“Il Volunta de Saenctum, His Will be Done”

Many people in the Cities become frustrated with the tedium of working in a corporation or association, or maybe they simply want to escape the risks of life. Many of those unsatisfied people turn to the Hall to answer these prayers.

The Hall exists to prey upon this thinking; people finding themselves nowhere to go and unable to dig themselves out can be thrown a divine lifeline from the Hall, where they will be able to determine themselves through conformity and groupthink, that their little part they do participating in the sermons and possibly engaging in combat will benefit them by benefitting the Hall. Many people that find themselves here end up trapped in cult psychology, some of them end up dedicating themselves so deeply that they rise to the rank of an Aspirant or Inquisitor, and some of them simply die a heretic.

They believe that the Cataclysm was not caused by humans, but created as divine punishment for humans who used Oneirum to satisfy mortal desires. As such, a main concern on their agenda is destroying old world relics, so that the inventors cannot act upon this forbidden knowledge. This (unsurprisingly) puts them at odds with most other factions and corporations, especially the the Library, but nothing they cannot afford with the constant stream of bodies coming in begging to be saved or given purpose/

Armaments and Uniforms

Members and Believers of the Hall typically dress in white, draped clothing.

They are known for their use of laser weaponry, lasers that leave bright white traces which can create damage from ranges with accuracy and potency not found in Firmament Corporation’s plasma weaponry.

The Hall is also the origin of “hardlight material,” material that can be created and formed through Oneirum influence alone, or typically through some focus or tool that solidifies light. Though hardlight material’s durability often does not fall far from reinforced glass, it has been used as armor for Inquisitors.

Combat Robes

More commonly referred to as Inquisition robes, or simply “robes,” these clothes are typically created for Inquisitors on a per-promotion basis. They may appear as simple ceremonial robes, but donning the robes infuses the wearer with magical strength. Writings and excerpts from the Scriptures of the Hall are clearly visible, written on the robes, or rather, they appear cleanly burned into the silky white surface.

When in use, the writings on the robes glow a dim yellow, and from them hardlight plates can be summoned on predetermined places on the robes; armor that is trivial to wear and offers good protection against the dangers of the Inquisitorial duties.

It is said that the robes are created in the mere presence of the Transcendent; servants place the robes behind the White Curtain, and through the writings on the robes, become infused with the Transcendent’s magic. From the writing on these robes, the Scriptures are transcribed. They often overlap, but sometimes robes may have novel writings on them, making the Scriptures an ever-changing document.

Hierarchy

The central hall of City 2 is where the administration of the Hall resides, with branch churches made in different parts of City 2 and other Cities, such as one in Dyon.

The Transcendent and the Anointed

Astar, The Transcendent is at the top of the Hall’s food chain, although he is said to have abandoned all mortal desires, constraining him to a space hidden behind the White Curtain in City 2’s central hall.

The Anointed is a group of 5 people that pass down orders of administration. It is this oligarchy that’s responsible for coordinating the groups of Hall believers in large-scale missions and decisions.

Fathers/Mothers

The Fathers and Mothers are the preachers and administration of branch churches and halls in other Cities. They task Inquisitors and extend other orders that, upon completion, will “carry out the Will of the Transcendent.”

In Dyon, a man known simply as the Father give these sermons and assign tasks.

Inquisitor

Hall believers are most prominently tasked with the violence and destruction of the Hall’s orders. They are responsible for dives where they destroy old world relics, investigating citizens that may be involved with old world relics that aren’t protected by a corporation or an association, punishing those the Hall are directly responsible for, among many others.

The life of an Inquisitor is one with no compromises. Orders will be carried out to full completion, or they will have a divine burial upon their return. The sermons of the Hall have been etched so deeply into them that sting operations have been met with 100% failure, and faith has coiled around Hall believers so much that dissenting is out of the question (and when it does happen, it gets discovered and destroyed easily). To put that another way, there is no shortcut when becoming an Inquisitor.

Aspirant

These followers have taken the extra step in their faith, dedicating not just their mind and soul, but their body to the Hall. They are expected to take missions and fulfill duties in combat, not just faith.

The Aspirants of the Hall are expected to have memorized the Scriptures to be considered for ascension to Inquisition.

Believer

The Hall’s lowest followers. There are many degrees of devotion here above a certain baseline. A process known as the Purification must be conducted before one becomes a full Believer and is expected to devote themselves to the Hall. This process involves bleaching the hair or shaving the head, as hair color is seen as the first vanity to overcome in the pilgrimage.

It is said that a Believer may escape the Hall with their lives as long as they have not been ceremoniously indoctrinated through the Purification, and there are counter-cults that target these folks, although most of the time it is done to thin the bodies coming into the Hall, rather than for the well-being of those possible cultists.