The Prayers of Gehenna

It has been known throughout its time as The Tears of the Bishop, The Sinners Sacrament, and The Dangerous Religion. Contradicting documentations of the box record its circulation along the Mediterranean coast. From Spain, where it was referred to as The Holy Enigma, to Greece, where it was called The Mad Saint’s Riddle. A slightly more baroque expression, it is comprised of gold, silver and copper. The configuration routinely surfaced in some obscure church or monastery as a reliquary containing holy knowledge. Scholars continue to this day to argue over it in secret, and waste lifetimes trying to solve its mystery.

There have been many writings on the subject of what can be discovered when solving The Prayers of Gehenna, none more profound then the discoveries made by a Benedictine monk named Brother Damian.

It was eventually discovered that Brother Damian had taken the box secretly. He spent his nights locked in his dormitory, deciphering its riddle and recording his findings in a journal.

Upon solving the box, Damian described in detail meeting a guide named Grimvise, a member of an unknown holy order. The guide chaperoned him and secured his safe passage to the realm beyond. There, he writes of not one but four distinct types of the order he encountered: the Cenobites, the Anchorites, the Sarabites and Seriphites.

Brother Damian cataloged their function, and all dialogues he had with them. It is apparent from his writings that he made more then one visit, and was given access for a period of time. He later wrote about a tithing to pay for his continued survey and research, and how he knew that all would be forgiven for his noble cause.

It was not until after a half dozen disappearances of the members of the Benedictine order that Brother Damian came under suspicion at last. When the Abbot and several others went to question him, they found his cell locked from within. Once inside, only his journal and the puzzle were found in the windowless room. Brother Damian was never to be found, nor were any of his missing brethren.

It was suspected that Brother Damian had traded the lives of several members of his order for safe passage into hell. His writings, though outwardly condemned, are still argued over as fact or fiction, genius or fanatic. Some claim him to be instrumental to the church, and still petition his sainthood.