The Mantle Reformation

Religious event

"To be declared a heretic by a church of mortals who purports to speak for the divine is no damnation, it is a blessing! A sign my path is right and true." -Ferer Xander at a Supragens event.

Over the centuries, the Church of the Mantle involved itself more and more in the day-to-day matters of the world, especially in Balmoth, its own nation. Some of these interactions were good, such as the increase in aid to suffering women per Saint Celadrien's teachings; but some of them were seen as negative, such as more and more "declarations of divinity" in which the church would "evaluate" the divinity of more localized and minor gods, and declare them to be real or fake.   The Declarations of Divinity, (usually simply called "The Declarations") were intended to help create a clear list of what gods the church condoned. Over time though, the process became known as corrupt, with evaluating priests often making their decisions based on politics or even straight forward bribery.   These growing signs of corruption were added on with the military arm of the church, the Mantle Militant, having special rights in many nations to hunt heretics or "church criminals." Further, many nations had made it regular practice to cut special deals with the church in exchange for the Church being sure to pay special attention to national patron gods (Such as Hakir in Straka, or Hallos in Tharrisia).   This came to a head when a group of priests in Balmoth openly protested a Council meeting of the church, declaring the process corrupt to the Mantle's purpose, and that the Church had become a petty group of power hungry blasphemers. The Mantle Militant contingent guard outside of the Bascilica Maxima broke up the protest violently, and all of the priests were killed in the scuffle. The Mantle Militant soldiers invovled were imprisoned and the church claimed publically it was a horrific mistake, but the damage was done.   Outrage over the priests death, now called the "Supragen Priests", spread wildly. Many Churches and priests openly declared separation from the Church, going their own way. Fighting broke out between those loyal to the church and those joining the growing "Supragens Movement." The Mantle Militant, using its special rights, would raid and burn Supragen's loyal churches. Supragen separatists would bomb trains and carriages.   The non-national conflicts grew and grew, until several nations, which had loyalties on both sides of the isle, cut the fighting off with the "Declaration of Supragen Acceptance and Tolerance" which stated that many nations, including the Union, Aurelia, Tharrisia, and more, would publicly allow Supragen believers to practice and protest openly, and the Mantle Militant would not be allowed to pursue or persecute Supragen's followers. But Supragen violence would not be accepted any further.   This has not stopped violence and tension altogether, and tension between the Supragens Movement and the "Orthodox Church" are still common, with many nations leaning one way or another depending on how much Mantle worship seeps into secular matters.