Despite the harsh look he received from Braith, the bore-bot woman quickly mastered her expression and bowed lightly to Jack. "Blessings upon you, Jack. I am honored to meet the servant of the High Deity, unworthy as I am." Rilm, the green draconid beside her, also bowed but didn't speak. It seemed like this woman was going to be leading the discussion.

"Hello, it is good to meet you both." Jack returned a slight bow, unsure of how to respond to people of this rank. There hadn't been enough time to go over church etiquette, so Jack would be playing this mostly off the cuff.

Braith regarded him for a moment before speaking, "I must confess, I did not expect a bore-bot to be the High Deitie's chosen messenger. There are those in the world who find fault with us for not being created directly by the works of the God of gods." She eyed Jack intensely as she spoke, almost like she was probing him for some kind of answer.

"Ah, well. That's actually a bit complicated, you see. I am not truly a bore-bot. The High Deity requested this body to be made for me so that I could perform my duties in person." Jack gestured to his body, unsure of his response. He wasn't sure if this woman had some kind of political agenda concerning bore-bots, or if she was just making small talk. Either way, the truth seemed like a safe enough answer for now. Besides that, if he told the church that Deis had specifically requested a tri-internal type bore-bot body be made, then Reph, Glimm, and Dirge would be less likely to get in trouble for it.

"Truly?" she pondered his statement, and Rilm leaned down to whisper something in her ear. The differences between the two of them were stark, even ignoring the fact that one was made of metal and the other was a humanoid dragon. Rilm was tall, about six and a half feet, while Braith was closer to three and a half. The copperish metal of her body was drastically different than the dark green scales of the draconid. She was very bookish looking, with serious and stern features, while he was towering and strong, like a warrior more than a priest.

As Rilm spoke quietly in her ear, Jack idly wondered how he seemed compared to everyone else. Most of the bore-bots he had seen didn't exactly cut imposing figures when compared to others. He supposed that standing next to Riniox, the two of them were mirroring the arch-deacons a bit.

Braith returned her attention to Jack as Rilm straightened. "If I may ask for a clarification. The High Deity specifically requested that your body be made? May we inquire who made your form?"

Reph took a step forward. "I received the message from an avatar of the High Deity. He bestowed blueprints upon me, and I worked to create the body to his exact standards."

Braith's eyes narrowed as she looked at Reph, and she glanced briefly at Glimm and Dirge who were standing behind him. "I see. You may step back now." Reph did as asked, his face a mask. Jack knew that he was nervous, but the bore-bot did an excellent job of hiding it. However, once Reph stepped back, Braith seemed to forget he existed, her entire attention returning to Jack. "I suppose that line of questioning can wait. We have come to discuss a rather...sensitive topic."

At the mention of a 'sensitive topic,' Rilm gestured for the church soldiers to step away, gesturing for Riniox and the mercs to do the same. The demoness looked to Jack, an eyebrow raised questioningly. He nodded, and everyone but Jeler stepped away until it was just the Arch-deacons, Jack, and Jeler left. Braith looked disapprovingly at Jeler but seemed to move past it by choosing to ignore him.

Rilm cast a spell, and a translucent bubble appeared around the group. The noises of the camp fell away suddenly, and Jack realized that this must be some kind of privacy spell. The mouths of the people outside the bubble blurred, clearly preventing lip reading as well as sound. "So, it has come to our attention that the High Deity has been very silent of late. We, the Arch-deacons of the True Church, would like to borrow your wisdom in this matter."

Jack felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. "Silent? What do you mean?"

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Braith frowned, "To clarify, churches all across Drowl have reported that their pleas for guidance and wisdom have gone unanswered. A few days of such behavior from the High Deity is not unheard of, but this is the longest period of silence in recorded history." Rilm nodded solemnly from next to his companion, his face filled with sadness at the idea of not hearing from their god.

It was strange for Jack, to see this kind of response. His own experience with religion on Earth was rather disconnected, but its wasn't like people had direct phone lines to the gods they worshipped. Thinking about it now, it would be weird if your weird, overprotective god-stalker suddenly stopped talking to you. Though Jack hadn't realized how much Deis really spoke to the populace. "I hadn't realized that he spoke to priests that frequently. Reph indicated to me that it wasn't very common."

Braith sneered at that comment. "Obviously the High Deity prefers conversing with those who worship him properly. The more advanced members of the True church interact with the High Deity with some regularity, though obviously not as of late. We would like to inquire if you have any information regarding his silence."

Jack did have information, though there was no way he would share it with these people. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can share. The High Deity has been in a foul mood recently, but I do not know why. Perhaps that is the problem?"

The two Arch-deacons conferred with each other for a moment, whispering to one another in hushed voices. Jack stood nervously as he waited. These people knew Deis better than almost anyone, and any excuse he gave them might run contrary to their own experience. The best thing he could do was keep it vague and hope for the best. Even so, these people were very intense, and Jack idly wondered if they had some personal bias in the matter.

After some deliberation, Braith turned back to Jack. "Would it be possible to speak to the High Deity through you? If a message could be delivered, it would go a long way to easing the minds of the people." Her words were polite, but there was an expectant tone to her voice as if she was ordering him to do as she asked.

"Sorry, I can't. The High Deity only comes to see me when he wants to. He doesn't answer to someone like me, though I could hold onto your message until I see him again." Jack decided to lay it on a bit thick. By demeaning himself, he was hoping that the Arch-deacons would respond like Deis often did and grow more comfortable.

Sure enough, his self-admonishment seemed to brighten the mood of the two church leaders in front of him. Braith smiled, perhaps the first genuine smile of the conversation. "Of course, we would not expect you to be able to call him directly. If you could pass a message on your own timing that would be ideal. In the meantime, we will remain here."

Jack frowned, "Remain here? Why?" He cringed slightly at his own words. The surprise of the statement had caused him to accidentally be a little rude.

"If the High Deity responds to you but chooses not to grace us with his avatar, then you can simply inform us and we will be on our way. Besides, how can the great and glorious works of the High deity come to fruition if his most holy priests are not present? We will remain and assist with the dispensation of the system."

This was bad, really bad. Some people with the highest authority in the world, who had very justified reasons to kill Jack, were now going to be living next to him. He put on a tight smile, "How wonderful. Well, if that will be all?"

Rilm dispelled his magic, and the two turned and walked back to their troops. The knights of the church began unloading equipment from wagons and carts, beginning to set up camp within the confines of the compound. Riniox walked up to Jack and glared at the soldiers, not dismissing her troops immediately. All three of them, Jack, Jeler, and Riniox knew that this probably wouldn't end well.

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A demon pushed aside the tent flap as he was called in. The interior of the tent was opulent, finery covering every surface. Plush rugs covered the ground, finely crafted furniture dotted the space, and large candelabras lit everything. It was common to see high-ranking members of the True Church indulge in worldly desires, which was one of the reasons people wanted to pursue a higher calling so much.

Braith and Rilm lounged on plush couches, each looking at the demon as he entered. He bowed deeply, going to one knee in deference.

"Speak," Rilm commanded, his voice deep and gravelly.

Hilox raised his head, his eyes focused and intense as he began. His small group of five had many suspicions about Jack and held a great many plans that they wished to share with the church. His words rang true, and his intentions were noble. When he was finally finished, the two Arach-deacons were nodding along to his suggestions.

Braith sat up, straightening herself out. "You speak wisely. We will act quickly to amend this problem. Inform your allies that we will strike soon, then await further instruction."

Hilox left the tent, a predatory smile on his face. Jack would finally get what was coming to him, and it would be so deliciously satisfying to watch him die.