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[strength_of_will]

[ William appears on the feed looking quite chipper. He looks to be in a building made of stone. ]

Hello. I've decided to take it upon myself to help maintain the church in Aldrip since its minder has disappeared.

[ He steps slightly to one side to show off the background: it is indeed one of the places of worship for the local residents. ]

Although the people here seem to have grown less fond of us than before, I thought it might be nice to try and introduce them to some of the deities that we worship ourselves - as well as give people somewhere to pray or leave offerings to their patrons while we're in this new land. So I'm inviting anyone who follows some form of deity to create a small shrine for them in the church. I've set aside some space.

Comments

[strength_of_will]

[ William's brow furrows slightly. ]

The god you worship is a pacifist then? In my world, the gods' blessings are often sought for battle just as much as in peaceful life.

[feintofhart]

Oh, not at all, [ Claude says with a laugh, as though the very idea is comical. It is, in its own way. ] The goddess' blessings are used for battle, first and foremost. The monastery is a military school as well, after all. But that doesn't mean life within the monastery was anything but peaceful; we were taught to spar with one another, but never to the point of serious injury, and never with any heat. What we're taught is as leaders who may face warfare.

I guess the way I'd put it... the Church of Seiros advocates for peace, but prepares for war.

[ Does he believe what the Church says? Well, that's not what William asked. Even if he did, he wouldn't disclose his true thoughts anyway. Living in a theocratic nation has taught him more caution than that. ]

[strength_of_will]

That's an interesting philosophy. I can see the sense in it if you live somewhere dangerous. Although it would be nice if we could live in a world where true pacifism is possible, times of peace do eventually beget periods of upheaval.

[feintofhart]

It's pragmatic, is what it is. I'm not sure if it's philosophy so much as it is religion responding to what's going on around it, instead of the other way around. It's not the world itself that's dangerous, really. There's monsters here and there, sure, but nothing an experienced fighter can't deal with.

It's other people that are the dangerous ones.

[strength_of_will]

It's pragmatic, I agree. Does the Church of Seiros ever run into situations where it's accused of being hypocritical? I can imagine that some may say that you can't truly sue for peace when you approach someone with a weapon in your hand.

[feintofhart]

A full-out war has been waged against the Church by the Adrestian Empire, so -- yeah, you'd be right about that. As far as I've been able to glean, it's more about its political power than it's necessarily about hypocrisy, but it'll end the same way. It's anybody's bet how that's going to turn out.

[strength_of_will]

[ He huffs a resigned laugh. ]

Yes, in the end it doesn't matter why the war is happening. To the people caught up in it, all it means is danger and death. I've been lucky so far to have avoided it. My only war right now is fought against demons.

[feintofhart]

Are you guys truly at war with demons? Or is this your own personal war? The two are very different. I can't say I like the sounds of having to pit my own army against an army of demons.

[strength_of_will]

Ah, it's...a little bit of both, I suppose. They're a constant danger in the Beast Woods, the region where I live. About two hundred years ago there was a great war between humans and the High King of demons. Although the High King was eventually sealed away and much of his army was routed, there are still survivors who live in the uninhabited parts of the forest and try constantly to undo the High King's seal.

Since I've been given the responsibility of looking after those who live in the Beast Woods, I'm responsible for making sure that the demons can't obtain a foothold in the area.

[feintofhart]

So... less of an active war, and more of a stalemate? That's its own difficulty for sure. [ He frowns in thought. ] What was the war about, anyway? There's been no way to try to create some sort of peace treaty?

apologies for wait, rough week

[strength_of_will]

The war was two hundred years ago, so unfortunately I don't know what exactly started it. All I know is that it began with a man who could create demons out of his own blood. He wielded a demon blade known as 'Overeater' which could take the life energy of those it cut and make it his own. With that blade, his blood, and the evil gods who flocked to support him, he created an army of demons which threatened to overrun the southern continent.

[ He crosses his arms and his expression grows...conflicted. His gaze averts a little. ]

It's not possible to form a treaty with demons from what I've seen. They're manipulative and cunning. They'll lure you in under pretence of being reasonable, but will immediately go for the kill once your guard is down. The gods who command them though... They're certainly able to be bargained with, but you have to be careful about it.