314. Divinitree
314
Year 283
Hoyia was the voice of god in the eyes of men, and when she spoke the people listened, entranced. It was as if she held their hearts and wielded the masses as her limbs. The first victory sparked fear. An army that gained levels from battle, even if it was from the blessings of a higher power, was a threat. Each victory added to their strength, and the nations of Twinspace feared her rise.
Assassins were sent her way, but just as if to prove her divinity, she allowed an assassin to stab her with poisons while she gave a sermon to the masses.
The power of Aeon flowed through her, and through it, there was no poison that could match the Tree God’s restorative powers. Each attempt on her life only magnified her position amongst the eager believers. Miracles entrenched her place, and her powers, even if they were executed through the might of the Order’s machinery, only made her seem more godly.
Hoyia and her group of priests traveled from city to city, preaching along the way. An army walked with her, but cities that received her had already lost the moment she was allowed through the doors. It meant their propaganda had spread so strongly that a city wanted her there. It meant the populace wanted to see god in the flesh, merely to confirm what already lingered in their minds. Faith was insidious as the stories spread they turned into a thought in the hearts of regular folk. And when that thought was confirmed with acts that seemed miraculous, that thought turned into faith. Loyalty. Zealotry.
Armies rose at the sound of her voice. Hoyia spoke with the weight of the Order.
“I feel like we as domain holders are thoroughly outclassed by how Hoyia’s just bulldozing through the resistance.” Roon watched in a fair bit of amusement.
“It’s not that simple. The power of priests is more effective in such places. Dense and unhappy. Radicalization is often a response to a perceived oppression, and this world has always had the ingredients for such a cultish explosion.”