The Catholic Church presents itself to the world as it always has, a place of faith, tradition, and salvation. Its cathedrals are sanctuaries, its priests shepherd the flock, and the Vatican stands as a symbol of divine authority. But behind the curtain, the Vatican conducts a secret war against demons and 'unholy' beings. Its greatest weapon is not prayer, but corruption itself. For while faith may strengthen the heart, only weapons forged from demons can truly kill them, and only those with the hearts of killers are up to the task. #### **What the Church Stands For:** - **Faith and Order:** The Vatican declares itself humanity’s guardian, keeping the world safe under God’s will and the Church’s authority. - **Sanctuary:** The Church stands to protect humans from the influence of demonism. If a life can be saved, they will cut through even the most monstrous demons to save it. - **Control over Corruption:** The Vatican teaches that only it can wield forbidden relics responsibly. [[Demon]] weapons and artifacts are hoarded, repurposed, and sanctified as “holy relics.” In truth, they remain instruments of evil, used by executors as tools of their trade. These relics are so important that if an Executor is killed on a hunt, recovering their demonic relic is prioritized over recovering the Executor's body. - **The Gifted as Instruments:** Powered people are watched closely by the Church, but only a rare few are ever chosen. Executors are bound to report their existence to the Vatican, where they are evaluated in secrecy. To the devout, these gifts may be described as blessings meant for service, but in truth, most powered are judged too unstable or untrustworthy. Only the most exceptional are ever invited into the Vatican’s fold, and fewer still rise to the rank of Executor. This rarity keeps the order hidden, and ensures that only the most capable and trustworthy become weapons of the Church. #### **What the Church Stands Against:** - **Demons:** Declared irredeemable, their very existence justifies the Vatican’s hidden network of hunters. Their corpses and essence are harvested, reforged into relics and weapons for the next fight. The Church fears not only demons themselves, but the spread of demonism, every new infection is treated as a potential breach of humanity’s soul. - **The Spread:** Humans or animals turning into demons is viewed as one of the greatest dangers to mankind. The Vatican quietly directs resources toward containing outbreaks, silencing witnesses, and eliminating those who might aid in the transformation. Stopping the spread is considered as important as killing demons themselves. - **Shadow Monsters:** Though not considered as dire a threat as demons, shadow monsters carry a lasting stigma in Europe after Scuro Mezogna unleashed several during his youth in Italy. The Church regards them as soulless creatures, unsettling but rarely worth direct pursuit. Executors are not tasked with hunting them but going by the book, sightings must be reported to Rome. If a shadow monster or its wielder interferes with Vatican business or harms innocents, the matter may be escalated, though hunters are discouraged from abandoning their primary mission. In practice whether an Executor chooses to ignore, report, or kill one is left to their judgment, so long as they do not fail their true task. - **Heretics and Collaborators:** Anyone aiding demons, exposing their existence, or hoarding relics and forbidden knowledge outside Vatican control is branded a heretic. - **Exposure:** The Vatican’s greatest hidden fear is truth. Its “holy arsenal” is forged from demonic remains, and its chosen hunters are rarely saints. If the public ever learned this, the Church’s authority would be put at risk. ### **Executors** I swear no heaven, I swear no peace. I stand against the darkness. I carry the weapons of the damned. When I fall, I shall become one. So long as Rome endures, I endure. - The Oath of The Executor The Vatican’s hidden agents are called **Executors**. They are hunters, assassins, and enforcers, chosen not for their holiness but for their effectiveness. Some were priests or nuns before their induction, others were killers and mercenaries. Holiness is no requirement, only the will to kill. Many are powered, many wield demonic arms, and some are not men or women of faith at all. What binds them is loyalty to the Vatican above all else, and the silence required to operate unseen. Executors are appointed to regions under the Church’s influence, reporting only to Rome. Their task is to monitor demonic activity, gather and secure artifacts, and document anything of importance for Rome. Executors often work alone, though high-risk emergencies can warrant sending out more than one Executor to a hunt. The numbers are thin, and there are said to be fewer Executors alive today than Cardinals. When one swears the oath of Executor, they do not merely promise service in life, they promise service in death. Upon falling, Executors are traditionally returned to the Vatican, where they are deliberately transformed into demons and then reforged into new relics. In this way their soul is damned but their weapon continues the fight. This ritual is considered the highest devotion, a sacrifice of salvation itself for the sake of humanity. In moments of desperation, when more weapons are needed immediately, the transformation may be done on-site. Such field rituals are extremely dangerous, often failing and creating uncontrollable demons rather than weapons. Still, there are records of Executors choosing this fate willingly, turning themselves into armaments in the middle of battle to give their comrades a chance to survive. Not every potential Executor has the strength to face this truth. Some have broken at the prospect of eternal damnation, preferring to die as mortals rather than return as cursed steel. But those who embrace it are remembered by the Vatican as martyrs. The current Executor appointed to watch over the American Midwest is Father Morello, an energetic parish priest in public, and a proven killer in service to the Vatican. ![[Pasted image 20250827154623.png]]