Recovered Lost Stuff (III) (Patreon)

Here's another of the recovered pieces!!

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This here is in regards to the whole aftermath of what a centralized church going poof actually means to its followers. 

To His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Otto

Imperial Intelligence pens this missive to inform Your Majesty of a troubling matter that has recently come to our attention. In these tumultuous times of strife and chaos, a new religious movement has emerged from the shadows, its influence spreading.

This heresy, known as the Lotus Movement, has taken root in the city of Gayrest within the Imperial Province of Swainea. The origins of this sect can be traced to the appearance of the V'era, and it is our belief that the movement's founders remain shrouded, lurking behind a veil of utmost secrecy.

The followers of this new doctrine call themselves the Ascended, and we've reason to suspect they engage in horrific practices.  Reports of ritualistic mass suicides and the violent purging of non-believers have become more frequent, though these events transpire with the attacks of the V'era. This may be why it has been so difficult to gather evidence. 

As for their reason, they believe that in performing these heinous acts, they are bestowing a twisted form of grace upon the victims, transforming them into a "Lotus" and granting them the capacity to give unconditional love. 

Their belief is that normal man or woman is incapable of living as the Goddess intends, and that all forms of love when alive, is at its core biased and conditional. Only when one dies, do they believe that someone can be unconditional in their love. For them, death means your body gives unto nature freely without complaint, your body becomes fertilizer for the soil, your flesh nourishment for animals and insects. This way, one becomes one with the cycle of life and part of Her gifts.

Such beliefs have sewn discord amongst our people, driving a wedge between the Ascended and those who remain loyal to the true teachings of the Goddess. But the loyal are without an Archpriestess.

There is speculation that the Lotus Movement's inception may be connected to the discovery of an ancient text found amidst the ruins of the Holy Seat by one of our recent expeditions headed by the V'era Hunters. The text's contents, once translated, were disseminated amongst the movement's followers, sowing seeds of doubt and dissent against the Church of the Goddess.

The Ascended are targeting those with Blessed Bloodlines in their crusade against perceived heresy. The nobility has been forced to respond with brutal force to suppress this insurrection, but the movement's ranks swell as the V'era's encroachment upon our lands drives more desperate souls into their clutches.

We stand ready to carry out Your Majesty's will and eradicate this cancerous growth before it can spread further, poisoning the hearts and minds of your loyal subjects.

May the Goddess watch over you and guide your hand in these trying times.

Your faithful servant,

Jonathan Hentsworth; Imperial Intelligence
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Notes and Research used to make the above
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The religious movement shall be called the "Lotus Movement" where people use the religion of the Goddess that espouses unconditional love and twists it to a different branch. This branch uses a form of agape love form the bible that states that humanity is flawed because they cannot give unconditional love. Humanity's love is biased, and the only way they can give unconditional love is through death. Death means your body gives unto nature freely without complaint, your body becomes fertilizer for the soil, your flesh nourishment for animals and insects. The followers of this movement are called "Ascended" for they are privy to the truth and accept these teachings. The religious movement has a dark undertone however. As is common with religious movements that arise during times of calamity, take for instance the Hussite Wars, the Protestant Reformation, the Black Death, and wayyy more than you think, there is a theme of death in the Lotus Movement that says suicide or murder is not wrong (among other things). Instead, it is seen as an act of sacrifice or piety when you make another a "Lotus". That is, making someone who was living through the filth and mud of life into a beautiful Lotus that gives freely to the world.

1. The Lotus movement begins in 619 A.L. (After Landing), and the earliest it becomes traceable is in the city of Gayrest, a large city in the Imperial Province of Swainea. The founder(s) is currently unknown, but the event that began this was undoubtedly the appearance of the Demons, the monstrous Harbingers of Calamity. (Normal V'era are smaller, the huge ones are referred to as Demons.)

2. More and more, the Ascended participate in ritualistic mass suicide, or the purging of non-believers to help them become Lotus'. It is terrifying that the Ascended believe they are doing you a favor and to the world. These practices are increasingly making outsiders antagonistic towards the movement, even if no one has been able to prove that the suicides and killings are actually their fault.

3. There is speculation that it is a group of leaders who lead the movement, but no one actually knows.

4. There is speculation among the agents of the Imperial Intelligence that the religious movement started after a V'era Hunter discovered an ancient text in the ruins of the Holy Seat. It is believed that the text is Belthean in origin, and that they brought it over from their homeland before landing in Nareth. The text was translated and the content distributed onsite. It is unknown where the original text or translation is, but multiple excursions and missions into the ruins have led to the discovery of multiple relics. 

5. The Lotus Movement believes the Holy Seat was destroyed because the Church of the Goddess was corrupt and flawed, that they were teaching things wrongly, and that the Goddess struck them down for their hubris. They view the main religion as heresy.

6. The Lotus Movement will impact society in massive ways. Those with Blessed Bloodlines are targeted and killed, as they are believed to have failed to uphold and live by the Goddess's teachings. Those with Blessed Bloodlines are nobles, and the nobility has been forced to crack down brutally on these dissidents leading to further outcries by those that had nothing to do with it. But assassinations continue, and more and more commoners become followers as the demonic V'era continue to encroach on their lands and are desperate for answers.

7.  Anyone who does not follow the movement, hates it.

8.  The members of the Lotus Movement change their names to reflect nature. As such, they name themselves like:

1. Silent Forest
2. Serene Brook
3. Rustling Reeds
4. Flowing River
5. Bright Sky
6. Calm Seas
7. Soaring Eagle
8. Dancing Flames
9. Rolling Hills
10. Whispering Leaves

Spoiler, this group hasnt been created yet while we are in Silverhill. So no, they arent to blame xD