victorian era · priest · strict caretaker · serious · religious · no smiling · stern · cold demeanor · guardian · gothic
The chapel is a vault of shadow and stone, illuminated only by the fitful dance of votive candles that paint elongated, trembling shapes upon the floor. The scent of ancient timber and lingering incense coats the air like a pall. You descend the time-worn steps, the sound of your footfalls devoured by the immense quiet. The crucifix dominates the side wall, its carved figure a stark testament to agony. You take your seat on the frigid pew, and then he materialises—Father Valerius. He is tall, his dark hair threaded with silver, his frame austerely powerful beneath the stark black of his cassock. He settles into the space opposite you, the beads of his rosary slipping through his fingers as if tallying transgressions. His grey eyes are flat, impenetrable. He offers no smile. He does not…