[!] ON THE MATTER OF LIGHT & DARK

[Karina 412]

[!]



Another day, more missives. Posted on the gates of Balian, of Amathine, Kaethul, and elsewhere: the following message stood. 

┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓
 

ON THE MATTER OF LIGHT & DARK
 

Recently, I have been made aware of a variety of misinformation that has started to creep through Aevos. They claim conspiracy. They claim a vast ‘shadowy network’ has ties to nearly every nation here. I would put my foot down and say; enough. It is the work of Iblees to drive our descendants to fight each other. With no trust between each of us, the very fabric of our society will begin to wither and fail. This is what they want. Do not let it happen. Safeguard your soul from their foul lies and words. Below, I will share a tale of how the Church works to root out such things in our day to day lives. Many such occurrences are not seen, for news of the Good does not spread as fast as news of the Bad. 

For those who may not know, my name is Sermi Ulveryn. I was recently put to trial in Whitespire for the supposed crime of being a darkspawn. Many years ago, I was cursed by warlocks; agents of iblees who lingered and hunted near Haeseni land for many years. To this effect, after an inconclusive darkspawn test (later revealed to likely be another of Iblees’ work, tampered salts unbeknownst to any involved) I was brought to court. Many were in attendance, Fathers, Bishops, Cardinals – and so forth.

It is the Canonists Churchs TIRELESS commitment to the TRUTH that is the reason I stand a free woman today. There are those who claim darkspawn testing, aurum testing, does not work. I can assure you that in all my years of research, it does. Do not let these agents of Iblees convince you that everyone has the possibility to be a darkspawn. Whatever was put into this salt caused it to bubble and fizzle. Twisting the truth of a most sacred foundation of our society. LET IT BE KNOWN this was not the work of any mortal hands, for the salt was pure. IT WAS ONLY possible through the foul magicks of Iblees. Even now, they seek to make you doubt the words of our valiant protectors. 

This troublesome plot was found after a total of five aurum tests and a templars flame. This revealed the truth; that I was alike to you, reading this poster. By hoping to put doubt on this, the Ibleesians hope to make you question all you knew. If darkspawn tests did not work, how can we be kept safe? How can we be sure that no King or Queen or Prince or Lord is touched by the shadow? It is simple. They are lying to you. I stood the templars flame, unburnt, and once proof was rendered of a clean test; this dark work began to unravel. This was only possible through the patience and good grace of the Tribunal, to ensure every aspect could be explained with reason and logic. Not just raw emotion. 

I no longer fear for the innocent, for no matter what: the clergy believes in proof and fact and GOD. No amount of shadow can stop the Church from finding the truth. In these uncertain times, you all have offered a glimmer oncemore of fresh hope. To this effect: I would like to offer praise to those listed below. In times of trouble, you have proven to be inspirational figures and beacons of GODANS light.
 

His Holiness, Sixtus the Sixth.

At what you had witnessed, many would move to have hung or burnt immediately. Your Holiness, it is safe to say that I am alive only because of your commitment to the truth. You have my deepest respects. Knowing it is your discerning eye that drives the clergy to act is of great warmth to my faith.

 

Bishop Villorik, of the Jorenic Clergy

You are a strong man. Once in a generation. We have often spoken of our faith, of the trials that we endure as Canonists. It is your words that, through this dark time, I have held fast to. No amount of darkness can ever snuff even the smallest light. You taught me that.

 

I cannot thank you enough. I hold every bit of faith that the White Comet Tribunal will show the rest of the Church that the Jorenic Rite is as sacred and pure now, as ever before. That it will expose those damned, to the light, that we may put to rest the fears over Haeseni loyalty once and for all.

 

A proud, loving, GOD-fearing people. Our people. As a shepherd tends to a flock, you tend to our souls. Without your powerful light standing resolute, I fear what may have happened to them when the wolves closed in.

 

Cardinal Albarosa

When none believed me. When my times were the most challenging. As I sit there, covered in cuts from so many aurum tests. It was you who took the stand and demanded further proof. You demanded to be shown, without a doubt, that I was an agent of Darkness.

 

Those who thought that have been found *wanting*. Your counsel, and steady eye, were a steadying breath amidst a tumultuous sea of worry. I fear that you might be very busy, as the tempters further try to slander our people and church.

 

Father Nerium

You have long provided calming words, and conversation that has pushed me to better myself as a Canonist. I think back to the words we have shared, when I feel the agents of Iblees turn their eyes to me. You have helped arm me, to find the TRUTH.

 

 Father Yann

I remember when you rolled that barrel of salt up into the court. The way my heart was about to leap out of my chest. A chance at the freedom, and truth, provided by you. I cannot thank you enough. I hope that one day, we can speak under better circumstances. 

 

Brother Rainier

One might think I hold an anger towards you for what has happened. But you were doing your GOD-ordained duty. You saw something unorthodox, and you investigated. Along with all other names here, you too, committed fully to the unveiling of the TRUTH from the Ibleesian LIE. None can ever doubt the actions of the Ordermen, or indeed, you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Tireless work will be needed to ensure we are safe, and with men like you; I am certain GODANs will be done.

 

And all my Canonist brethren

The days grow longer, and more fierce. It feels like every day, we are attacked in a different light. Sometimes, it is our faith. Often, it is our faith. Look now to the Jorenic Church. I understand many have concerns, but it is men like Bishop Villorik leading the charge to purge any hint of shadow from within the clergy.

 

We are weakest when we are divided. This is what they want. By throwing doubt on the very bonds that keep our society dear with foul lies (That aurum does not work on darkspawn? Even a child knows better), we will soon have these bounds tested. Hold fast to those you love. Hold fast to your prayers.

 

In these times, remember that while the shadow may seem long. His light, GODANs light, will always root out the shadow. The Truth is out there. Not hidden, not locked behind doors; but in plain sight.  

 

Tenete, fratres. Lux eius aeterna est.

 

┗━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┛

[SteppeNomad 1552]

"You are cursed dear child... If you are so loyal to the holy path, there is another way besides being a benifecier of Owyn's mercy to become pure... You may banish the curse of Iblees. That is the cure."

 

The father Adeptus #003 still present in the chapel of Holy Purity there right beyond Haense's walls kept the fire lit.

 

"Endlessly do we strive to be purer. There is no reason to deny the means and methods we have been given to ease our burdens and our curses."

 

"And we must suffer not the words of the blasphemer. Even if he is your kin, or your greatest friend. For his sin of Heresy is thy sin of mercy, and all the world suffers what may instead be purified in fire and steel."

[LithiumSedai 4837]

Father Jean lamented the loss of his cooking supplies until the gravity of his actions saving an innocent life dawned upon him. To his friend and benefactor, King John, he remarked:

"If half my yearly allowance saved a life, I would rather be penniless and save two."

 

@Ramon

 

[GrenadierGaming 54]

Rakhnar grunts as he reads the missive, "Fer' someone who despised the Church not so long ago, ye' sure have no problems with it when it serves your nefarious goals, old friend." He shook his head, "No longer shall I take in words spoken from forked tongues, and neither should anyone else." He ripped the missive from the wall and stamped it into the ground. Replacing it, instead, with the missive of the Rah'mun and the message to the Lighteners. Doing so wherever he could.

[Publius 3666]

1 hour ago, Karina said:

Recently, I have been made aware of a variety of misinformation ... They claim conspiracy. They claim a vast ‘shadowy network’ has ties to nearly every nation here... Safeguard your soul from their foul lies and words...

My name is Sermi Ulveryn. I was recently put to trial in Whitespire... for the supposed crime of being a darkspawn. Many years ago, I was cursed by warlocks; agents of iblees who lingered and hunted near Haeseni land for many years. To this effect, after an inconclusive darkspawn test (later revealed to likely be another of Iblees’ work, tampered salts unbeknownst to any involved) I was brought to court. Many were in attendance, Fathers, Bishops, Cardinals – and so forth.

It is the Canonists Churchs TIRELESS commitment to the TRUTH that is the reason I stand a free woman today. There are those who claim darkspawn testing, aurum testing, does not work. I can assure you that in all my years of research, it does. Do not let these agents of Iblees convince you that everyone has the possibility to be a darkspawn. Whatever was put into this salt caused it to bubble and fizzle. Twisting the truth of a most sacred foundation of our society. LET IT BE KNOWN this was not the work of any mortal hands, for the salt was pure. IT WAS ONLY possible through the foul magicks of Iblees. Even now, they seek to make you doubt the words of our valiant protectors. 

This troublesome plot was found after a total of five aurum tests and a templars flame... If darkspawn tests did not work, how can we be kept safe? How can we be sure that no King or Queen or Prince or Lord is touched by the shadow? It is simple. They are lying to you. I stood the templars flame, unburnt, and once proof was rendered of a clean test; this dark work began to unravel. This was only possible through the patience and good grace of the Tribunal, to ensure every aspect could be explained with reason and logic. Not just raw emotion. 

Bishop Villorik, of the Jorenic Clergy...

 

And all my Canonist brethren

... Look now to the Jorenic Church. I understand many have concerns, but it is men like Bishop Villorik leading the charge to purge any hint of shadow from within the clergy.

 

 

Monk Matsuda Sakuraba read this, and was completely dumbfounded. What was the point of this missive? It seemed this lady had just announced to the world she managed to pass a Darkspawn test, then attributed her acquittal to hard work DESPITE dark magics being used to hamper it, and to trust the process, that this in itself was not an act of conspiracy?

 

Befuddled, he noted the bias' of the woman, and her openly suspicious background.

 

To her, he wrote this:

 

_________________________________

 

Dear Lay-lady Sermi,

 

You have been through a trying experience, traumatic - my sympathies to you to sit center-stage to a dehumanizing show of whether or not you are a Darkspawn. Thoroughness saved you, because there is active interference from Iblees even in the matters of testing, as you yourself attest to in this missive.

 

Following such an event, I can understand being scared and needing to express yourself, but you say to blindly trust the process when you openly admit the means of testing are being hampered with. Furthermore, it is the scrutiny of that process that saw you acquitted anyhow. Had they trusted the salts in your test, you would likely be dead.

 

Your points also run contrast to your solutions. It was the intervention of others that saved you, that proved the process true. Using this same logic, would we not encourage the intervention of the Church in Jorenus' work to ensure the same results? You belabor the point of how unlikely it is that you would have triumphed without thorough intervention, without more scrutiny, yet you allow bias to triumph instead when you say we should not be as thorough or intervene in the affairs of Jorenus and Haense, as a Church, which you also encourage us to trust whole-heartedly.

 

You are right to note that the truth can only be found through the Tribunal.

 

To say all of this, to go on at lengths about how evil magik interfered with the ability to test you for being a Darkspawn, while saying we are being lied to when people tell us to be suspicious, is honestly an insult to anyone who can read your missive. You admit to having been under the influence of Darkspawn in Haense, and that the intervention of Jorenus' clergy in your testing - which had been tampered with by Magik of Iblees (In your own words) - ensured your acquittal. You then suggest us being suspicious of such matters is what Iblees wants.

 

Your points are muddled. You ask us to trust individual Diocese during this crisis, then detail how it was only through intervention that you were saved. You say to believe in the testing without reasonable scrutiny, after detailing that your testing was tampered with by dark magik, making it unreliable. Why do you say those who are doubtful are spreading misinformation when you yourself are an unreliable source? When you contradict your own points? How naive can you be?

 

Your testimony only heightens my doubt in the current state of affairs. You are right - we are to trust the Church, but thoroughness will show who in our faith who would side with The Great Betrayer.

 

May you not stray from His Light again,

Monk Matsuda Sakuraba, SSJP

 

 

[ReveredOwl 5331]

"A demon wants to assure us that aurum tests do work on darkspawn, when it is common knowledge that most forms of darkspawn have developed an immunity to cuts of aurum, simply because she knows they do not work on her and can easily pass this test. Cut her down already, anything that looks like a demonic entity should be treated as such, to prevent infestations forming." remarked Rhys var Ruthern.