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Torch of the Old Faith

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#1Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Sat Nov 23, 2024 10:22 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




Dominic took in a deep breath as he entered the city of Santalicia. It has been more then twenty years since he last walked the streets. Flashes of memories would come to him as he would turn a corner every now and then. It was all a different experience from Fiore; it was hotter as the bright sun bore down on him, but thankfully not humid, the cobblestone streets had grass breaking out between each crack, showing how nature still thrived wherever, despite civilization.

"Buen dia, padre" a young Stellan man greeted Dominic as he was passing by. This became very common the moment he stepped foot into Stella. Because he wore his vestments, everyone caught his eye and gestured to him in respect. The interaction was much different in Fiore where there was heavy formality, while in Stella, people would be more comfortable, yet respectful, when speaking to him.

The visit to the city was refreshing, though he wasn't here on vacation. Dominic had told his parish that he would be visiting the old church back in his grandmother's home city to pay respects and to keep his notes up to date, given that he is an archiver.

The church was small, but built in an area that was well tended to by the locals. Dominic had remembered visiting this church regularly for a time, though he was but a child at the time. Now he stood before it as not only a grown man but as a priest.

"Bendicion, padre!" An older Stellan woman happily called to him as she was passing by the church.

"Dios te bendiga, Doña" he gestured a blessing towards her before she nodded in thanks and left. He felt very welcomed here and at home, though at times he would remember his grandmother's voice, tugging at his heart as the breeze would tug at the base of his dark brown robes.

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#2Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Sun Nov 24, 2024 12:13 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




Upon entering the church, he was greeted by priest Dominguez who had tended to the church for decades, now an elder. it had taken him a moment to recognize Dominic, "Dios mio! Dominic! I thought you were coming to replace me" he laughed as they embraced in a hug. The elder was practically on friendly terms with the family, so it felt less constricting speaking with him than having a word with a priest in his own parish.

"I'm here to update the notes the Kardia Cathedral has of this place, they are way overdue" Dominic remembered seeing Dominguez even visiting his grandmother during celebrations, so he was indeed close with the family.

"Well you may be here for a while, niño, ah! Perdon, padre" Dominguez is so use to seeing Dominic as the child he met so long ago, he nearly forgotten he was speaking to another priest, "Your mother must be proud of your accomplishments."

Dominic knew the elder was referring to his becoming a clergyman, but noticed he was only referring to his mother. There was a moment both had caught a glance of each other. The elder knew Dominic wanted to know why his grandmother wasn't being mentioned and Dominic noticed Dominguez's reaction, "Let me take you to the records office so you can start" he was quick to drop the subject and turned. Dominic didn't push it and followed behind the elder to a small office that was behind a door to the right of the first pew.

Everything about the church was small in comparison to the churches and cathedrals in Fiore, but to Dominic, it was like home to him, so he always felt safe here.

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#3Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Mon Nov 25, 2024 7:15 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




The two priests entered the record room which was usually locked, books were on shelves and scrolls were in nooks. It was very well organized despite how small the room was, but judging by how every wall was covered with shelves and nooks, Dominic assumed the records go back probably when the first settlers had arrived. He hung his bag onto a nearby coatrack and began examining the labels that separated each nook and shelf, trying to get a hint of where he could start. But... he was bothered. He couldn't hold back his concern.

"Padre... what can you tell me about my grandmother? I know her faith was... different" Dominic finally spoke what was on his mind even before he left Fiore, this rang in his head ever since he first entered the Illumin church and if anyone would know, it would be the priest that his grandmother had confided in since she was a young woman, but the only concern was how Father Dominguez would react. And indeed, the priest hesitated. At first he didn't look at the younger priest, but he sighed, as if he was anticipated this question.

"Alegria, she was... a good woman, faithful, but she held onto the old faith of the natives" Dominguez said while sorting through some documents on a nearby table, still avoiding eye contact. Dominic listened intently, he knew of the old Nahuatl faith, but when it comes to the natives, his grandmother would refer to them as their ancestors, but when Stellans speak of them, they refer to them as if they had no relation to them, as if trying to escape them, "This isn't abnormal, many people use old practices and mix them with the Illumin faith, though many bishops condemn it... Stellan churches allow it, since all of these old practices are ingrained in the heritage" This was definitely a tough subject, many Stellans tend to shy away from such truths, but it was the history of the land and such practices became traditions, to this day, Stellans who migrated to Fiore still perform traditions that was carried over.

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#4Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Mon Nov 25, 2024 7:36 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




"Though this wasn't abnormal for our people to mix practices from the old faith, Alegria went further, to the point that people of the church demanded that she stopped, but she was a spirited woman with a fire inside her, she even opposed a bishop" Dominguez let loose a small chuckle, his memories were clearing flooding back. A hint of a smile showed that he had some respect for Dominic's grandmother, "Though she was deemed a witch by the bishop, the locals loved her too much to allow anything to happen to her, since she was a spiritual counselor, guide, healer... un Maestra" There was a pause. Dominic didn't want to interrupt, afraid that if he said anything wrong, he would unintentionally have the priest reframe from speaking further.

"Regardless, as men of the church we cannot fully condone her faith" His tone shifted, as if someone had just walked in on them. He was no longer the family friend, he was now priest of the church. He looked to Dominic finally, "Let me know when you are finish, there are records of everyone who had been part of this church" It took Dominic a second to catch that; he wasn't sure, but he assumed Dominguez probably hinted that his grandmother was part of the archive, and if he didn't, the younger priest will still look into it, "La luz este contigo" The elder priest said a blessing right before leaving the room.

Dominic took a moment to look at the closed door and process what he heard before he began searching through the books.

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#5Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Mon Nov 25, 2024 8:16 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




Dominic had his notebook displayed on the desk with several documents of the church adjacent to it. He would take the time to notate important information that would be needed for the Kardia Cathedral, but every so often, he would take a break to look for anything that mentioned his grandmother. It had taken nearly an hour into this process until he finally got a proper understanding of their filing system, and another twenty minutes to find mention of Alegria Esperanza.

The information he gathered for the church wasn't anything special, for the Stellan church had positive reviews and did proper work in the community. As for the information concerning his grandmother, it was simple stuff such as when she had been baptized, when she serviced the church and how she did so. Though it wasn't information he was looking for, it was still comforting to him to be able to learn more about his grandmother as if he was still listening to her stories of her life.

It was late in the afternoon by the time he had found something that caught his attention. The sun was no longer directly shining through the single high window in the office, so he had two candles lit to provide him proper lighting. The book he found mentioned a complaint by a local churchgoer, though a name wasn't given, about Alegria committing "heresy" for practicing witchcraft. It had went into some detailing, but it was too vague when it came to the process, simply a repetition of words of condemnation by the accuser. From that point, there was no other information. But Dominic could tell there was something missing, a section of information that must have been moved, but by the time the evening came, he had searched the room enough to know there was no further mention of his grandmother.

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#6Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Tue Nov 26, 2024 6:36 am

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




There were documents, whatever number there were, but their location was a mystery to the priest. He gave a deep sigh, thinking about his options; either search the entire church, or ask for help, both would bring up suspicion. It seemed Father Dominguez was already hesitant to give any information at all while in the study, which Dominic didn’t blame him for, when it came to the Illumin church, a clergyman, especially a priest or higher ranking, tend to dedicate their entire life to the faith and if one would be caught performing heresy, they would normally be punished, at worse… excommunicated.

“Found everything you needed?” Dominguez asked as he entered the office to find the younger priest packing his bag.

”The records are organized, but I was hoping to find some old reports to help me on a search thesis, unfortunately I didn’t come up with anything” Dominic sighed. They both knew well what he was referring to and that the other understood, but chose to keep their conversation practically coded in case any clergymen or nuns would overhear.

“Well do remember, that Illumin’s light isn’t kept to the churches, but reaches the homes of all who practices his word” Dominguez gave a comforting smile, hoping the suggestion was enough. Then it clicked mentally to Dominic; the two priests would look to one another and smiled.

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#7Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Tue Nov 26, 2024 6:51 am

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




After saying his goodbye and thanking Father Dominguez, Dominic left the church he had known since childhood and quickly made his way to the outskirts of the city. What the elder priest had said gave the younger an idea. The documents more than likely existed, however were possibly elsewhere, but he didn’t think they would be outside the walls of the church. But if they didn’t exist, either way, information on his grandmother would definitely be in the one place in Stella had knew of her well… her old home.

Dominic traveled to find the old home sitting atop a hill. He always saw it as a mansion, given its size and how lengthy the hallways were. He looked back to enjoy the view of the city as he always did when he was a kid visiting. After taking in a deep breath, feeling nostalgia wash over him, he returned to his business and went to the door. Unfortunately, after the passing of his grandmother, the deed of the house went was lost due to the infighting of the family trying to claim it. Because of that, it went to the city which sold it off to another family, so the ties to Alegria remained in the memories of the family who knew her well… and in the heirlooms that still existed, such as the golden coin that Dominic thumbed in his pocket.

The knock on the door was answered by a young couple who were surprised to find a priest visiting. They asked what the visit was of and Dominic answered that he was intended on blessing the house. It was normal for spiritual Stellans have their house blessed upon moving into a new home; before arriving, the priest checked the records in the church to see if there was any blessings done on his grandmother’s home after she had passed, luckily the new family didn’t, which gave him an excuse to visit.

The wife was excited of the idea, though the husband was reluctant, they both agreed and allowed Dominic in. The priest would then set down his bag and prepare his instruments.

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#8Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Tue Nov 26, 2024 6:16 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




He lit incense and let them burn at the dining room table, then proceeded to light sage using a censor. While slowly walking around the house, he would recite verses from the Chants of Light, the holy book of the Illumin faith. As the husband would follow the priest around, the wife would go into the chicken to cook a quick meal for them. After the sage was used, Dominic would take a bottle of olive oil and began marking every doorway in the house.

At one given point, the husband was called away by his wife to assist her with something, which gave the priest the chance to look around the house without supervision. From what he could tell, there was nothing out of the ordinary, or anything that seem to belong to his grandmother, everything of hers was removed.

When inspecting a room, Dominic noticed a small door that was hidden behind a large painting of the couple. He tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. There was an insignia written on it, easy to miss given how faint the letters were due to age. When he heard footsteps making their way to him, he would fall into prayer, so when the husband arrived, he would hesitate and turn back, believing the priest shouldn't be disturbed. Once he was alone again, Dominic read the inscription behind the painting, "Tonalli". It has been a long while since his grandmother spoke to him using the old dead Nahuatl language and he didn't know mostly anything about it, but he knew one word that she would use all the time, tonalli, which translates to "light".

Dominic would then conjure an orb of light from his hand and present it to the door. In an instant, the door would vanish as if it was made of shadow being pierced by the light. Within the compartment were several books. The priest began to retrieve the books to inspect them. At that moment, the couple would return to announce the food was prepared. Unable to hide the books, the priest would reveal that he found the books hidden in the house, containing information of the old faith. He asked them if they knew of this with a questioning tone. The couple would become so frantic, quick to claim it probably was of the previous ownerl

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#9Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Tue Nov 26, 2024 6:35 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




Dominic offered the couple a chance where he would confiscate the books, so long as they never discussed these findings. He was sure they would keep to their word since no stellan household would want to be known openly to have such books, otherwise they would end up having the same stigma that Alegria had. To be kind, the priest stayed to have dinner with the family and assured them that they will be in the church's good graces and the house was now blessed.

After the meal, he said his goodbyes and departed from the home. By the time he reached his hotel room, night had already fallen. He would closed the windows, check to make sure his door was locked before turning to where he had placed the books he found. The table had three books in total. Dominic had to take a moment to think about how he was going to go about this. This quest he took was a personal one, and he couldn't trust anyone to tell, though Father Dominguez is aware of his search, more or less, he was the only exception.

He lit some incense to calm himself before saying a prayer. Soon enough, he would open the books to discover his findings, hoping he had finally found what he was looking for.

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#10Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Tue Nov 26, 2024 6:48 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




One of the books was the missing documents concerning his grandmother; he assumed she must have stolen it from the church in order to rid of incriminating evidence, and after reviewing it, Dominic could see why; Bishop Antonio seem to be the only person who had an issue with her, claiming she had insulted him and blasphemed against the church with several accusations added. Though some may claim things, the word of a bishop held a lot of weight, so this book is the only thing keeping his grandmother's name from being tarnished. Dominic then began to wonder if such a situation was what pushed her to moved to Fiore.

The second book was entirely written in Nahuatl, so the priest wasn't able to decipher it. The third book was a diary written by his grandmother. This book would be what took up the majority of his night. Within a few hours, Dominic would find himself on the sofa, reading by candlelight with tea prepared. He felt comfortable, as if he was at his grandmother's house as a child again, where he felt safest. Reading her words brought back the nostalgia of having conversations with her, he only wished she was still alive so he could learn more about her practice.

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#11Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Tue Nov 26, 2024 6:58 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




The journal provided so much, he had learned that the book that is written in Nahuatl is actually his grandmother's spellbook where she written her craft and rituals, he learned of the deities of the old faith and how she would commune with them. Though the spellbook would provide possibly a more instructed way to practice the old faith, the diary was enough to help to a degree, providing tips and his grandmother's viewpoint on spirituality and religion, her philosophy was shown here in her words.

There was a point that he reached where he read his grandmother's feelings about her daughters take to the old faith, including Athena, Dominic's mother. None of the girls took to it into their thirties, becoming a different faith or just not caring any longer. It hurt his stomach reading how saddened his grandmother was about this turn out, there was even an entry that was entirely about her concern of the faith dying out. Dominic had worried about this too, but now has confirmed his grandmother's feelings. Now he thought about carrying on the tradition since no one else in the family wants to, but there was a conflict; the Illumin church doesn't allow such practices, or at least the zealots. There were several sects of the Illumin faith that was friendly to other faiths, especially Stella's churches, but there were always clergyman that desired to fight it.

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#12Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Wed Nov 27, 2024 8:12 am

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




Dominic looked over to the window to see that morning light was beginning to seep in through the curtains. The candles had fully melted away save for one pillar candle which was nearly out. He hadn't realized how long he had been reading through his grandmother's journal. Every bit of it kept him from looking away; he was surprised he never knew of the most simplest of things she had done, though there were a few memories he had that he barely recalled. He remembered wanting to get something from the kitchen, but his cousin had told him that their mothers and grandma were busy in the living room, which was the only way to get to the kitchen. Curious, young Dominic would peek into the living room to see his mother, aunts and grandmother in a circle, reciting a chant in unison that seemed very akin to witchcraft; in a way, it was, but it was part of the practice of the old faith... sort of.

From what the priest understands, the practice his grandmother did was a form of witchcraft that combined aspects of the old faith and integrated the Illumin faith, though Dominic was sure the church was call it a perversion. Regardless, the practice seems to be universal in a sense, not as constricting as some of the tenants of the Illumin faith, and because he was feeling this pull to it, he questioned himself.

Dominic closed the book, tired from a long day and night prior. He would worry about these things once he got a goodnight's rest. He would doff his vestments and head to bed, but made sure to hide the three books beneath his pillow.

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#13Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Wed Nov 27, 2024 2:36 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




A few days had passed, and in that time, Dominic had read through his grandmother's diary twice. When it came to the spiritual practice of the old faith, he didn't get anything solid, but he understand the basics to his grandmother's philosophy, which he felt was enough for him to appreciate it. There was no hate, no malicious intent as some of the zealots had spouted in their own hate. The way his grandmother spoke about the faith seemed beautiful in its own way, no darkness, at least no evil, for the idea of darkness was that of the other side of the coin when it came to light, both were needed, both were important.

As the priest walked around the city, he had been looking through a Stellan/Nahuatl translation book he had purchased, though it didn't have the full dictionary, such books were difficult to find since the Nahuatl language was considered dead and only some Stellans were practiced the old faith could speak it such as his grandmother.

Dominic noticed a tall figure concealed in a black cloak, carrying a large black cross on his back. The figure was leaving the church looking very ominous. For a moment, the priested worried what may have happened, so he rushed to the church.

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#14Dominic Luzero 

Torch of the Old Faith Empty Wed Nov 27, 2024 2:55 pm

Dominic Luzero





Dominic, Deacon of Light




Dominic found Father Dominguez in the record room. Books and scrolls were tossed about with no care to the records. "What happened here!?"

"Niño!" Dominguez went to embrace the younger priest, tossing formalities out the window. He then quickly looked out the door as if looking for something. Dominic could see the worry and fear in his eyes, "Listen, you have to go back to Fiore, its not safe here" he lowered his voice, but the panic in his voice evident that something happened here.

"What happened? Who was that man in black?" Dominic was sure the man in black had some involvement, whatever the danger was, he needed to know why this was happening.

"That was a hunter, he was asking for you"

"By name?" Dominic lowered his voice to match the elder.

"No, he was vague, but you need to leave ahora"Dominguez didn't ask further questions. Dominic always knew no matter what, the elder looked out for the Esperanza family regardless of the belief or acts. Because of the heart of this man, Dominic felt he needed to take this problem away from the church so no one got caught in his own problem, so he left quickly.

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