Gaining the attention of the other villagers did not take long; they had just finished cleaning up some of the mess that the Dragonborn had left behind, or gone to recover the things the Dragonborn had stolen from them, with only the water supplies left to be taken care of. When Draias assured them that what he had to say would be far more worthwhile in the long-run, they were more than willing to leave their newly-imposed chores.
When he began to call for others' attention, there were few more than fifty Boquabians coming to hear what the investigator had to say. But by the time he had returned to the front steps of the main temple, and set up his stand to speak, his following was growing substantially; they flocked from their homes in droves to hear him.
Kotu was livid, but dared not rebut just yet. He would give the five the chance to make fools of themselves first.
With that, Draias looked out to the crowd, and began.
He spoke to his fellow villagers with the heaviest heart as he relayed the message of his comrades' death in the woods. But from then he grew sterner, bolder, much more passionate. It seemed his heart was overflowing with such stronger emotion now, that his words were coming out of their own accord.
He spoke of their endeavor after the monstrous Dragonborn; their fear in the woods; their encounter with the Dragonborn at the cave; the elves' sudden arrival to rescue them; the sudden appearance of yet more divine ones, and the beast Itself, and finally when the Veteran's forces came and rescued the lot of them. But not before three precious lives were taken, he added, and all the villagers mourned again.
It was at this point that Fandas tapped Draias on the shoulder; he had something to say. He spoke of their dreadful slog back to the town, accompanied by the Vandal that stood with them, and a band of more like her. They would have buried their dead like normal, when there beckoned to them a divine voice from the main temple of Uburra-Namall, where the Elders are said to commune with the gods.
There, they experienced a strange and overwhelming ecstasy like none other. It was all love and beauty and inspiration, tingling from the tops of their heads to the soles of their feet. It was the essence of music and art and philosophy, profound and heartbreakingly simple at the same time. It was a taste of the peace and perfection of divinity. And the spirits of their fallen comrades were taken up into it.
The crowd gasped, and Linessa knew that she must speak up as well. This was the crucial part in their enlightenment. It was at this time when they received vital knowledge from the divine ones themselves. The Elders of their tribe had deceived them all. From the very beginnings of this tribe, it was established that sacrifices were to be paid to the Elders, because only they were said to be able to commune with the gods. But the divine ones had themselves told her otherwise. The gods would speak to any of them who beckoned; they loved the Boquabians equally, and desired all of the Boquabians to JOIN them in a second life, far more glorious than this life.
Kotu stopped Linessa at that point; that was certainly enough. Now it was HIS turn to talk.
“…Judge not what a man has done, but judge what he could have done if he was a different bloke altogether. For art thou a leper? And a leper can changeth his spots…” --Rudy Wade, Misfits (Series 4, Episode 8)
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