Chapter 1007: Meeting In The Deep
Deep below ground, surrounded by compact stone, formed into perfectly smooth walls, ceilings and floors- Magnificent pillar twisting upward to support it all, each pillar adorned with statues and decorations of impressive beauty, though wide walls, great amounts of various kinds of stone, ores, gems and the likes were being hauled in all directions, pulled by eyeless burden beasts, accompanied by their masters who hailed from various different sapient species...
Every way seemed to lead to mines of some kind, the clanging of pickaxes against hard rock, the sharp sound of shovels piercing dirt, and of course, endless songs, the miners making for an impressive choir as they happily swung without slowing down, only stopping when a loud bell rang out echoing through the many tunnels, signalling time for a pause, time to sit down and eat something before going back to work.
To those not in the know, the vast underground might appear like a hellish place where people were endlessly worked to the bone, forced into digging without ceasing, but that could not be further from the truth.
This was the underground continent of Durter, and here, mining and digging was a religion, extracting ores and the likes from the earth was a form of prayer, and apart from taking breaks to eat and rest, there were also plenty of times during which all work came to a halt, and the miners would instead begin praying to the rocks and stone around them.
Indeed, Durter was a theocracy at its core, which was why its leader was the Hierophant-Queen.
Durter was populated by various species greatly attuned with the earth and the sacred acts that accompanied their work, dwarves of various kinds, intelligent goblins and humans of the deep, mole and rat beastfolks...
They all coexisted, sharing the same faith for the earth surrounding them, all under the rule of their benevolent leader, Artratac Dursol.
Whilst the common people either worked in the mines, performed work in the cities or simply went about their day, a council had gathered inside secret chambers, gathered around a large, rectangular table that had been carved from a huge piece of diamond, its surface perfectly smooth, appearing to sparkle.
All of the people around the table were dressed in robes, their specific attires leaving no doubt that they were high-ranking members of the church, one of them, with the size of a young child, but the appearance of a decrepit old man, spoke first, his voice rough and coarse as though he ate sand and dust as his meals everyday.
"Archbishops, we are once again gathered here today to discuss various matters" he said, his sunken eyes shining with intensity, raising his chin as he looked at everyone present.