***The city of Hemelin…***
"We're here at the Temple District to report on a spectacular sight! Nary two hours ago, there were stories coming from this place about the appearance of a giant that broke through the Grand Temple of the Golden Hammer!"
"I saw it with my two eyes! I swear to my beard, that is a giant!"
"That huge creature picked up buildings like it was paper! And it was thrown like a pebble—"
The head of the Golden Hammer's security, Miss Farah Koh, turned off the television, for she had enough problems to think for the day. Not only did she have to contend with the disappearance of their god, she also had to deal with the members of the Church, especially those from the upper echelons, as they descended on the holy city upon the news of the raid. With her was the First Deputy Priest of the Church of the Golden Hammer, the 'second-in-command' for cases like this. While their god was missing, it was the First Deputy Priest who was to take command of whatever remained on their side.
And as a faithful servant of the Golden Hammer, she will do her best to support her god's appointed successor…
As the news of the raid on Hemelin spread across Equality, the Church's supporters were quick to profess their support for the embattled institution. Because of that, an 'emergency' council was summoned to discuss the proper response on the Cole Miners' Guild's rebellion. Various bishops and military commanders were invited from the cities that still loyal to the Golden Hammer; those who didn't sent representatives were deemed 'heretics,' thus, risking the 'wrath' of their god.
"Your Eminence," Miss Koh opened the council of the dwarf leaders by addressing the First Deputy Priest. "Aside from the bad news we've heard for a couple of days now, the Church in the mining city of Montserrant is under persecution from the members of the Cole Miners' Guild."
A chorus of indignation immediately came across the hall where they gathered. Many were calling an immediate and powerful response to the 'apostates' to prevent other cities and guilds in danger of 'joining' the rebellion. However, the First Deputy Priest was quick to calm his raging peers.
"Order the Bishop of Montserrant to gather his forces and force the Queen Paula to return to the fold," the First Deputy Priest told her. "Following the example of our gentle and kind lord, the Golden Hammer, we will be slow to anger and quick to mercy. If they repent and hand those apostates that led them astray to us for punishment, then they will be spared. Otherwise, we'll declare the Miners' Guild 'apostates.' And we all know what that entails…"
"Your Eminence," the dwarf security lady replied, looking at the piles of reports in her hand. "The Bishop of Montserrant was already dead."
"W-What? D-Dead?" At that moment, the members of the dwarf council stood up in indignation.
"During the chaos of the raid, the miners destroyed the Bishop's forces," Miss Koh explained. "They also executed him as a signal of their 'break.' Now, they are trying to convince the other guilds and cities to side with them, or at least, stay neutral in the conflict."
"Side with them?" another church leader asked. "Side with whom? I don't think the Cole Miners' Guild have another god they worship!"
"Your Grace, that's a grave underestimation," the dwarf security lady countered him. "According to our spies, there is this 'black lady'—"
"Ah!" the commander of the air forces protecting Hemelin blurted out. "I've seen that infamous 'lady' herself! She destroyed two of airships within a flash! She's leading the air forces of Montserrant in the raid of our city."
Miss Koh backed him up. "Yes, what the Lord Commander Hainut said is true. And it seems that this 'black lady' goaded the miners into attacking us by introducing a new 'god.'"
There was tense silence in the council. A bishop clarified, "When you said 'introducing a new god' Miss Koh, you mean…"
"It seems the evils from the primitive worlds of Chersea, Cherwind and Cherwoods conspired to destroy our holy church and our faith in the Golden Hammer," she revealed to them. "That 'black lady'—though many of us know nothing about her—is one of the so-called 'Saints' from those worlds. And we can remember what it is like when they ruled over us in the past; dissent is never tolerated, and new, progressive ideas are suppressed. Moreover, the last Saint before our god bothered not to care for us! Now, according to our spies, she has brought a new religion there, in Montserrant, to which the miners easily embraced out of their hate for our religious taxes and submission to our bishops."
"Such insolence!" the dwarf leaders fumed at the security lady's information. "That Queen and her forebears are really from a line of traitors!"
"Uh…first a raid; second, the Golden Hammer's disappearance, then a giant, and now this…" the First Deputy Priest commented, massaging his temples. "Whatever we did wrong for these 'undesirable' ideas leak into our land?"
"Your Eminence," another church leader stood up. "I'm here to stand by you and the Golden Hammer. The aerial armies of the city of Yaseny are flying to Montserrant as we speak. We are determined to kill the rebellion before it blossoms!"
"And so is my city as well!"
"Call for a crusade, Your Eminence, and the dwarves will rise up to defend what's ours!" Soon enough, there was a chorus of declarations from the various church leaders about their air forces' commitment to 'punish' the miners' guild city.
With the sentiments of the loyalists to the Golden Hammer shoring up the First Deputy Priest's confidence, he took over the council and said, "We cannot let the evils of the worlds connected to ours to poison the minds of our judicious, and freedom-loving subjects, and draw them away from the worship of our lord, the Golden Hammer! Whoever is brave and holy shall take up arms; the Church, through my guiding hand will absolve them from their sins, should they partake in this holy and just endeavor!"
The entire council—in a show of their unwavering support—drew their arms and raised it. The First Deputy Priest of the Church of the Golden Hammer, taking a deep breath, announced,
"I hereby declare a crusade to crush the heretics of Montserrant, as well as their supporters!
And with that, the Crusade of Montserrant began amidst the cheers and acclaim of the dwarf leaders.
"…" Meanwhile, Miss Farah Koh stood only at the sidelines. The rest of the report from Montserrant remained in her hands, unread by the leaders of the Church. Looking at those, she shook her head; nevertheless, she kept those within her. No one knew when will that information might become useful for the religion and god she served…