Acolytes and Invocation

The morning of the first full day of his self-imposed, temporary exile, Ahsch sent his sister to invite the three prospective priests - Naemui, Maera, and Wen - to visit. She returned with the trio in tow after only an hour and a half, and Ahsch met them in a quiet corner of the inner courtyard alongside a monster-form Mahat. Even with everything else that had been going on, the hrafthi twins had managed to work out a general guide for Enochiel's Priesthood, though it took a lot of convincing on Ariin and Mahat's part to get Ahsch to agree to some of the more ritualistic religious elements, like requiring daily prayer, a weekly bath in ritually-cleansed water, sexual activity at least every half-week, and other rituals. He simply didn't feel the need to include otherwise pointless things - as long as they worshiped, they granted him power, and he could give temporary spells in return. Wasn't that enough?

When his girls pointed out that having structure and rules would foster the worship he needed, and help to build a sense of community and belonging among his priests, he reluctantly conceded the argument. He did require Ariin to follow all the rules she was insisting his priests follow, teasing her for being his only archpriestess. She just smiled and readily agreed.

Passing on the information was somewhat weird. Despite the lewd oddities of his Boons, Ahsch still had over two decades of modern Earth stigma around sex, making the conversation slightly awkward on his end. Similarly, Naemui, Maera, and Wen had all been raised in the Kingdom of Starlight, which was relatively conservative on the subject. Only Ariin seemed truly comfortable talking so openly about sex, and Ahsch made an effort to normalize it in his head - as Rwnil had pointed out the night before, he was going to be the god of sex.

That wasn't to say that all the rules revolved around sex. The goal had been to have the rules divided between the four domains of Enochiel at about the same ratio as the commandments, so about 3/10 for bonds and sex each, then 1/5 for bodies and dominance. In reality, 'body' related rules outnumbered the rest due to Ahsch's Earthian sensibilities when it came to cleanliness, something that wasn't quite shared on Euphoria. To be fair, bathing and overall hygiene was better than what Ahsch knew of the middle ages - which was the rough equivalent to where Euphoria's mundane technology was at - but lacking knowledge about bacteria and bodily health held them back in some ways. When Wen asked about the preponderance of hygiene-related rules, Ahsch just smiled and mentioned that 'cleanliness is close to godliness,' and Enochiel, being a god of bodies, had some things to say about how Euphorians maintained themselves, and rules for how those who represented him would keep themselves.

Even though it hadn't been particularly long, a revelation on Ahsch's part had led to a few rules relating to sex. Aside from the rule about regular sex, there was also a rule about making an effort for prayer to include at least one of Enochiel's domains. Prayer while engaged in sex or cleaning oneself were the highlights, as they were straightforward; few had enough of a grasp on bonds to do anything worthwhile there, and not everyone was going to be involved in some form of dominance or submission. And since, between the two, sex was a major domain, emphasis went on that. This rule came about because Ahsch had been able, with some experimenting, to parse out sections of his worshipers, and he found that the greatest power on a per-worshiper basis came from those who were sexually active with regularity. Likewise, there were tie-ins with his other domains, but the sex link was the most obvious, and by far the largest contributor.

The group talked for a couple of hours, but when Ahsch and Ariin fell silent, the trio seemed almost surprised. "That's... that's it?" Maena asked.

Ahsch smiled apologetically. "Keep in mind, Enochiel is, in essence, not truly 'here' yet. As his Prophet, I gain insight into his desires for his religion, the work he wants to do upon Euphoria, but I essentially have to build this religion from the ground up, on my own, without direct divine involvement. But that aside, I have other duties, and Enochiel understands that, so I am not constantly working to further his work. It's possible, once more are involved, that his teachings can be passed on by others, but that time is likely quite far off - I was not understating it that he has almost no power on Euphoria at the moment. Which is a concern if..."

The hrafthi stopped suddenly as a new sensation washed over him. Cleansing Light was activating, as a worshiper invoked his name for aid. And once again, unlike what he expected, there was essentially nothing he needed to do - the Boon read his intent, somehow interpreting the context of the plea instantly, and decided to grant the worshiper - a young rabbit-girl woman named Elui - Ice Shot.

Ahsch panicked. Ice Shot was an attack spell. What was happening? Why had Elui invoked his name? Why had Cleansing Light given her that spell?

Calm yourself, Master! Mahat said. The Boon gave you all of that information, you just need to examine it!

Taking a deep breath, he did so. Elui was cornered by a pair of rough-looking men at the end of an alley. The small daggers they held, their dark expressions, the bulges in their pants, and the shreds of the rabbit-girl's shirt that their blades had just cut made their intent pretty clear. Elui, who had prayed to other gods with little luck throughout her life, had turned to him in desperation, doubting the truth of Ahsch's claim that Enochiel could provide her with aid, yet needing to do something to escape the men, and hoping that the god whose Prophet had gifted her and others among the poor food might actually save her now. And given her options were to try and run past the men to escape, or fight them off - and sensing her relatively average magical capabilities - Cleansing Light gave her the most efficient, safest, and immediately-useful spell it could. Escape would be difficult, as the only spell Ahsch had that might be able to help was Float, which would affect the two men as well, and took too long to cast. Likewise, his other attack spells were either inefficient, like Heart Pierce and Dollify - which cost more Mana than his traditionally-learned spells - while Flame Shot might set fire to the surrounding buildings. Beyond that, Ahsch knew nothing, aside from the obvious that Elui counted as a worshiper.

"Brother!" Ariin called again, and Ahsch finally responded. "What's wrong?"

"Someone just invoked Enochiel's name," he said, still a little overwhelmed. Ariin and the trio of guests were all shocked, and Ahsch took a moment to think. "Mahat, head to the Capital as fast as you can, ask around the slums for Elui. If anyone asks, tell them the truth."

The familiar nodded, then quickly left, shapeshifting mid-step and bolting from the Temple, her clothes falling on the ground. You know you won't be able to help everyone in trouble, even if they worship you, she said. Not mundanely, at least.

True, Ahsch agreed. But maybe we can help her.

Given how long it would take Mahat to reach the Capital in the first place, Ahsch **** his attention back to the matter at hand. "Where were we?"

"Are... you sure this is..." Naemui started, but the hrafthi waved away her concern.

"There's nothing more we can do now, and even Enochiel is not omniscient. He made good on his word to provide aid to those who worshiped him and invoked his name with due cause, and he knows some of the circumstances of that plea for help. But he cannot see the outcome. Until Mahat finds her, we can either sit and fret uselessly, or we can carry on with our task."

The others nodded. "You were talking about why Enochiel had so little information for His worshipers and Priesthood," Ariin supplied.

"Ah, yes. Well, I think I hit all the main points. Ariin and I do what we can to record what Enochiel wants, but we can't do that all day, and despite her status as the Divine Submissive, my sister isn't able to do it alone. As a Lord, and my own person, I am unfortunately pressed for time, and have to balance many things that require my attention.

"But I certainly hope that in the not-too-distant-future, Enochiel will be able to speak directly to whoever he needs to, so that I won't be the only conduit for him upon Euphoria. Only time will tell."

He smiled encouragingly at the trio. "But you need not wait for Enochiel's every word; as long as it does not contradict him, the way in which you decide to worship are your own personal relationship with him. For all that there will be 'official' ways to pray, or sacrifice, or live your life in a way that venerates him, you are also able to find your own path, as long as it's one that honors him."

The wide, shocked gazes that greeted that statement made Ahsch chuckle. "I know that's different from the other religions, or at least what they preach, but it's the truth." He gave a lopsided smile. "I give you my bonded word."

Everyone felt the faint thrum of the promise's power. It was a casual oath, but an oath nonetheless, and that carried weight coming from Ahsch.

The three prospectives bowed their heads briefly, then Maena asked, "Say we decide to join Enochiel's Priesthood - what would be required?"

"As you'd be the first, things would look a bit different for you compared to what we know those who follow you will need to undergo. At the very least, you would remain acolytes only until you can prove your understanding of the intent behind Enochiel's teachings, something I doubt will take very long. From there, we will try to find you tasks that suit your skills - as empty as the ranks of the priesthood are, practically anything such an organization will need is on the table, assuming you prove the capability to handle it. We would strongly desire you to live here, in the Temple, though you would be allowed to come and go as you please, assuming your duties are fulfilled in a timely and thorough manner. You would all work closely with Ariin and the servants who currently maintain things."

The three looked at each other. "Can we have some time to talk?" Maena asked.

Ahsch nodded. "Of course. When you are ready, inform Dhina, and she will fetch us." Ahsch nodded to indicate the young woman who stood near the atrium wall, on-hand in case they needed anything. Unknown to the trio, Dhina was the head administrator among the servants - due to the lack of administrative work that currently plagued her days, she had been quite eager to fulfill her role for the day. The hrafthi twins stood, then made their way to the library, stopping to let the administrator know where to find them once the trio was done deliberating.

Once the two had gotten settled with their references, they continued to lay plans for the religion, further developing the rules and teachings of Enochiel's religion. Their work proceeded uninterrupted for over an hour, and only paused when Mahat interrupted them through Daydreamweave. Master, I've found Elui. She is alive, and relatively unharmed, though frightened.

Hardly surprising, Ahsch thought to himself. Ask if she would like to visit the Temple.

A pause as Mahat relayed the invitation. She doubts she'd really be welcome, the familiar sent.

Tell her the truth: she's the first to invoke Enochiel's name, and as such, she is most certainly welcome.

Another pause, this one longer. She will come. This time the delay was brief. She wants to thank you for the food from after the service, and Enochiel for his help.

Ahsch smiled slightly. Then, in a moment of... divine inspiration, he said, Tell her that Enochiel kept his bond, repaid devotion with opportunity, and she was the one who put in the work.

A minute later, Mahat was on the way back with Elui. "What are you going to do with her?" Ariin asked.

Ahsch sighed. "At the very least, give her a place to stay and plenty of food. From what I was able to glean from Cleansing Light, she hasn't had enough to eat for months, aside from what we provided. If she's amenable to it, I might offer her a position at the Temple. Whether it's as a servant or to join the Priesthood, I'm not sure."

"Rwnil would say you're too soft."

"Rwnil is a terrifying monster who I think forgets the struggles of the average person." The Dominant Mage smiled slightly. "She's also right, I am soft."

Ariin giggled, then the two returned to their work. Shortly after, Dhina they had left with their guests came and let them know that the trio had made a decision.

"We accept your offer," Naemui said, her voice shaking slightly.

Ahsch grinned. "Excellent!" He glanced between the three. "As you might be coming to expect, Enochiel doesn't adhere to common religious practice - there's no set uniform for those of his Priesthood, only an indicator of rank within it." Turning to Ariin, he accepted the set of three metal objects that she handed him, each about four inches in diameter and made a seal in the shape of the symbol of Enochiel: a monogram of B, S, D, and B, the initials of Enochiel's four domains, with the letters overlapping and rotated or mirrored to create a single image, the same way that Ahsch recalled a certain famous fantasy author had done with his name using the letters J, R, R, and T.

The 'S' acted as the base, then two straight lines, one bisecting vertically and the other connecting the ends of the S, made two mirrored, if not perfectly accurate 'B's; an arc on the right of the symbol connected the top and bottom to make the D. The seals were made of mystical metals that wouldn't warp or break easily, spun into wire and shaped into the symbol. That way, they could be presented in a variety of ways, though fastening them to clothing or hanging from jewelry were probably the most straightforward.

Four different metals had been used to make four different types of the seals. White starsteel was what Ahsch presented to the three new acolytes; proper priests would bear red bloodiron, high priests would carry violet dusk amethyst, and archpriests would be granted reflective mirrorion - such a seal hung from the ring of Ariin's collar.

The three acolytes graciously took their seals, then looked at them with a sense of awe, and Ahsch knew immediately why - like everything else Enochiel claimed or created, the seals had a minor aura of gnosis when in contact with a worshiper. A boon when speaking faithfully in his name, a bane if they ever wanted to hide their allegiance.

"Bear in mind, while you carry Enochiel's symbol, you are not granted the authority to speak in his name, either within or beyond the Priesthood," Ariin warned. "Only true priests and priestesses have that blessing."

The three bowed. "We understand, Archpriestess," Naemui spoke for the trio. "We will not besmirch His gift to us."

Nodding, Ariin returned the group's attention to Ahsch. "You are welcome to move your belongings to the Temple at any time, though you aren't expected to do so immediately. But I'd say that the end of the week is an acceptable deadline for you three to be living here." It was a statement, but he spoke in a tone that said he was open to objections. None were given, only nods of agreement. "Then for now, I'll leave you to get acquainted with the Temple." He waved over Dhina. "Please give Enochiel's first acolytes a tour of the Temple, and familiarize them with the daily schedule, such as it is. Also, please introduce them to Tyrn, and make sure that the sentinels are aware that they have free access to the Temple." Tyrn was the captain of the sentinels, a man built like a brick shithouse and who Ahsch was pretty sure could break him over his head with little effort. Suffice to say, he felt it unlikely that anyone who knew the huge man was present would dare invade the Temple if they valued their spines.

The administrator nodded. "Of course, Lord Odestag... er... Prophet," she said. Ahsch chuckled. As one of Butler's direct recommendations, he'd been introduced to Dhina as 'Lord Odestag,' and only recently had the religious trappings been added to their interactions.

As she led the acolytes away, Mahat slipped into the hrafthi twins' Daydreamweave again. Master, we are approaching the Temple.

The siblings went to meet Ahsch's familiar right away, and ended up waiting at the gate for less than a minute before the greater spined fox appeared on the road, a small figure astride her back. When they arrived, the rabbit-girl monster slipped off her ride, and Mahat shifted into her monster form without hesitation, uncaring of her nudity.

Ahsch smiled as kindly as he could at the rabbit-girl. "Elui, I assume?"

She gave a small, anxious nod in response.

"Welcome back to the Temple. Are you hurt?"

She swallowed, then shook her head.

Relief swept across Ahsch. "I'm glad. Please, come in," he said, standing aside and gesturing her forward.

"Why?"

He blinked. "Why what?"

"Why invite me back? Why invite me in?"

Even for as nervous as she clearly was, Elui's voice was clear and firm. Brave little bunny, the hrafthi thought. "Honestly, because I feel like I owe you something, at the very least. As the first to invoke Enochiel's name, you are... well, special, I suppose. At minimum, I think I owe you safety, food, and comfort for providing proof to us that Enochiel's power can extend past myself. And while I'd like to work with you beyond that, I will not **** anything upon you."

The rabbit-girl stared at him for a long moment, then gave a small nod and stepped forward. Ahsch turned to lead, and his girls walked alongside Elui, gently introducing themselves properly and asking questions of her.