The Book of the Fallen - Chapter 12 - Desertions

[Kane]

Over the next few days about a dozen students and junior staff left the school. The Abbot’s mysterious death, the Keeper’s growing fanaticism, and concern about their own safety pushed those who had a place outside the school to leave. I knew I couldn’t leave as it would stain my family’s honor, but even if I could, I wouldn’t desert Sahi’s Hamad and Tayam. Our training had effectively stopped due to students leaving the school or joining the Keeper’s growing circle of supporters. With no classes, I did what I could to help my mentor Sahi Tayam, trying to take any burden I could from him. There was something eating away at him, but he wouldn’t confide in me.  I suspect he was trying to protect me.

With the death of the Abbot, a struggle began for control of the school.  The Keeper believed the position was rightfully his due to seniority and his connection to the Riding Host. Sahi Hamad disagreed and sent word to Alvedara to get a ruling from Sorshef Council. Further muddying the waters was the arrival of investigators from the local Sussar to examine the Abbot’s tower. A number of staff and servants were questioned and it was clear that the investigators believed the Abbot was murdered. No one was charged and I overheard Sahi Tayam mutter to another instructor that no man could have caused either the wounds or the fear on the Abbot’s face.

While we waited for word from Alvedara, the Keeper became both more fanatical and more distant. He locked himself and his followers away in the rooms beneath the library and held his own rites venerating the Riding Host. When he appeared in the great hall or the temple it was to scoff and harangue those who did not accept that he was the voice of the gods. There were many confrontations with Sahi and staff he found unworthy or not devoted to the Host. The Keeper even interrupted nightly prayers screaming that we should not be a house of the gods and should leave until we had rediscovered our faith.

As the days wore on, more staff and students left, some very suddenly.  Vocal critics of the Keeper would be gone overnight without a word of goodbye.  Some left their belongings behind and simply fled into the city. I believed and still do that critics of the Keeper were driven away or silenced permanently. I don’t know if the Keeper had a direct hand in their removal or if it was just his overzealous followers, but I was convinced that more then one person was killed at the school and the body spirited away.  Death was stalking the halls and those who opposed the Keeper were its prey.