A Brief Excursion Into the Religious Leaders of Antimai, Sacrosanct or Otherwise

The 17th of Chyos, 1090

In light of almost five years passing since the most recent fracturing of the so-called "People's Religion," one that's spurred the masses to disregard and disrespect both Antimai itself and what it stands for, it feels appropriate to briefly go over the current figureheads of each respective religion and their actions. This information was largely gathered via observation with the help of the Patrol, particularly Captain Celine and her peers. Due to the nature of the followers of the People's Religion, not much information about them is explicitly written down from primary sources. Things that are written, such as scripture, are largely kept under lock and key. These notes are an effort to begin keeping a proper archive of these topics, rather than scattered and redundant papers varying in substance.

Basic definitions, for the uninformed who may be reading these notes:

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State Religion: Though an official name would be redundant, the state religion of Antimai is that of veneration of the current emperor, the number of which changes on the year of their rule. Currently, the numeral is XC as it is the 90th year of this century.

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People's Religion: This is the collective, though anachronistic, term for what blasphemers have worshipped instead of the emperor for decades. "People's" is subjective, as the total number of those that follow these fringe beliefs isn't stable or reliably quantifiable. Current terminology largely refers to this worship being of the Indigo Cult (demonym: Indigos,) with the different sects going under the terms of the "Traditionalists," the "Occult," and the "New Guard."

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Traditionalists: The longest standing sect of the Indigo Cult. Their core belief (one shared by other sects throughout history, though with substantial differences in interpretation) revolves around an eponymous "Indigo Child," a saint-like figure who is meant to come to the people and save them from their perceived ills. In Traditionalist belief, the strict following of "her Book" (their version of scripture) and patiently awaiting her arrival is what will save them. Every decade or so, they claim a new "incarnation" of the Indigo Child has been found, usually an adolescent residing within their community.

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Occult: This sect of the Indigo Cult goes back decades, but their history is relatively unknown due to their proclivity for secrecy. Of what's known, they view the arrival of the Indigo Child as something that must be brought about by arcane means, their interpretation of their scripture being more literal than other sects. They rarely interact or cross paths with other followers of the Indigo Cult, and up until recently, they've been the most publically disruptive out of all of them.

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New Guard: This sect is the one that was referred to at the beginning of these notes, having originated out of a split in beliefs within the Traditionalist sect. This arose after Percival Elsegood became emperor, with some Traditionalist members having a different reaction to the changes he enacted from the rest of the group. This sect is revolutionary in beliefs and incredibly dangerous, operating largely underground and subversively. In their eyes, they must save themselves from the "oppression" of the state to bring about the arrival of the Indigo Child, and through any means necessary. They overtook the Occult sect in terms of causing the most disruption, going straight to destruction and violence; attacks on the Patrol, those not a part of the Indigo Cult, and even some of their fellow believers if labeled detractors.