Deductions

Their Prophetess was already dead and gone, but from the scene unfolding in front of her, Voah worked out from the impassioned lamentation and overwhelming sense of anger and despair that someone else of high importance had died. Hanging around long enough and mimicking the prayer related gestures, she was able to infer that the body on the pyre was that of a young girl who was connected to the rebirth. And that this was the only girl. The only girl to show up in Gra'akast maybe?

The demeanor of the crowd and the mention of Helians told her that they were blaming this death, and others, on the foreigners. But that didn't make sense... If anyone would have wanted to hunt down and stop the rise of the figurehead for some foreign deity, it would have been Arbiter Voah Sahnsuur. And clearly the ex-Arbiter was no longer such a ruthless person. How would any other Helian even know of this Prophetess, the Twin Gods, and the rebirth? Unless they left Ostiarium before her, migrated this far out, and learned the language, but... none of the citizens she had met thus far outside the church and Holy Office of the Inquisition had been so zealous. She highly doubted anyone else would venture out on their own and attempt to assassinate people. Possibly an agent of the Duke? Or the dark robes... that made more sense, but why? And should she even care about all of this?

Even without understanding the full extent of the situation, it was hard not to be moved by the atmosphere of such overwhelming religious devotion from a crowd so large. It would have brought joy to the Arbiter, instead it brought a lump to Voah's throat and wetness to the eyes to feel the vibrations of hopelessness in the air. She thought of leaving the crowd before dusk approached because she was starting to worry about Gonyaul's safety, but it was hard to even move around and leaving might appear suspicious at this point. Just as she decided it might be a good time to split, something was happening. A sort of hush fell over the crowd as someone from the basilica was preparing to speak.