Angar jolted awake with a sharp gasp, falling a short distance, the cave’s suffocating darkness closed in like a shroud.

  The blood-stained hide-hammock beneath him had snapped under his weight, dumping him onto the cold stone floor.

  Instinct drove his hand to the maul cradled against his chest, his fingers clamping around the haft to halt its slide, the weapon’s familiar weight an anchor in the disorienting gloom.

  He felt a lot better. His ribs hardly ached, his head wasn’t throbbing, and his right arm barely hurt, but his stomach grumbled from starvation.

  He wished he hadn’t had to leave his backpack at the gateway. He’d heal a lot faster with those medical supplies.

  As Angar’s gaze swept the dim chamber, Spirit shimmered into being before him, her ethereal form etched with worry and guilt, her impossible eyes glistening with unshed tears.

  “I’m so glad you survived,” she whispered, her voice fracturing under a tide of sorrow, each syllable heavy with the bitter sting of regret, breaking under the weight of her own failures as the hammock had broken under Angar’s weight moments ago.

  He grunted as he sat up. "There’s nothing to forgive. I still draw breath. I was granted 225 Glory Points for it, as well as new unholy abominations to offer in blood and battle to God."

  Spirit drifted forward and clasped Angar’s hand. He could barely feel it against his skin. He wasn’t sure if her translucent nature dulled the sensation, or if his own monstrous hands, forgotten until this moment, lacked the ability to feel much.

  She had touched his face and shoulder before. If his memory served him right, the previous contact had seemed more substantial than the current touch.

  “I didn’t know it’d be like that,” she said, her voice trembling still. “I couldn’t even close the gateway. I could barely protect your mind from the worst of it, and couldn’t pull you free. Once again, I tried to help, tried to make things better, but my efforts brought only great harm. This time, not just to you, but to the entire Holy Empire.”

  Angar thought of Theosis’ decree calling all imperial citizens to arms. “All the gateways increased by one level of severity? Like ours did? It grew, widened, and began spewing brutes instead of reavers.”

  “Across every world with active invasions, the gateways escalated by one rating category,” Spirit confirmed, her voice still filled with sorrow and regret. “Minor shifted to lesser, lesser to moderate, and so forth. One world now contends with the Demon Lady Raga, daughter of Mara. Countless lives have been lost. Many more will die. I’m doing what I can to help, but all of this, every drop of blood, is on my hands.”

  Angar grunted again. "Your plan succeeded. All parts of it. The Glory Points I gained testify to that. There were consequences, but unknown and unintended. You didn't fail. We didn't fail. But even if we had, I'd rather try and fail than do nothing."

  Spirit sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her translucent hand. "You truly are a fine young man, Angar. Your resolve is inspiring."

  "I swore an oath that my spirit shall be unbreakable. I'm still not sure what a Messiah is, but if you swore a similar oath, you should reaffirm that part of it. I've yet to die horrifically, so continue using me up until I do. What next?"

  A small smile crept onto Spirit's lips. "You're incorrigible. Your faith is so simple and pure, it makes me jealous. The good news is that there're less than six of your days left until the Crusaders arrive, and that'll be long before the Gatekeeper emerges."

  "The bad news is twofold – this is a lesser gateway, yet its Hellspawn, the brutes, have only previously emerged from moderate-rated gateways. This is a very strange and unprecedented occurrence. More will come in two to four days, depending on whether lesser or moderate gateway rules apply.

  "But if those brutes are defeated, your world is saved," Spirit continued, her voice now hopeful. "In that case, I won’t have failed you or this world. You just need to survive one more onslaught and you'll have a real future.”

  Smiling, Spirit added, “The undead have nearly all been purged, and most with a Class now march under the command of a man named Mikhin, the highest-ranking imperial military official on this planet."

  That revelation froze Angar mid-thought. "He came from another planet? He’s an alien?"

  "No,” said Spirit, shaking her head. "You saw him. The man who called out to you. He was a Kondunean general. If it counts still, he deemed invading Mecia folly, as the legions were stretched thin and he believed your land held little of value. He did very well rallying forces against the undead, and with his background, Theosis gave him the rank of Sergeant Optio in the Imperial Army.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "That's an E-7, or the seventh of ten enlisted ranks. Quite a downgrade," Spirit remarked, releasing Angar's monstrous hand. "The rank he held with Kondune was equivalent to a Legatus Prime, or O-9, the second highest officer rank.

  “But, as the highest-ranking military official on this world, he can issue tasks to everyone beneath him in the chain-of-command, and that includes most who have ascended as Class holders, as most are choosing to join the military."

  After floating back a bit, she continued. "I had Theosis task him with defending Martyr Varko's challenge beacon. In turn, Mikhin sent tasks out, mobilizing everyone to come defend it. Once the brutes emerged, I had Theosis give him a new task to assist the Crusader fighting them. Now, he's preparing what little forces are under his command for the next onslaught."

  Angar mulled over all that as best he could. "Well, thank you, then. It was a close thing. I owe my life to you, Mikhin, and his men. Tell me, do these soldiers match the power of Crusaders? I saw one lift a boulder overhead and hurl it."

  Spirit shook her head, almost dismissively. "Not even close. Theosis reserves true power for Crusaders, those who have proven themselves exceptional. That man's Class includes a strength-enhancing Ability, what’s called a buff. And, like you, none of these soldiers have Classes that meet modern imperial standards.

  "Theosis is at a loss on what will become of them and how to use them after this. And you. You’ll all just have to survive to see how this plays out."

  Spirit had mentioned that before – that if Angar survived, he wouldn't fit in. He wanted to ask more questions about that, as well as get some specifics on how Crusaders differed in strength from others, and if there truly were women soldiers in the Holy Empire.

  To start off, he asked, “My hands? You’ve seen them?”

  “I have. Neither I nor Theosis understand what this is. I hope…,” Spirit cut off her speech, her ethereal form tensed, her eyes widening in horror as she fixed her gaze on a cave wall. “No,” she whispered.

  “What?” asked Angar.

  With what seemed like desperate urgency, she said, "No! This can't be!”

  Angar was beginning to worry. He had never seen Spirit so frazzled. “What? What is it?”

  Spirit turned her head towards Angar. With a voice filled with fright and horror, she said, “The Gatekeeper has come."

  Angar let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Oh,” he said, relieved.

  “This is impossible,” declared Spirit, her voice breaking.

  “The gateway closes if I kill it, right?” he asked. “This is a good thing.”

  Her brows furrowed, her eyes squinted, and she looked at Angar as if he had lost his mind. “This is the exact opposite of a good thing! This is death! It’s a Harmongulan! A Dreadfiend!”

  Spirit took a calming breath to collect herself, then continued. “I know you have no idea what that means, but recall when I warned you stood no chance against certain Gatekeepers?”

  “I do.”

  “Well, I was talking about certain Gatekeepers of minor-rated gateways, not a Dreadfiend from a moderate-rated gateway. This is...you don’t understand. You’re Tier 1. Even if a full company of peak Tier 1 Crusaders were here to face this thing, they wouldn’t. It’s suicide. They’d try and contain it and slow it down, hold out for the arrival of more powerful Crusaders.”

  Angar’s own brows furrowed. “What? Did they not swear the same oath I did?”

  “Listen!” shouted Spirit. “This is our plan! We can still survive this. You and this world both. The Harmongulan moves as slowly as the brutes, perhaps even more so. It’ll ignore Martyr Varko’s challenge beacon, setting its sights on the densest population – the city of Kondune.”

  Spirit began to frantically pace as she spoke. “It won’t come this way. It’ll head southeast from the gateway, through Ghelix, Zandor, Vazara, before reaching Kondune. It’s slow, but it’ll reach its target at least a day before the Crusaders arrive, corrupting all in its path it doesn’t take into itself into Heretics, and I mean high stages of corruption. Either Enslaved or Thrall stages.”

  Her pacing stopped as she stared at Angar. “All we can do is flee. Tell Mikhin what I’ve told you. He’ll give out tasks, ordering everyone to scatter to all cities and drive everyone south. We stay ahead of the Harmongulan for six days, then we’re saved. We can do this. We can survive this.”

  Angar sighed. He was starting to realize why Spirit was referred to as the blessed Mother. He remembered his father’s last words about his own.

  Spirit loved too much, and she would not see Angar act as a man, a staunch adherent of their God, whom all must bow before, even Messiahs.

  He was a Crusader because of her. He was more than a man now, much more, but she still expected him to behave as one with no chest.

  When he took too long to answer, Spirit snapped out, “These are not requests! They’re orders! You will obey!”

  Angar sighed regretfully. “I won’t. You’re letting past failures define you, eat away at your heart, and make you too scared to act. I swore an oath I’ll keep unto death. You know what my vows demand of me. If my Tier is the problem, then help me ascend to the next.”

  “In hours!” screamed Spirit, her voice frantic. “Ascending so soon after forming a core would gimp you, not that it would matter since you’ll be dead soon, but you literally know nothing! You have no foundation. You can’t use a Skill Point to learn this. The Crusaders would be here before you learned the basics.”

  Spirit glided closer, her translucent hand trembling as it brushed Angar’s cheek, a faint warmth against his scarred skin. Her gaze locked onto his, pleading through shimmering eyes. “You can’t even harm it. It’s more resistant to lightning than the brutes.

  “Please. I almost lost myself when I failed to pull you fully from the gateway. I’m responsible for all the people dying across the Holy Empire right now. I need a win. I need to save this world. I need it. I can’t have you die now. Please. I’m begging you. Your death won’t be glorious. It’ll be far worse than even horrific. Just flee. Survive. Please.”

  Angar stood up, the hand on his cheek falling away. “The oath I swore wasn’t to survive. It was to stand as a bulwark against such abominations as you say this thing is. To fight. To die.”

  “You’re not listening!” shouted Spirit as she stomped her foot in frustration. “If the Harmongulan doesn’t kill you, it will break you. You’ll beg for death. You’ll wish it had killed you as it breaks you in ways you can’t understand, can’t even imagine. And when you’re broken, and your mind’s shattered, it’ll make you part of itself. You don’t want this. To be broken in this way. I promise you.”

  As Angar slung his maul over his shoulder and turned to leave the cave, his voice like a defiant hymn, he said, “Then I’ll join you in being the Holy and the broken.”

  Factions of the Empire of the Holy Trinity and Milky Way (famous Knights listed below everything else)

  Knightly Chapters - Each chapter has unique rituals, specialties, and combat doctrines (usually within the confines of meta-builds). Maybe a special connection to one aspect of the Holy Trinity or dogma? Companies within Chapters are segregated by sex to prevent temptation and maintain order and staunch discipline, an application of the Sixth Edict. There are about 1 female for every 5 or so male Crusaders.

  Terran and Mixed Species Chapters:

  Hellfire Sentinels (Songen Home) – A blazing storm of righteous fury, these Crusaders live to torch infernal invasions and Heretical Enclaves with unrelenting zeal. Biggest presence in Scutum-Centaurus Arm. Other chapters dislike them and think they’re uppity. Has a long-standing feud with the Grim Martyrs.

  Knights of the Black (Triad Bastion) – Largest and oldest chapter of all, these warriors guard the ancient core sectors, their fortress-like armor a remonstration/rebukation (start using this word more, and rebukement) of dark corruption. Their biggest presence is in Orion. The oldest and most gloried chapter, other chapters dislike them and think they’re pompous. They really dislike the Black Vanguard and used to dislike the Shattered Aegis when it was the Black Aegis.

  The Arm of the Divine (Cinderwatch Spire) – Smallest chapter, they enforce Theosis’ will with absolute loyalty, ensuring the System’s stewardship isn’t challenged. Generally disliked and called coward by other Knights.

  The Black Vanguard (Sanctum) – Ascetic and swift, they roar into battle on battlecycles, shunning meta-builds for raw speed and soul-purging rebukement of darkness. The main Terran faction that doesn’t focus on the Holy Fortification and Lock and Load for the Lord Abilities. Offshoot of Knights of the Black chapter. Third smallest chapter.

  The Eyes of Providence (Duskforge Keep) – Named Inquisitors and disliked by all, clad in scripture-etched armor, tasked with rooting out Heresy and Hell’s influence, wielding banishing rites, their ranks swelled by Ecclesiastic and Laity. Major presence on all high-population imperial worlds/stations. By far the largest chapter when counting all members beyond Knights.

  The Grim Martyrs (Aterheart Hall) – Protectors of the Laity and common folk, these Crusaders’ scorched armor reflects their zeal, standing as a battered bulwark against infernal tides and an inspiration to Lay folk. The Lay folk thing could’ve been true once, but not really now. Biggest presence in the Sagittarius Arm, the Carina-Sagittarius Arm, and Orion Arm. No other chapter likes these guys either, but they have a long-standing feud with the Hellfire Sentinels.

  The Penitent Flame (Grimhold) – Seeking redemption through deadly strikes against the infernal, these Crusaders try to atone for past sins in battle, striking the infernal with lethal precision, their sins fuel for valor’s fire. Big presence in the Carina-Sagittarius Arm, small presence in all.

  The Pilgrims of Shaloth'Eshk (Kokoro Sanctum) – Wielders of psychic might, they praise Shaloth'Eshk for their gift, an ancient Gray god abandoned eight millennia before the species joined the Empire, rolling their ancient and forgotten beliefs into Trinitarianism. Their minds bend reality outside of the power granted by the Divine System. Use melee and shorter-range ranged weapons so enemies get within the area of effect of psychic powers. Biggest presence split between Orion and the Cygnus Arm.

  The Zealous Few (Shadeveil Cloister) – Fervent devotees of Mother Mi Alcyone, they adorn their armor with her icons, charging into peril with Holy fervor. Their name is now false as they rebuilt from near annihilation by a Demon Lord millennia ago, now one of the larger chapters. Biggest presence in the Perseus Arm.

  Wistful Litany (The Stronghold) – Masters of stealth, they disrupt infernal ranks with shadowy precision, attacking invasions like specters of retribution. Biggest presence in the Scutum-Centaurus Arm.

  The Shattered Aegis (Dunkelheit Spire) – Resilient beyond breaking, their cracked armor mirrors a past shattered by the Demon Lord Mara centuries ago, they hold ground against impossible odds, a grim rebukement of Hell’s advance, the smallest normal chapter fighting gateways, trying to rebuild from the ashes (where once the Black Aegis until crushed Mara’s hand, another offshoot of the Knights of the Black). Biggest presence in the Norma Arm.

  Wardens of the Ashen Veil (Bloodspike Redoubt) – Terran sentries in soot-streaked plate, they guard the Empire’s fringes from pirates, Heretics, and Hellspawn with stoic defiance. Also have a long-standing feud with Hellfire Sentinels and Silent Rebuke. In all arms.

  The Silent Rebuke (Vigilant Oculus) – After taking vows of silence, they wield it as a blade, their prayer-etched blasters a muted roar against their main focus which is Heretical Enclaves. Dislike Wardens of the Ashen Veil. All over.

  Heralds of the Iron Trinity (Obsidian Bastion) – Crusaders too injured to continue the fight in other chapters, they now fortify worlds against corruption. The laughingstock of chapters. All over.

  The Thorned Chalice (Trinitas Roam) – Embracing suffering as a sacrament, their spiked armor symbolizes penance, seeking footholds on Hellworlds, offering blood as testament to Divine will. Primarily in Orion.

  Mostly or Exclusively Non-Terran Chapters:

  Fell Knights (Xyrathik Spire) – Grays. Their standard chapter, relentless in their cold, calculated war against the infernal.

  Knights of the Glorious Death (Zeth’kora Veil) – Pleiadeans. They seek glory, waging war with a fervor that turns death into triumph over Hell.

  The Bloodied and the Unyielding (Vaelithar Crest) – Pleiadeans. Enduring and unbreakable, they conquer Hell’s forces with relentless resolve.

  The Fellowship of the Blood Red Claw (Duskwrought Keep) – Reptiloids. Ferocious, they battle infernal foes with primal zeal.

  The Furious Divine (Luminarae Crypt) – Reptiloids. Melee-driven, they charge, their chests pulsing with wrath, the only chapter to shun ranged doctrine entirely.

  The Watchers (Shy’vethra Hollow) – Pleiadeans. Ever ready to strike at infernal incursions.

  The White Company (Grayspire) – Pleiadeans. Devotion guides their precise strikes, cleansing Hell’s taint with surgical precision.

  The Sable Coil (Ethereal Perch) – Reptiloids. Psychic warriors, their minds coil like serpents to crush infernal wills.

  Knights of the Invisible Shroud (Zar’lythra Chorusium) – Pleiadeans. Ethereal and draped in shadow, they sear the Underworld’s forces, a quiet rebukement of its unholiness.

  The Embered Fang (Crimson Hall) – Reptiloids. Primal fury drives them to rend Hell’s legions, their devotion a blazing testament to Theosis.

  The Voidborn Chorus (Thal’oryn Sanctum) – Pleiadeans. Haunting hymns weave psychic dissonance, unraveling infernal minds to guard the Empire’s soul.

  The Dark Lament (Shroudlight) – Grays. Psychic warriors, their minds echo with sorrowful power, striking Hell with devastating force.

  Newer Chapter

  The Smallest Spark – Free Agency and Knightly Chapter guided by a secretive Saint. Not recognized as an official chapter (though it is), it operates outside traditional keeps, its allegiance shrouded in mystery.

  Other Orders and Groups of the Empire of the Holy Trinity

  Ecclesiastic Groups

  Brothers of Righteous Slaughter and Brothers of the Unyielding Inevitable – Warrior priests serving with fanatical zeal, purging Heresy and the infernal with sacred flame and blessed weaponry. Some failed or refused Crusader candidates join these ranks.

  The Sanguineous Sisterhood and Sisters of Fury – Warrior nuns mirroring the Brothers’ zeal, wielding Holy flame and steel against Heresy.

  The Imperial Front – A secretive sect.

  The Enlightened Scribes – Non-militant scholars and librarians preserving sacred texts and histories. Their rocky relationship with Theosis stems from differing interpretations and their records showing a different history or wording of important scripture/dogma than currently preached.

  Lay Militant Groups

  Free Agencies – Powerful Lay warriors, often failed or refused Crusader aspirants join these ranks, joined by Ecclesiastic and Laymen/women aspiring to Crusader status. They handle emergencies, help with invasions, and often receive tasks from Theosis.

  The Ever-Progressives – Engineer-focused combatants and inventors teetering on Heresy with drones, Mechanoid constructs, and cybernetics. They maintain war machines and technological edges against Hell and the Old Guard.

  Lay Theosians – Both Lay and Ecclesiastic engineers akin to Ever-Progressives but orthodox, avoiding Heretical lines, focusing on advancing tech too.

  Lay Alcyonites – Both Lay and Ecclesiastic combat engineers and tech specialists working in small, practical groups, not focused on advancing tech.

  The Lay Commandos – Elite Free Agent teams, some ex-Crusader candidates, collaborating with the Imperial Military on critical tasks.

  Imperial Reserves – All Lay citizens must drill with a local militia and stay combat ready unless an exception is granted for disability or a mother with under-age children, called up to service during crisis.

  Local Militias – Some citizens are members of and heavily involved with special militias, going above and beyond what’s required. Many militias are allowed to stay together and fight together when activated. They may help out if a gateway opens locally, or a nest of Heretics is found, and local enforcement needs assistance.

  Factions Opposed to the Empire

  The Hellspawn, Teths, and Demon Lords – Primary adversaries led by Demon Lords, seeking to corrupt and destroy. They control more worlds than Theosis admits, gaining ground.

  The Heretical Enclaves – Terran, Pleiadean, Reptiloid, or Gray factions rejecting the faith, wanting liberation, or allied with Hell. Nearly half the Reptiloids are Heretics. Factions include United Front, Abyssal Sons, the Jack, Chaos Monkeys, Sol Invictus, Libertas, among many others.

  The Old Guard – Reptiloids, Grays, and Pleiadeans only, blaming Terrans for Hellspawn invasions and resenting Terran dominance. They fought the Empire to a standstill millennia ago in the Second Galactic War, forcing negations with Hell, creating the Ilarix Accords. Heavy use of hive control/neural communions in combat, mega-war-machines, basically what Theosis bans with the PP. Also, though Theosis eats all AI made, the OG specializes in creating smart, semi-AI to assist their societies and in combat. Also engage in heavy genetic modification well beyond what Theosis would allow, or anyone sane would consider ethical.

  The Disciples of the Unknowable – A cult rejecting worship of knowable powers, subverting the Empire. Rumored to serve a hidden species.

  The Echoes of Entropy – Mixed-species group dismantling the Empire, possibly led by an unknown powerful species.

  The Dark Ones – Mythical species rumored to mastermind corrupting factions like the Echoes and Disciples.

  Neutral or Ambiguous Factions

  The Void Reapers – Pirate bands prioritizing plunder, allying with whoever benefits them.

  The Wanderers of the Void – Explorers and traders shifting allegiances for profit or survival.

  The Silent – Mystics and hermits observing the universe’s truths from the shadows, rarely intervening.

  Brother's Pact, Netherweb Syndicate, and Underreign – Major crime syndicates operating across the galaxy.

  Various New Species – Low-tech sapient species of primitive worlds, usually ignored and left alone.

  The Nommos – Singular Nommo, elusive aliens avoiding contact, visiting only primitive worlds.