[Location] The Chapel

[Cayenne]

The Chapel While the Chapel doesn't rise above the rest of Black Rock like the Lighthouse, Spire, or Tower, it stands on its own. Located on the outskirts of town between the graveyard and the residential areas, the white marble building serves as a place of worship, a place for counseling, and a place for sanctuary. The main level is where Basia, the head priestess, delivers sermons and lectures. It seems like a small room, white, dusty marble, lined with pews. An altar and statue of the Goddess of Death stands tall at the front, made of jet-black stone. The stone takes the torchlight on either side, reflecting it and casting it about the room. The level below is almost like a mausoleum. It is made of stone, and is lined with open doorways. These lead to a number of smaller rooms in which the gods and goddesses are grouped by sphere. Dusty, with cobwebs and spiders and torches, most of these statues are small. The exceptions, however, are Dira's, Tanroa's, and Kihala's. As strange as it might be to worship the Goddess of Life in a place totally devoted to the Goddess of Death, Dira insists on respect for her counterpart and long-time companion. Dira's jackals, Before and After, also have their own altars and statues. Torches are hooked onto the wall, their flickering flames casting eerie shadows in the unending procession of ghosts. People come here to pray, leave offerings or sacrifices. They come to talk to Basia, who counsels, mediates, and offers spiritual advice and guidance. As silent as the graveyard beyond, despite the ghosts and the few people, the chapel gives people the feeling that many people would give so much for - the feeling of being truly alone. Wrapped in the shadows of silence and solitude... with an ear of someone who will not judge, damn, and purge you... secrets can be told. The NPCs Secret : Basia Blair: Head Priestess Tall, dark, and slender with strange markings on her face, Basia is the head priestess of Dira and a native to Black Rock. She is the daughter of Vesta, the last high priestess. Despite her mother's inattentiveness as she was growing up, or perhaps because of it, Basia was drawn to the great Goddess of Death like a moth to a flame. Part of it was the knowledge that if she was involved with Dira, her mother would pay more attention to her, and another part was actual interest. Her mother's fervor caught on with the young girl, and Basia threw herself into her studies. She has a sharp mind, a morbid sense of humor, and a very good memory. Basia presides over funerals, marriages, and numerous other ceremonies. In many ways, Black Rock is a cult dedicated to the Dead Queen, and Basia is the one who leads it. She is close friends with Jaleryn, having grown up with each other, and between them they rule Black Rock in Dira's absence.