LazarusBoard

Amidst a light, muggy rain, the particularly eagle-eyed of the residents of Mzikos raised an eyebrow in confusion. Elliot Jania, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a select few Thekephian Guard made their way through the capital. Under normal circumstances, a motorcade would not be too exciting but as well as the Mzeusian flag flying on the hood of the cars, the flag of Demonos flew next to it. An official visit had not been announced, and most could not fathom why the other flag would be there. The more knowledgeable Mzeusians had a theory.

"Looks like a new 'Friend of Mzeusia' will be announced." a builder said to his colleagues who had all stopped their work to watch.

He was right. Elliot Jania sat against the leather upholstery of one of the cars. He took a deep breath, and if he had a mirror in hand, he would have seen the bags under his eyes, seemingly larger than would be normal for a man of his work-ethic. He had been up for most of the night, meeting with a handful of advisers and representatives of the Mzeusian church. The meeting had been to discuss the response to Demonos's increasingly friendly relations. Those at the meeting had put forward their ideas, and after careful discussion, it was decided that the best and most appropriate course of action was to declare Lady Vera a 'Friend of Mzeusia.'

Now, after the combined signatures of the government had been added to a document granting her new position in Mzeusian hearts, Mr Jania was on his way to the temple of Desonikas to get religious approval.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Elliot Jania was greeted by the Grand High Priest. "Welcome, Telumas," the old man said as the two walked up the white steps of the temple with the Minister of Foreign Relations following behind. "We have prepared the temple for the ritual, and there is a room set aside for you to pray while we ask the Gods for their permission."

Jania nodded. "Of course. Thank you for your swift action." With that, another temple attendant led the Telumas to a quiet room with a view into the temple gardens. Jania knelt before the altar and started to pray. Twenty minutes later, a soft knock on the door brought Jania's awareness back to his surroundings. "Come in," he said.

The same temple attendant opened the door. "The ritual is complete. The Grand High Priest is ready to receive you."

Jania, along with the Minister of Foreign Relations, who had been offered to a separate room to pray, met in a hallway of the temple and nodded at one another. Passing under an archway, they stood in a room not dissimilar to a throne room. Although simple in nature, it still held a throne-like chair at one end, flanked by braziers, floored with coloured marble whose energetic flashes of colour burst like a freshly opened flower bud.

"The sacrifices have been made." The High Priest said, rising from the throne. The Gods have made their decision. You came to them to give their divine blessing to your application for Lady Vera of the House of Fallen Angels to be made a Friend of Mzeusia. The Gods have approved, so, Lady Vera, although you may be far from here, with the combined might and will of the democratically elected government of this Most Serene Republic and the Gods themselves, ever wise, judicious and all-knowing, we grant you the title of Friend of Mzeusia.