We return to yet another screenshot of Ganezzar's multi-leveled majesty and squalor. But before we enter the city itself, let's talk to the leader of this caravan camped by the entrance.
"Unless you're one of the 'faithful', friend, you might as well turn around," says a gap-toothed man, giving you his best smile. "The good people of Ganezzar don't want the unbelievers polluting their fair city with their presence."
"Are the gates closed then?"
"The gates are wide open but without one of these," he displays a rough-looking pendant in the shape of a snake biting its own tail, "you won't make it past the first vacant cross, if you know what I mean."
"What is it?"
"What is it?" asks the man, truly surprised by your ignorance. (Lore 8 can't help us with zealot symbols according to the game) It's the mark of House Crassus. The great serpent Araborus whose awakening will herald the end of this world and the beginning of a new one."
"Ouroboros?" It's Araborus you plebeian!
"That's what I said, didn't I? So if you want to escape his fiery breath and enter the new world *and* this holy city, you can buy this amulet for one low price of 10 imperials. I should be charging more, but I refuse to make a profit on your personal salvation." Read: the zealots will kill me if I make a profit.
"I'll buy the amulet if you answer my questions." We slap the 10 imperials directly into his coin pouch.
"It will be my pleasure," the man says reassuringly, giving you the amulet."
"So what's all this nonsense about the locals turning the unbelievers away?"
"Can't blame them after what happened to Maadoran. (I guess the caravans and such outside of Maadoran weren't destroyed since we should probably be the first person back from there.) They say it was the wickedness of the unbelievers that brought the Gods' Wrath on their heads like a hammer. Nobody wants their city to be next, not because of some infidels hiding in their midst."
"The Boatmen, the Guards, the Merchants - they've been hunted down and killed like dogs. The zealots don't want to take any chances, so take my advice and embrace the True Faith, if you haven't already."
Turns out that Ganezzar is actually a theocratical zealotry infused nightmare, who knew? But that is all he has to say, so let's go inside the towering holy city of
Ganezzar.
"Stop right there!" (I had to do it) demands a pox-marked man. He looks dirty and unkempt, yet speaks with a strange aura of authority, clearly enjoying his power to stop and question anyone he pleases."
"Several armed men are looking behind him, making the unspoken threat credible. The Crassus guards manning the gate show no reaction, either accustomed to it or being on the side of the zealots."
"Which Lord do you owe fealty to?" asks the man."
"Lord Meru" If you needed confirmation that Gaelius is dead, here it is. We normally would be able to answer "Lord Gaelius" to the zealot, but in the darkest timeline Gaelius is completely obliterated.
"The man looks at the amulet and nods, letting you pass."
Now that that is done, we've got some people to talk to.
"You see a vigorous old man surrounded by a score of enthralled zealots. He has an overpowering presence and a booming voice that carries like that of a strict but fair parent explained the ways of the world to his obtuse children."
"He stops when he sees you and beckons you to approach, as if encouraging a shy child."
"Come join us, brother. I can see you're haunted by questions nobody can answer. (Well, at least that sentence is sorta accurate in this timeline instead of just presumptuous.) That's why the Gods led you here. They went you to find what you seek and they want me to guide along the way. Should I fail, I'll fail the Gods and will have to answer for it," says the old man smoothly."
"So tell me, what ails your soul?"
We could ask a number of things, but after recent events only one is really appropriate "What is the Gods' nature?"
"You might as well ask about the nature of the Sun," laughs the preacher, his laugh is comforting as he's clearly laughing with you, finding life's mysteries amusing, not at you."
"It turns night into day, which is far more important than what it is. Imagine the world without the Sun - the world cast into eternal darkness. Horrifying, isn't it? Yet that's the world we live in, only the darkness covers not our eyes, but hearts and minds." Compared to other fantasy worlds, yes Pancratius, we might as well be eternal darkness.
"The Gods will shine their everlasting Light upon us but only if we let them."
"I'm not sure what to believe."
"Ah," says the old man as if it were the easiest thing in the world to explain."
"Do you believe that the world around you is fair and just?"
Considering that we just witnessed a bunch of friendly neighborhood watchmen doing what they do, I don't think we can say yes. "No."
"Then you believe in a better world," says the preacher, smiling like a proud father at his child's first steps." Vibius is definitely a child, his graying hair and wrinkled face is a testament to his youthful charm.
"Now tell me, who's going to give you this world?" He continues, denying you an opportunity to say something and embarrass yourself."
"Is it you? No, for you're just a man, lost and alone. Is it your lord? (
No, for he died a death full of indignity and pain! One fitting for a heathen such as he.) No, for he's a false lord who claimed a title that wasn't his to claim." He looks at you expectantly."
"The Gods?"
"The Gods," says the preacher, bowing his head and reciting a prayer. "You see, brother, while your mind didn't know what to believe, deep in your heart you knew it all along - a better world, a just world without false lords! The Kingdom of the Gods!" Ignore the fact that it has been made clear that they are High Lords and a kingdom would require a King of the Gods, which doesn't exist.
"The false lords?"
"No man should raise himself above other men, for only the Gods have dominion over men. A man who proclaims himself a lord is a deceiver who wants to subjugate you and keep you in darkness. You owe him neither obedience nor fealty for he is the enemy of the Gods!" Also, he is dead. Very, very dead.
Pancratius has nothing left to say, so we jaunt back into the slums of Ganezzar.
Before we wander into the nearest tavern, witness the fury of the Gods.
In the tavern, we find a loremaster, because of course we do.
"You see a young man having a heated argument with an old loremaster."
"A story I've heard says these gods of yours were created," a young man says stubbornly. "The Magi made them!" Imagine a world where we didn't get all those flashbacks and evidence from several stories that this was true, and imagine this line of dialogue being informative far beyond the wordsmithing capabilities of mortal men.
"One of the patrons curses and reaches for his dagger, but the loremaster stops him with an authoritative gesture."
"Created?" asks the loremaster with disdain. "Do you create an oak when you plant an acorn? Or do you merely pray for it to find the soil fertile enough and sprout?"
"The Magi found a way to plant seeds containing the divine essence into mortal men, who were humbled by the honor. The Magi, wise as they were, created neither the Gods nor the divine essence that was used in the ritual. Banish such thoughts for they are nothing but blasphemy that will get you killed."
"He nods at the patron still clutching his dagger."
"What makes you think the essence was divine, brother?" His 22-inch pythons obviously.
"Your words take the loremaster aback. He eyes you with a contemptuous look, then says, "What other essence could it have been?"
"It's a good starting tactic - let your opponent do the talking and bury himself while you poke holes in his arguments."
"We don't know. We don't know what exactly the Magi brought to our plane. You said the essence was divine yet what proof do you offer?" We could also say "Well, there was a lot of talk about the Qantari demons..." but that sounds like a trap to me.
"Thread carefully unbeliever," the loremaster warns you, his thich eyebrows moving closer, reflecting his growing concern."
"The Gods came to our aid, fought for us, *bled* for us, yet they couldn't be killed by mortal weapons. Immortality is the highest proof of the divine nature of our Allies, for no mortal creature, no matter how big and ferocious, can cheat death." Ignore the fact that the Demons were seemingly immortal too, that doesn't matter.
"Many times our noble Allies were grievously wounded and had to be carried away from the battlefield only to return days later, their vigor renewed, their strength restored. What have you to say to that?"
"Why did they come to our aid and leave so abruptly, leaving nothing but ruins behind? We're told it's because we turned our backs on them which tells us nothing."
"What makes you think that your mind - limited and finite - can understand the Gods who are incomprehensible and infinite? Your arrogance must be bottomless if you presume to be capable of such a feat."
"You don't need to understand the Sun to accept its light and warmth. You don't need to understand the Gods to accept their love and guidance." We have witnessed nothing but love and guidance from the Gods recently.
"Are you sure that love and guidance are what they have in store for us?"
"What are you saying, unbeliever?" asks the loremaster, his thick eyebrows moving closer, reflecting his growing concern." This guy must have a massive head to be able to move his eyebrows this much. We only have one response to this by the way, let's see if it kills us.
"What if these god-like beings aren't benevolent and righteous but malevolent and evil?"
"The loremaster stares at you for a while, his distaste written on his face."
"A thief thinks every man steals. A cunning and deceitful man wonders if the Gods are cunning and deceitful. A liar thinks that the Gods can't be trusted. Your questions reflect your nature, unbeliever. Be on your way." "
You're dumb and your face is stupid, unbeliever!"
Time to walk around and see things such as "A sobbing man with bulging, bloodshot eyes. Every now and then he gathers enough strength and starts shouting - recanting his words and pleading for mercy. The onlookers laugh and encourage him to shout louder." and "The dirty floor is crowded with straw mattresses, children sleeping alongside drunken men and whores."
Also, it appears the developers fixed it, but
this was something that used the occur in a certain spot. I kinda miss it. There is one more person in Lowtown that we can talk to, so let's do that.
"Don't suffer an unbeliever to live," exclaims a man standing in front of the tow of crosses, "for he is the enemy of the Gods! His very existence is an affront! A breath he draws is an insult for it pollutes the air in this Holy City! His wickedness-"
"He notices you and stops mid-sentence."
"I haven't seen you before," he says slowly, as if that alone were a chargeable offense. "Where do you stand on the matters of faith," he asks casually, trying to sound indifferent and edging forward like a predator getting ready to pounce."
"I follow the teachings of Brother Meru. I came to Ganezzar to hear him speak." The other option is a threat, which would be a poor decision for Mr. One in All Combat Skills
"May the Gods watch over you, brother," says the man, instantly warming up toward you."
*House Crassus reputation increased*
"What's that? A pillar of skulls?"
What's that Lassy? A pillar of skulls? Oh that crazy Duke of Rudling, such a card."Heads of the unbelievers," says the man proudly. "This here," he picks up the top skull," is Aicken. He called the words of Brother Meru ill-invented nonsense. Nonsense! Can you believe that? Then he went on and on, saying that it was stuffed with madness, nonsense, and contradictions." The man shakes his head sadly."
"Of course he changed his mind when we nailed him to a cross. He said his circumstances were deplorable. As if it's some kinda excuse." The man lovingly pats the skull before putting it back."
"How long have you been crucifying the unbelievers?"
"For quire a while," says the man with pride. "And it all started here in Lowtown. We've been petitioning Brother Meru to do something about the unbelievers for a long time but to no avail. He probably thought it was too harsh a punishment or hoped that his sermons would do the trick."
"Well, one day we had enough. Some poor bastard had too much wine and started telling us that it was all horseshit. He dared the Gods to strike him down where he stood if he was making it up. Guess what, the Gods don't need to reach out all the way down here to swat him like a fly, not when they have the righteous men like us."
"So you put him on a cross?" Now, now, that's assuming a lot. Why can't they have thrown him off the walls, or drowned him in the local well? Why's it gotta be a cross?
"Damn right we did and guess what? Not a word from the city watch. None! So the next night we got three more of the bastards. Nailed them right to give them plenty of time to think about what they said and shout how sorry they were for the entire city to hear."
"After a couple of months you couldn't find an unbeliever even if you look all day, but like I said, I know some rot is still there. We'll get them, don't you worry."
"The guards are staying out of your way then?"
"You could say that, so maybe Brother Meru did hear our prayers after all."
"What's he like, Brother Meru?"
"He's like a father to us all. Gave up his lordship because he knows we're all equal in the Gods' eyes and no man should lord over another. It's not right," the man shakes his head vigorously."
"When the Gods return, they're gonna hold a court and ask everyone who broke their laws and raised themselves above their fellow men. Oh yes, there will be a reckoning, you'll see."
Time to jog away into the upper quarters.
"Did you see a man leaving?" demands one of the zealots. "Goes by the name of Elias."
"I didn't see anyone." What a worthwhile conversation, let's actually go to the upper quarters.
Except we don't because we can talk to a random guard. "Keep moving," says the guard, giving you a quick glance.
"Expecting trouble?"
"I'm here to make sure the new arrivals understand the boundaries. Just because our gates are open to all faithful doesn't mean they can go anywhere they please," explains the guard."
"Of course, men of standing and reputation are welcome anywhere but those who belong at the bottom should stay at the bottom."
"I thought we were all brothers and sisters."
"In Gods' eyes we are," nods the guard, ignoring your sarcasm, "which doesn't mean we shouldn't have order. If you were dirt poor before, you won't be sleeping on a feather bed when you come here, but you'll pray freely and without fear."
"What about the crosses?" Well, the crosses pay taxes so we can't throw them out.
"It's the Holy City," says the guard, giving you a long, hard look as if finally finding you worthy of his full attention. "If you aren't a man of faith, why are you here?"
"I have business here."
"Don't overstay your weclome."
*House Crassus reputation decreased*
What a bountiful conversation. Let's talk to another dude is this veritable barricade of dialogue.
"Look at them," says an old noblemand, pointing at the district below. "Like a rising tide that threatens to swallow us all."
"I remember when Lowtown was different. Cleaner..."
"When did it change?"
"When *Brother* Meru started to preaching to the rabble," says the old man, almost spitting when he says thee word brother."
"Keep your voice down lest the 'rabble' hears you."
"My family settled here when Ganezzar was nothing but a castle surrounded by a handful of houses. I'm not afraid of *them*."
"What was the city like in those days?" Because this guy would know how things were thousands of years ago.
"It wasn't much of a city back then, just a castle on this damn hill in the middle of nowhere. Many had wondered if House Crassus was banished from the Imperial court. My family was always loyal to the Crassus lords, so my ancestors left Aellium and settled on this hill."
"Of course, had they known that a lord of the greatest of the Great Houses would end up wearing robes and courting the rabble, they would have stayed in Aellium until the bitter end."
"Aellium?"
"The capital of the Old Empire. (I have no idea if the contradiction of both Maadoran and Aellium being said to be the capital of the Old Empire is on purpose or not.) The loremasters say the fighting was so fierce, the land itself was split asunder and the city sunk beneath the waves. That was the turning point. We stopped the bastards dead and won the war but the cost was too great to bear."
"Why did the Old Empire collapse?" Do we really have to ask this question again? I guess we do.
"Why? Imagine the Old Empire as a mighty chariot with seven horses. The horses are yoked to the chariot and follow the command of the charioteer. The War killed the charioteers and broke the chariot. The horses - the Noble Houses - started pulling what's left of the chariot into different direction, thus tearing it apart."
"So when did Ganezzar become a city?"
"My take on it is that at first the Crassus lords didn't want a city. They wanted a remote castle reachable only by air but at some point supplying the castle and the growing number of retainers had become too expensive."
"That's when they built the cascading levels and the first stairways, and opened the land around the hill for farming. When the farmers came, they settled at the foot of the hill. So the noble families were near the castle, at the top where they belong, the plebs at the bottom, and the equestrians in the middle. A perfect natural order."
"And now?"
"And now?" asks the old nobleman with a scoff. "Now that the first amongst the nobleborn has renounced his lordship and calls himself a *brother* to this rabble?"
"I understand that we're weak and our enemies are many, but Lord Meru's going way too far. What he's doing, what he has already done can't be easily undone. They won't go back into the cages once they serve their purpose. Mark my words."
"Why is Meru doing it?" Because he wants support from the common people? Maybe he really believes in the gods?
"Strength has always been in numbers. Ganezzar's population doubled in less than a year and these people will die for Lord Meru, but are these the kind of people House Crassus needs? What kind of future can we build with them running amok and crucifying those who don't share their zeal? They are turning on each other like animals!"
"Madness, pure madness," says the old nobleman, turning away."
Time to finally go to the temple district. Before we go to the temple itself, let's see what this "philosopher" is doing.
"You see a street philosopher-turned-preacher attempting to educate his flock on the subject of gods and demons. Fortunately, you missed most of the sermon."
"If the Gods were all-powerful, why did they battle the Demons for years, laying waste to cities and countryside alike?" asks the preacher, raising his voice dramatically. "Why couldn't they destroy them outright?" Because the demons were all-powerful too? Is that not an option?
"Because the Gods and the Demons are two sides of the same divine coin," says the preacher, proudly presenting his theory and triumphantly glancing around." It is an option!
"The accursed Qantari had reached into the void and brought forth those who dwell in eternal darkness and their number was four. Four is a symbol of chaos, of seperation, of dispersal into four directions. It's a symbol of banishment!" Can't argue with facts like that! Symbolism! Philosophy! Blasphemy! What an age we live in, one might even say an
Age of Decadence.
"What chance did mankind stand against these Lords of Chaos? None! We would have been killed or enslaved, cast into eternal darkness, but the Gods would have none of it. (The Demons liked tuna on their pizza, such heresy could not stand in the eyes of the Gods.) They came to our aid and their number was three."
"Three is the holiest of numbers for it symbolizes life. Birth, life, and death. Body, mind, and spirit. Creation, destruction, and preservation. It symbolizes unity for the three gods united were infinitely more powerful than the four Demons whose number symbolizes separation. Thus in the end each Demon stood alone and that was their downfall."
"You said that the Gods and Demons were two sides of the same coin. What did you mean by that?"
"Their origin was the same and their number was seven - the number of the universe and a symbol of completeness. There are seven days in a week, seven rays of the sun, seven pillars of wisdom, and seven musical notes."
"Seven divine beings representing the trinity of all things and the four elements."
"Clearly, you know your numbers. What do you know about the Gods and Demons that isn't common knowledge?"
Well you see, in the old times the Gods had a special game: hackeysack, the most holy of games."I know a-plenty," says the philosopher defensively, "but my knowledge isn't for the likes of you."
"What do you know about the one called Balzaar?" Probably nothing since this guy is clearly a hack.
"Baal-Zurath? According to the stories, he is the Chief of the Demons."
"What makes him the Chief if the Demons were divided and represented different directions?"
"Well, the numbers say one thing, the stories another, but the numerology is the exact science whereas stories are nothing but hearsay. So believe what you will."
"What about the Artificer?" He symbolizes the unity of jukeboxes with the universe of purity and opposes the evil fusebox demon who symbolizes the futility of life.
"He was the cleverest amongst the Gods. Some stories say that Baal-Zurath was the first to enter our realm and the first to rebel against the Magi, challenging the First of the Magi himself. (Well, that explains that story from much earlier in the game.) Other stories say that it was the Artificer who rebelled against Baal-Zurath and brought his downfall."
"And then you wonder why I don't put much stock in stories."
"Alright, so what do the numbers tell you?"
"The numbers don't lie," says the philosopher, excited by the prospect of educating you. "Three and four don't make six or eight, no matter how many times the equation is repeated. They always make seven. The very fact that seven was split into three and four tells us that there was a division amongst the Gods."
"Seven can't be split into two and five because two can't resist five, but three and four? These are strong numbers, plenty of power in them. It was the three that split from the seven, not the other way around."
"Why did they split?"
"The numbers are silent on the motives. The stories don't say much on this topic either. (So what you're saying is that the numbers can only reveal the same things the stories reveal? Sounds reasonable and credible to me!) All we know is that the Three who did split served the Old Empire and were strong enough to defeat the Four."
"Only to disappear after."
"Can you imagine a coin with only one side, brother? Two sides, same coin."
With that, we are finally done with complete idiot. On wards to the temple!
In the temple courtyard there are a bunch of people, including this guy with a nametag saying "Blind Man."
"You see a blind man sitting on a bench. He appears to be oblivious to everything, simply enjoying the warm day."
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" says the blind, turning his head in your direction when you approach. (Warlock! To the cross with him!) "First time in Ganezzar?"
"How can you tell?" Well, Ganezzar does have a pretty bad lingering smell...
"Who else would approach a blind man to ask for directions?" This guy must be some sort of comedian, sadly his stand-up lacks... vision.
"The locals leave you alone?" His stand-up is really bad, we just went over this.
"I'm an annalist. *Was* an annalist," sighs the man, "before I lost my sight. Fortunately, I don't have to earn my meals telling stories in taverns, so I just sit outside and enjoy the warm breeze. I didn't have time for such things before, but now I have all the time in the world."
"What did you work on before you lost your sight?"
"I tried to trace the history of House Crassus, which proved to be a daunting task. They say the Old Empire had three pillars an House Crassus was one of them. None of the other Houses can claim this honor."
"Do you know the House's origins?"
"I know what the stories say, which is as good as it gets these days. Of course, most of these stories come from House Crassus' archives, so make what you will of them."
"So what do these stories say?"
"They say that House Crassus was founded by Gaius Valerius Crassus - a military tribune with consular powers and unparalleled vision. It was him who turned the Magi into a powerful Order and it was that Order that turned an upstart kingdom into a mighty empire."
"So this Crassus character created the Magi *and* the Old Empire?"
"I told you the source of the stories," says the blind annalist, looking annoyed. "I wouldn't be surprised if the stories claimed that Crassus created the Sun and the Moon too. Still, the story isn't as outrageous as you might think, but if you have better things to do..." We definitely don't.
"Alright, go on."
"Of course, the Magi were there long before Lord Crassus set his gaze upon them, but akin to today's loremasters, they worked alone, serving kings and city-states as viziers and protectors. They wielded power, of course, but it was limited, for each man hoarded his secrets and took them to his grave. With me so far?"
"The Magi, what were they?" Strangle glove enthusiasts, Vibius. This should be obvious.
"The stories say that the Magi were all things: (that is a really helpful statement, dude) engineers, astronomers, thaumaturgists, mathematicians, and practitioners of the esoteric arts. (What does that even mean? Did they practice tyromancy or something?) They were men of science.
"One day Crassus was summoned before the King. Seeing the man in front of him was destined for great things, as the story claims, the King gave him three legions (15000 soldiers for a petty noble, what a wise king) and charged him with taking a "city of evildoers and temple-robbers", which had resisted all attempts to take it for many a decade."
"Crassus marched there without delay, laid siege to the city and eventually prevailed, but not before losing an entire legion to Hellfyre conjured by the magus of the city. Unfortunately, the city was never named, because it was razed to the ground, the land salted, (that just seems unnecessary considering you already razed the city) and its name stricken from the records."
"Hellfyre?
"The word's fairly common in the stories, but it often describes completely different things. It's possible that the hellfyre Crassus had witnessed was what we call liquid fire. Hellfyre mentioned in the Great War's accounts appears to be something far more potent and devastating." Liquid fire is also pretty potent and devastating, as we'll learn when I do an alchemy focused combat character, it'll be glorious.
"So what happened next?"
"Crassus was so impressed with the Hellfyre demonstration that he had the magus captured at a great cost and made a deal with him. The magus would work for him and in exchange Crassus would hand him all magi he would capture in his campaign, as well their notes and devices."
"And that's how it all started?"
"Simple enough for me to believe it," nods the annalist. "When it comes to things that seem simple today, it's easy to look back and wonder why Crassus was the first who did it. Maybe he was the first and maybe he wasn't. Maybe he prevailed where others have failed. Maybe the magus he captured first was the key to the whole thing." Hindsight is 20/20 or some such.
"What we do know is that Crassus' campaign lasted for seven years. He captured many cities and many magi. No every magus was taken alive and not every magus was of value or was willing to submit to the self-proclaimed High Magus, (I guess that it was changed to the First of the Magi later) but many magi had embraced the new Order."
"As the Order's power grew, Crassus began to rely more on the Magi than on his own soldiers. Soon he started going after cities that offered neither valuable resources nor riches but arcane secrets." Occult mysteries, Sorcerous relics, ambiguous magery!
"He could have been king." But, could he wait to be king or not? That is the question.
"Maybe," says the annalist. "But Crassus was after a different kind of power. He served the King loyally and in exchange he was given domain over all things arcane. The Order he created was never seen as a threat but as one of the most potent weapons of the Old Empire."
"So what was the relationship between House Crassus and the Order of the Magi?" The Order gave House Crassus knowledge and House Crassus provided the magus ladies, what is so complicated about that? That endless cycle is what the Ouroboros symbolizes.
"The Order was Crassus' responsibility. Since it was too much for one man to oversee, a new House bearing his name was established and entrusted with continuing the work Crassus started. In a sense, House Crassus was built around the Order of Magi, both to protect the Order from its enemies and the Empire from the Order."
"Someone had to hold the other end of the leash?" More like the other hand of the strangle glove in this situation.
"Quite so," says the annalist. "And now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to contemplate on."
Time to saunter into the temple pavilion thing then.
"You step into an old, crumbling temple, open to the elements and passerby, joining a crowd waiting for today's sermon. The preacher - a bearded man with the fiery eyes of a true believer and the mannerisms of a whoremaster - appears shortly after." Master, of the whores!
"He parts the crowd
like water with a practiced ease, making his way to the podium."
This would be the time we would play hackysack until sufficient time passes, but we both lost the hackysack and the deserters to the Gods.
"It's humbling to see so many people," says the preacher, his voice smooth and sincere, "so let's speak of humility today."
"I'm often asked why Brother Meru has renounced his Lordship. What is the significance of this act? Why was it even necessary when we all wholeheartedly accept Brother Meru as our shepherd?"
"It is said," says the preacher, his voice flowing like water, "humble yourself in the sight of the Gods and they shall lift you up." Lift you up and do what? Chokeslam you?
"They. Shall. (Create. Many. Fragment. Sentences. Improper. Grammar. Matters. Not. To. The. Gods.) Lift. You. Up," says the preacher as if stating something profoundly obvious. "Any man who lifts himself up, any man who puts a crown on his head, any man who raises himself above others is putting himself above the Gods, for he says that he doesn't need the Gods. He says that he knows better."
"That's why the Gods left us to our fate. Ignorant in their pride... in their arrogance, our forefathers told the Gods that they knew better. The Gods could have chosen to smite them all, but they didn't Had they done it, we'd all be living in the Kingdom of the Gods now but we HAD to learn this lesson, no matter how painful it's proven to be."
"The path to the Gods' Kindom lies in submission. (S&M is sacred to Meru's religion apparently.) We must submit to the will of the Gods for this humble act is the very foundation of it."
"Brother Meru proved it when he renounced his earthly title and removed the crown made of gold, for neither was given to him by the Gods. He kneeled in front of the divine and submitted himself to the Gods' will, begging to be judged, for no man is above the Gods. No man can rule others because the kingship can only come from the Gods." Or the Pope, but he's an exception.
"When the Gods return, it will be too late to beg for forgiveness and make amends. When the Gods return, we'll be judged. The wheat will be separated from the chaff." His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
"The false lords and false prophets will be held accountable, but so will those who followed them, out of fear or ignorance. Discard your pride, brothers and sisters. Have faith in the Gods. Submit to their will and show them that you're worthy of being admitted into the Gods' Kingdom."
"Time is running out. Don't waste even an hour that can be dedicated to earning your salvation." Buy your salvation now for only 10 easy payments of 99.99!
"The preacher drops the mic and walks away before you can ask him any questions."
*House Crassus reputation increased*
Time to walk away slowly, very slowly. Don't want to upset the zealots after all.
Before we leave to the highest district before Castle Ganezzar, let's visit our good friends the wall guards again.
As you can see, Ganezzar is suffering from a replicant\inbred guard invasion. Did the Gods plan for this? Did they? Regardless of what the Gods planned for and didn't, we should go to the Noble District.
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Topic: Let's Play The Age of Decadence Part Holiday Spirit: Christmas Special (Read 50587 times)