To Their Imperial High Commander, Division West, Region X26-A4
-Great Commander,
What follows is a transcription of an encrypted message on a tiny crystal slow-tra drive that appeared to be blank. The L'Archer in Tower West spotted an unauthorized Eagrot burdened with a swollen belly, and called a sharpshooter to get it down without damaging the cargo - the drive. This transpired a forenaught ago, as it took our Cryptomancer some time to decode. Please advise follow up action if necessary. It is not clear which town the missive is from; based on the Eagrot's trajectory, somewhere to the Northwest.
-Imperial Regional Director, Division West, Region X26-A4, Ws Mining Outpost G
*Begin Transcription*
Organizatrix Mar,
Indeed there is a power vacuum here. Had my reservations on the long trip, but there is much to be exploited. The local religion is centered around guilt and a belief in an afterlife better than this one. Some combination of self-flaggelation and innate goodness. Easy marks.
The local guild have mostly retired rich after running a long term Geezer's Shuffle and some variation of a Halfling Shell Toss. I FUCKING KNOW! Easy cons long retired. Not here. Took them a few decades, but the previous local organization members are set for life and no longer working - or those that are half-heartedly. Ripe for new leadership.
I was able to infiltrate the Clergy, and have a pretty good handle on the local beliefs. I convinced a Priest to cast the below transcribed spell as a demonstration of the local god's might, and thus was able to get it down from the chapel bible unobserved. You'll understand after reading.
Anyway, do I stay here? My cover's shaky, but not blown yet. We should definitely start a local branch after convening to plan.
I have sent this message three ways.
Yours,
Haze Codex
God's Merciful Gaze
Cleric Spell (3rd Level?)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (Holy Symbol, Prayer, Holy Gestures)
Duration: Concentration
When this spell is active, the hideousness of those who are actively, have recently, or will soon take an action that offends the caster's deity or faith are hidden from the caster's holy gaze. The caster only sees those who are not, have not, or will not soon take an action considered a sin by the caster or their deity. (Have not in the last 12 hours, will not in the next 12 hours; some variations are sundown/sunrise)
Those the caster cannot see, however, cannot harm the caster while this spell is active. Any action directly taken by the wretched faithless will not affect the caster in any way. Subsequent events resulting from those actions may, however. (A magician's Fireball would not, an arrow would not, but if Move Earth was cast to remove the dirt holding up rocks, and the rocks then happened to fall, the caster could be harmed by them.)
There is much theological debate as to how and why this spell was originally canonized, but it remains used throughout the region to this day. This scribe heard rumors it has been witnessed in other lands as well.
