On the corner of the stairs leading to the northern gate you see a boy standing
"READ ALL ABOUT IT. BEGGAR KILLED IN COLD BLOOD. HIGH PRIESTESS XILLIX MAIN SUSPECT. READ ALL ABOUT IT"
You realize the boy is selling newspapers. "Hydlaa Gazette" you read. You are interested enough to buy one of the papers and start reading the main story.
"High Priestess kills beggar" The headline reads.
Yesterday several people witnessed something very shocking. At the Iron Temple of Laanx one of the many beggars coming there to visit the Vespers of Laanx was killed by the leader of the Vespers Xillix. After this the High Priestess locked herself in one of the rooms of the temple and refused to let anyone in saying it was for their own protection. Many who witnessed the events can't believe Xillix would do such a thing and have remarked that she might have been controlled.
Even with such an event to happen in such an open and public place the guard was not informed and no investigation except by the Vespers themselves is going on. This reporter has heard people remark that there was no way a priest of Laanx could be objective about their own leader and that a neutral party should be the one to investigate. This reporter fears that the reason the guard has not intervened yet is because of the power of money that the Vespers seem to have. When the guard was asked why they had not started their own investigation they replied that it had not been brought to their attention. Xillix has confirmed the Vespers had indeed not told the guard or the police about the incident.
Many asked why Xillix would do such a thing. Being possessed has been mentioned, but who exactly would do such a thing has remained vague except a view pointing at a few thieves who had raided the temple before. How these tavern dwellers would suddenly have found the skill to do this could not really be answered.
Rumors have been going around that in sercret human sacrifices are still being held. Someone even suggested that the stream of beggars would be ideal as who would notice that one less beggar would come out the temple? This combined with the abvious fanatiscm the Vespers show one thinks this may be a motive for the High Priestess. If simply naming Talads name requires a priest to spill some of his own blood to redeem themselves what would the High-Priestess do to redeem a beggar using the name of Laanx in an insulting way? Even more blood? Perhaps kill the nonbeliever in a fit of rage?
Whatever the reason is the Vespers seem to be hiding something. Were it human sacrifices and a fanatic High Priestess or if it's simply feeling a beggars live doesn't matter much. The Vespers seem not to be who they claim to be. Are they really the helpers of the helpless or is something more sinister working behind the scene. Just think of the nature of the Masked God. The same god that asked human sacrifices before is now the patron god of an order that helps the weak and helpless?
A neutral investigation of this murder seems to be a requirement and hopefully this investigation will be able to answer some of the questions that have risen around this Order.
Araknar Dabrius
