MRCHENN

Upon first hearing news of their departure to Aevos from a Savoyard courier, Father Drusco knelt before an altar within Lemon Hill, and vehemently prayed for the safe arrival of his cousins. "O' Lord, hear this prayer of your humble son. Your judgement is penultimate, and Your authority is omnipotent. Bestow Your divine blessing upon those who steer the vessel carrying my beloved kin, guiding them safely across treacherous seas to Your sacred shores. Grant my family unwavering courage and steadfast hearts, that they may overcome every trial and hardship they encounter. May they remain resolute and faithful servants, ever vigilant in upholding and enforcing Your divine law within Your holy dominion. Amen."

[!] Father Drusco sends Ipera a brief thesis he wrote on the nature of "Evil" (nonetheless, he does not agree that any evil has been done in this case) and why God must permit it for the world to function. He then prays that she does not convert to paganism.

[!] A bird reaches Owyn de Savoie. "O' Ashford kin of mine, It pains me to see that a man who claims my heritage, of the same zealous Savoyard men who answered the call of Daniel I, commit this act of anathema as you have. You must realize that no amount of feigned ignorance will excuse the sin you have enacted, the most grievous sin. There is no reactionary excommunication, as it is the final sentence. If you claim yourself to be a man of action, then you will must understand that your attempt to rationalize the 'merit of your actions' is not enough, and instead, you must do the following to begin your penance: Revoke your name, and revoke your ties to de Savoie. Take up the cloth of a monk, just as Oliver II did. Once you have done this, you will be allowed entry to Lemon Hill. Otherwise, may your soul be damned. Fr. Bertrand."

Father Bertrand briefly remarks the following in a Curial meeting, "We have developed, in great detail, what we are calling the ‘Gold Card,’ which goes on sale very, very soon. For 5 thousand minas, we will allow the most successful job-creating people from all over Aevos to buy a path to citizenship within the Pontifical States. It’s better and more sophisticated. We will now bring in brilliant, hardworking, job-creating people. They’re going to pay a lot of money, and we’re going to reduce our war debt with that money."

"Oh hell nah....," Says Historian Derfey

An Acolyte’s Thesis: The Problem of Evil Written by Bertrand Ashford de Rouen Edited by Sanctimonious Derfey 9th of Sigismund’s End, 2019 The Problem of Evil presents itself as a perennial challenge to the faithful: if God is truly omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, why does evil persist in His Creation? Within our doctrine, we must resolve this apparent contradiction by understanding evil not as an oversight or limitation of God. Evil, permitted by God yet opposed by Him, serves not as an imperfection of His creation but as a necessary condition for virtue, for through adversity alone can humanity truly grow closer to God. As stated in the Scroll of Virtue and further clarified by Blessed Pius, evil is not proof of divine neglect, but of divine wisdom. "And as I have created for you the struggles of the world, so too do I create the struggles of the spirit. And as I have created the struggles of the world and the spirit, so too do I bring their remedies." (Virtue 5: 5-6) The Scroll of Virtue explicitly conveys that the existence of worldly struggles is intentional and purposeful. God's design is neither flawed nor incomplete but deliberate. Just as a skilled artist employs dark shades to highlight the brilliance of brighter color, so too does God use adversity to bring about fortitude, patience, and compassion. Overcoming temptation or enduring hardship is precisely what imparts depth and sincerity to virtue. "The Lord lasts through all adversities, for He is their source and their remedy—without Him, they are uncured." (Spirit 2:5) Evil is not an independent force vying against the Creator, but rather a permitted phenomenon within His governance. It reminds us of our dependence on divine grace and our necessary pursuit of moral excellence. Without adversity, there would be no impetus to seek the divine remedy, diminishing humanity's spiritual awareness and its intimate relationship with the Creator. Mother Adolpha, a respected priestess of our Canonist Church, raised the Problem of Evil during a spiritual conversation with me when exploring this theological dilemma. She posed to me a critical moral question: Would we rather exist in comforting stagnation or strive through discomfort toward authentic virtue and spiritual depth? The pursuit of truth, though fraught with discomfort and potential suffering, ultimately leads humanity toward meaningful spiritual fulfillment and closeness with God. Evil, in this view, is essential to truth itself. Consider the relationship between virtue and vice: bravery can only exist in the presence of danger; generosity is meaningful only where selfishness might otherwise prevail. This inherent dependency illustrates a fundamental principle in our theology—the coexistence and interdependence of virtue and adversity. Without either, is this not the Void? Evil, thus, is indispensable to defining virtue. The promise of eternal reward and glory, as expressed in Canonism, necessitates the existence of adversity. Why did God promise eternal glory to Horen? Precisely because Horen was destined to mortality, adversity, and eventually death. It is through this temporal struggle that eternal reward gains meaning. Without these temporal challenges which humanity faces, the promise of the Seven Skies has no significance. Just as a wise teacher permits students to grapple with difficult problems, fostering intellectual growth through their own efforts, so too does God permit humanity to face moral and spiritual challenges. It is within this context that His divine benevolence and omnipotence are fully revealed: not by removing evil, but by allowing humanity the dignity and opportunity to overcome it through free will and divine support. Thus, evil is understood not as a divine flaw or contradiction but as an intentional component of God’s divine plan for humanity’s spirit. It is a testament to divine wisdom that true virtue, spiritual insight, and the ultimate promise of eternal glory can only be meaningfully realized through the presence and overcoming of adversity. St. Lucien, pray for us. Fire keep you all.

"Never did I think I would live in an era where a "Novellen", of all people, joins an "anti-Imperial coalition", yet still tries his best play the game of an Emperor." Says Jon de Lewes.

Wtf marb is still alive?

Jon Ashford de Lewes pledges the support of his house, sending a missive to his former compatriots.

"Bay Area" Derfey pins the Seventh Canticle of Derfey to the missive: "There shall be only one Anti-Church, and its name will be Derfey, or some other variant."

@Gecko @Mio@gavyn@Nectorist @spicii @Emery @subatomic

Derfey Alstion, grandfather of the prince and notorious clown-killer, cackled from afar...

#Lorraine

"Nice." Said Peter Montalt

The Lord of Peremont signs the document.

“Who want smoke with me.” Says Nardo Wick

Sir Jon de Lewes recites a familiar verse from the Holy Scrolls, of which this situation reminded him. “Their enemy is Vargengotz the Destroyer, who rules from his capital, which was the holiest city. And in his army are Vargengotz’s slaves, the tyrants and the treacherous, and his false servants, Justice, Glory, and Reward. And Godfrey’s host meets them in battle upon the mountain. Thus Godfrey raises the scepter of rebuke; And lo! the command of GOD is justice, and the unjust are punished: Vargengotz and his servants are destroyed.” Auspice 2:33-38 "How ironic."

“Holy shit.” Jon de Lewes said from his encampment near Drusco.

[[OOC]] IGN: Chennster [[ OOC]] Discord: zynlord420 Name: Jon de Lewes Where are you from?: N/A Optional Alias:

The Free City of Chambery, as depicted by Ser Tiber of the Nauzica Atop the hill which overlooked Chambery, Sir Jon de Lewes inspected the flowing river before him. The hustle and bustle of the city was quite paranormal today, given the events which had recently transpired. The capital - it was too much for him. He preferred the peace and quiet of nature’s recluse. “What now, Jon?” The Duke of Valfeur, Adrian of Temesch, mumbled these words to him, his bulging face embarrassingly filled with the meat of the hunt they had just hunted days prior. “I don’t know, Adrian. I was ready to go to war, for what we wanted. I had written my letters, my will - even prayed. God, that Aaunish Gambit ruined everything!” He swung a rock across the water in anger. It teetered on the surface of the river, before sinking. “I was supposed to be a drunken thug, and you: a sellsword? And now, we’ve liberated these people from war and tyranny. The Commonwealth looks to us now. I just wanted it all to end.” The fat lord rose from the base of the tree upon which he sat, his cheeks turning red in the great effort it took. “Seriously, how did we get here?” Jon fondly recalled his time in the hamlet of Enswerp. Those countless days of relaxed farming, soon turned to laborious war strategy and scouting missions against the Commonwealth of the Petra. And then Adrian had found him, ennobling the fellow Savoyard as his first knight and chief advisor. He spoke to him greatly about his dreams for the people he meant to lead: not two states, but one; not two identities, but one constitution. And then words of that fateful night the King of Aaun demanded the Queen of Petra to swear fealty to him instead - breaking the accord of unity that Adrian made with the King. Everything was dismantled from there. “It should have gone differently.” says Adrian with a furrowed brow, anger ruminating his features. “To test our strength like that and then cower at the first signs of it? Charles was afraid. He had to have been.” Jon rose then, shaking his head with a plain look over his face, simply turning to Adrian. “They all did, Adrian, every last one of them. Why do you think Charles immediately banished us, the moment you sought peace with Adalia, and pledged her to the Constitution? And then, all the fabricated lies about your affinity for Blackvale!” “They knew the potential of what we could have been, what we are. If we had our way, there would have been no peace until he bent the knee, and the Heartlands was ours.” The Savoyard said very matter of factly, slinging the sheath of his grandfather’s blade over his shoulder. ”What are you suggesting?” Spoke Adrian, a sense of relief and reassurance washing over him from the words of the Savoyard. His eyes narrow, and his lips curling into a wry grin. Jon had nothing more to say, the ancestral Ashford plate he adorned creaking at every step he took. “Nothing yet. But, I’m afraid this is where we part ways for now.” His eyes fixated eastward, beginning his march to where Drusco once was. The once unsure demeanor of Adrian was now certain. “Until the next.”

“Complacency is death, and this Assembly today was a great show of it. The advantage is ours, and we shall take it.” Sir Jon de Lewes said.

"Tatake..." Says Gorb'Gorkil.

"The Heartlands must endure - Unity above all." "Death to Renilde. Blood for Ashford." Says Jon de Lewes

Jon also sends in a donation..