2-9: Witchcraft & Heresy
Once again in Flotsam Village, the gang heads into the shop to sell some beak thing eggs and cannibal cleavers. Jam is dismayed when one of the shopkeeps, fixing eyes on them and Burn, mutters “Oh no... no, no, no...”. Riddly catches it too and steps up to the plate, deciding she might be able to get more out of him than prejudice and panic.
Flotsam Refugee: Blessings upon you, sister, sister. What can I do for you?
Riddly: You still believe in god after abandoning the Holy Nation?
Flotsam Refugee: Of course. The Lord Okran has freed me from my shackles and given me a more useful purpose. The Holy Nation twist the word of god to serve only the men, but it does not make our religion any less true. Who were the scriptures of radiance written by? A man, the Phoenix. You cannot trust the whispers of men passed down through generations, true faith comes from the heart.
While the entire gang wishes "true faith" would come without xenophobia, Riddly can tell this is as much as she's going to get out of him today and changes the topic to trade. He's quite happy to buy the beak thing eggs and the collection of cannibal cleavers the crew has compiled.
Mulling over what the shopkeep said, the gang decides they'd like to learn a little bit more about Flotsam. They head into the Ninjas' HQ.
Moll: Hm? Don't get many visitors out in the cannibal plains...
It's about on par with Fort Simion, the rebel farmers' HQ that the gang visited before this whole cannibal adventure. Jam supposes the two rebel factions might be more or less equivalent despite differing radically in tactics and demeanour.
As soon as they walk through the doors, the gang is greeted by a swaggering human woman: The Flotsam Ninjas' leader, Moll. Of course, the Holy Nation has a big ol' bounty on her head. Horse has seen it before; he relays it to the gang for the sake of interest.
WANTED: Moll
His Holy Excellency Lord Phoenix, praise be His name, bestows upon you the holy honour of serving Okran's will by cleansing the foul servant of the Demoness Narko going by the name of “Moll”.
Wanted for the crimes of blasphemy, treason, disobedience, witchcraft, terrorism, murder, child murder, cannibalism, female independence, arson, kidnapping, mind-control, blackmail, thievery and slander.
Whereabouts are unknown. Known abilities are the use of dark magics and mind control that she uses to brainwash her dark army of demon ninjas. It is recommended that you attack quickly and without warning so as not to give her a chance to speak her tainted words.
REWARD: c.30,000
A couple of these charges give a bit of pause but the gang agrees that overall, the wanted poster is making a pretty good first impression on her behalf. Jam introduces themself.
Moll: Nowhere in this world is safe. People are either trying to burn us at the stake or they're trying to eat us alive... But at least the cannibals are good for one thing: Target practice.
Jam: Target practice is all fun and games 'til you find yourself boiling in a cooking pot...
Moll: Well you're no fun, are you? They try stuffing me in a cooking pot and they're gonna find out that I bite back, hard. Anyway, you're here in my space, so I guess you want something, huh? Ask away, I've got nothing better to do 'til my next target drops by anyway...
Jam: Are you the leader of the Flotsam Ninjas?
Moll: Yeah.
Jam: Why set up base in a land of cannibals?
Moll: Because there's no Holy Nation here. No Empire. No slavers. The cannibals make a good deterrent anyway, not to mention they're mere insects compared to the Holy Nation. As long as we keep them under control, that is. My only one wish is that they'd learn how to wear pants.
Jam: Are you really in the cult of Narko?
Moll: Hah! The cult of Narko? I guess you've been reading too much Holy Nation bullcrap, huh? There are hundreds of possible interpretations of a single religion, the Holy Nation's is just one of many, they only see black and white...
Moll: Some of us are just unfortunate enough to be born evil in their eyes, some of us take that status a step further by fighting those ignorant labels. I could go off on a rant about religion, but I won't bore you...
Jam: Please do.
Moll: Most of my ninjas, the ones who escaped the Holy Lands, they still practice Okranism, but a different school of it. One where there is no good and evil, just birth and death. If you believe in Okran, check our outpost for scripts, you'll see there is no one 'right' view, only one of many possible views... But of course, myself?... Well, I think it's ALL garbage, hah.
Jam: Agreed!
Jam doesn't really understand human religion in general. What they've seen really hasn't impressed them. It may be worth trying to understand a bit better, though. They decide to take Moll up on her offer and poke around the village for holy texts.
Book of Grace
Forbidden within the Holy Nation. An ancient scripture from an unknown author:
“Let us not yearn for pleasures of the flesh, but yearn only for the love of our Creator and the wellbeing of all mankind.
Let us not be tempted by the self serving lures of sexual misdeeds, intoxication, theft and wrong speech.
Let us show kindness to our brothers and our sisters, never harm them, never feel envy or animosity towards them.
Let us overcome our ego, to find true paradise, the Enlightened Lands.”
There's some room to take this text in bad ways (who counts as "mankind"? What counts as "wrong speech"?) but Jam figures these are relatively mild, agreeable sentinments if you're into the whole religion thing. Certainly not controversial enough to make sense to ban. Judging from what people keep saying about the Holy Nation, maybe the objectionable part is the line about showing kindness to your sisters?
Book of Sacrifice
Forbidden within the Holy Nation. An ancient scripture from an unknown author:
“The great father Chitrin was betrayed by his children; broken by their sins and their lack of faith. And so the great father's powers diminished and calmly erupted; but only when the lands began to swallow themselves did the children plea for help. Only at a time of desperation and fear did their devotion burn its brightest.
But the great father was pure and forgiving, so he sacrificed himself for his beloved children. To give them a new chance at life, he cleansed the planet of its sickness. But the task was too much, and Chitrin was split in two reborn, one of light and one of dark.
Together, two gods would exist in equilibrium; Okran, god of day, warmth and renewal; Narko, god of night, cold and destruction. And from that day forth it was known, the great father's sacrifice must not be in vain, the gods must be given strength, the cycle of death and rebirth preserved.”
This one is a lot more theological and it makes Jam's head spin. Okran and Narko, that's what the Holy Nation believes in, right? What problem could they have with this? Thinking on what Moll said about the Flotsam Ninjas' heretical Okranism involving “no good and evil, only birth and death”, maybe that's it. Maybe the issue is that this book says Okran and Narko are in equilibrium and doesn't call Narko evil.
While they're still not eager to hang around here and get stared at like they're some kind of monster, Jam feels like they understand the Flotsam Ninjas a bit better now. They thank the refugees for letting them read their books and meet back up with the gang a little wiser.
Not that much wiser, though. When they return, the gang is discussing going after Horse's treasure up north. Their attempt to train up by fighting cannibals went pretty badly all told, but immeasurable wealth does still allegedly await and perhaps they could simply go around the cannibals by skirting the coast.
Jam agrees. The gang prepares to travel north.