Twenty-Eighth High Priest - Thonus Malnir / Beginning of the False Priest Era

Thonus Malnir was Omahorn Persal's Pochenpriest. Thonus began to change what a Pochenpriest's position was during Persal's short tenure through taking more power and establishing the second-tier position as one that made a difference in the Church. Malnir took the duties of the treasury and everyday problem solving and left Persal with the powers of the greater religion- differences between sects, growing relationships with royals, and daily prayer for guidance. Malnir, nearly two hundred years old at his inauguration was happy to make the change and accepted Malnir's overreach with open arms.   Malnir however was not a good High Priest, not at the current time and certainly not in hindsight. His climb from the lower Priesthood to the High Priesthood is shrouded in mystery- no one is certain when he became part of the sect or where he came from. It seemed that one day Malnir did not exist and on the next day he was a Minor Priest. He mostly kept to himself, but never missed an election or vote within the sect. He was not outspoken and his positions heavily kept with the sect. As positions opened up in the higher levels of the sect he grew close to Persal and Persal considered him a friend.   Persal was nominated by the Pyeametistes as their choice for the twenty-eighth High Priest and the Safies' choice was Malnir, resulting in the history laid out.   Malnir was never suspected of murdering Persal until the end of Malnir's tenure. Malnir was known as a cruel High Priest, reminiscent of the Fullfangs. Running on the issue of Persal's murder, he systematically rooted out all naysayers in the Safies and then moved on to the other sects. Anyone who had ever spoken negatively on Persal was put to death. Malnir extended the High Priest's powers to tyrannic levels. The cabinet of Major Priests was disbanded, Malnir made each decision himself. Anyone who dared speak ill of the High Priest was publicly shamed and burned at the stake as a blasphemer.   During his tenure in the year 1030 the leaders of the sects banded together under the dark of night in a small building just south of the Greywatch District. Three things were decided during this meeting: that the leaders of the sects could negate any declaration that came from the High Priest, that the Dragon Knights protected the High Priest but answered to the Major Priests, and that a High Priest's tenure could be terminated with a eighty percent majority among the leaders.   This declaration was publicly announced two days later in the square in front of the Church. Infuriated, Malnir declared a state of emergency among the religious realm stating that a coup that defied the gods themselves was taking place. He pleaded to the people of Serrano and send messages to the major cities of the world explaining that Malnir was graced by the Dragons to be in his position. The leaders of the Church were at direct odds and the Dragon Knights were perilously stuck inbetween their two new charges: protect the High Priest and listen to the leaders.   It was around this time that a newer member of the Pyeametises by the name of Matthenus Tolir became close to the High Priest. He began as a foodservice attendant of the Church, but quickly became Malnir's personal assistant and then his sole advisor. For the next two years their relationship grew closer. Eventually Malnir announced that because of the ongoing state of emergency, all elections would be suspended until "the realm was safe once more". Fifteen days later, during a holiday service Mattenus Tolir slit Malnir's throat and declared himself the next High Priest. With a flick of his wrist the doors of the Church slammed closed and the Major Priests were slaughtered by the Dragon Knights.