Rivalry of Masks

In the power vaccum left upon the death of Thulaya, the conflict between The Church of the Faceless and the Order of Salvitus transformed the power structures of Refuge. The pressures of life within Refuge, the impact of the scourge and the aftermath of the Godling Wars all combined to transform bothe the physical and political envrionment of Refuge.
The conflict between the two groups was a long contest of ideals, fought through propoganda and alliances. The prize was power - to control the hearts and minds of those living in Refuge. Its influence has been felt well beyond the Return to the founding of the Protectorates and the Wars of Reclamation that have followed.

I have done as you asked, and delved deep into those rarely visited corners of the Library. Much of what is written here was gleaned from fragments that have survived since Refuge. The Faithful tell us that Kustos and Frette were aligned from the beginning, but clearly that is not true. They twisted Thulaya's teachings, and poisoned the the followers of the Order. Of course, we must be careful with this knowledge. It would be an end to all of us if revealed too soon.
I remind you to burn this once you have read it. Like you, they wear their masks still and we cannot be sure who is Faithful, and who is Unbounded.
- a letter from Cultivar Verat to the Masked Grace

Seeds of conflict

The Church of the Faceless was formed early in Refuge, and by the time of Thulaya's death was still barely more than a cult. Many amongst the peoples of Refuge were wary of it at this point, as The Godling Wars were still fresh in their memories.
The Faceless believed that faith - and the potentially immense magical consequences of it - needed to be controlled and focussed in order to prevent another tragedy like the Godling Wars. They adapted the old religion of the Trinity that had been prevalent during the Age of Exultancy as their base. But many of its doctrines and tenets were formed in direct response to the Godling Wars themselves.
In contrast, most of the Cobswains and other followers of the Order of Salvitus believed that all religions - including that of the Faceless - should be abolished. They argued that It was religious faith in external forces that caused all the ills of the Godling Wars, and that the only true faith should be in the service of each other. Unlike the Faceless, they encouraged their followers to question doctrines, reach decisions through concensus, and value change and adaptation as ways to fight against entrenched beliefs.
The contest between these two oppossing world-views was simmering under the surface while Thulaya was still living. But upon her death, the Rivalry emerged into the open.

The Second Protector and the Council of Views

When Thulaya died, she had nominated Kendrik Du Frette as her successor as Second Protector of Refuge. He had been influencial with the formation of the Order of Salvitus, and had helped develop much of the technology that the Order used to eradicate the Scourge. Despite this, Kendrik was not a popular man, especially when compared to the enduring adoration that Thulaya had commanded. He was an academic who sought to rule through rational consensus, and lacked the charisma of a true leader.
He formed what was known as the Council of Views which as intended as a way to share opinions and reach consensus for decisions impacting the peoples of Refuge. Kendrik ensured that members of the Council would represent the varying views from across Refuge, including members from the Order, The Academy and the Faceless.
At first the Council of Views was a vibrant place where ideals were argued and the practicalities of life in Refuge were well managed. Over time however, the Council's sitting began to devolve into bickering and the two primary sides of the Rivalry emerged.

Escalating tensions

The Order of Salvitus remained the most popular of the two factions in the early years. In part aided by the importance of Thulaya's memory, but also in far more practical terms, as the Order provided the food and medical services that all in Refuge benefited from.
An influencial follower of the Faceless, Evert De Kustos emerged as their most prominent devotee and is widely considered their official founder, as he wrote much of the early doctrine. At the time he was the loudest voice for reform within the Council of Views - arguing for a stronger hand against what he called the dangers of excesive freedom.
At first, Evert's arguments did not gain much traction, but he would use a minor outbreak of the Scourge to gain influence and support. He blamed the outbreak on the incompetence of the Order, and many more people - fearful of the Scourge - started listening to his speaches at the Council, and to attend the sermons of his priests.

Propoganda

The followers of the Church of the Faceless were shrewd, and insitigated a campaign of propoganda aimed at undermining the authority of the Order of Salvitus. As well as Evert's preachings, rumours of corruption were spread - insinuating that the cobswains of the Order were favouring their own when distributing the foods grown. It was at this time that the Tale of the Greedy Swain was likely first written and distributed.
Evert would use the accuations of corruption and incompetence of the Order to gather even more followers, and to further argue for reform within the Council. The Order itself struggled to fight back while also combatting the outbreaks of Scourge and keeping the people fed. Neither would Kendrik would not back away from his ideals for an inclusive Council, and none could prove that Evert De Kustos was behind the lies against them.

Strikes and Riots

A large portion of the cobswains of the Order, frustrated wth the inaction of Evert and the Council, began to go on strike and refused to produce the food neede by the populace. For nearly a week production stopped, and the threat of famine and yet another scourge sparked fear across Refuge. The Faceless accused them of abandoning their duty, and the war of words finally erupted into violence.
These agitatiors amongs the cobswains dubbed themselves Thulaya's Devoted and began to openly fight against the priests of the Faceless in the corridors across Refuge. Agitators fought beneath the banners and images of Thulaya herself - rejecting the Second Protector altogether. Most clashes were barely more than bralws or skuffles between the cobswains and the Faceless, with only minor casualties.

Fires in Refuge

The tensions came an abrupt head when disaster struck Refuge. It may simply have been a normal fire set off during one of the many skirmishes, but tales spread during the panic and in the aftermath, of demons raging through the corridors. The modern-day church says that the cobswains of Refuge had worshipped false gods, and through this had brought to being a Godling in the image of Thulaya herself, but one fueled by anger and rage.
Whatever the case, a fire within the confines of Refuge was disasterous. Hundreds died as the conflaguration spread, mostly from the smoke rather than the flames. It was eventually brought under control as the combatants ceased their fighting and worked together to save their home.

The Conflict

Outcome

Once the fires were brought under control, Evert De Kustos was able to easily show that it was the cobswains who were responsible for it. He forced the resignation of Kendrik Du Frette as Protector of Refuge and took on the role himeself. The populous were largely supportive of the change, and the cobswains of the Order of Salvitas compliant in their shame for having started the violence.

Aftermath

Once the cobswains had ceased their strike and were back producing food in the greendomes, Evert used his new control of the Council to introduce the Cultivars, putting in place people who were loyal to him. The Cultivars would therafter be The Church of the Faceless' lever of control over the Order of Salvitas that exists to the modern day.
Evert then formalised the Church as the official faith of Refuge, and outlawed the following of any other faiths. At this time he dissolved the Council of Views permanently, replacing it with the Masked Council consisting of senior priests of the Church with himself - the Lord Protector - as its head.
It was during this time that he also fromalised the doctines and heresies of the Church. In particular, the Doctrine of Faceless Saints was introduced in response to the actions of Thulaya's Devoted during the riots. This resulted in the defacement of all statues and figurines of the Heroes of The Cabal across Refuge - even those of Thulaya herself.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The Faceless eventually emerged as the dominant force in Refuge, and still retain this power into the modern day within the Protectorates.

Location

Refuge