The church, although it was probably more accurate to call it a cathedral, was quite massive and ornate. It wasn’t much different than the catholic cathedrals from my old world. It possessed tall spires, but they were oddly rounded off, more like hills than spires, although there was a point on the top of each one that I couldn’t see clearly. There were many ornate sculptures, mostly of women. They were often pregnant, giving birth, or feeding infants with their breasts.
The priest led me into the church, but the majority of the escort broke off at that point. Only two Paladins followed us inside. That didn’t make things anymore even, since there were guards at the gates and lined up all over the cathedral. In the large room we entered, there were at least 10 Paladins, and innumerable priests. The priests were probably not great at combat, but I imagine if they all concentrated on healing the warriors, they’d basically have infinite health.
On the inside, there were high ceilings and a propensity for the color white. Their religious imagery was different, once again focusing on women, particularly in motherly roles. Their deity appeared to be a somewhat robust woman with large hips and breasts. Was this the goddess who sent me to this world? This would be my first time seeing her if that was the case.
“All hail to the Mother.” I heard a man chanting.
“Mother shelter us in your womb.”
Although the imagery was mostly women, on this floor, I saw mostly men. However, the few women I did see were surprisingly beautiful.
“You will be respectful to the Archbishop!” The priest who was leading us snapped. “Or the penalty is death!”
I tried to make a portal again, just to test it, and it was still out. Whatever that magical circle did, it seemed to work for more than just within the circle. It appeared to be some kind of skill dampener that prevented me from using movement-related skills. I could still use other skills, as I tested out several that the paladins wouldn’t notice like Slave Communication and Map.
We ended up entering an elevator, which was powered magically. It lifted up past the giant room. We ended up in a large room at the very top of the cathedral. I was deep in enemy territory now. I swallowed hard and then got off. At this point, the priest stopped leading us. As soon as the six of us were off, he shut the elevator and sent it back down. Standing there as if he was blocking our exit, he gestured for the group of us to continue.
We slowly walked down the giant chamber, which looked like the office of the Archbishop. At the end of the room was a tall chair. It was facing away from me. There was also a fireplace that was burning ominously. There was an excessive use of blacks and reds, which contrasted with the white exterior. I could see it now. This was the true church. It was the corrupt, dark underbelly. Then, before me, was the Archbishop who ran the church. They were the most powerful person in the country, just under the noble family.
The chair turned around, and my mouth couldn’t help but fall open.
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