[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/FBrdjSk/image.png[/img][h3]Malphas Super Secret Cult Meeting[/h3][@Rune_Alchemist][/center] As the first group left, Malphas took a quick gander around the temple, seeing if he could peek out any other entrances or exits. Should things go awry,- or worse, [i]boring,[/i]- Malphas needed a safe way out. Somewhere he could run to if needed, potentially out of sight from that monster he ran into on his way here. For now, he looked onto the others who remained with him, scrutinizing them with his eyes as if he were measuring each of their individual worths. In reality, Malphas only pondered on how long they could actually last in combat. As interesting as both the Illuminator and his secret cult is, it was the cultists themselves that had Malphas feel... uninspired? He just wasn't sure what to really say to them, personally. He has no tangible leverage over them, and their uses seem severely limited. Sure, they are hunters who know the land better than he ever would, but they are also rooted to the village. There's also the fact that Malphas already made arrangements to travel with another group. In all honesty, Malphas did not care for them on a personal level. Still, their lives do mean something to him. They are all human, after all. They all have hopes, dreams, desires... And they also have a clear goal in mind: Taking the thief alive. Between this duty to their god as well as the more... graphic murals of this temple, Malphas was given a stroke of inspiration! One at would allow these lemmings to do what Malphas desired while also fulfilling the duty given to them by their god. "[color=lightblue]... You all know what you have to do. The thief must be punished for her transgressions. But afterwards, what shall we do with her after he retrieve what she has stolen? Kill her? Leave her alive with a mere slap on the wrist? And what of her captives? Shall we let them live, knowing they have desecrated this holy place? No... I feel as if we could do more.[/color]" Malphas walked further into the room, so he could place himself in the center. "[color=lightblue]Take them all alive. We shall bestow upon them the mercy of the Illuminator. After all, there's much more we can learn from a living subject than a dead one, no? Perhaps you'd like to know just how far one's fingers can stretch apart? Or what about the absolute threshold of pain a man or woman could endure? Indulge in your curiosities! Turn this temple not into a tomb for the dead, but instead a dungeon for those foolish enough to cross the Illuminator! Use their pain as instruments of worship, and use the knowledge gained from their vessels to stand above your peers![/color]" Malphas grinned as he looked forward, towards the temple's exit. Whether they believed in his words or not, Malphas did not care. The only thing that interested him was what he inspired in them. Hopefully, whoever's left alive of this cult would turn this holy place into a den of debauchery, a temple not just dedicated to a god, but also to human depravity. Placing his mask on and throwing up his hood, Malphas marched forward, bow and arrow in hand.