Religious Service example

Nahyeen VI A Memorial Garden

A portion of the generational lease-hold held by the maternal side of Lunarisse's family has been set aside.It is a clear sunny day with some white clouds drifting in the sky. Sod has been laid down and individual graves for the 5,270 have been laid out in neat rows, each marked by a stone. Freshly planted blossoming trees divide some sections. In the middle is a stone altar, burnished in gold, on a slightly raised portion of ground. Behind is a bell tower with a single bell.Seated in front of the altar are 14 robed men and women. Beyond them is seating for any who come to pray.

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote enters. She is wearing http://i.imgur.com/M2w4rjS.png. Her face is masked.

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote gazes at the windswept field. A slight breeze catches her hair.

Eagla Yassavi > /emote arrives, dressed as pictured, and solemnly looks around

Aria Jenneth > /emote arrives alongside Luna, likewise clad in a long black dress (hers is pleated, though, and superficially plainer in design). Her shawl is hitched up over her head, acting as a hood.

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote curtseys to Monsignor Ziyad Berker Teke who is there clad in gold robes. He is scholarly in appearance with graying hair.

Aria Jenneth > /emote mirrors the Directrix's gesture, though she curtseys lower and a little more unsteadily.

Monsignor Ziyad Berker Teke* "Hello My Dear Lady. Hello Guests. Do have a seat." He indicates to the chairs beyond 14 women and men clad in white robes.

Templar Thal Vadam > /emote enters, dressed as pictured, and finds a spot to sit down

Rhoxy Runekin > /emote arrives as pictured, though all in black with dull silver trim, She stands near Aria, though back a little ways, a pamphlet neatly folded in one hand.

Varcutii Renalard > /emote arrived with a quiet reserve to her bearing and general presence.

Eagla Yassavi > /emote takes a seat to watch

Eternal Guardian > /emote arrives with Rhoxanne, wearing his usual drab robe, standing next to his daughter.

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote takes a seat along the aisle, about midway.

Templar Thal Vadam > /emote takes a seat at the back, and runs his fingers along a piece of paper held in his hand

Monsignor Ziyad Berker Teke makes his way out, clad in gold robes and proceeds to the outdoor altar where robed acolytes wait with him. A podium is nearby.

Aria Jenneth > /emote remains standing in the aisle for a moment, staring out towards the row upon row of fresh graves. It takes her maybe twenty seconds to notice that Luna's seated herself; she hastily moves to follow

Monsignor Teke gazes at the assembled, as a bell indicates the service is beginning. He allows a silence to fill the air for a moment.

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote chews her lips slightly, the silence like a blow to her body. Her face tenses.

Eternal Guardian > /emote sits shakily, prefering a spot near the back.

Monsignor Teke chants out in a stern, loud voice. “Réquiem ætérnam dona eis, Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat eis.”

After he finishes his chant, the acoclytes move as one, silentlu carrying a large bound volume, representative of the Scriptures, simply placed on a podium. This is a ceremony without music, song or ornament.

Monsignor Teke states "our reading today is offered by Rhoxanne Theopia Revellious daughter of Ian Nicodeimus Revellious of SFRIM. You may proceed to the podium, Miss."

Rhoxy Runekin > /emote awkwardly takes a moment to register her cue, and then hurries up to the podium, centering herself, she unfolds her pamphelt, and calmly reads.

Rhoxy Runekin > "All things were created by the Divine, and so the glory of our Faith is inherent to us all.When thine heart shines with the Light, thou shalt know no hardship;

Rhoxy Runekin > When thine actions are in Light's name, thou art immortal.The Scriptures, Book of Trials two-one.Let us affirm the Word of the Scriptures!" she holds out one hand as if to illicit a response from those gathered.

Lunarisse Aspenstar > "By his Light and His Will"

Monsignor Teke states "By his Light and his Will"

Eternal Guardian > By His Light and His Will. Umbassa.

Aria Jenneth > *even if Aria might say something here, she seems too choked to do any such thing*

Templar Thal Vadam > /emote whispers "By His Light and His Will...."

Eagla Yassavi > By His Light and His Will.

Monsignor Teke says "Thank you Miss Runekin, you may be seated."

Rhoxy Runekin > /emote murmurs, "umbassa." and then goes to sit next to Aria.

Monsignor Teke makes his way the podium. He says “we are here today because of the dead who lie around us. To remember and honor their memory. To pray for their souls.”

Monsignor Teke says “They were, of course, slaves.”

Monsignor Teke says “The most fundamental question one usually ponders, and I usually discuss, given this status, is slavery against the will of God for how can anyone be happy, enslaved?”

Monsignor Teke says slowly "I usually respond, that I'm not sure that God wants us to be happy."

Monsignor Teke says “I usually say that I think He wants us to grow-up. We think our childish toys bring us all the happiness there is and our nursery is the whole wide world."

Monsignor Teke says "But something must drive us out of the nursery to the world of others and that something is discipline, training, hardships.”

Monsignor Teke says "You see, I would explain, that we are like blocks of stone out of which the sculptor carves forms of men. The blows of His chisel, which hurt so much, are what makes us perfect."

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote chews her lip through the homily. Almost giving him a sullen look.

Monsignor Teke says “I would then conclude, that Through the generations, it is that chisel which forms a new People, Closer to God and to his Words. Closer to his Light and Will."

Templar Thal Vadam > /emote has a look of what could be called pain

Monsignor Teke says continues quietly “That is what I have always believed and taught.. at least until today. I was.. always quite certain of it.” He falls quiet, looking the cemetary around him.

Aria Jenneth > /emote sits with head bowed, lips drawn into something akin to an agonized grimace

Monsignor Teke says after a long pause “The Society, through its actions, have, God willing implanted in the survivors, I understand some did survive, a memory of Amarr who preached by how they treated them, of kindly words and virtous life."

Monsignor Teke says “I pray that is enough to repair the damage as to those who survived." He exhales "I fear it is not but it is in God’s hands and we trust in those hands.”

Monsignor Teke quotes more time "Lead all children to the light of God, for Heaven is theirs to inherit.”

Monsignor Teke pauses, again glanced at the freshly turned fields and says solemnly “Yet, this day, this part of scripture has been running through my mind.. constantly... as to the dead."

Monsignor Teke recites from memory “Only through many hardships Is a man stripped to his very foundations And in such a state Devoid of distractions Is his soul free to soar And in this, He is closest to God"

Monsignor Teke looks at the assembled “But here.. we see what went beyond what Scripture teaches or calls for Thousands died. We trust in the Mystery of God’s Will as we must or we lose faith.”

Monsignor Teke states “The remainder... are all broken. They have all been stripped. They have nothing more to give.”

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote is biting her lip. She does not look in the slightest comforted by this homily.

Monsignor Teke states “Those have died are surely now close to God. This.. we must pray and hope for, or the Butcher’s darkness will have overshadowed the Light"

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote exhales. She nods slowly.

Monsignor Teke steps from the podium and in front of the altar. There is a moment of silence for those assembled to reflect, react, or otherwise.

Eagla Yassavi > /emote watches in silence

Monsignor Teke says "let us close this memorial with this prayer of farewell"

Templar Thal Vadam > /emote reads the paper in hand and sighs

Eagla Yassavi > /emote bows her head

Templar Thal Vadam > /emote bows his head

Monsignor Teke says "Almighty God, you created and shaped the vault of heaven; you fixed the stars in their places. We commit these bodies for burial and ask that and send your holy Sefrim to watch over them."

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote begins to cry. She always does at this part. Every single time.

Monsignor Teke states As we bury here the body of our brothers and sisters in the Faith (for have they not been stripped to their foundations so that they may soar with God?"

Monsignor Teke states "deliver their souls from every bond and snare, that they may rejoice in you with your saints for ever until the end of days when they descend, with the coming of the Ark Salvation is carried for the Faithful and the Reclaimed"

Aria Jenneth > *just ... sits. It's not quite clear when she started crying; it's technically not clear that what she's doing now counts. But her cheeks are wet with tears*

Monsignor Teke says simply "By his Light and Will"

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote says in a husky voice "By his Light and His Will"

Rhoxy Runekin > /emote just sits with her hands in her lap, looking out across the fields.

Rhoxy Runekin > "By His Light and His Will."

Eagla Yassavi > By His Light and Will.

Eternal Guardian > By His Light and His Will, Umbassa."

Monsignor Teke says "The Service is ended. You may go. We, however, will now read the names of each and every one of the dead. We thank Lieutenant Samira Kernher for her assistance in identifying them."

Eagla Yassavi > /emote closes her eyes, opting ot stay and listen

Monsignor Teke says “These 14 volunteers who are sitting in front of the Altar, slaves freed by Jamyl’s decree who chose to remain in the Empire, and employed by the Society, I am told, will read the names.”

Monsignor Teke departs with his acolytes as one volunteer from the 14 comes up to the podium.

Templar Thal Vadam > /emote listens

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote does not move. She looks at the podium.

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote notes at one volunteer at a time will come up for 10 minutes. They will read a name, then a bell will toll. Each name and toll of the bell takes about six seconds. Sixty names will be read in 10 minutes. 360 in an hour and they will repeat.

Lunarisse Aspenstar > /emote notes there are 5,270 names.