Nevin watched quietly as Valino enjoyed the tea. He was glad the boy could at least - the warm mug in his hand, the smell of spices filling his nose - they were stirring unpleasant memories. He tightened his grasp on the mug as he tried to fight them down. It wouldn't do to fall into painful memories when the boy was still here, still speaking to him. So he rallied, and listened, trying to concentrate on the boy's words. "No... no one is safe if you aren't some high official within the church." Nevin's hand nearly cracked his mug as he set it down rather forcefully.

"It seems Salvar men of the Church really don't make good fathers." His own father, beating him with a belt in public, because a priest of the Sway told him to. The memory burned, but he forced it down again. He sighed and sat back, staring at the steam rising from the mug of tea, still undrunk.

"But you're right, and wrong. You'd be surprised, young Valino, at just what faith can blind people to. It's easy to overlook misdeeds and misgivings, if someone pretties it up with the words 'It's for our faith'." Nevin drummed his fingers on the table. Then he gestured, one long finger pointing to the shield, and to the emblem on the armor.

"I'll give you some advice. If you wish to wander the world, and not have people who have dealt with the Church's Hunters in the past react like I did, remove those symbols. I'd actually suggest, looking through your book there, and seeing if there was an older symbol, perhaps one that has since fallen out of use within the Ethereal Sway." He ran one hand through blood-red hair. "Those symbols are known far and wide across the nations as emblems of prejudice and hate. And you, seem like you have a good head on your shoulders, not to have bought the line they feed people." Nevin abruptly stood up and stared into the tea from above, then his dark eyes traveled up to Valino.

"I don't have many countrymen that I can speak to without wishing to kill them. If you ever find yourself needing a friendly face - I run not only this shop, but one in Radasanth as well. I tend to travel between the two - my apprentice watches this store when I am not here, a lass named 'Ezra'. She's also likely to treat you without judgment, so you might find a friend, or at least an ally, in her." He rubbed his chin as he thought. Then one long finger reached up, and pointed towards Valino.

"Hold a moment, you said you have magic of your own? Were you then, an Empowered Priest?" Nevin stared at the boy, his eyes slightly wide. "How in the name of Crimson did you get away? I thought they held onto their Empowered sect with an iron clasp."