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Three of the oldest Divines, who are not quite friends, but something more than mere colleagues, meet up now and again to speak about the currents and the cultures of the times. They do not always agree, but they don’t have to. Discovery pulls new growth gently from the ground; Righteousness pushes major events and players in just the right direction; and Liberty prepares everyone eventually to be able to leave it all behind. Given that, their goals could not possibly align at every turn, but they can all agree that they are all necessary.
And they talk about their Candidates. Well, Righteousness talks. Liberty and Discovery decided long ago that Candidates were not for them, and that they could not be the right choice for any conceivable Candidate, so they listen. They watch the anticipation and tinge of terror in the eyes of new recruits, and see how quickly that is stoked to fervor. Righteousness corrects each newcomer’s posture so each step is taken with purpose. Its effect is immediately apparent, and the Candidate’s effect is less so until Righteousness speaks, and then only to another Divine.
The most recent Candidate is the human once known as Attar Rose, now Ibex. He stands unassailable as a pillar, and to pick idly at a thread on his sleeve speaks volumes of contempt, but his smile is so charming and open that it is all but impossible to know if it is genuine or manufactured. It is clear that Righteousness likes him, which could either mean he’ll be used up faster than usual, or that he will give everything he has to give and then just keep giving of himself out of sheer tenacity. Liberty and Discovery find themselves hoping that he will last because they, too, find him likable.