((Logged 1/26/2001))
 
Nisan Cathedral, Main Room
This is the first room to the Cathedral, so broad and wide that one could feel 
quite tiny when dwelling within these walls.  The room is strangely shadowed, 
lit only by faint torchlight and brief sunlight, silent spare the songs of the 
nuns and sisters of the Church.  A single bright light stands in the center of 
the room, the impression of the huge and quite lovely stained glass window which 
stands towards the noon sun.  An altar stands at the back of this room-  led up 
to by a large flight of well kept, fine stone steps.  Sphereical designs of 
features, and designs of the Nisan Cross, stand at either side of the altar.  
Two huge statues stand on either side of you, but from where you stand you can 
not see anything of them in full.  A huge set of double doors serves as the 
<exit> to this Cathedral- and a single <doorway> leads off to the east, to more 
of the Cathdedral.
Contents:
Primera
Stein


It is a peculiar place, this Nisan Cathedral.  And so remarkably, overwhelmingly 
-strange-.  Upon her first step into that Cathedral, framed by afternoon light 
which pours through the doorway, Primera can not help but gawk...  For it is 
strange.  But it is still, in its own way, lovely.  Such a massive room, such 
that the echoes of steps, of voice, of whisper, prayer, and song seem to carry 
from a millenium and echo into eternity, leaving not for an instant what one can 
call pure, utter silence.  And it is odd.  Such massive statues that grace the 
altar, such.. Elaboration all about.  And yet it is nothing like the pearly 
white of Ethos's Cathedral.  And.. Ethos had that dividing line, that set off 
the Cathedral in tiers- Ethos here, others there, and line yourself up by worth.  
This.. Open, open space, so free to wander through for all.. Its all peculiar.  
And barely does Primera make a step through the door before she stops, and 
merely stares.

What is the purpose, pray, of two so deeply ensconced in one religion to visit 
another today? To mock or to quarrel--to instruct, it seems, for the man who 
last entered here while bearing rank and title publically to his name. And robes 
beside that would attest. Here, they are only two pilgrims. Amidst the throng of 
humanity that worries its way about the Cathedral to be reassured that the 
Ezekiel would not fire today is the path searched out. Stone carefully steps to 
the side with one arm protectively around Primera's shoulders to keep the girl 
from being lost in the crowd. "It is quite breathtaking, is it not?" Too 
fanciful by far in some degrees, but else... the Bishop himself -approves-. For 
why clash at religions yet? One could appriciate the basic trappings of one and 
the message sought to be communicated without... -sullying- themselves on the 
key weaknesses of one doctrine or the other. "I have not had the occasion, I 
fear, to visit here often. Much to my regret. And, I believe, to my loss. Would 
you like to step inside?"

It does seem a bad day for Nisan, doesn't it?  With unrest running so wild down 
the streets that it finds its way in venting here.  Perhaps this is an awkward 
day for a visit.  But it yet does not deter Primera for much long.  She glances 
up to him with a smile and a mild mouthing of the merest phrase, 'It's big..' 
before merely nodding, and turning towards the crowds, attempting to.. Well, 
move in some vaguely forward way, despite the crowds.  And ever close to Stein, 
for.. Wouldn't it be terrible to get lost in all of this?  In a strange little 
country with a Cathedral that was made all wrong, but.. Pretty anyway.  She must 
admit its pretty.  For she glances up as she walks, to the stained glass up 
above.. And that's pretty, too.  Although one can not very well stand up for how 
wise it is to try to move while glancing up.  This doesn't much occur to her.  
Its too pretty of a place to -not- stare.

A good thing that Stein knows how to make his way through a crowd--the stern 
look here and there does wonders. In this comparison to the rest of the flock, 
Stein and Primera are but the scholarly father and his daughter out to observe 
the Cathedral which roots so much of Nisan into solidity. "Beauty can be found 
everywhere, Prim," the former Bishop replies, his voice already falling into the 
structure of the man while instructing--but is that a -sin-? Hardly. "We must 
never forget that. So, too, might every sinner or those unaware be worthy of 
salvation." Let the lesson rest for now. If all else be brought against this 
man, let the charges not include his keeping the girl in ignorance. The Truth of 
his own faith brooks -nothing- less than education to the world and all its 
failings. And when one is bathed in the Truth, there is nothing to fear. "Would 
you like to see their altar, Prim?"

People and people and people.. She's never seen such a distress so widely hit a 
town.  But perhaps the cause of this unease does not even reach Primera- it does 
not matter, at least, in the range of what she can otherwise focus on.  The 
panic or the pretty Cathedral?  Well, that's an easy, easy choice.  And she is 
grateful for how Stein can make his way through the crowds.. For Primera is such 
a shy child by nature, and.. Well, crowds can be unnerving.  Too many people, 
too many  crowding and upset and.. Well.  At least he can drag her through the 
crowd, which is something that keeps her from being unnerved by all of this.  
And she nods- lessons are interesting things, and this sort of philosophy so 
greatly interests her.. For how many times has she been told interesting things 
on how things work and are?  Never.  But who was there to tell her?  She nods 
enthusastically, however, when she has a moment to glance up at him.  Its a 
pretty altar.  Even though there are only more people about it.

Never before. Naturally. Never before had anyone -truly- thought to cast more 
than a word and a glance to the mute girl in the corner. Even Billy himself was 
only too eager to cast the girl away and go play with his Gear elsewhere, 
shirking his responsibilities to his Church and to his family. Unforgiveable--
no, not quite. All was forgiveable. But that... -boy- had the seed of his 
father, and had shown himself to succumb. And look, look how avidly Primera has 
absorbed all that the Ethos has been only too happy to provide. Only more proof 
of her perfection. "One of the more famed aspects of the Nisan Cathedral is the 
pair of statues overhead." He turns and directs eyes upwards by a nod of his 
chin, moving with Primera to the side away from the altar. "While I have told 
you about the Nisan faith before," for what better than to educate oneself 
thoroughly in the single other religion to rival one's followers, "it is quite 
the experience to see it in person. Although," and this with a frown as his 
elbow is jostled by some penitent or the other, "their lack of -proper- 
discipline is only too apparent, I fear."

Perfection?  Perhaps.  If a child can be so merely by a wish to learn.  But 
aren't all people like that?  When denied something, only leap more 
enthusiastically towards it when they find that they are no longer bound.  That 
is all she has done.  Gleefully taken to studying and lessons as if they were 
things of amusement, games.. Merely because they are things she never knew 
before.  And is it anything remarkable that she is kinder and more enthusiastic?  
Perhaps she only takes after her mother more.  And Primera.. While she edges 
closer to Stein as people push by, she glances up at the statues.  And does she 
remember that lesson?  Of course she does.  For the Nisan church had a very 
pretty idea of the world, even if it was rather wrong.  But there is no 
bitterness in the fact that this religion is different.. Only a rather matter of 
fact knowledge that its nice, its pretty, and its wrong.  And as if on cue, she 
glances back down at the shifting crowd around her.. And notes, rather lightly, 
"They're scared.."  Wow, a sentence?  With a syllable or two so quiet that she 
could have easily not said it at all.. And its not the most quick and sharp 
observation to be made.. But it is a wonder, isn't it?  Such a silly people.

"They are indeed." Nisan. A religion that was only too seductive in its reliance 
on the self, or a similarly faulty other, instead of the trust in an order that 
might not be apparent. One might as well say that all were their own judges, and 
needed no obedience to sin if they did not feel inclined to it. This level of 
fear may have traveled even into the Ethos, but those who were faithful showed 
their strength of heart when they lifted their faces to die without a whimper. 
"As you can see, the Nisan faith is almost like a sister church... save that it 
-deviates- at the end. It is valuable to remind us all, however," and by this, 
the former Bishop raises his hand with its long sleeve to gesture at the milling 
crowd, "of how easily one can be sidetracked." There. The lesson may be done 
enough for now. "Jasper causes them to fear... and many here do not seem 
prepared to meet the ending of their lives. I wonder how many only have thought 
about there faith -now- once danger looms, instead of having it be a part of 
their daily existances."

And Primera.. Is either very easily impressionable or is very, very quick 
learner to the shifts and ways of the Ethos religion.  Likely, a bit of both, 
with more note to the previous.  For she was so quick to latch onto what she was 
told, what she was taught.. And this little chaos is nothing more than example 
and demonstration.  See how they flood the church now in such haste and panic?  
Oh, it is so true as well, that probably the brunt of them did not even care of 
their religion or the City of Peace until it was held under a gun.  And that... 
That is enough to make her wonder.  For Primera has no idea whatsoever what 
could drive someone to think as selfishly as that.  But this is Nisan.  Perhaps 
it is expected here?  And such a quick learner she is, to that.  For, to all of 
what Stein has to say.. She frowns a little.  For it is a very wrong thought 
indeed, and a very strange one to the little girl.  And while it is not her 
means to judge.. There is a little catch of disaproval in her eyes before she 
turns them back up to glance at the statues, touched in perfectly set light and 
marred by the noise which rises too madly about it.  But at least it is 
interesting.

As attentive to Primera's reactions--well, what could be said but that that was 
required of a girl mostly mute? "What is the matter?" Stein queries, eyes quick 
to the fleeting expression on the girl's face. The crowd swells once more and 
the Bishop is forced to narrow his eyes, suddenly cool in a face gone hard. This 
was not to be tolerated. Someone might jostle Primera. "It is rather... busy in 
here. Shall we adjorn to lunch?" It may grow more peaceful once evening fell--
then again, it might only beckon the populace to flock to this point of light in 
false hope of security. This building could not stop Fort Jasper. It could not 
stop the Ezekiel, and a faint smirk finds its place upon Stein's face as he 
marks the structure from the inside. Lambs, all bleating for the salvation they 
had not the courage to take for themselves. "I know this is a change from the 
island... it is, I admit, loud."

To a child who has been mute for so many of her years, expression is quite 
easily a language adept enough to serve as one's primary means of communication.  
For words can be terrible things- which require only too much breath and noise 
and effort to make it rise to a note that can be heard, if just to make a 
clearer point that a glance or a smile or a sigh could not.  But she feels 
obligated to try, at least, to use such words to note this or that, if just 
because it is one of thoes many good things that she has learned she can do for 
praise.  "People.." She notes, a rather half-hearted attempt to complain of 
specifics.. Although even that does not matter.  Is it not obvious?  Shy and 
quiet and.. This cathedral was full of such panicked, struggling people.  Who 
rushed here out of terror, when they came to face a religion that strictly 
taught that it was the God within Man which gave them strength.  So.. Why did 
they not even follow that?  They were a silly people, these of Nisan.  But she 
nods, rather enthusistically to lunch.. If nothing else, it would be nice to be 
out of this crowd.  The Cathedral can only be so amusing for so long under such 
conditions.