¤ Cardinal of Verena, Gibaud De Rennes (Guisoreux)
The Cardinal is Chancellor of the University, and Supreme Justice of
the Courts Ecclesiastical, in theory holding the authority to prosecute
any cleric (of any cult) in the country. He is in his fifties, an
aristocratic-looking man, who dresses in the simple robes of a Verenan
scholar-priest, though always of the finest material and tailoring. He
cultivates the image of a rather other-worldly scholar, always far more
interested in the minutiae of the past than in the here and now. In
fact, he is a shrewd reader of the political scene. He is very wary of
Dumourieux and his political ambitions, but is at pains to avoid any
direct confrontation. De Rennes reveres Verena in her aspect as "The
Eternal Light of Justice", following an obscure theological tradition
that sees Verena as the guarantor of stability and well-being in
society. In essence, De Rennes is actually worshipping Alluminas, and
his concerns are primarily to preserve the status quo and avoid
disruption and change in the social system. He is conservative by
natural inclination and conviction, and very concerned to maintain the
position of the King against those who might threaten it. Despite his
conservatism, he is willing to take drastic action if necessary, as
long as he judges that the disruption caused by his actions will be
less than that he seeks to prevent.