Central
Inverportshire—The skyline of Invy remains incomplete, its crown unfinished. The Lady of the Seven Seas Cathedral, once heralded as the most magnificent ecclesiastical undertaking in the entire metro region, now lies in a state of disquieting dormancy. Scaffolding stands idle, and the once-bustling worksite is hushed.
After weeks of speculation and rising concern among the faithful, the Reverend, Almeric Thorne, Head of the Protestant Church in
Inverportshire, has at last broken silence on the matter. In a public statement issued yesterday, he acknowledged that the project’s finances have become “turbulent and uncertain,” with mounting pressure following last year’s collapse of the
Inverportshire East India Trade Company (IEITC)—a financial cataclysm whose aftershocks continue to buffet the city.
It has now come to light that both Count
Rythor and the
Inverportshire Investment Bank had been principal benefactors of the grand cathedral. However, following the fall of the IEITC, the bank has reassessed its commitments and declined to fund the completion of the northern façade—reportedly citing “strategic reallocation of large-scale capital expenditures.”
Count
Rythor, for his part, has yet to issue any statement concerning the matter, though observers note that his recent silence on civic affairs has become increasingly conspicuous. The City Administration, however, has attempted to calm growing public unrest. In a communiqué to The Anchor, they declared: “The Lady of the Seven Seas remains a beacon of our city’s soul. Though delays are inevitable,
Inverportshire’s pearl shall soon stand in full glory.”
The cathedral, originally slated for consecration on the 31st of December, 1899, now faces an uncertain timeline. Some fear that, without renewed financial commitment from Count
Rythor or alternate benefactors, the northern façade may remain unfinished indefinitely—its bare stone a stark symbol of piety paused by profit.
Whether
Inverportshire’s spiritual heart can rise above its economic woes remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: in this city of commerce, even heaven must wait for funding.