Sacred 2:The Crypt of the Damned
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The Crypt of the Damned
"May the cleansing flames not only burn your bodies but also your sinful souls."
(Concluding sentence of the prophecy of doom in Piotar's Tribunal)
From the beginning, the barony Nain-Carthas enjoyed a special status in the High Elf Empire. Remote from the other parts of the realm and isolated from the other peoples of the world by a thick jungle, Nain-Carthas resembled an island rather than a barony. For centuries, the barony kept its freedom and independence...until the portentous events that would bring it to the very brink of destruction.
The death of Grand Inquisitor Jaquenor marked the turning point in the barony’s history. Officially, he died fighting a wild boar during a hunting trip, but the true circumstances of his death were never resolved. No physician was allowed to examine his lifeless body and the corpse was burned during a hastily organised ceremony one day later. For religious reasons, they say.
In the days following his death, a new Grand Inquisitor was elected behind the closed doors of the Palace of the Inquisition. To the surprise of the general public, the favoured high-ranking inquisitors did not prevail. Instead, the young inquisitor Piotar from the lower ranks was elected the new Grand Inquisitor. Only one week later, he took over the official functions of his new position. The populace of Nain-Carthas was indifferent towards these events but this shift in power should not remain without consequence for the barony.
Already the first tribunal Piotar’s was concluded with a bang. A High Elf accused of fraud was sentenced to death by the Grand Inquisitor himself and executed the very same day. Only a few days later, Piotar decreed in an edict that the inquisitors would pursue any violation of religious duties relentlessly. This edict was nailed to every wall and door and was also proclaimed in public places on an hourly basis.
"The flames fight for humbleness and purity where our words fall on deaf ears. The flames are our weapons, and they will strike our enemy where it hurts him most."
(Piotar in a letter to Inquisitor Phreyax)
It did not take long until the edict claimed its first victims. In the first week after the decree, no less than 13 tribunals were held. In the second week, the number increased to 25. Piotar convicted people for various kinds of offences. Even late payment of the sacrificial offering was considered a criminal act as were extramarital liaisons, false testimony or quarrelling. The list of sins grew ever longer and more ambiguous. Those who were convicted by Piotar were never seen again. A few hunters and shepherds reported that they had seen figures that were ablaze and were being herded along the river towards the woods by elves. However, no-one dared following them. And many covered their ears until the desperate screams of the damned were swallowed by the dark.
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