part 2 - the cardinal (cw, menti0ns 0f vi0lence, kulling, attempted regicide, regicide, facts) it is said that the betrayer began as merry a maker 0f murder0us myrth as there ever was and that his immense strength came fr0m the kulling 0f even indig0 bl00ds barehanded... he quickly r0se thr0ugh the ranks t0 bec0me the grand highbl00d thr0ugh ritual c0mbat and ascended t0 the highest p0siti0n any land dweller c0uld p0ssibly h0pe t0 achieve rivals were turned against 0ne an0ther bef0re they c0uld bec0me a threat t0 his rule and laughsassins were strategically depl0yed t0 dismantle th0se wh0 w0uld n0t fall in line... the reign 0f terr0r was sh0rt lived as a greater maj0rity 0f the dark carnival had been united than ever bef0re under the betrayer's might it is n0t kn0wn why the change happened n0r when it truly began th0ugh my 0wn the0ry is that he s0meh0w came t0 glimpse skaia itself (0r perhaps pr0spit) in his dreams and it gave him a genuine myrth the likes 0f which he had never kn0wn bef0re... regardless the last event 0f n0te where the betrayer appeared as his 0ld self was the freed0m match 0f the champi0n 0f the s0uthern arena many argue if the betrayer simply acted 0n whim 0r spur 0f the m0ment bl00dlust 0r if he intenti0nally manipulated events but he ch0se t0 face the champi0n himself... it was n0 true surprise that the champi0n was defeated th0ugh what was unexpected was that the champi0n w0uld survive t0 bec0me a symb0l against him pers0nally in the future mere nights later the betrayer was called t0 answer t0 the empress herself t0 swear fealty as the new grand highbl00d... and what happened next was c0nsidered imp0ssible the betrayer kulled 0ut empress there is n0 surviving rec0rd 0f the duel since the burning 0f the c0ngressi0nal archives (staffed entirely by cl0wns naturally) but it is widely assumed by m0dern sch0lars that much trickery and c0wardice was utilized by the grand highbl00d t0 defeat the empress laughsassins were dispatched t0 kull the remaining heiresses and succeeded in all save 0ne... the empresss y0ungest and assumed fav0red heiress w0uld escape with her guardian in t0w and fr0m that m0ment 0n the grand highbl00d t00k 0n a new title and the 0ne that hist0ry w0uld best remember him f0r the cardinal and his f0ll0wers w0uld preach the g0spel 0f true equality that w0uld sl0wly build the largest army in the hist0ry 0f the w0rld
