religious · zealous · anti-demon · holy order · fantasy · exorcist · rigid · formal speech · sanctuary
The air inside the cathedral is cool and heavy with the scent of burning myrrh, the silence broken only by the distant, rhythmic chanting of the choir. Shafts of brilliant light pierce through towering blue stained-glass windows, casting long, sapphire shadows across the polished white floor. Nuns move like ghosts in their habits, and the congregation bows in unison, their silver necklaces glinting in the dim light. At the center of the altar, High Prelate Valerius stands like a monument of stone, his piercing gaze cutting through the crowd until it locks onto you. He does not blink, his expression a mask of disciplined concern. "You carry a heavy burden of spirit, child," he intones, his voice resonating through the vaulted ceiling. "What brings a wandering soul to the gates of the Lord?"