Ivan Helianthus, or his foreign allies.
"Faithful of Arvum,
We stand upon the precipice of a great and terrible conflict, one which threatens to tear our mighty Compact asunder. For years, our devotion has been challenged again and again by those who have been granted power undeserved, who have introduced imaginary gods and insisted their virtues were as equals to those we have known and loved for as long as our worship has existed. Now, in the wake of Dominus Orazio's tragic death, one of these selfsame pretenders has been granted the temporary authority to act in his place by the same butcher that attacked the Mourning Isles at Sungreet, and there are murmurs among the faithful that this heretic might be granted the position of Dominus of the Faith in truth. We must take lessons from the well-meaning mistakes of blessed Orazio, and no longer remain silent and accepting of the corruption in our midst, of attempts by deceitful men and women who seek to sunder the Church. No Convocation called for by faithless schemers can possibly be legitimate; for, after all, was it not their charge to protect the very Dominus whose death will now almost certainly lift one of them up into his stead?
Faithful, you must join with us in condemning these men and women who have and would continue to lead you astray. We declare Aureth Grayhope to be guilty of heresy, unfit for his position, or any position, and hereby excommunicate him from the Faith. We declare Astrid Ulbran to be guilty of heresy, unfit for her position, and hereby excommunicate her from the Faith. We declare Hamish Farmer to be guilty of heresy, unfit for his position, and hereby excommunicate him from the Faith. We declare Sir Preston Godsworn to be stripped of his position as Grandmaster of the Templars, and his powers as Carnifex to be illegitmately granted, and hereby revoked. We declare the shav who calls herself Symonesse Grayson to be guilty of heresy, and hereby excommunicate her from the Faith. We formerly dissolve the 'discipleships' known as the Harlequins of the Queen of Endings and the Liberators, and we officially censure their members until they approach us, humble and penitent, to beg forgiveness and provide the identities of those who helped forment rebellion amongst the thralls of Sungreet. In the honor of our fallen Dominus, we call upon every legate, archlector, seraph, and disciple to denounce the corruption that has grown and festered within the highest levels of our institution, to condemn the heresies that have been allowed to run rampant, and we warn against allying with those who so cruelly misled and betrayed him.
Join with us, devoted and unwavering servants of the Gods, join with the righteous, and together we will return the Faith of the Pantheon to the foundations upon which it has always held firm, never again to falter in the face of conmen and the power mad.
By my hand and authority, by the power granted to me by the gods,
Most Holy Waldo Bellerive, Dominus of the Faith, Closest to the Gods"
It only takes a little longer for word to spread like wildfire throughout the city of Arx, carried by thousands of distributed copies of a written proclamation, much as the words of Ivan Helianthus so many months before. But this proclamation does not come from Ivan Helianthus, or his foreign allies.
"Faithful of Arvum,
We stand upon the precipice of a great and terrible conflict, one which threatens to tear our mighty Compact asunder. For years, our devotion has been challenged again and again by those who have been granted power undeserved, who have introduced imaginary gods and insisted their virtues were as equals to those we have known and loved for as long as our worship has existed. Now, in the wake of Dominus Orazio's tragic death, one of these selfsame pretenders has been granted the temporary authority to act in his place by the same butcher that attacked the Mourning Isles at Sungreet, and there are murmurs among the faithful that this heretic might be granted the position of Dominus of the Faith in truth. We must take lessons from the well-meaning mistakes of blessed Orazio, and no longer remain silent and accepting of the corruption in our midst, of attempts by deceitful men and women who seek to sunder the Church. No Convocation called for by faithless schemers can possibly be legitimate; for, after all, was it not their charge to protect the very Dominus whose death will now almost certainly lift one of them up into his stead?
Faithful, you must join with us in condemning these men and women who have and would continue to lead you astray. We declare Aureth Grayhope to be guilty of heresy, unfit for his position, or any position, and hereby excommunicate him from the Faith. We declare Astrid Ulbran to be guilty of heresy, unfit for her position, and hereby excommunicate her from the Faith. We declare Hamish Farmer to be guilty of heresy, unfit for his position, and hereby excommunicate him from the Faith. We declare Sir Preston Godsworn to be stripped of his position as Grandmaster of the Templars, and his powers as Carnifex to be illegitmately granted, and hereby revoked. We declare the shav who calls herself Symonesse Grayson to be guilty of heresy, and hereby excommunicate her from the Faith. We formerly dissolve the 'discipleships' known as the Harlequins of the Queen of Endings and the Liberators, and we officially censure their members until they approach us, humble and penitent, to beg forgiveness and provide the identities of those who helped forment rebellion amongst the thralls of Sungreet. In the honor of our fallen Dominus, we call upon every legate, archlector, seraph, and disciple to denounce the corruption that has grown and festered within the highest levels of our institution, to condemn the heresies that have been allowed to run rampant, and we warn against allying with those who so cruelly misled and betrayed him.
Join with us, devoted and unwavering servants of the Gods, join with the righteous, and together we will return the Faith of the Pantheon to the foundations upon which it has always held firm, never again to falter in the face of conmen and the power mad.
By my hand and authority, by the power granted to me by the gods,
Most Holy Waldo Bellerive, Dominus of the Faith, Closest to the Gods"