~Stats~
Time-After-TW: 6 Months
Theme: Os Justi
Location: Palace Sands
~Status~

The Abby, such as it was, was a simple building, an old fortified complex in Palace Sands, once abandoned, which the Brotherhood had appropriated after the destruction of the order's Temple, which had been in Lindblum, during the war. It had taken a few months after the war ended for Eli to even find the place, and the remaining time had been spent just building the place.

The base had the feel of a monastery, for that is what it had used to be, and with the exception of replacing stained glass windows and repairing or installing cosmetic things, the Abby had been pretty much complete right from the get-go. Water was from a cistern underground, which was in the third sub-cellar, below where the pantry was in the first, and the currently empty catacombs that made up the second. The first and second floors above ground were given over almost entirely to chapels and assemblies, including such things as a dining area and a small airship hanger, more recently constructed.

At the moment, a rather small gathering had formed outside this hangar. A few monks were, with their considerable strength, helping guide an aged airship into place outside the hangar. At a safe distance, in their customary black-pinstriped robes and silver armour, the Templar of the Acheron stood at attention, spears glistening in the moonlight. Their human commander, the singularly tall and rugged Cardinal Ordos, stood at their head, watching with a calm eye in his robes of red and white, which he only wore on ceremonial occasions. The Templar formed two single rows, with a corridor between them, at the end of which stood the surprisingly childlike form of the Sharona twins. On the left, Mani stood calmly in her red-white robes, Cardinal of Matteus. To her right, her taller brother Eli, dressed in grey robes, which oddly nobody else seemed to have.

As the monks steadied the aircraft, and opened the door to allow the single passenger to disembark, Ordos turned quietly on his heel. After only a brief pause, he walked purposefully up to Eli, and stood on his other side.

Eli nodded, and Ordos chanted something, "Dominus vobiscum!"
The templar answered back, reverently, "Et dona obis pacem!"

Eli nodded, and walked alone past the templar, toward the airship, where he waited by the door.

Haka was against a nearby wall, feeling out of place somewhat. He had never been entirely religious, though of course he believed the totema existed, and being around large groups of... well, he wouldn't call them zealots to their faces, but he definitely thought it.

Following Mani was only natural, of course. He liked to think that by now he was accustomed to the bodyguard lifestyle, though in truth, he felt the girl didn't need one.

The airship door opened, revealing an aged Nu Mou in saint robes. He seemed tired from the flight, but managed to keep his balance.

Slowly descending from the ship, he looked around the room, then at the gathering below. Seeing Father Ordos, at least, made him smile, but the rest of the faces were unfamiliar.

From one of the nearby temples within the walled compound, that of Adrammelech, the sounds of voices in the morning chantry started to filter out into the courtyard. Like many Gregorian Chants, it consisted of many male voices in unison, with long, protracted syllables.

"Os justi meditabitur sapientiam,
et lingua ejus loquetur judicium.
Lex Dei ejus in corde ipsius:
et non supplantabuntur gressus ejus. Alleluia."

At this, Ordos rose his own spear, shouting, "Deus Vult!"
The templar mirrored him.

From over at the airship, Eli turned slightly, "Ordos, dismiss that guard and put them back to their proper posts, please."
"Your Holiness, I only thought to supply you with an honour guard..."
"I need no such guard within my own walls, Cardinal. Please move the templar back to their correct and rightful places."

He turned back to Saint Ulrich, and bowed slightly, "Your Grace, it is an honour to meet you. I am the Acheron, Elibereth."

As the templar marched past her, Mani turned her attention to Haka, and waved him over with a subtle manipulation of her fan.

"The pleasure is mine, Lord Acheron," came the saint's reply. He sounded slightly sick, but it was nothing contagious, and he was recovering rapidly.

Finishing his return bow, he rose back up and began scanning the room to see if he knew anyone else. He noted Mani's resemblance to Eli, but otherwise knew no one.

Haka moved towards the girl, boots ringing across the floor in calm rhythym. "Yes, ma'am?"

Mani gave him a slight smile, pressing a tiny list, folded up, into his hand. She kept her voice down, "Please go to Maiden Sari and get these for me. I would do it myself, but this is a festival occasion for the prelates, and we aren't really supposed to leave the compound. I'll pay you well."

Eli lead Ulrich toward the main building, which was his own collection of offices and assemblies, called the Cenaculum.

"I am very glad to meet you. As a matter of fact, my host of Cardinals is not complete, and one of our open positions pertains to Ultima. There are clerics within the order who seem suited enough to the task, but we would be honoured if someone with your faith would fill that position."

They passed the doors, and Ordos was just entering the enterance hall from the stairs, having very quickly changed to his usual black, green, and gold vestements.

"Ordos, why do you count yourself less than your equals?"
"I do not. The Cardinal robes are just to heavy for wear in the daytime, this deep into the desert."
"I wish you had told me sooner. This could be easily fixed."

Haka nodded, and was quieter. "Yes, ma'am. Er, how should I... leave?"

(OOC: Which dessert does Ordos speak of? A giant custard flan, or...?)

"It would please me greatly to assume the position of Cardinal, Lord Acheron. Although, as you said, we cannot have a full court without representatives of Famfrit and Exodus..."

St. Ulrich then turned to Ordos, and examined what he had changed into. "Although I see your point, would black garb not be worse for the situation? The color absorbs heat."

"The bangaa of my order have long operated within Alexandria, my lord Ulrich. The fabric itself of these traditional robes is much lighter; it will pose no threat to my comfort, I assure you."
"As I have said, this is an easy problem to solve." Eli repeated, "But of little import at the moment. I have people in many places, looking for those with the potential to become a Cardinal. As it happens, I have someone in mind for Exodus, though I have a strong feeling he would refuse. Despite the gifts his totema has shown him, he seems to lack a measure of faith."

Eli seemed somewhat dissapointed by this, as he lead them into a smaller assembly room, with a round table, spaces enough for a full host of cardinals, "Constance, could you get me a glass of water, please? This desert is making me uncharacteristically thirsty."
"Of course, your holiness." The (relatively) young Nu-Mou bowed, before turning slightly to Ordos, "Can I get you anything, your grace?"
"No thank you, Mother Constance." the tall human answered, taking his seat at Eli's left.
"And you, my Lord?" she asked Ulrich, turning to him.

"Take a chocobo from the stables. Bring a good cantine with you." Mani answered, "I must go, I am sorry. I will be missed at council."

"I would like a glass of water, please, Mother Constance."

The Nu Mou sat down at Eli's right after finishing this sentence.

Haka proceeded on his way to the stables, took out a chocobo, and rode awaaay! (to Madain Sari, actually)

(ooc: If I have a chocobo, and you have a chocobo, and my chocobo reaches all the way acroooooossss the room...)

Mani slipped in just as Constance bowed out, sitting down at Eli's right.

"Now then, I think we have some other things to discuss. Welcome, Cardinal-Saint Ulrich."

"Thank you, erm...Cardinal Sharona, was it? I'm afraid I haven't been here long enough for a proper introduction."

(ooc: I guess my last post vanished...)

"As a matter of fact, it was." Mani answered, taking her seat as the priestess who was sent returned with drinks, "I am sorry, I must have skipped introducing myself."
"You have been rather skatterbrained lately." Eli remarked, "Perhaps you should take a leave-"
"I have not!" Mani cut him off, "This has nothing to do with stress, Eli. I'm just getting to old to not have more than one thing to think about at once."

St. Ulrich picked up his glass of water and took a few sips.

"Forgive me for asking, but you are siblings, are you not? If so, why do you not hold the same rank?"

"As a matter of fact, we are." Eli replied, "However, as it happens-"
"I lack Eli's... abilities. He is, after all, the Acheron. I am but a humble priestess."
Ordos seemed to nod, "Yet one of the many mysteries that surround you two."

A faint knocking came at the door, causing Eli's attention to snap over to it, "Who's there?"
Silence.
"Shall I check it, my lord?"
"No, Brother Ordos. I think I know who it is." Mani stood up, "Excuse me, gentlemen. I have something to attend to."
"Isn't this more important, Mani?"
Mani glared at her twin, "Nothing is more important than family. Excuse me..."

The Nu Mou watched Mani head over to the door. He wondered who was knocking.

Mani opened the heavy oak door. A small girl, about a year younger than her, stood there, silently staring up at her. She was much shorter than Mani, and her appearance suggested that she was only recently starting to recover from starvation and poor health.

"What's wrong, Megami?"
"S-s-s-s-s-Tsuna says there's raiders approaching from the southeast..." she answered meakly, eyeing Ulrich wairily, "W-w-w-w-w-what's going on?"
"Don't worry about it. Why don't you go back to your room?"
"I-i-it's quiet now..."

Mani sighed, picking the girl up, and placing her in a seat at the table, "Alright Megami. You can stay, if you're quiet, alright?"
"Mani, I don't-"
Mani's glare silenced her brother. She could be rather cold, when she wanted to be.

Ulrich inwardly smiled at this.

Ah, the bonds of family... If I hadn't been an only child, I could understand Megami's situation more...

"Megami, this is Saint Ulrich. He's a cardinal too."
"H-h-h-h...Hi." Megami avoided his gaze, inching a little closer to Mani, despite being in a separate chair.
"I'm sorry, Cardinal. Megami is incredibly fearful; she really doesn't trust anyone but Eli and I."

Ordos nodded, "What about the raiders she mentioned?"
"Let the templar deal with it. The abby is not easily penetrated."

"It's quite all right," he responded. "...Moving on to the raiders, though, what if they do penetrate the abbey walls?"

"That would depend entirely upon what they want, I should thing. There would be no reason to dispatch them out of hand, if they are only after food or water." Eli replied, "I think that would depend entirely on my mood."

"I see. If they are hungry or thirsty, we call nourish them. However, should they draw their weapons against us, we shall dispatch them. Correct?"

"Exactly." Eli nodded, "Well, let's show you your new diocese..."

Ulrich rose from his chair and followed Eli to wherever he was being taken.

Eli and the others likewise rose from their chairs, with Mani and Ordos excusing each other to tend to their own business for a few minutes. Eli took the new Cardinal across the grand courtyard, into a temple that, on the outside, seemed like every other in the square, but once inside, was a grand honouring of Ultima.

"This structure was furnished with artifacts from near my hometown, as well as things that VCAD bought us after the war. The temple of Addremelech is similarly built, with artifacts from those grateful for the reconstruction of Burmecia."

The Nu Mou scanned the whole room, his eyes taking in every last detail (well, at least what he could; 20/50 vision really isn't that sharp).

"It's absolutely magnificent...I am honored to quarter in a shrine to Ultima such as this. My thanks to you, Lord Acheron."

"Not at all." Eli answered tactfully, "It is an honour to serve with a man of your stature, St. Ulrich."

From the doorway, a bangaa called out, unfamiliar with the protocols for entering a temple of Ultima, "Lord Acheron, there is a band of travelers at the gate, seeking sanctuary. They are armed."
"Let them in." Eli answered quickly, "See to it that Cardinal Ordos takes care of their placement."

"... Yes, My Lord." The templar bowed, sweeping out of the room.

"If there is nothing else you need, St. Ulrich, I have another matter I must attend to."

"Very well, Lord Acheron. I shall spend a while becoming accustomed to my new lodgings."

"Certainly. Good evening, Saint Ulrich. I'll see you at supper."

The extremely young Acheron swept out, hands folded behind him. He watched the visitors go by, including one man in a pin-striped suit.

So... you've come.

A black airship, clearly visible in the midday sunshine, slowly made its way towards the Abby. As it approached, the Grim descended onto a nearby cliff, scattering the nearby Coeurls back to their dens. As the Grim was settled by its operators, a figure in black robes (whose entire body was cloaked except for a portion of his face) disembarked, looking down at the Abby that was only several hundred meters below. He showed no signs of dehydration from the heat, as he was protected by an intangible layer of magical energy that far surpassed the power of an ordinary mage. He held out a gloved hand, in which a large, silver stone gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

Ordos glanced up to the airship with his one good eye, before turning his head to one of his templar, "Check it."

"Yes, your holiness." The bangaa hissed, before moving off with remarkable speed toward the cliff.

Eli watched this from the steps, and presently descended down into the courtyard proper, "I am expecting that man."

Ordos rose an eyebrow, and Eli continued, "Have him sent directly to my cell. I will go there to wait for him."

"As you wish, your holiness."

The man withdrew the stone into his robes, and turned back to a moogle, clothed in preparation for the climate, who nodded and ran back to the Grim to fetch something.

The templar who was sent made the final leap up the cliff face, "Who goes?"

"Celius Nexar, head of the Midgarian Oligarchy, better known as Clan Unchained Destiny."

The moogle came back, crossing to Celius' side and handing him his visor.

"... You're expected." The templar hissed, "The head of my order has told me to take you to the Acheron. What proof do you have of your identity?"

Celius clipped his visor to his left eye, then held his hand out from under his black robe and pulled down the sleeve, revealing a golden bracelet that wrapped tightly around his arm below the wrist.

"The Bracelets of Mythosgeria, a one-of-a-kind (created by alchemy) which I have worn for three years."

The templar had recognized them from Eli's sketches, and nodded, "Fine. Follow me."

The templar led Celius down into the catacombs on the second sub-level of the main chapel, the Basillica. As they navigated the winding, brick-lined tunnels, the air grew stale and chill. Before long, they ran into Eli, who was leaning against the door.

"My Lord, Celius Nexar."
"Thank you, Romanov. Leave us."
The templar bowed, thankful to be out of this place.

Eli nodded to Nexar, and used some sort of liquid-like key to open the door. The room beyond was dark and chamberlike, lit by scores of small candles that lined nooks in the walls and took up space on desks. It was a very unusual chamber, for the top-ranking man in the order.

"Come in, come in." Eli mumbled, sitting at a desk tucked into the corner, "There is not much room, I am afraid, but come in just the same."

Celius also sat down.

"It's quite dark in here, isn't it?"

He rested his arm on the table, feeling the warmth of the candles.