Lexen was at a bit of a loss for what to do. The bandit chief...though Lexen supposed he was more of a bandit king now, had committed some truly atrocious acts. Of course, atrocious was nothing more than Lexen's own personal opinions. Briggan the bandit king had committed very few acts that were in direct opposition to the will of the High Deity. At most, the often ignored deific command to 'be kind to others' was the main command being broken the majority of the time.

There were no commands to refrain from things like murder, but the church did work to encourage that image. Murder, when not ordered by the High Deity, was very distasteful in Lexen's eyes. Briggan murdered a lot of people, and Lexen feared that he had assisted in this endeavor. He had granted statuses to every one of the bandits, as that was his divine mission. However, the bandits had taken that gift and abused it, rolling across the countryside with contemptuous ease.

Lexen had withheld giving Briggan the [Chosen of the System] skill, unwilling to directly go against the wishes of the High Deity. When Briggan threatened to kill the demon priest, Lexen offered to grant statuses to any the chief wished. And so, the bandit group had gained their very own priest of the true church. Lexen performed his duties to the best of his abilities but was often regulated to being a chef instead. Most of the criminals were more interested in good food far more than their turbulent relationship with faith.

Lexen had despaired at his inability to act on his faith. Once again reduced to a base cook, he fell into a deep depression. His glorious purpose was taken from him, and now he was an accessory to the killing of innocents. His only solace was that he was allowed to use [Status Granting] on any captives the bandits took. The bandits refrained from killing as much as possible, instead opting to capture or take take over whole towns. Statuses were granted to the captives, though everyone was forced to take jobs that directly related to support instead of combat.

Most people had chosen to surrender and work for the bandits, and Briggan kept his bandits in line very well. There had been very little killing or other disdainful acts all things considered, but Lexen still felt sick at the thought that the High Deities wishes were being contaminated. Lexen was sure to give prayers for the deceased but honestly found himself feeling more lost than ever.

Every day and night he begged and pleaded to the High Deity, asking for a sign or some answer to his situation. Lexen desperately called out at every free moment, seeking some divine revelation and intercession. It was not uncommon for those seeking guidance from the High Deity to receive it, yet Lexen's calls remained unanswered. He performed religious rites, asked local holy men, and fasted in an effort to prove his faith. However. each failed attempt pushed him further and further into the depths of despair. He couldn't understand why the High Deity refused to answer him, and the other priests he spoke with expressed similar concerns.

Lexen was shocked to learn that many of the priests he spoke with had not had any divine revelations for some time. The High Deity was usually quick to respond to those who made an effort to receive his wisdom. Lexen began to grow afraid as the days passed. Had something happened to the High Deity? Was something going on, some strange thing that was preventing the God of gods from interacting with his people?

Lexen's heart burned with righteous fury as he began to believe something had truly gone wrong. Every rejection, every day with no contact only served to make him more sure. Lexen began to preach to the people and plead with Briggan. Something was deeply wrong, and he was sure that the High Deity needed his help. Briggan simply laughed and disregarded the man, completely uninterested in whatever nonsense he was babbling about.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Lexen lay awake for long hours every night, wracking his brain for any way to help the Deity he served.

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A gathering of the Arch-deacons was called, and Braith was fairly sure she knew why. The High Deity had not shown himself for weeks, to any members of the church. It was not unheard of for the God of gods to not appear for days at a time, but even a week was longer than any previous occurrence. Braith herself held some small amount of pride that her requests to speak with the High Deity had never gone unanswered...until now anyway.

Braith sat in the hall of the first church, taking her seat near the head of the table. The seven other priests were gathered, congregating on each side of the long table. An attendant sat at the foot of the table, prepared to take notes on the meeting. The head of the table remained empty, reserved for the High Deity when he chose to attend these gatherings with his holy avatar. Many had held the vague hope that the High Deity would come out of his seclusion for this meeting, but there was no such luck.

Speaking with obvious regret, Arch-deacon Rilm called the meeting to begin. "Friends, by now I am sure you are all aware of the situation we find ourselves in." There were nods from around the table, so Rilm continued. "The High Deity has been quiet, more quiet than any time in recorded history. We have collected the last know conversations between the God of gods and his followers. There were no hints as to why the High Deity would suddenly cut himself off from us."

Braith stood and began speaking at this point. "We've interviewed priests and populace alike. We've asked leading questions in confessionals and sought out known problem individuals. We have no real leads at this point, unfortunately."

There was concerned muttering around the table before Rilm calmed everyone down. "Peace, my friends. We have called this meeting because our group is the most capable of handling this issue. We wish to take action regarding the High Deity's absence. We are willing to hear out all suggestions, so I'll open the floor."

There were a variety of suggestions from the assembled Arch-deacons.

"We could start an inquisition."

"Perhaps if we petition the monarchs to take action."

"A grand service, the biggest in our church's history."

They were all wonderful ideas, but Braith did not believe they would be enough. After the suggestions began petering out, she stood again. "I have spoken with Brother Grisp. As you are all aware, he was among the first to respond to the High Deity's command and subsequently among the first to receive the reward promised to us. He interacted with the holy agent of the High Deity, Jack. In this interaction, Grisp came to understand that Jack is capable of speaking with the God of gods directly. I believe we should move to approach Jack and speak to him on the matter."

This statement caused a great deal of muttering and frowning in the room. It was hard for everyone gathered to admit that there was someone on Drowl more important to the High Deity's plans than they were. But the suggestion was sound, and when a vote was called, Braith's suggestion was accepted.

Rilm nodded and stood for the last time. "Braith and I will put together a formal envoy. We will both travel to meet with Jack, accompanied by the Holy Order. We will depart in two days, and will be relying on the rest of this council to take care of our affairs while we are gone."

The meeting ended, and many of the Arch-deacons scattered to begin their preparations. Braith approached Rilm, quietly pulling him aside. "The Holy Order? Are you sure we require a full complement of paladins? This is a peaceful mission."

Rilm looked at her, his eyes hard. "The High Deity is acting in ways we have never seen before. In fact, there are many strange events across Drowl right now. It is my belief, based on personal conversations with the High Deity, that Jack is someone potentially dangerous."

Braith's eyes widened in surprise. "Truly? I thought that he was an agent, a simple creation of the God of gods."

Rilm shrugged. "I'm unsure of his exact nature. But the High Deity did not speak highly of him. It's possible that Jack is the source of our issues. And if he is, then we must be prepared to remove him at all costs."