The Legend of Saint Keirandross

Accessing video feed from the internal servers of the Theology Council...
File 213697 located: declarations on the sainthood of St. Kierandross...
Choosing Main Session: 23rd of August, year 23013...
Opening file...

The image shows a large room, square in shape. The light pours colourfully from the stained glass windows on the wall opposite to the entry, and the rest of the walls are covered with tapestries and icons of saints and martyrs. In the centre of the room, facing the entrance, is a big wooden table covered with a red cloth; five high ranking members of the Theology Council sit by it, and look gravely at a single man sitting on a simple chair before them. This man visibly trembles with fear.
The oldest of the members at the table speaks.
Acolyte Daath Calpur, remember you have nothing to fear today. This is no trial. It is just a questioning, to find out the truth behind the claims about Kierandross´s sainthood.
Two of the members at the table start whispering to each other, and the Acolyte seems no more tranquil now that before when he speaks.
Yes, your Highness. Of course.
The older man nods, and starts to speak again.
Our reports indicate that father Kierandross was a low tier priest in the town of Endalla, on the planet of Sifilar II. He was known as intelligent and hard working, yet seemed to possess no ambition nor drive to seek further advancement within the Theology Council. And he had no appointed acolytes to follow him. Is that correct?
Yes, your Highness. Partially, your Excellence the raising of several eyebrows among the old men keeps Daath speaking. It is true he was a hard worker and intelligent, and we didn't start following him until later. But it was not due to lack of interest, but because he was truly humble in his ways of thinking, a true servant of god...
The woman sitting to the left of the old man leans forward and stares deeply into the Acolyte's eyes, while the two on the other side retake their whispering.
Are you implying we are not, Acolyte?
No, no, your Highness, never... I would never imply that, not at all. The acolyte is visibly shaken.
Very well. Sister Everia Sarum, can we go on? Good. Tell us how the raids started on Sifilar II, and how did Father Kierandross play a part in them.
Yes, your Highness. It all started when a Blood Raider Covenant attack force was engaged over the planet by the Imperial Navy forces. It was a large battle, your Highness, we could see the lights from exploding ships illuminating the night... it was a clear night, you know. Well, they were defeated, but a large group managed to escape undetected and land on the planet in the confusion. They... well they landed near our town, on the Mountains of Bachesh. A mining zone. We never knew what happened to the miners there.
The Acolyte makes a small pause, it is clearly difficult for him to talk of those times. Sister Everia Sarum speaks next.
With your permission, Brother Waldom Ardishapur, your father was a miner there, right Acolyte Daath?
Yes, your Highness. We... we never saw him again after he left to work in the mines. We were a poor family, and there weren't many jobs in the area, so he...
Brother Waldom interrupts him as the other two judges to his right continue whispering to each other, smiling at some private joke it seems.
Very well, Acolyte Daath, point made. Continue with what you saw since the Blood Raiders overtook the mines.
Sure, your Highness. We knew nothing back then of what had happened; a couple weeks later a man from a nearby village, think his name was Truter, or Muter, or something like that... Brother Waldom impatiently motions him to go on- Well, he came and told us a story of monsters attacking his village in the night. We didn't believe him, and our dismissal kept us ignorant back then that the Blood Raiders had landed. We were wrong. Listen to he who has something to say, for he brings My Wisdom with his voice- Daath quotes the Scriptures.
All present make the holy sign the quote from the scriptures, though the two whisperers do it more as a formality than any kind of deep show of piety like the others.
We didn't listen, and we paid the price. The next night they fell upon us, and there was nothing we could do to stop them. Some men defended the village and were slaughtered brutally. The rest of us were captured, even the infants... oh God... They would take us from our cells every day, and show us how one of us was tortured to death and their blood gathered up in sinister devices. What they did with that sacred blood I don't want to know.
Daath shakes, the memories still too terrible for him to retell. In the extreme left, the youngest of the tribunal members speaks. His facial features are horribly disfigured by ritual scarring, his voice dark and terrible.
They feed on it. They use it for a series of rituals designed to..
Enough, brother Tradvin Ardishapur, he needs not know the details. Everia interrupts him. Daath seems even more pale than before. Go on, Acolyte.
Yes, your Highness. It took them a little more than a week to discover that Kierandross was a priest. But when they did they took him as their toy. They enjoyed torturing him, not physically like the rest of us, but psychologically. They forced him to do so terrible things... On the second night they forced him to… he swallows and turns his eyes to the ground …to urinate… on one of the sacred books he kept in his chapel. On another occasion they forced him to swear against God. It all was getting worse by the day - small tears start to roll down Daath's cheecks- . Sometimes he would even call their attention away from us, and on himself to prevent the rest from being tortured. They... they forced him to deny God one time to every Prophet in the Scriptures. They forced him to commit one blasphemy for each of the Emperors in our history. They forced him to break holy symbols taken from his chapel.
The tribunal is silent now, looks of disgust are in all the judge's faces, and the two whispering men have become silent like the rest.
And you want us to... to make him a Saint after such terrible Blasphemies? He shall burn in Hell for this and let the Deceiver take his soul forever! If his soul couldn't resist the trial of faith, there is no place for him. Brother Tradvin speaks with passion, and the other's nod to his words.
Daath shakes, and seems a bit smaller even than before.
My... my Lord... that is not what... what I meant. I... Daath seems on the border of crying.
Then what was it?
Well, he did it for us all! When some of us were going to be tortured, he would step up and drag away the attention of the Blood Raiders, and they would... take him instead. One day after another. But in the night, when no Covenant heretics were near, he would guide us all in prayer. Noble, deep prayers. Kept us all from falling into desperation, My Lord.
And do you think that such is enough for covering the fact that he resigned his Faith? Faith is more important that torture or pain, Acolyte Daath. [i]Sister Everia speaks, severily.
My Lady, do not the Scriptures talk about the sacrifice of the Amarr under the overwhelming sun during many ages? That is what we endured those months! A trial of Faith for all of us, and he was able to keep the faith in all of us alive, as it was inside him! He may have spoken and defiled in the name of the Blood Raiders, but they were just a show, his heart remain true inside his chest. Forever true to the one thing he gave all his life to God. Daath lets go of his fear and nervousness as he speaks with passion. He gets up without hesitating as he does, in a burst of energy.
Acolyte Daath, please sit down again Brother Waldom indicates softly, with a motion of his hands for the other man to calm down. Brothers Faldurn Miyan and Brother Yet Sarum, please listen in silence. he sais, turning to those who again whisper to his right, and getting them to bow and grow silent. Acolyte Daath, go on...
Well, this went on until almost the end, your Highness. As the Imperial troops came closer to the Blood Raiders, they took shelter in the mountains, under the guidance of a mountain dweller that betrayed the Empire for his well-being. His name was Reyoun, and he was the one to tell the truth to the Covenant about Kierandross resisting them in secret.
Daath becomes silent for a moment, and so do all the rest. The council members exchanged glances while waiting for Daath to continue.
They faced him with what Reyoun had told them, and then Father Kierandross proudly proclaimed his eternal devotion to God. He didn't even doubt it, he almost seemed... free, compelled, guided. Chosen. The Raiders took him and murdered him... they, they tied him to an improvised cross and scratched symbols of the Covenant on his flesh. And afterwards they… we all saw it...
Daath breaks down and starts sobbing quietly for some seconds.
Don't worry Acolyte, you are doing well. It is all almost over now. Draw a deep breath, and finish your story. High Sister Everia speaks, almost like a mother would to a child.
Yes, My... My Lady. They killed him, following a wicked ritual and left his body for the carrion beasts to feast on. We fell into desperation the next days, and for almost a week were left alone. At the end of the week, the Imperial troops rescued us- Daath seems anxious to finish.
Is that when the first miracle took place?- Brother Tradvin speaks, leaning forward on the table.
Yes, your Excelence. The troops said they had been guided there by a man, a traveller of sorts, who had vanished just when they saw the cave and was never seen again. His description fitted the one of Kierandross perfectly. And, well... we saw him in the entrance. He was standing there, glowing radiantly, and he told us to be tranquil, that it was all over. To wait and don't act, whatever happened. So we did as he said, and that prevented Yungrat from dying.
Prevented it? How?
Yungrat was an... irascible woman. They took her child that same night, for sacrifice. She would have fought, and died against the raiders to recover the child, but she remained silent in her corner. The troops rescued us all before the child had any real injuries, and now recovers quickly and grows strong. I believe she named him Kierandross.
Brother Tradvin nods, before speaking again.
Have there been any more miracles?
Yes, your Highness. Up to now, there have been seven sightings of this mysterious traveller in Sifilar II, and some say that he has also been seen already in Sifilar III. Always appears before those in danger, and guides them to safety, then vanishing completely.
Very well, Acolyte Daath, anything else you would like to add? Brother Waldom stretches a bit as he asks, the two members of the jury to the right retake their whispering.
No, My Lord, nothing more...
Very well then, you can retire.
Two guards come in to escort Daath on his way out, while the members of the tribunal exchange glances. Doubt is easy to read in their eyes, even as Brother Faldurn Miyan speaks.
Just banal superstition, as it usually is. People in need of a way out from terrible psychological pressure, who rely to God for safety and see signs of His action everywhere. Yet it can be used to our advantage if we find the right way to do it.
The others remain silent, keeping to their thoughts. Only a few minutes of silence later and Brother Waldurn calls out the next witness. A woman comes in, weak and weary, carrying a small boy in her arms, who looks around curiously. His mother looks terrified by the place.
Miss Yungrat Devvix- Brother Waldom starts again-, remember you have nothing to fear today. This is no trial. It is just a questioning, to find out the truth behind the claims about Kierandross' sainthood.

Closing video link...