The towering spires of the Holy Light Cathedral shimmered in the morning sun, casting a resplendent array of colours like a delicate oil painting.
Into a meeting room located in the cathedral's western wing, members of the cardinal council began to assemble.
In the power structure of the Glorious Church, the Pope held the highest authority but was also subject to checks by the cardinal council.
The appointment and dismissal of the Pope needed to be approved through a vote by the cardinal council. Similarly, important papal decrees also had to be ratified by council votes before they could take effect.
However, the cardinal council only had the power to vote, lacking any executorial authority.
Under normal circumstances, the cardinal council would not challenge the authority of the Pope, except when he had done something that aroused the fury of both heaven and man.