Turn #69 - Tribunal in Ilien

[X-Ilien & PCE/GeM (Linde)]

Geraldine sits in her chair and wave a servant towards her while she watch the Archduke closely. She says something to the servant in a matter of factual way, and he bows before walking towards a table with refreshments.

After a short moment she makes eye contact with the Archduke, and he can see a sparkle of confidence and joy in her eyes unbecomming a lady standing trial for her life.

The servant returns to Geraldine with a goblet. She takes a sip of her refreshment and when she looks back at the Archduke she glares with the proper amount of loathe as any would expect her to harbor for him.

[X-Mieres & SAS/AV (Mark)]

The Governor smiles wryly and chuckles at the Archduke's jest.  With the arrival of the Archduke the Governor cedes his seat to the rightful holder.  As he stands for a moment a pensive look comes over him.  He glances around the room as a merchant may look at a bazaar or such, evaluating goods for purchase.  He leans over and whispers something to the Archduke and looks to him for a reply.j

OOC: email sent

[DM B]

The Pontiff to Narvelon: "If I am surprised, it is only by the lateness of your arrival dear Patriarch. I had a vision from Haelyn revealing your safe return...and had hoped you would have taken your seat before we started. But no matter, you are here now - even that Archduke is. Surely this is a day for joy."

He moves over to his seat, reverently moves the Book of Laws to the side, to Narvelon's place, then pats his own copy. "You do realize, Narvelon, that these two books are very much alike. I would have been of great interest to me to examine them both, side by side, to see if there are any discrepancies. They are, after all, the two oldest known copies of our most holy scripture..."

He gathers his thoughts and then proceeds, still without taking his seat: "Today there is a slight change of plans. In honor of the brothers Diem if you will. You see, I have not been entirely forthcoming with you. The tribunal is most important in itself, and its outcome of great interest to us all...but surely, you must have pondered why I specifically invited those that I did...

...I hope you will bear with me for a moment, because I have something to show you."

With that IHH templars start filing into that Tribunal chamber. It's quite spacious, but soon it is filled with men bearing holy steel.

[X-Avanil/Aubrae Avan (Thorsten)]

Ser Ryence purses his lips in thought as men of the IHH file in and rises slowly and fluidly. Taking a few steps to place himself behind Archprelate Kharnmoin, he leans down and whispers something to him, eyes never leaving the armed men. One of his hands rests on his belt, within easy reach of his sword.

[DM B]

Wallac: "If you would all be so kind as to make room in the middle for my display?"

[X-Ilien & PCE/GeM (Linde)]

Geraldine looks curiously at the spectacle shifting in her seat to get a better view.

[DM B]

A dirty and battered-looking man in chains is led into the chamber.

[DM B]

Once things have settled down a bit the Pontiff picks up (the charred) Book of Laws and goes down to face the prisoner.

Wallac: "This here is Father Oeren. Formerly a churchman of the Impregnable Heart. A well respected priest in charge of a diocese up in northern Fairfield, Roesone."

The priest looks very angry and is straining against his bonds and his captors. Despite his relatively slight physique the four templars holding him are having a hard time.

"Only he isn't Father Oeren. Not really. He just looks like him. Exactly like him. Even" he pulls the holy symbol of Haelyn from around his neck from his belt "inside he looks the same!" And with that he lashes out with the symbol, slicing a deep gash in the poor deacon's chest. Blood pours forth. The priests howls, not in pain, but in rage. The templars redouble their efforts to hold him.

"But if you look extra careful, you'll find that there is a difference. That this is not Father Oeren, but a fiend from the Shadow World, wearing the flesh of a man!"

He lifts his symbol high and calls upon the power of Haelyn...

[DM B]

"By the powers invested in my by Haelyn..."

And divine power flows from Haelyn, through Wallac I, Pontiff of All Anuire, becoming a bright and cleansing radiance - and in the face of that radiance the prisoner can no longer conceal his true nature. His skin starts to burn and his flesh twitches like there is something else writhing deep within. He tries to escape, but cannot. And then, before he is consumed by holy fire, the Pontiff stops. The guards holding the prisoners are untouched, but the thing they are holding is bare recognizable as human anymore..."

There is stunned silence.

[X-WIT/Toreas Kharnmoin (Rune)]

"If you're done building the suspense Wallac, perhaps you could explain yourself?", Archprelate Kharnmoin asks testily.

[X-Ilien & PCE/GeM (Linde)]

Geraldine looks horrified at the scene. She averts her eyes and covers her mouth as if gagging from disgust. She speaks a muffled prayer, her eyes run from the sour taste of vomit in her mouth.

She forces herself to swallow the traces of vomit in her mouth, and she rinse her mouth by gulping down the remaining content of her goblet.

Hyperventilating she sits stunned and chocked.

[X-Ghieste & HOT/GH (Matt)]

The pleased smile on Lady Alizabet's face as many heavily armoured and strong looking men filed into the chamber dissappears as the blood starts to flow and sheer shock shows instead. She steps behind one of the templars and almost hugs his back as she looks around, horrified and yet fascinated still.

[X-Mieres & SAS/AV (Mark)]

As the templars pour into the room the Governor tenses slightly, his hand drifting behind his back as something small slides out of his sleeve.  But as the prisoner is lead in he relaxes- slightly -and whatever was in his hand disappears once again as he crosses his arms in front of him.  As the spectacle unfolds however his face hardens and he swallows hard, attempting to maintain his composure, “Fucking hell....” he mutters softly.

[DM B]

Wallac in a loud voice to drown out the clamor: "And this is not the only one. I have personally uncovered and interrogated a number of the - all seemingly priests of Haelyn in good standing. This one I left breathing so you would get to see it. And now, before the accusation of corruption within the IHH...I have purged my temple...but these things, they communicate with one another, meet, make plans. I know firsthand that they have times to the Militant Order, the Celestial Spell, and the Eastern Temple, but I suspect the corruption runs further afield. So before you start with your usual political bickering, think about this - there could be one of those things standing right next to you..."

[X-Ilien & PCE/GeM (Linde)]

Geraldine looks around at those assembled clearly frightned and rather paranoid. She asks with terror and disbelief in her voice: "But how can we know who they are?" Almost forgetting formalia she quickly add: "Your Holiness"