Chapter 25: What is the meaning for all this?
After about 20 minutes of undressing and redressing himself in more comfortable attire, Alucard finished adjusting his top, a simple white collared shirt that he found in Gabriel's drawer in the Lupo house along with a simple black vest that he found in the closet. He figured that his normal clothes were not appropriate for his first interaction with such a grand place, so he had to find something a little nicer than what he had. Hopefully, Crina's brother wouldn't mind him borrowing some of his clothes like how he had in the past. Alucard decided to keep his hair down for now, but he kept the ribbon in his pocket in case he needed it for later. He then fastened the crissaegrim to his hip in case he needed it, as he wasn't sure what to expect, so he needed to be prepared for anything.
Not too long after he fastened the sword, a knock was heard at the door.
"Alucard? Are you decent?" asked a voice, one that Alucard recognized as Alister's.
"Yes, come in" he replied to the door.
Alister then opened the door and entered the room, adorning his casual attire. Sporting a simple black turtleneck with a thin red and gold coat that was open in the front along with a pair of light brown pants and simple black loafers, Alister did look like a regular citizen compared to earlier when he adorned his prince attire. The moment the prince walked in, he took in Alucard's casual appearance.
"Not bad. You sure know how to be stylish, even when in casual wear" he said. But Alister then got a closer look, "Hmm…now that I think about it….this blouse and vest….are they Gabriel's clothes?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow at Alucard.
Alucard gave a nod, "Yes, they are. I figured that these would be better to wear for this occasion. I felt that my original clothes were too casual to wear to a place such as this, so I decided to go with something that was more appropriate for today's visit" he explained.
Alister nodded at hearing that and shrugged, "Fair enough. But you already made a first good first impression already, with how Mother has been acting today. I think you'll be fine" he said. He then gave a look of concern, "However, the Gateway is rather humid. You sure you'll be alright with those long sleeves?" Alister asked.
Alucard thought about it but he nodded, "I think I should be fine, at least for the time being" he said.
Alister shrugged, "Alright. But if you do feel like you need something suitable for warmer weather, let me know and I'll see about a shirt for you" he offered, to which the blonde nodded. Alister then looked to the door, "Now all we have to do is wait on Crina. But knowing my mother, it may be a few minutes for Crina to get here. For all I know, Mother could be trying to convince Crina to wear a dress…again" Alister said with a roll of his eyes.
"Yes, I meant to ask about that," Alucard said, recalling his thoughts from earlier, "It seems that both Crina and…um, how would people like myself address the chief?" he asked.
"Oh, just Lady Minerva is fine. Mother isn't really one for formal honorifics when it comes to chatting with those who she is close to" Alister said, "Now then, what were you asking?" he asked.
"Right, it's just that with Lady Minerva being Crina's Aunt, I wasn't expecting such a reaction. Of course not having aunts or uncles myself, I suppose I shouldn't be the one talking…" Alucard said, feeling a little embarrassed at the end.
Alister gave a chuckle, "Oh don't worry about that, it's kinda common for this to happen. While Aunt Maria was blessed with both sons and daughters, Mother was blessed with two princes, but she's always wanted a daughter of her own. And she probably would've had the chance to have one, if she and Father stayed together" Alister explained.
Alucard gave a raise of the brow, as if to ask for a better explanation, but he stayed silent.
"Lets just say that after a few years, Father decided to start his life over behind my Mother's back. For a time he was indeed loyal, but in the end, he only showed how much of a bastard he was deep down in his heart" Alister explained, a hint of bitterness in his tone.
Alucard's eyebrows raised at that but then he looked to the side, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry" he said.
Alister turned to Alucard with a 'hm?' in his voice and then gave a wave of his hand, "Oh no no, don't worry about it. That was a long time ago anyway. So, in the end, Mother vowed never to get married again after that, despite the idea of wanting a daughter of her own. But since Crina comes by so often, Mother has kinda adopted her as a daughter figure, often giving her the finer dresses that she receives as gifts, since she and Crina are roughly the same size, save for Crina being more muscular" he explained.
"I see. Well, that does make sense" Alucard said while nodding.
"Anyway, it sounds like Crina might be a while, but if you have any questions, I'm open to answer" Alister offered.
Alucard thought about it, "I have many questions about all that has happened recently, but I'm not sure where to start" he said. However, the thought of having so many questions instead of being the one who knows everything brought a smile to Alucard's face. It has been a long time since he was in such a position, being able to learn about new things and to expose his knowledge to new experiences. Just the thought of it all brought him a sense of joy. However, that quickly vanished as he thought of picking one of the many questions that lingered in his mind.
"Well, I suppose I could ask a question that is rather obvious. Why the Red Stag?" he asked.
Alister smiled, "A good question. While I would prefer to answer this in a specific part of the Gateway, I'll give the shortened story" he said. "The Red Stag symbolizes the official unity of the Gateway. During the early years, the founders, each one from a different culture and outlook on life, were able to put aside their differences with one single meal and discussed the possibility of having a community where they could all coexist. They needed a way to be sure that their secret hideaway was indeed secured from anyone who could see them as a threat, so they created the oath of secrecy and silence that very night. And to ensure that they kept to that oath, they made the head of the Red Stag, who had lost one of its antlers while it was hunted, the crest of the community. They also used the points of the antler to symbolize the sacred pledge, which you swore to follow earlier" he explained.
Alucard took the story in and nodded, "I see. That is quite the tale, and yet I wish to know more" he said with a small smile.
The white haired prince gave a chuckle, "All in good time, my friend. You'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, anything else you wish to know?" he asked. However, before Alucard could answer, Alister then recalled something, "Oh, right. Before I forget, one moment" he said as he pulled something out from his pocket before presenting it to Alucard. "Here, this is for you" he added
The item was a single red arm band with a thick gold trim and at the center, a single flower, one that Alucard recognized as a daffodil, though the design appeared more like that of some of the Asian art work that his father collected.
"What's this?" the young dhampir asked.
"This is a band that symbolizes your time as a new member of the Gateway. During your first month, you wear this band to show that you're still adjusting to the rules of our community" Alister explained, "You see, as we have discovered over the years, newcomers tend to make mistakes as they learn the Gateway's rules of common courtesy. This band helps people understand that since you're a newcomer, they are not to be as hard on you as you're still learning, rather than take you straight to the sheriffs for causing an uproar" Alister explained, "All newcomers are meant to wear these for their first month, so this one is yours. Best to keep it on you at all times, as you don't know who is going to take it to try and fool the guards" he added.
"I see. But is it that hard to determine who is new and who isn't?" Alucard asked, curious.
Alister nodded, "Since the Gateway has started to become extremely popular due to the church being so out right against science, we have been getting many new members that it really has begun to become a hassle. Therefore, the counsel came up with the idea to label those who are still new with something to help in telling the difference without causing too much trouble. It first started with simple ribbons, but they were easy to break and steal. Then after some brainstorming and the introduction of a new magician with a talent for sewing, they managed to craft these bands so that they stay a person's arm, but not so tightly that it becomes painful. Just enough to stick" he said.
Alucard nodded and gently took the band from the prince.
"Does it matter which arm?" Alucard asked, to which he received a shake of the head from Alister.
"Nah, it doesn't matter, as long as the guards can see it. Most people put it on their right arm up to the bicep" he said.
Alucard then slipped the band on to his shirt and pulled it up to the upper part of his bicep.
"Now, it may squeeze a bit, but give it a moment to adjust" Alister said, and just as this happened the band constricted a bit on Alucard's arm, but not enough to cause a painful reaction. It adjusted itself on Alucard's arm so that it would stay attached.
"Hmm, interesting" Alucard said as he looked at the band, "Now, how would I take it off?" he asked.
"Simple, just take a finger, slip it under the band and push like a needle into the arm toward the center where it constricts and give it a good five seconds" Alister explained.
Alucard tried the method out and sure enough the band released its grip. He then readjusted the band so that it stayed on, not wanting to take if off for the sake of his location.
"So, since I did interrupt you, was there anything else you wanted to ask?" asked the silver haired prince.
Alucard took a moment to think about all that he wanted to ask, but the more he thought about them, the more he figured that he would get the answers to his questions during the tour.
"I believe it's better to wait. Besides, I do believe that it is better to still have some form of mystery about this place before I have expectations either raised or lowered" Alucard said respectfully.
Alister gave a smirk and nodded, "Fair enough" he said.
Just as the prince said that, a knock came to the door. After a moment, a guard opened the door and just after that, Crina entered the room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting" she said. Her new attire consisted of a light green shirt with long sleeves that were rolled up with small hints of a brown trim being noticeable around her elbows which matched with the trim along her neckline. She also wore a dark brown vest with a neck line that was held together like a boot string, forming an inverted triangle on her chest, along with a black belt around her waist fastened by a golden buckle. A pair of dark tan pants graced her legs with the bottom part being stuffed inside a pair of brown knee high laced boots. She also had something that looked like a black hooded cape to where the cape only came down past her behind, but the hood was down, showing her hair in a braided bun.
Alister smiled and noticed the hooded cape, "Oh that's a new one. Did Aunt Maria make that?" he asked his cousin.
Crina smiled, "Yep, my old blue one was getting tattered and recognizable, so mother made me a new one in her free time. Hopefully it works" she said, looking over the fabric.
Alucard raised an eyebrow, "Is there a reason for the hood?" he asked, clearly confused.
"Lets just say that there are certain people who I don't want to see today, so I prefer to hide my face" Crina said. She then gave a glance to Alister, who returned her gaze with a knowing look.
"You'll probably find out later on, Alucard. Anyway, so now that we're together, shall we go?" Alister asked.
Crina nodded before looking to Alucard, "You ready?" she asked.
Alucard turned his gaze to Crina and nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be I suppose" he said.
Alister smiled and then made a gesture to the door, to which both Alucard and Crina soon followed.
After a few minutes of wandering the halls in silence, the trio eventually made their way to the door that leads to the caves outside. The guards then moved to open the door, where the light outside did blind the party temporarily due to being in the darkness of the castle. After a moment of their eyes adjusting to the bright lights of lanterns that littered the caves, a small alchemy seal engraved on the metal behind the lights, the trio walked out to the castle courtyard, where stalactites were carved into simple yet well designed pieces of art along with a few plants that were adaptive to humid climates.
Alucard took in the details as he looked at the yard.
"Intricately made pieces yet they look so simply crafted…" he said, mostly to himself.
Alister chuckled, "If you think that the courtyard is detailed, look where we came out of" he said as he turned to the castle entrance.
Alucard did the same and he gave a soft gasp in shock. For there standing before him, carved directly into the stone wall around him, was an entrance that would make even the finest church builders of Targovista dark green with terrible envy.
For there stood the entrance to the castle, designed like that of a cross between a Greek Pavilion and the Church of Notre Dame in Paris. The structure was indeed shaped like a pavilion like that in books and sketches that Alucard's father had collected, but yet this was more elaborately carved and chiseled, like that of Notre Dame. The columns, eight of them total, each had an elaborate carving of a humanoid figure, six males and two females, each one designed like those of foreigners throughout the land of Europe and beyond. And at the top within the triangle roof that stood above them all, a single waist up bust of man, one who looked like a simple Wallachian Farmer, with his shepherd crook in one hand and an apple in the other, all while his face, wrinkled yet young, gave off a welcoming gaze. And surrounding him were the images of two sheep, a ewe to his left and a ram to his right, along with what appeared to be vines surrounding the rest of the space. And right under the bust of the shepherd between the two columns that were closest to the large door of wood and copper, was a coat of arms, the symbol of the Temple of Miracles.
The arms themselves are a sight to behold in themselves. The crest held a side view of the Red Stag with a five-point antler, just like the symbol that was now embedded into Alucard's right arm. Below the crest was a wreath, though made from stone, Alucard assumed that the colors would be red and gold, just like Minerva's dress. Below the wreath was a helmet, but it was one that Alucard did not recognize right away, as it almost looked like a Viking helmet but yet it wasn't. Underneath the helmet was the shield, with four different images within. The first image was that of a stalactite and a stalagmite meeting but not connecting. The second image consisted an owl holding a scroll in one of its claws and a lily flower in its beak. The third seemed to have a pair of hands held like ones in a handshake while a roman laurel circles around the pair. And the fourth image was an eye and at the center within the eye was the eight points of a compass. Surrounding the shield were two animals, the first to the left was a bat sitting on top of what appeared to be a crescent moon while the right side consisted of a golden eagle flying up toward what appeared to be a solar wheel, possibly symbolizing the sun. And below the coat of arms was a banner that held a simple phrase 'Nec sursum nec deorsum'.
"Not above, nor below" Alucard said, translating what the phrase meant. "My god, what a sight" Alucard said as he took in the sight.
Alister smiled, "Yeah, it's quite impressive. Some of the other stone workers make impressive designs as well, but nothing can compare to the castle entrance" he said. He then cleared his throat, "Anyway, before we go officially to the Gateway, I believe it is best that I show you a certain place. One that is both ancient and recent, but important nonetheless" he said.
Alucard turned and looked at Alister, confused by what he meant. He then turned to Crina, but she was confused as well. The two of them locked gazes and Crina gave a shrug before turning to follow the silver haired prince. The pair followed Alister past the courtyard and to a path that was leading down, possibly further into the depths of the caverns within. As they walked, Alucard took in the sight of the cave, as he had never truly been in one, and took in the sights.
After a good half mile walk, the trio found themselves at a large gate, tall enough to be equivalent to the grand doors of Dracula's Castle, albeit short by a foot or two. The lanterns around the halls showed the details of the door, putting on display its detailed image of a path that starts from the exit of a forest of willow trees on to a long winding path toward the sky which leads to the gates to heaven, the Gateway to heaven, symbolizing the image that this is meant to be given to the land beyond the caverns. However, just as they got there, Alister then made a right turn, entering a gate that was more simple in design, crafted out of iron, almost like the giant wrought iron fence of a graveyard. Above the entrance was a banner that carried a phrase written in what Alucard could see was High Remembrance, the language that most of the books in the Belmont hold were written in.
"'Tutelary Hall'? Am I reading that right?" Alucard asked, trying to make out the writing. Though he could read some High Remembrance, he was still learning thanks to the Belmont Hold.
"Very good. This is the hall where many people had some sort of influence or effect, but never got the chance to become members of the Gateway. And it's this hall that I wish to take you through before you see the Gateway itself, if you don't mind. I feel like this would be important to you, and you'll see why" Alister explained. He then made a motion to the entrance to the hall, "Shall we?" he asked.
Alucard turned to Crina and noticed the look of slight shock in her eye, as if she knew where this was leading. But when she felt eyes on her, she then changed her gaze, one of just a simple smile before moving forward. Alucard was a bit confused about her actions, as he could tell that she was tense, but he went along with it, unsure of what was to come.
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Tutelary Hall was dark, compared to the hall that they were in before which was indeed bright, but rather than be lit by candle lantern with its glow of oranges and yellows, this hall was surrounded by a blue hue lit by multiple candelabras holding strange blue flamed ghost white candles. No seals or alchemy circles are seen through this hall, which made Alucard a little perplexed.
"I've never seen candles such as these. What are they made with?" he asked, looking at one closely.
Alister turned his head a little but gave a shrug. "Not even we of the Gateway know. They were here when we adapted, so I would guess it had something to do with the founders when they came here. And truth be told, some things are better left unknown" he said.
Alucard nodded as he heard that. He then looked at the different statues, taking in their appearances and also reading the tablets that contain each of their stories. From the famous Viking traveler Leif Erikson to the famous female knight, Joan of Arc, from India's first female Sultan, Raiza Sultana to the legendary general and mythical hero of Japan, Minamoto no Yoshitsune. There were a number of grand influencers immortalized in marble and limestone here in these walls, but there were also some that were not so famous. One such example was a simple gardener named Samuel from England who figured out that mixing both cow and horse manure into the soil helped give the plants essential nutrients to help them grow during a famine, only for him to die from said famine before his crops were ready to be harvested. Many people, famous and not, biggest impact and smallest effort, all those who made some sort of effort to try and make the world better were honored here.
After a bit of travel down the caverns, eventually the trio came to a section of the cave that was more dug out than the other statues, leading to a room with a statue that stood out tremendously from the rest. For where the ones before carried just a statue and a plague displaying their history and influence, this room held an alter that was surrounded by lily flowers, like the ones Alucard saw in his mother's painting.
Alister stopped and then turned to Alucard. "Do you recognize this statue?" he asked the young dhampir.
Alucard raised an eyebrow but then turned to look at the statue and what he saw made his blood run cold in shock.
For there, standing before him, crafted with the finest limestone, was a statue of his mother, Lisa. Her form was how Alucard remembered her, adorned in a simple dress with her hair swayed to the side and held together with a ribbon while a bag graced her body from her right shoulder down to her left hip, a small bottle being held in her right hand while her left held a book, symbolizing her desire to learn more while also passing out medicine for those in need, all while that gentle and kind smile he always knew adorned her youthful face. As he looked down to where her plague was, he noticed that there were several offerings of flowers, empty bottles of what Alucard assumed to be filled once with medicine, small ornate carvings holding sticks that gave off a small trail of smoke, papers written in a few strange languages that were either tied to the railing around the alter or to a single flower or even a bouquet.
"What…what is the meaning of this?" Alucard asked, still shocked from the whole scene before him.
Alister approached him and gave a look that was slightly crestfallen, "This is our way to honor the one who helped our chief when she was in need" he started, "Your mother had quite the influence on Lady Minerva that night. So much so, that she wanted to extend an invitation to your mother to become a member. But, that was after your mother saved her all those years ago. Of course, as she has said, she was unable to see her again for many years, as is shown by the sword you carry" Alister explained.
As he explained this, Crina went over and looked over the offerings, taking in everything, as while she did hear about the development, she never got the chance to actually see the statue.
Alister continued with the explanation, "When Lady Minerva heard that your mother was being burned at the stake, she sent out a battalion to try and rescue her. Sadly, by the time the rescue party got there, it was too late. Your mother's body had already been burned to a crisp and her bones were still burning when Dracula gave his warning of genocide. However, once the warning was given and the people cleared out, the battalion went to the stake and gathered the ashes and bones, placing them in an urn. They also broke down the stake and took a large piece of it. After a few days, members went to the village of Lupu and asked the villagers about Lisa and what she was like, hence the information in the plague before you. They saw her as a blessing, not a curse, and wished that this never happened to her" Alister explained, giving soft sigh, "As a result, because of her influence, Lady Minerva decided to make her into a saint for our people. And now she is known as St. Lisa, the mother of modern medicine" he said. The silver haired prince also made a motion to the people who appeared to be making their offerings and praying. "And as you can see, she is quite popular among our people, as we all believe in science being a means to help heal and defend, not as a form of negative impact" he explained.
Alucard stood in silence at the statue of his mother. Seeing as how the people here admired her to the point of making her a Saint. Seeing how much people see her as a positive influence here compared to when he went to Targovista, it made his heart feel a bit heavy and feeling a tear come to his eye, but it never came. If only his Father saw this before he made his oath of genocide, perhaps his faith in humanity would've been restored.
"There are a few reasons why I brought you here, Alucard" Alister said, snapping the blonde vampire out of his trance.
"For one, Crina told me that you had your own faith in humanity shaken by the whole case of your mother being burned at the stake. I wanted to bring you here to show you that not everyone thought negatively about your mother and they still don't think that way about her. Only those who wished to use fear as a means to control others saw her as a negative influence. But I assure you that no one like that will be found here" Alister explained, his tone serious but kind.
Alucard turned to his friend, surprised that she told her cousin that, but her gaze back to him was both duty-bound and apologetic at the same time with a hint of regret in her eyes. Alucard was confused, but he then turned back to Alister.
"The other reason is in regard to St. Lisa's bones" he started, turning his gaze to the urn below the statue, "Technically it was wrong of us to take her bones without permission from either you or your father. The council was very much against the idea of having her bones stored here for the sake of not just appeasing the Vampire Lord, but also simply out of respect for the body and allowing her spirit to rest. But the execution order that Dracula handed humanity made the possibility of reasoning with him almost impossible, as some of our forces had contact with his monsters, only to barely escape with their lives. While that was also due to our mishandling of judgement, in the end, we had no choice but to keep the bones here until a time came where we could reason with Dracula. However, now that you, the only survivor of that family, are here to see what we have done, we would like to know what you wish to have happen to your mother's urn" he said, turning back to Alucard. "Should you wish to have your mother's ashes returned to your home, or perhaps buried in a proper grave, or however you wish, the decision is yours. If you desire to take possession of your mother's bones again, please let Lady Minerva know and we will arrange for her bones to be returned to their rightful place" Alister explained, "You do not have to make the decision right now, as I can tell that this is hard for you. But please, do not hesitate to let us know what you wish for us to do with your mother's ashes, as we will be sure to treat them with the upmost respect" the prince explained, giving a crestfallen look.
Alucard was speechless. Not only did the people of the Gateway see his mother as a positive influence, but they were willing to give her bones back to her family if it meant that her spirit could rest in peace. They had no mean to take what isn't there's unless it is either with permission from the family or if despite measures had to be taken to ensure protection from outside troubles. This was all hard for him, seeing his mother's ashes after all that had happened to him, from seeing her burned at the stake to him killing his own father, yet he was impressed with the way the Gateway cared for her remains and honored her legacy. The sheer number of offerings alone show just how much of an influence she had on others and how much respect she has earned from all those around her. If her remains being here helped a people thrive and believe in science being a positive influence, it would be wrong to take something so impactful away from her followers. However, as Alister had said, he did not have to make the decision now, but he made a note to keep this in mind for the future.
Turning his gaze from the statue and takin a deep breath in through his nose, he exhaled silently and turned to both Alister and Crina, who both had a look of worry.
Alucard gave a soft yet sad smile, "Thank you. I appreciate the amount of care you put in to saving my mother's remains and honoring her work. I'll think about what to do with the urn, but for now, seeing how well you have been taking care of them, I'd like to leave them here for the time being" he said.
Alister returned his smile with one of his own, "Of course, we've been treating them with the utmost care and will continue to do so, until you say you wish to take them that is" he said.
Crina felt a small tear come to her eye at seeing all that had happened, but she was happy to see Alucard reunite with his mother in a positive light rather than the one he saw at Targovista. She also sensed a bit of a sad tension in the air, but she didn't want Alucard's time in the Gateway to be a sad one, so she then cleared her throat.
"Well, now that we had that happen, I think a proper introduction to the people who have paid their respects to St. Lisa is needed, wouldn't you say, Alister?" she said.
Alister turned to Crina and nodded, "Yes, I believe so" he said. He then paused and looked at Alucard, "Unless you wish to have a few minutes with your mother's ashes…" he offered.
Alucard gave a smile and a small shake of the head, "No, I think I'll have a few minutes later. For now, I have grown anxious to see the Gateway. I may come back later though, if that is alright" he said.
Alister gave a soft gaze, "Of course, this is your Mother we're talking about. Take as much time as you need, whenever the need comes up. For now, I'll happily show you the underground kingdom we call home" he said. He then turned and walked out of the chamber, with Crina following behind him.
Alucard was about to go, but he stopped and turned to look back at his Mother's statue, giving a soft smile at seeing her face again, before turning back to walk back with Crina and Alister, ready for what was to come next.
Author's Notes:
Alright another chapter up this week! I hope I haven't lost you guys with this new comeback, and once again, thank you for the follows, favorites, comments, likes and more. Your support means a lot to me and it helps me push forward during these hard times. Now we get in to the real deal, the beginnings of the Gateway itself. Be prepared for a lot of description, as clearly, worldbuilding isn't that easy, but I hope I can at least give a good enough visual impression so that you can see what I am picturing. This chapter is also a bit heavy in the feels, as you see why, but I felt that Lisa deserved a lot more respect than she was given, so what better way to do that than to make her a saint? Do you think Dracula would approve? Eh, maybe? Anyway, stay tuned for more to come!
Now for the fun facts:
- The armband was inspired a little bit by Attack on Titan's later chapters. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it, but you'll find out later on what I mean. And the flower is a daffodil which symbolizes new beginnings.
- I had a hard time trying to decide how the castle should look, but in the end, I decided go with with a simple but detailed approach. The Church of Notre Dame was built in the 1160's, so it would've been around at the time of the story. Weather Dracula saw it or not is up for the imagination, but I wouldn't be surprised if he at least knew about it via distance mirror.
- More on the statues will come, but as far as the coat of arms, I had to do a bit of research on that. The helmet is to be a germanic tribal helmet, but I wasn't able to find pictures on such...so...imagination? As for what the images on the shield represent, in the order I wrote them, they represent the caves, wisdom, unity through cooperation and open-mindedness, while the bat and the eagle represent beings of both the night and the day.
-Tutelary is a shortened form of Tutelary Saint or synonym to 'Patron Saint'. I wanted to find a different word to represent them that was different from the church, but I couldn't find a word, so hopefully this is a good replacement. Apologies if I offend anyone.
- The Candles in the hall are simular to the ones I saw in the opening halls of Symphony of the Night before Alucard mets Death. I originally was planning to use some sort of light from the souls of night creatures to make the halls purple, but I couldn't find anything simular. I also thought about lightning, but it didn't feel right for some reason. Then I saw the blue candles while watching a playthrough of SotN and figured that they would work in making the hall dark with a blue hue.
-Yes, Lisa is honored here. I imagine her and the rest of the statues being like the Statues of Rome, bright alabaster white with great care for detail. For Alter designs, I'll leave that to the imagination, but since the Gateway is about being free to experiment and discover and improve, why not honor someone who had some form of impact in society to make a change? And yes, the block of wood was from the stake where Lisa was burned and is considered a holy relic, just as how some churches have the crown of thorns or a nail from the cross where Jesus was crucified. Also, among the offerings are incense, as there is more than one culture that exists in the Gateway, stay tuned to find out.
I think that is everything. If you have any questions or comments or even just wanna say hi, please let me know. Hopefully I still have your interest, as I plan to continue this story until I can't go on anymore. Wish me luck and let me know what you think! Thanks again! And remember to wash your hands, social distance, wear a mask, and do all you need to follow the safety guidelines that are needed to keep your family safe! Bye for now!
