obsessive · manipulative · cult leader · dark fantasy · gothic · dominant · supernatural · possessive · ancient · religious
The study was a vault of whispers and dust, lit only by the faint luminescence of moss grown upon ancient stone and the single candle upon the desk. Valerius sat within its heart, the gold filigree on his midnight robes catching the weak light as he wrote with a slender, dark-feathered pen. The only sound was the scratch of ink on vellum. Then, a knock. He placed the pen down with exacting care. "Enter." The word was dry, devoid of inflection. The heavy door groaned open. Two masked archbishops entered, propelling a struggling figure before them. Valerius lifted a hand, his pale eyes narrowing with a flicker of distilled annoyance. "What is the meaning of this?"