To say Father Gorgon was 'controversial' was a bit of an understatement.
When the Church attempted the Holy Crusade to take Jerusalem, the angels spoke, leading to the deaths of hundreds of soldiers.
As the story goes, when the angels called down God's fury upon humanity, he notably ran through his home city and carried the injured back to the church's medical ward. His feet bled. His hands coated with the blood of the injured. More fire rained from the sky. Holy light burned flesh from bone.
To this day, the holy medical practitioners wear a sigil consisting of two red foot prints and a red palm print. The inspiration for this design is inspired by a painting in their quarters, said to be depicting the man briefly catching his breath in a doorway.
The church originally denounced him as a heretic for 'interfering in God's wrath'... or so the story goes. That's wasn't even the height of his controversy. No, what clearly dominated the conversation that struck down his hopes of achieving sainthood: "I did not see the will of God acting through those creatures."
He refused to repent his blasphemy; until his barely recognize-able signature appeared on a confession following an experience on the rack. The church subsequently tied him to a stake for burning.
The population broke through into the execution area to protest the action, bearing milk and rancid fruit to throw at the clergy. His words stopped this self-mobilized congregation, earned through suffering in service to the city.
He notably told them: "Do not stain their immaculate robes and gold threads. Coat me in your wrath instead. Bath me in your fury. I will standing humbly here, accepting your confessions of wrath and absolving you of your sin."
The crowd, confused, but accepting of his wishes, pelted him and his platform in overripe fruit. Disgusting infested cucumbers splashed upon his pyre. Expired milk dripped down the wood into the underlying hay. By the time the action was done, the man nigh unrecognizable under the filth that covered him, he looked over to his fellow clergy: "I claim this sin for myself. Let it be done. God shall decide if my mission is over. Not you!"
Some of the soldiers dropped their torches. Others drew their swords only to throw them to the ground. Seven torch bearers remained.
...the pyre would not light...
"My mission is not done!" He declared.
This whipped the crowd into a frenzy. The details are fuzzy following this event. Some scholars claim he should have been beatified.
Others, less inclined to the faith, believe there were actually two institutions created that day, and not just the healers. The 2nd institution specifically investigated the legitimacy of the angels themselves. To date, the church has never admitted the existence of this research team, but years later, the group responsible for reaching out to angels became noticeably quiet, and underfunded.
From a summoner's perspective, this begs the question: what exactly is the relationship between 'Heaven' and 'Hell?' The demons have their theories, but nothing conclusive. They seem as much in the dark as humanity.
***
The horns erupted from across the city, signaling a coming apocalyptic event.
"You've heard the stories." Leoni commented. "I recommend you hurry."
"What is that!?" The priest yelled.
"It is an angel's fury." Answered Deimos. The certainty in his answer raised questions in Egil's mind about the zealot's experiences.
The priest turned to Egil. "Are you responsible for this!?"
"No!" Egil retorted.
"But one of your compatriots were! I know about the demon link. Who were you talking to!?"
