Chapter 54 “The Underground Church”
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Duncan grapples with his inability to fully unravel the mysteries surrounding these mysterious offsprings.
Goathead, who had been cryptic and noncommittal in his explanations, indicated that even he lacked detailed knowledge about these ancient beings who dwelt on the fringes of civilized societies. With only a few fragmented clues at his disposal, Duncan was left to formulate a few tentative theories about their nature.
The “offsprings,” remnants from an ancient time, harbored a deep seated disdain for the modern world. They possessed strange and dangerous powers, and they operated secretly from the shadows. Apart from the offspring associated with the sun, these beings rarely made appearances in the civilized world, lurking instead as hidden threats to those brave enough to explore the wild borderlands.
Among the bits of information Duncan had pieced together, one stood out strikingly: the sun offsprings had the ability to blend in among humans, appearing entirely ordinary. Only the enlightened members of the Church could identify these sun children amidst the masses.
With recent disturbances in the city-state of Pland and the resurgence of dormant sun worshipers, Duncan found himself entertaining serious suspicions. He questioned whether the conspicuous activities of these religious zealots were being manipulated by one of these offsprings. What objectives might these ancient and cryptic beings have in the politically unstable environment of Pland?
Standing at the edge of the ship’s deck, Duncan looked out over the tumultuous ocean, which hid other offsprings in its depths. These ageless entities posed threats to ships navigating these perilous waters.
A mix of caution and curiosity about these oceanic entities filled Duncan. He believed it was inevitable that he would encounter these enigmatic beings as the Vanished continued its voyage across the sea. Thus, he thought it prudent to prepare in advance.
Preparation could mean gathering intelligence or enhancing his own capabilities, such as unlocking the latent powers of the Vanished to face the forthcoming challenges.
Despite the potential perils lurking in the ocean’s depths, Duncan was not intimidated. Their journey thus far had been incident-free, which suggested to him that the offsprings were merely one among many bizarre dangers residing in the uncharted depths.
While standing in silent reflection on the deck, Duncan’s thoughts turned to the potential threat these oceanic offsprings posed to their “supply channels.” He wondered if they might interfere with his fishing operations.
Although Ai could transport supplies, her capacity and reliability were not yet fully trusted. Moreover, in the highly organized city-state of Pland, Duncan would need to personally fund the procurement of supplies, as opposed to commandeering them from other vessels. The timing for acquiring necessary funds remained unclear.
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However, maintained by the abundant catch from his recent fishing trip, Duncan acknowledged that the sustenance of the Vanished depended largely on what nature provided.
If the offspring were to take a hostile position, it could significantly impair his agricultural output.
…
Deep within the glowing underground chambers of the church, brilliant gas lamps repelled the encroaching darkness, while enigmatic deep sea runes decorating the long corridors emitted a comforting glow, ensuring safety for those traversing these sacred pathways. These magical runes acted as invisible barriers, infused with the holy blessings of their celestial patroness.
Vanna found comfort during her walks through these corridors, appreciating the peaceful atmosphere. As an inquisitor of the faith, she understood that their Storm Goddess Gomona’s domain was not limited to controlling the fierce storms; the goddess also reigned over the peaceful energies, able to restrain and banish evil forces.
The church’s architecture reflected the sea’s dual nature—calmness and fury. The aboveground structures mirrored the wild, unpredictable nature of storms, while the underground sections represented tranquility and peace.
Similarly, other deities exhibited such dual aspects. For instance, the God of Death Bartok governed both life and death, and the God of Wisdom embodied both wisdom and folly. While these nuances might be obscure to the general populace, they were well comprehended by the high-ranking clergy and the church’s leaders. Vanna, in her role as an inquisitor, had a deep understanding of these concepts.
She was also aware that the dualistic nature of many gods had sparked controversial and sometimes heretical theories over the years. Some scholars hypothesized about a “barren world,” a reverse reality where the arrangement of land and sea was flipped.
These theories were mostly considered extravagant and had not achieved mainstream acceptance. Even the revered Archbishop of Pland, Mr. Valentine, had dismissed them as overly complex. He believed that the mysteries already present at the world’s depths were perplexing enough; there was no need for theologians to introduce more complexity below that layer.
Vanna momentarily shook her head to clear it of these deep thoughts.
The tranquil setting beneath the cathedral often encouraged deep, abstract thinking—not just among the worshippers but also among the disciplined clergy.
Yet, this unique atmosphere also had its advantages.
For instance, it offered the perfect environment for questioning zealous and unstable cult members.
Stopping at the end of a corridor, Vanna faced several doors leading to different “interrogation chambers.” At the core of the foyer, a statue of the Tranquility Maiden stood, overseeing the intersection of these doorways.
The statue here in the underground was markedly different from the one above ground. The surface statue stood with arms wide open, as if to receive the prayers of the faithful. In contrast, the underground statue had its arms crossed over its chest, exuding a sense of calm and readiness to listen empathetically to the troubles of those who came before it. Despite the different postures, the face of both statues remained veiled, symbolizing the mysterious and unknowable nature of the divine.
The Tranquility Maiden acted as a contrast to the Storm Goddess, bringing calmness to the turbulent waters below, providing protection, and offering a sanctuary to the city-states shielded by her divine presence.
Vanna paid her respects to the Tranquility Maiden with a respectful bow before turning sharply on her heel to open the door to an interrogation room, breaking the prevailing silence.
The room was large and dimly lit, dominated by a massive table at its center. Ms. Heidi, dressed in a form-fitting, floor-length black gown, was standing up from her chair as Vanna entered. Opposite her, a captured member of the sun cult slouched in his chair, displaying clear signs of weariness and confusion. It appeared as though his spirit had been drained by the intense interrogation. His gaze was vacant, and his body slumped lifelessly against his restraints, a mere shadow of his former self.
“Oh, Vanna, you’ve arrived just in time,” Ms. Heidi greeted her with a warm smile. “I’ve just finished a ‘session.'”
Vanna’s eyes quickly moved to the medical kit on the table, which was stocked with various needles and other intimidating surgical tools, causing her to wince slightly. “Honestly, it’s hard for me to think of your sessions as ‘treatment’…”
“These are typical tools for a psychiatrist… Though I admit, I probably use them more often than most,” Ms. Heidi said with a casual shrug. “But who can blame me? I work for City Hall and am frequently called upon by the church. The ‘patients’ I handle are not your typical cases, especially these fanatical cultists. Simple hypnosis and crystal danging won’t suffice to extract information from them; I have to use triple the usual dose of ‘midnight mixture.'”
“…I think the only reason you don’t use more is because the biggest syringe you have can’t hold any more,” Vanna replied bluntly. Shaking her head to clear it, she continued, “But as long as your methods are effective… So, what did you find out?”
“Indeed, the insights I’ve obtained are both significant and peculiar,” Ms. Heidi replied promptly. “I’ve subjected several cultists to deep hypnosis and used special techniques to determine one thing… It’s very likely that these cultists did not lose their sanity, even after their sacrificial ritual went awry.”
“They maintained their sanity even after the ritual went out of control?” Vanna furrowed her brows, puzzled. She had braced herself for a complex scenario based on her discussions with Bishop Valentine, but Heidi’s findings went beyond her assumptions. “What does this mean?”
“I delved into their memories, and it became clear that their minds and thought processes were influenced by some external factor even before the failed ritual. This influence caused them to selectively erase certain memories… Hold on, Vanna, you don’t seem surprised by this at all.”
the “mirrored world” could be the world mc came from – our world so to say
The vanished already cooked them before the ritual did