The Tower in the Shadows

Danrum had a sheet of vellum before him. He looked up from it and began.

"The town has sufficient watchman numbers at the moment. This will change soon due to the continuing expansion and limited budget available."

Ranus knew this was going to happen. Money was flowing in but slowly and not in significant amounts. Most of the land parcels were sold, giving him some capital to lean on. Taxes are not collected until the summer solstice, which is still too many weeks away.

"On the issue of crime, now that we have a watch house and the stocks, we are dealing with more low-level disturbances. The local adventurer population is the main source of this trouble."

That was not unexpected. Adventurers had a well-deserved reputation for troublemaking when not engaged with jobs.

"The local judge is handing out fines that are adding to the town's budget."

Ranus was going to have to look into just how much.

"The Thieves Guild seeks to establish a chapter within the town."

This was not good news, but again, it was not unexpected.

"How do you know this?" He was curious, so he asked.

"We have apprehended about a dozen street runners working on getting the class. As this town has no slum or workforce problems yet, I am sure they are being trained."

Street runners was the nickname given to kids who had no apprenticeship or were not in education. They run streets looking for trouble or opportunity, hence the name. Ranus also did not like that it was a matter of time before a slum appeared.

"I was unaware that the population had grown so large that we had a surplus of youths?"

"Actually, we do not. I have discovered many have been brought in from Tyboon. Thus, my Guild statement."

Ranus frowned at this. It was how the Guilds, on the other side of the law, recruited and trained members: They found youths with no prospects and lured them with promises of a better life. Those who made it were treated well by their Guild. The problem was the ones who did not.

"I know it will not stop them, but lean on the ones you discover." Ranus instructed. Danrum nodded his understanding at his lord's instruction. Both men knew they would never eliminate the so-called "dark" Guilds but had to be seen to try.

"There is one last thing, my lord." Danrum was hesitant.

"Speak, Commander." Ranus prompted.

Danrum took a few heartbeats to speak, but after a deep breath, he started.

"I can confirm that every member of the divine pantheon now has a presence in the form of a temple within the town."

It took a few heartbeats for Ranus to understand what he was saying.

"All?" He asked again.

"All." The other man confirmed.

This resulted from Ranus's policy of not blocking any God from having a temple in the town. He devised it when the clerics and priests began arriving en masse. At the time, he was afraid of insulting one of the prominent members of the pantheon as the town was being established. Dealing with a singular or annoyed group of divine beings could have ended the town before it started.

"What trouble have you encountered?" He asked the question, dreading the answer.

"So far, nothing major has happened outside the temples. The priests and their followers have been tense, but all are respecting the rule you imposed last year."

Ranus remembered the flood of priests and clergy, the tension that had come with them and the threat of it spilling into violence. Due to this, his first decree was announced.

"Any willing person may enter a temple of a divine of their own free will. What happens after that is between them and the divine. Any clergy who violates this or the town's peace will see them cast from the lands I control," Ranus recited.

Danrum nodded as Ranus spoke.

"Your decree has held, my lord. The mood in the temple district has been agitated several times, but with the district's inventive organisation, there haven't been open outbreaks of violence."

Ranus had Vulus to thank for that. When the architect learned of the churches' coming, he proposed a somewhat radical solution. Placing the churches so close together to the two courts was always a recipe for disaster. He had unveiled a three-section district with both courts occupying one side with the "neutral" Gods acting as a buffer between them.

Ranus hoped this would hold the peace and, so far, had.

"What is your concern, then?"

"The less… ethical gods have now established themselves in the town and are openly worshipped."

It quickly dawned on Ranus what the older man was saying.

"Have they moved any of their "activities" beyond the temples?" He asked.

"No. They have kept everything within the grounds as you decreed." He paused before continuing. "I must admit my surprise that all the churches are following your decree. I expected by now that at least one would have tested your decree, but they are going out of their way to obey it."

Ranus was unsure why but did not want to question it. The peace was too important right now.

"No, addictive substances, public orgies, violent deaths or outright murders." He asked.

"None outside of the temples. What is happening within…." He did not finish.

Divine beings in the "dark" court, such as Hylonia, were tolerated to have open temples in a few cities worldwide as far as he knew. Most civilisations did not endure those divine practices for long or did and that was best not spoken about in polite company.

Ilinia and Hylonia were bitterly opposed in the courts. Ilinia represents healing, childbirth and love, while Hylonia stands for pleasure, selfishness and excess. To have both openly worshipped in a town or city was a recipe for disaster. There were other such states between different Gods. Ranus had the great "fortune" to have all of them present in his town. You could find them in most communities, but many were worshipped privately or secretly.

Ranus understood his decree, which now trapped him. He cannot move against any of the temples with which he has a moral issue as long as they obey his ruling. If he does, that would enrage the God and the court it is aligned to, as well as Lawdrun, the God of Laws.

His decree was a town law.

Leaning back in his chair, Ranus sighed, now seeing the worse issue he had created inadvertently by trying to head off the first.

"As long as the temples do not breach my decree, they are allowed to continue." Both men knew this would be the source of many future problems, but for now, things were stable. "I will send a message to all the temples reminding them of my decree and the consequences for breaching it."

Danrum only nodded, knowing there was not much more either man could do.

"Thank you for your time, Danrum. I will let you get back about your duties. Please bring your needs to the next council meeting."

When he heard one, the older man knew a dismissal, rose and gave a quick bow. He was soon out of the room and Ranus rubbed his face with his hands.

"What a fine mess you have created!" He muttered to himself.

Only one city in the world that he knew of had all the divine beings represented openly and that was the Holy City. If it had any other name, he knew not. Located on the equator between the Elven lands and Dragon Isles, the city-state was legendary for having each God have a grand temple dedicated to them and the city having not been destroyed in any of their conflicts.

"I wonder if I should try to contact them to find out how they manage it?"

Ranus paused, realising he was talking to himself. He quickly sat up and straightened his posture to appear like a Lord in control. He had several more meetings to go through.

"My lord, are you ready for your next appointment?" Naru had entered.

Another new addition to the community and his staff. The woman was from the far west. She had pale skin with dark almond eyes and jet-black hair. Her petite frame made her look fragile but concealed her incredible organisational skills.

"Yes, Naru. Who is next."

"Hexus, head priest of the temple of Hylonia."

Ranus almost laughed at the situation but controlled himself.

"Please send them in." She nodded and left the room.

Ranus stood and awaited his next meeting. Narus escorted the man into the room but left, closing the door.

Hexus was an excellent example of a follower of his God. Most Gods chose a gender to help identify them that suited the role they had or the image they were presenting. Hylonia went out of their way it seemed to confuse this. Appearing as either sex or a mixture of the two, this fits in with its position within its court. Correspondently, the temple priests blurred such ideas as gender through clothing, mannerisms or even with alchemic aid. The priest was doused in a sweet-smelling perfume that would be pleasant, but only for the amount applied.

Hexus was a mixture of masculine and feminine traits. With long hair and extensive makeup, Ranus was unsure of its base sex. The clothing worn while revealing also aided in confusing this. Ranus was sure Hexus was a man but knew that was not a safe bet.

"Welcome, Hexus of the temple of Hylonia." Ranus was always polite, learning from a young age that this helped with negotiations.

"Thank you for your welcome, Lord Goldwind." The voice was close to male but with female aspects. Ranus indicated to a chair and they both sat at the table.

"What brings you to my hall, this day?" Ranus enquired, hoping it was something that could be quickly resolved.

"First, my patron has instructed me to thank you for allowing open worship within your lands." The priest's body language helped convey their words. "I have been instructed to let you know that my patron has sent word to its temples in Ostrul that the death of its scion of that city was not your responsibility and they would not look kindly on any action against you."

This confused Ranus, as he was unaware of any issues with Ostrul. Elian had been firm that the scion's death was his own responsibility and no one else's.

"I would thank your patron, but I am unaware of such issues with Ostrul. The Adventurer Guild investigated and found that the scion went too far too fast in the Dungeon."

"You are correct. The Guild named the scion the one responsible, but your family have been spreading another story about this event."

Ranus schooled his features to stay neutral, but inside, he was seething. His family was still seeking to usurp him. He did not have evidence that they were trying this approach through Ostrul, but it was in line with the other attempts.

"I had not heard of this. I thank you and your patron for their actions." He wondered what the cost would be for this help. It was odd that they had not tried to get it first but instead told him they had helped him.

"I can tell, Lord Goldwind, that you wonder why my patron has done this." The priest smiled. Ranus thought about Ostrul and how this priest reminded him of the envoy from that city. He felt the same need to bathe after speaking with them.

"That would be a fair guess. I mean no insult, but your patron is not known for their charitable actions."

The priest let out a deep belly laugh of genuine amusement at this.

"That is a true thing, Lord Goldwind. My patron is well known for their pettiness and selfishness as they are the God of it. My words to you, however, are true. My patron is rarely openly allowed to have a temple within a town or city. Your willingness to not interfere with it as long as all our rituals remain within its grounds is also a welcome break from our normal state of affairs."

Ranus suspected that this was partly true. Hylonia and the other Gods like them were often restricted or outright banned from most civilisations. There was something that Ranus had been wondering about but had never raised with any of the priests he had interacted with since they arrived. Today, he decided to ask.

"Then I thank you and your patron for their actions. I do have a question for you if you are willing to answer it."

"If able, I would gladly answer, Lord Goldwind."

"My question is then. Why are all the Gods here?"

This did not elicit the reaction Ranus expected. The priest's smile became strained, and they tensed up. What had he asked?

"Oh, that is simple, Lord Goldwind. We are here because our patrons have instructed us to be." The answer was a deflection. Ranus thought about it and pressed.

"That is true, Priest Hexus, but I ask again: Why has the entire pantheon graced my small community with their presence?"

"The reasons for the actions of the divine are beyond this simple priest. Now, I must beg your forgiveness as I am needed to attend to my duties." Hexus quickly excused themselves from Ranus's hall and left.

With the priest now gone but the lingering smell of their perfume in the air, Ranus thought over the reaction to the question he posed. Something was going on he already knew by the presence of the temples and churches alone. The question itself had either caused the priest to be fearful or was under orders not to divulge anything.

Ranus had a gap in his schedule at the moment so he could think on it.

What little he had gathered was that the priests and clergy were tense around each other. The usual inter-God issues were there but being controlled or suppressed at this time. The evidence was that the temple district was not a battlefield but a standoff.

Ranus was not arrogant enough to think that his decree was holding the peace, but it seemed more likely that the priests had used it as an excuse to set up this standoff.

The only thing Ranus was sure of was it was all linked to the Dungeon.

"I need to talk to Elian and Comus." He muttered to himself.