The Children of the Light
Formation
Founded in the later years of the Age of Ruin, the Children of Light were established by the cult of faithful priests that believed that despite all that man had done to cause the gods to abandon them. Many of their initial beliefs followed a similar structure to the Faith of the Five; in fact, Imperium Scholars and Clergy of the current age believe the Children to be a reformation of Orthodox Fivism.The priests taught that there was still hope: a way to prove worthy of their blessings once again. As they gained a following among the people, the clergical founders formed a council called The High Seat. They passed down new tenants and confirmed them during the Summit of Lyrelaine. By this decree, the names of the Five were permanently struck from the Children's religious order. Father Harold Brynn is quoted from the summit, "The Five have been lost to the whole of man. This is a penance for our sin, and we waller in our sin like pigs in the mud by continuing to cling to this old way. Only those that seek a new path can be restored to the Light's glory."
The Children were now seen to serve less a specific deity or pantheon, but to the ideal of light and order. It received fierce opposition to followers of any of the Old Gods and their former brothers and sisters among the Faith of the Five.
The Slaughter at Solime
The Children remained a religious order for nearly three hundred years before the closing days of the Age, spreading its influence and following throughout the old borders of Valencia, Lunastria, and Orlais. With the rise of the Imperium and the claiming of many territories with Orlais old borders including Anville and Solime, many among the Children expected the Emperor to establish the Light as its official religion.It was a complete shock that His Imperial Majesty Emperor Emil Varadris was actually a mageist, supporting the arcane powers of the divine right. Members of the High Seat attempted machinations with the Emperor to sway his opinion, but this backfired and several members of the seat were executed; some say by the Emperor's Hand. There was then an Imperial Decree placing a ban on public religiousness, shrines and public gatherings were outright forbidden. Public rioting and displays of unrest were incited by many religious orders including The Children, but as these began to end in bloodbath the Emperor decided a more drastic demonstration was needed.
Many high ranking members of the Children, Fivists, and independent clergy were rounded up and locked inside the Cathedral of Winds in Solime. The Imperium Guard prevented all from interfering with the Emperor's Will. Thirteen of the Imperium's Battle Mages were summoned to his majesty's service. They systematically destroyed the nearly two thousand year old cathedral and the heretics to the new order along with it. This event in the fall of 405 AR has several names, but by the Imperium's chronicle, it is known as the Scouring of Solime.
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