Bad Faith (audio story): Difference between revisions

Vienna learns from [[Vienna Salvatori's spaceship|her spaceship]] that the Kreyfin died thanks to her unwittingly depressuring their sanctum and wonders why somebody has paid her to do a job which was practically done for her. She visits the [[New Church of Wonderment]] on [[Hieronymus VI]] and explains to [[Lilitrick Raliaminopololis|Lili]] how she became filled with faith in the church and founder [[Arlo Goodfellow]] after leaving Karnos Delta, which her ship informed her was due to faith stealing whilst she was [[prayer|praying]]. Disagreeing, she had her [[computer]] update its personality and journeyed to Hieronymus VI after receiving a [[hologram]] message from [[Bax Spendlove]], the church's [[pastor]], and receiving Arlo's [[stigmata]]. Spendlove personally requests her presence and shows the [[miracle]] to [[Kendra Spendlove|Kendra]], his wife and a former member of the [[Old Church of Wonderment]] who wishes to heal the schism between the two churches.

Spendlove asks Vienna to join Kendra on her mission to meet with [[Parsival]], head of the Old Church, in the [[Phantom Deserts of Osuri]] and calls upon the inter-faith adviser [[Clancy (Bad Faith)|Mr Clancy]] to confirm that this would not be an issue, only for Lili to find that he has been killed by [[micro-drone]]s released into his body by a [[grudge knife]] just as several other members of the church have. In his [[blood]] is written, "The Old Church will destroy all from within", a message which Spendlove believes implicates Parsival.

Vienna decides to ask Lilitrick how long she knew that Clancy was dead. She notes that despite using the intercom to attempt to contact Clancy, she didn't give him enough time to respond before checking up on him. When Lilitrick protests her innocence, she suggests that perhaps she could take a [[memory scan]]. With the memory scan, she notes Lilitrick walking in on Clancy being brutally murdered by a nine foot demon in armour, riding a horse. She explains that she is wearing [[miracle lense]]s, which reinterpret everything the wearer sees back as a miracle whilst also filtering out things that may cause the wearer to question their beliefs. Due to the lenses being forbidden, Bax scolds her and sends her to the confessional booth to reflect upon her actions. Bax then asks Vienna to remove Parsival from his position, thus turning people to the New Church, to which she agrees.

 

Within the confessional booth, Lilitrick Raliaminopololis is interrupted by an unknown person who proceeds to murder her. Whilst aboard Vienna's ship awaiting disembarkation, Kendra relays Vienna's idea about surveying Clancy's last memories to see if it gives them any clues as to his murderer. Bax plays the death confession, which plays to only Bax's ears, that Clancy not only had unjust thoughts about coveting Kendra, but also openly admits to conspiring with Bax and being a faith stealer and then selling it to the wealthy, in order to raise the profile of the religion. Bax then goes ahead and deletes all information that would incriminate him, before reopening coms and giving the all clear to Kendra. Bax then reveals that he plans to ride along with them, and reassures Kendra that he will not be joining them on their mission.

 

The ship prepares their journey to [[Osuriary City]]. At that point, Bax enters and reveals the murder of Lilitrick, also revealing the same messaging in her blood pattern. After their journey, they land at the Phantom Dunes at the City. There, they locate the [[Chidnos]], a wild beast used for transporation, purchase two and begin to ride. Kendra explains that when she and Bax met, he was so desperate to be with her that within a few days, the stigmata mysteriously appeared on her arm. She states that she and Vienna are not so different - they both once awoke with the stigmata and suddenly 'understood' life.