GOD WATCHES US ALL

[Werew0lf 24180]

 

 

To my citizens of the Empire,

 

Madness; it is a complex junction of instability that sometimes hearths within the minds of men. Often spoken as an illness, yet sometimes, it comes verily with age. Am I to say that I am beyond such illness? I cannot be, for I am a Man much the same as anybody else.

 

Yet madness can act in a more brilliant fashion, the finite tool of a mad-man can be wondrous, but at the same time, very dangerous. To some, it could bring the downfall and death of those they love, yet to others, it could be liberating. However, I came to realise something: two mad-men cannot be in the same room as each other. I, for sure, am mad. Bernard? He, too, is mad. 

 

Do men kill themselves when they fear their wrongdoings? Let us ask the corpse of Bernard as his blade impaled through his own stomach, and his guts flung out in a bloody, visceral display. For some reason, I could do nothing but sit there in mild dissatisfaction – why could I not have been the one to kill him? 

 

Through all this, we learn something: surely, this time, I have sinned. So I have opted to take penance for the death of our most holy Pontiff, but who shall give me this penance when the Pontiff is dead? I have to speak my prayers, and own up to this incredulous murder. Bernard--for all his faults--was a priest that I have killed even if not by my own hand.

 

That question will be answered. After a long discussion with my friends of Idunia, we have come to a conclusion: a new Pontiff will be selected (already has been), and the Church will undergo a complete reset and restoration. Iudas shall continue to serve as the Idunian Cardinal until such a time that Argelion or his heir decide he is no longer worthy, that is not for me to decide or argue.

 

However, for my Crownlands, you shall all hear it: from this point on, there is no other Cardinal or Bishop that shall still currently hold his rank in the Church. Fear not, our new Pontiff shall be revealed, and he will speak to all the vassals in establishing what needs to be done. To those who fear persecution, you may stand proudly. The death of tyranny is not over, for I am still alive, but there is at least one less tyrant in the world. 

 

The Church will be rooted out from within. There will be no conclave to elect a new Pontiff, because the half-man held a council of similar morons and this would continue to persist. 

 

My excommunication? It is lifted. Who lifted it? Me. I will not stand to be called GODLESS by a man who was cowardly enough to slay himself. I fought for the rights of my people, and will be punished for killing a beast-in-vestments? I did not slay a priest, but another craven serpent that trudged through the mud. 

 

From whichever place you see this, Bernard, be it the void, or granted mercy in the Seven Skies, know that you died because you fell to the den of serpents surrounding you. Do you know that upon your death, the same men that rebuked me are now begging to take the head-of-faith role? They are singing my name as a saviour–the same ones who wrote their support for you.

 

You died for those godless men who betrayed you without further notice.

 

All men will be welcomed to attend the Imperial Palace in the throne room to discuss the new position of the faith, and to also reveal our new Pontiff who shall guide us.

 

Be there.

 

Flame guide you,

 

Hadrian.

Date & Time:

Thursday 12th February 2026

3PM - 4PM EST 

(Any time in or between).

 

[Crevel 7557]

"Oh..." remarks a confused Father Martin, hearing of the apparent suicide of the High Pontiff for the first time among these other sudden state of affairs.

[Seva 624]

Spoiler

 

Anglican Larp begins NOW

 

 

 

[ContestedSnow 1435]

"A coward's exit from the fight he started, and after all his drivel about martyrdom." Alric var Ruthern scoffed.

[Baccaaa 490]

"The Pontiff would never kill himself!" said a woman wearing a tinfoil hat.

[brujera 1152]

The 'woman who Hadrian happened to marry' beamed from ear to ear upon hearing the news.

 

"GLORY unto Canondom, for GOD is victor."

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Morigung-oog 5697]

 

---

 

Valithael had spent many years recently mourning; for Anselm, for her uncle, for the death of her own hopes and dreams. The Pontiff's death came as no greatly startling surprise... And so it was that she did not weigh upon the death of Bernard itself, but the inevitability of it. The Fennic renegade read the missive in cold, calculating silence, her expression almost uncannily unmoved.

 

The Emperor was not known for his patience, for his kindness -- she knew this-- and yet he had given the Pontiff every courtesy that could be afforded to a man of Bernard's grand station. It took the form of  warnings. Time. Subtle opportunities to step back from the brink, to recuperate. Each one had been refused, cast aside in the comfort of assumed infallible sanctity. There was a peculiar arrogance in believing the throne would bow before the altar simply because it always had, she surmised.

 

Valithael exhaled softly through her nose.

 

The late Pontiff had once told her that her devotion, her loyalty, her centuries of service to clergy and Empire alike would never be enough. Under his eye, priesthood would remain forever beyond her grasp. A judgement delivered coolly, casually, and impersonally as though her were extinguishing the flame of a mere candle, rather than the dreams of a dear servant. The news had been delivered not by his own hand, but through the sympathies of one beneath him.. As though she were not worthy of even standing in his presence-- as though she had never been worthy. She had accepted the verdict without any loud, furious protest, just as she had accepted his death now; with a thin, lucid and almost spiteful understanding of the nature of consequence.

 

"Those who provoke the dragon should not mourn the sound of their own bones shattering beneath its claw."

 

The elfess mused evenly.  Perhaps history would remember this moment as one of  tragedy-- or maybe long-awaited justice. She would remember it as inevitability.

 

Inevitability, she had long since learned, was among the purest forms of mercy.

 

---

 

[Riot 743]

Spoiler

the "Good guy"

Spoiler

These feel like im reading a horror story in slow motion (love the story telling BTW)

 

[Reckless Banzai Screamer 15456]

A green spider shinobi pushes conspiracies that BERNARD could not have KILLED himself. He has his suspicions that it were a ploy of the pink witch after taking one of his strands of green hair from his pillow. How else could she have done this?

[PrinceJose270 1211]

"As is the tale of a puppet. Outlived its usefullness and replace. Such is most in those lands. They should of at least grown some stones to bite back even once before ending it all."A peculiar cursed one said. Before going back to prepare

[KaiserJacobII 1456]

"Such are lies! Such.. lies!," Lothaire spirals. "This is not written by the Emperor, but by.. by an Azdrazi! Yea! - An Azdrazi! The.. The serpent symbolism is clear for all to read. It is a trap, clear as day!" He wheels around, sending a teaspoon clattering to the ground. He brandishes the notice as a knife, maddened for the kill. He spills his morning tea, sending it staining over the floorboards. "And I shall not attend such a devious conclave of serpents. He can strip me of my title, I care not, but I shall not.. shall never give up my flock!"

 

Concerned is the acolyte who replies, in hesitant tone, "Your Grace, but I thought you said the Emperor did not write this."

[Lasombruh 612]

Ghislain de Anjou sets the post aside after reading it. He will not miss the halfling pontiff. 

[Xarkly 17299]

An old enemy raised a glass to the True Faith, who saved the Church from the control of nations.

[North 995]

Marton laughed hysterically. What goes around comes around, after all.

[Xtessisold222 484]

Trajan smiles the sun smile knowing that the lame's shall be remove from the glorious church of man.