Hypocritia

Hypocritia, formerly Saint Hypocritia, was a marsher priestess of Sanctism. Her deeds gave life to the term "hypocrite", someone pretending to be morally or ethically upright, while simultaneously behaving in a contradictory manner or violating the very standards they claim to uphold. Being one of the most prominent Blasphemers in history, her story is often used as cautionary tales for children and adults alike. And there are people who think she is just that: a myth, a story, a lesson to be learned.

In a stone chapel

Not much is known about Hypocritia before she became a priestess. As a priestess she led a small parish in today's Greymarsh, holding sermons in a small stone chapel. Her parishioners knew her for her charisma, eloquence, and a remarkable penchant for preaching about the virtue of truth. "None that carries the burden of deception shall see the light of Divinity!" she said. "Never has there been a dishonest Saint!" And seemingly, she practiced what she preached. She often admitted to mistakes, and never hid behind a veil of excuses.

During a sermon on a warm summer day, Hypocratia's eyes rolled to the back of her head, her mouth agape and silent. The people rushed to this woman apparently suffering from a stroke, but as they did, she suddenly stirred from her trance and proclaimed: "We must leave the chapel at once!" Taking charge of her concerned flock, she guided them out of harm's way, ensuring everyone's safety before attending to herself. As the last person out, a mere two steps away from the building, the chapel's roof came tumbling down with a thunderous crash.

The miracle of foresight. They all saw it. They were all saved by it. None could deny it. Saint Hypocritia.

Shaping belief

"A Saint? In my lifetime?" News of the miracle spread like wildfire, drawing believers from distant corners of the world. All hoped to catch a glimpse of the earthly manifestation of divinity. Hypocritia bestowed her blessings, offered prophecies of the future, and, wielding her newfound abilities, healed the sick and injured. All she requested in return was that the faithful consider making donations towards rebuilding the chapel. Yet, the congregation, eager to show their devotion, commissioned the construction of a cathedral using the ancient oaks of untouched forests.

Her fall birthed the word: a hypocrite.
A symbol of deception,
Clothed in virtue's gown, an epitaph for broken trust.
A story inked on the soul of belief, a reminder, a guide:
Seek not the surface,
But the core of truth.


A warning reverberates,
Beware of saints self-proclaimed.
They may be hollow, their halos made of smoke.
Guard your faith, keep it close,
For truth is the compass,
In a world of masks and mirages.
Hypocritia.

From the Freelander song Hypocritia

The hypocrite

There are conflicting stories as to how Hypocritia's deception was revealed. Some say she was deceitful until the end until an inadvertent slip revealed the truth. Other say she regretted her actions and sought redemption in the end. It matters not, for she was revealed to be a fraud. None but her had sabotaged the rafters of her little chapel, weakening them so that they could be pulled down by a single tug of a rope. A rope that hung by the exit's door frame. A curious child could have ended her lie, but it was she who pulled on it as she left the chapel.

Her many minor miracles, her healing touch, her prophetic advice, were nothing more than an artful blend of wisdom, common sense, and carefully crafted falsehoods. She was no doubt fiercely intelligent. She knew people, knew what they wanted to hear. And she delivered it, wrapped in an appealing package of hope. She knew they wanted it to be true. They wanted to believe. But all they believed in was a woman who wanted nothing more than fame and fortune, and to have a name that would go down in history. In an ironic twist, she got her wish.

For the crime of grave blasphemy, she was sentenced to death by burning. Her pyre: the Cathedral of Saint Hypocritia.

Weaving awe

Despite the teachings of Sanctism exclusively painting her as a villain, there are those who still worship Hypocritia as a Saint today. Particularly wealthy merchants of Craw are known to praise her for her cunning ways, some even saying she cheated her way into actual sainthood. While practically outlawed elsewhere, the coastlines of the Craw Islands are littered with shrines to the fallen Saint. Tended only by those who seek glory and are not afraid to lie to get it.