Holiness is Relative

[HYWASaint@aol.com]

Here's a log of a night in the life Janus Tryveram, Cardinal of the Imperial
Church.  First he was visited by a dubious strange man who wanted a confession
and then gave a mass and burnt the customary BT effigy...as well as gave a
rather scathing message against the new, stronger Tleilaxu presence on
Kaitain.  This log was taken from the perspective of Janus, and as such at the
Mass it has no inclusion of conversations which took place at the places in
the Main Chambers of the cathedral.  Anyone who recorded said conversations
are enouraged to post them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----

Cardinal's Office -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain)
Pure white walls are interrupted at set intervals by bookcases that extend
three-quarters of the way up the wall. The cases contain neatly bound leather
books packed tightly together. In the cetner of the room is a large oak desk
accompanied by two leather-padded chairs that echo of years past. Etched in
gold into the front of the desk is the symbol of the Imperial Church. Behind
the desk, the wall has been replaced by a large metaglass paned doorway that
leads out into a courtyard.
Players:
 Janus                                
Exits:
 Metaglass Door <N> leads to Private Courtyard -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain)
 Gold Framed Doorway  leads to Slype -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain)

Hooded Man walks in from Private Courtyard through the Metaglass Door.

Hooded Man has arrived.

Janus is seated at his desk, hands folded and head bowed
contemplatively....either in sleep or prayer, a small, bald, profusely
sweating man in green cotton robes stands behind and to the right of him,
fidgeting with his hands in a nervous manner.

With head lowered into a stooped position, the hooded man slowly opens the
doorway. His voice is soft, edging on the dry side, "Cardinal?"

Janus jerks his head up, eyes alert and showing no sign of weariness. The man
behind him jolts forward, but the red-garbed cardinal says in a stern voice,
"Leave, Vortran. Your sweating, castrated presence is no longer required."
With that, the castrati toddles out through the metaglass door, and Janus
turns his full, albeit annoyed, attentions towards the guest.

Hooded Man lifts his head slightly as if to follow the movement of the other
man. From this vantage, you can see two gleaming eyes within the hood. He
brings his hands together, folding them into his sleeves before taking two
steps further into the room and waiting to be addressed.

Janus rises from his seat and stands behind the desk, tips of his fingers
resting on a sheaf of papers. He looks to the guest with unmasked scrutiny,
peering into the darkness of his visage and trying to discern his features.
"Come closer, and draw back your hood. You have no secrets from God."

You stand up from your place behind the desk.

"God... need not see my face this day to know that it is the trouble of the
heart and not of the face I come for this day." The man lowers his head again
quickly and assumes an even further stooped position.

Janus frowns deeply and begins to walk around the desk, one hand fingering the
ornate crucifix which hangs around his neck. "Presume not to discern the will
of God, my son. That right belongs to Ourself and We alone may do so without
risking damnation. Now back with your hood." he orders sternly.

There is a moment of hesistation before his hands are again exposed and they
move up to the sides of the cloak. With deliberate slowness, it is pushed bck
to reveal a face that is at the moment tense with the pain of exposure. The
face is that of a young man, perhaps only in his late 40's. A scar, long since
healed, marks his face with its jagged teeth. His eyes, a pale blue, stare up
intently.

Janus gives a weak smile and nods approvingly, "There. With head bared in
humility and vulnerability, you are deemed worthy to be granted audience with
Our Lord and Saviour's Vicar. Now, what troubles thy heart, that We, through
the grace of the Almighty, might remedy?"

Hooded Man lowers his head, a motion that seems to be the very skeleton of his
stance with his hood on. "I come..." The voice is steady and low.. and
distant. "... from a place unfamiliar to your presence... a place that will
forever be unfamiliar with... Your Grace. I miss this place, yet it is here
today that I unburden my heart... as I find I do not agree with the brethen
around me."

Janus raises a curious eyebrow and replies tersely, hand rising to make the
sign of the St. Valerianus, the Confessor, "Elaborate, my son. God desires
that you pour our your heart in its entire in order to be truly freed from its
burdens."

Hooded Man takes in a deep breath and brings his hands together, hiding them
again within the sleeves of his cloak, "My... brethen seek revenge Your Grace.
A game that I... am realizing will not afford us the rewards we seek."

Janus nods gravely, "Indeed, my son? Revenge upon whom? And for what wrong?"
"Upon the being that they see as... the reason for the destruction of my
Homeworld." The man's voice hisses slightly as it finishes.

Janus mutters something under his breath, bringing up his crucifix and kissing
it. "Which world is this? And who is this who has done such a deed?"

"My HomeWorld... Terhan." The man shifts slightly and then shakes his head,
"We have done this to ourselves Your Grace... that is my point and the burden
that I must carry."

Janus shakes his own head in disgust, "No! It is not your burden. The Lord
Almighty desires that you lay it bare, that he might take it from you and thus
redeem your soul from everlasing damnation, shared with the accursed Tleilaxu
and other abominates." Just as he is about to elaborate, the sweating eunuch
dashes into the room, throwing the door back with a monstrous clatter and
nearly knocking over a priceless icon as he passes the desk,
"Huff...hu....h....C..C...Cardinal T...T...t.t.t..Tryveram," he stutters, his
eyes wide with panic.

Hooded Man quickly lowers his head and pulls his hands to bring his hood
forward again. He takes a step backwards towards one corner of the room.

Janus rears back a hand in anger, catching the castrati across his face with
his massive ring, and cutting it deeply, blood now covering the ruby-encrusted
piece of jewelry, causing the already red stones to glitter with thet wet
sheen of gore. He bellows at the little man, "We told you not to disturb us,
and the Lord Almighty has seen fit to chastise you. Lick thy unworthy blood
from our ring and tell us what is so important as to risk a man's soul." The
babbling priest goes to knee, saying in between his licking the Cardinal's
ring, "M..my Father, I came to remind you that it is time for mass."

Janus sighs as he inspects his ring, wiping it upon the wounded lackey's robe,
"Very well. We shall make Our way to the sanctuary presently." He turns to the
mysterious visitor and makes the sign of the cross, intoning, "In the name of
the Father, His Son Our Saviour, and His Most Holy Spirit, We cleanse thy soul
and make thee clean."

"Amen." The man says in a barely audible voice and then turns to leave.

Janus raises a hand in benediction, "Go with God, my son."

Hooded Man walks to the south and passes through the Gold Framed Doorway.

Hooded Man has left.

You walk through the Gold Framed Doorway.

Slype -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain)
A narrow hallway with alabaster walls. A rung of red plush material runs the
length of the room. At either end of the hallway are arches constructed out of
a pale white stone. Doorways between the two openings are constructed of a
smooth black material.
Exits:
 Gold Framed Doorway <N> leads to Cardinal's Office -- Imperial Cathedral
(Kaitain) 
 White Arch <SE> leads to Base of Tower -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain) 
 Dwarfed Arch <SW> leads to Main Chambers -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain)

You walk through the Dwarfed Arch.

Main Chambers -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain)
A long runway divides the room into two even section. Nearly 30 aisles line up
from back to front on each side. At the back of the building is the entrance,
a wide wooden archway with a smaller set of doors outline in the middle. High
above this archway is a balcony where may golden tubes of varying length
extend upwards towards the roof. At the front of the room, a wooden banister
framed a platform. Upon the platform are another 6 rows of pews and a
pedestal. Off to either side of the platform are alcoves. Running the length
of the walls on either side are floor to ceiling stained glass windows.
Several stories above, the ceiling can be seen with its painted golden leaf
drawings.
Players:
 Arn (entrance)                        Janus                                 
 Hooded Man                            Mintor (entrance)                     
 Iohannes                              Steffan (right<alcove>)              
Exits:
 Open Arch <SE> leads to Vestry -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain) 
 Dwarfed Arch <NE> leads to Slype -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain) 
 Wooden Arch <W> leads to Vestibule -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain)

Iohannes moves towards the entrance.

Arn just looked at you.

Like a flutter of folded cloth, a man emerges from the Slype. He takes a
moment to lift his head and peer out of the folds of his hood before lowering
them quickly and attempting to head out.

High above in the balcony, castrati begin singing, their high, angelic voices
ringing through the sanctuary with "Benedictus Janus", as purple-garbed
bishops file in imperiously, followed by two ranks of armoured men, the glint
of their archaic armour flashing from under white tunics and red crosses. A
flash of red is seen every now and then from their midst, a smaller man's head
peeping out from their shoulders as they walk towards the front of the
sanctuary and stop before the platform.

Steffan looks up from his mediation as Janus enters, and forces a smile. An
expression of relief comes over his face from whatever might be troubling him.

Hooded Man walks to the west and passes through the Wooden Arch.

Hooded Man has left.

The now-infamous armoured men, Templars, part, raising swords from their sides
and saluting the main who has been hidden between their two ranks: the richly-
garbed Cardinal Janus Tryveram. At once, the bishops and the common masses
crammed in the back of the sanctuary go to knee.

Janus slowly ascends the platform and takes his place behind the pedestal,
robes trailing behind him.

You step up to the pedestal.

Iohannes just looked at you.

Janus looks out to the congregation, eyes scanning and resting briefly on
familiar faces.

Janus raises a hand in benediction and speaks, his voice echoing in clarion
tone throughout the massive sanctuary, "Be seated, my children."

Janus clears his voice and again speaks, "We have called you here today for a
special mass. Recently the Vile and Contemptible One has redoubled his attacks
upon the flock of Kaitain...the accursed Tleilaxu have erected a new temple to
iniquity and abomination, and their new leader, the Abominate Govindha, is
already at work twisting minds and subverting hearts. We desire that all
within the sound of our voice know the will of God upon this matter, and act
accordingly.

Karin walks in from Vestibule through the Wooden Arch.

Karin has arrived.
Janus continues as a stuffed figure, a remarkable likeness of Govindha, is
brought in and set on the platform in clear view of all within the cathedral's
main chambers. "We do offer immediate and irrevocable salvation for whomever
destroys this.....demonspawn. All other requirements for admission into the
Everlasting Joy will be superceded by this single act, likely the greatest act
of faith to be imparted in the last century, if not more. There are those who
would protect this servant of the Vile One, and to those we but say that you
as well as consigned to eternal damnation. Repent now, or share its fate in
the fire. The Lord Almighty desires that these....abominations be erradicated
from the face of the Known Universe, but Kaitain in particular, for here is
the heart of the Church, His blessed and faithful servant. They have no doubt
come here to strike at our most vulnerable point, and We must rely upon all of
you to help Us with the task at hand."

The Templars each light a candle, flame passing from one to another, and
finally alighting upon a huge, twisting taper which the Vicar now clutches.

Janus takes his lighted torch and descends to the platform to stand in front
of the effigy.

You step down from the pedestal.

You step up onto the platform.

Karin slips in at the back of the cathedral and stands there near the door as
Janus continues speaking. Her eyes widen as the stuffed figure is brought up
on the platform, and she glances back at the man speaking. Her face betrays
little of emotion. She takes a step to the side and back, so that the door is
clear. The shadows envelope her.

Janus turns once more to the congregation, his eyes afire with a zealous light
that far outshadows the candle he holds, "Look upon...this, O servants of
God!" he says as he points to the effigy, "Here is the face of the Vile One
himself, incarnate and evil beyond comprehension. Destroy him and consign him
to fire, as we do his effigy now," With that the Cardinal turns and sets the
candle against the chest of the effigy. It lights immediately, and tiny
servomotors within it go into action and cause it to writhe and wriggle in a
sick facsimile of the torture a true burning creature would feel.

The Cardinal retreats from the roaring blaze as the congregation reacts, each
parishoner in their own way. Men look on with steeled jaw and resolute gaze.
Women weep and clutch their children or kiss their rosaries. The choirs above
begin to sing, "Maledictus Abominatum."

Janus points to the twisted, fiery form, now charred beyond all
recognition...and still burning, "To the fires of Hell We do consign thee! Let
they living form soon follow!"

Karin stares with a kind of fascination as the effigy writhes, flames
consuming it. Her nose twitches as the burnt odor reaches even the distant
spot where she stands.

Janus quickly descends the steps and rejoins the ranks of Templars, who
sheathe their swords and file out, followed by visibly shaken bishops, several
bearing frowns and more than one shaking. The form is left on the platform to
burn, no care evident for the furniture around or the safety of anyone.

Steffan sits quietly to himself not even looking up anymore a the proceedings.
His hands folded and his head down though still seemingly concentrating on
something else.

The congregation begins to file out, several groups of swarthy, zealous men
crying for the death and destruction of the Tleilaxu.

The wails of women follow them outside, children crying and burying their
frightened, blubbering faces into their mothers' skirts.

END OF LOG