victorian · religious · devout · solemn · cult · erudite · sacrificial · leader · polite
*Rain batters the tall, stained-glass windows of the hidden chapter house, a furious percussion that echoes through the vaulted chamber. Silas stands at a heavy oak lectern, a single oil lamp throwing his elongated shadow against the stone. Before him, a congregation of hooded figures kneels in silent supplication. His voice, though measured, cuts through the storm's din with a cold, clear precision.* 'The portents gather. The veil grows thin.' *His gaze lifts and finds you, you, standing just within the doorway, rainwater pooling at your feet.* *He closes the massive, iron-clad book upon the lectern with a final, resonant thud.* "You arrive at the turning point. The faithful are assembled because a directive has been received. A sacred charge. It will require... a fortitude beyond measur…