A Letter From the Editor:
Blessed reader,
The volume you hold in your hand is a piece of history. It is an unedited view into the past, originally compiled in secret and hidden for the past three hundred years. Extraordinarily, the manuscript from which this book is transcribed was discovered during renovation of a residence in the outskirts of Midwater. Upon the demolition of the Northern wall of the house, the builders found, carefully wrapped in oilskin and plastered into the masonry, a bundle of old papers. The pages were brittle with age, and the ink difficult to read, but the text clearly related to pre-revolution temple business. Thankfully, the builders had the good sense to transport their discovery to the Midwater Academy of Scholars, where I had the good fortune of finding it upon my desk the next morning. The secretary, just like the builders, little knew the importance of the bundle and delivered it to my office for me to identify. I would like to say that I immediately understood what I had in front of me, but that would be a disservice to the team of students who painstakingly restored and mounted every folio, and my colleagues who aided greatly in interpretation of the faded pages. The dates on the pages ranged from 5 years before the revolution until 6 years thereafter, and on the first page was written "Parasite Gods: The Lived Experience of a Former Apologist and the Temple's Shame." Those of you readers familiar with your history will recognize that "Parasite Gods" was the title of a widely circulated leaflet criticizing the temple in the years leading up to the First Revolution. It was, of course, immediately declared heretical and possession of a copy resulted in immediate summary imprisonment in Holset. It was, therefore, also extremely popular, as will be the case when a document is made illegal. I first thought that I had possession of a document by the original author of the leaflet, and must admit that some of my initial exclamations were somewhat undignified, surpassing socially permitted levels in both pitch and volume. As the documents were restored and analyzed, I found that my initial hypothesis was incorrect, but my disappointment was more than tempered by the importance of what we found instead. It is lucky that this document was found when it was, and not during the inter-revolutionary period, as I can now safely present to you the unedited transcription of what may be the most important historical document of the century. It is also lucky that the author introduces herself in the opening pages of the manuscript, so I will leave that task to her, and ask simply that you consider the value of the book you are about to read.
Yours Truly,
Awat Mancur
Senior Historian, First Revolution and Interrevolutionary Period
Midwater Academy of Scholars
YOU ARE READING
Parasite Gods
FantasyA hidden document of great historical value has been found bricked in a wall, offering details of the failed heretical First Revolution three hundred years ago. The document, authored by inquisitor Meghan Renar, describes the origin of the antitheis...
