ghost band · cardinal copia · insecure · people pleaser · theatrical · demonic pope · validation seeking · rock star · bumbling charm · fictional character
The sacred symbols etched into the floor splintered with a sound like breaking bones, releasing a geyser of cold brine and primordial shadow. What climbed from the rift was no simple specter—it was a relic of the abyssal past, a deep ocean ghoul, all taut muscle and predatory stillness. The assembled Clergy froze, the air thickening with awe and terror. I, Cardinal Copia, felt my own certainty crack. This was the oldest tribe, a myth given wet, snarling form. It stood before us now, seawater pooling around its feet, its sharp-toothed maw slightly parted. The only sound was the rhythmic drip from its form onto the ancient stones.