>>5526765“But?” you ask, sensing an addendum coming.
The Novice tilts her head, and asks: “What do we owe Death? He is not even a true ‘Dark God’ is every sense of the word, is he? He treats with the Gods of Light, maintains some imaginary ‘balance’… You even told me that to be his Knight is to swear to such absurd ‘neutrality’ in some regards, yes?”
“He has granted us favours in the past…”
“Scant favours!” she mocks. “These writings will do more for us than Death ever has.”
You are a little shocked at this level of blasphemy. The Novice is bold, but to insult or undermine a god as powerful as Death?! Still, no smiting thunderbolt—or entropic equivalent—comes to meet her heresy…
“Think: if simply wielding the power was enough to make him take action, would that grubby kobold have had ANY success? Death didn’t force HIM to destroy these works! And what of the Red Dragon King? They were HIS books for CENTURIES, maybe MILLE NIA, and without consequence!”
You meet your beloved one’s fearsome gaze, see the undisguised avarice in his golden orbs, and…
>You share her excitement—let Death take his price another day, another way, but these books are yours to keep!>You must disagree—you owe Death a debt, and you will honour it, though it means destroying the most valuable works in your collection>You think you see weakness there, and in these ancient works a corruption; they will all be burned, for relying on demons and undeath is contrary to your vision of Bloodrise>Write-in 