[Vanslime]

An excerpt of The History and Teachings of the Church of Saint Joachim, by Martin Callard, Inquisitor and Master Theologian of Marignon

According to our most trusted records, Saint Joachim first came to our land two centuries ago, a time where many living on the outskirts of the Ermorian Empire were growing wary of the burgeoning Death Cult of the heartlands. At the time, Our Lord was seen as a simple mage and philosopher. He would travel from village to village, awing the populace through magical cantrips and intriguing the educated through his wisdom. In these dark times, his promises of salvation and redemption enraptured many, but the complacent Ermorian authorities would usually turn a blind eye to his actions, concerned with other matters. And whenever a governor attempted to put a stop to his preaching, he would disappear without a trace.

As decades passed, Joachim's followers would spread his teachings, raise a new generation of believers, and pass away, but Our Lord himself never aged, not a single sign of the passage of time would tarnish his visage. As news spread of his apparent immortality, more and more would become convinced that he was the bearer of a divine mission or heritage. Even today, no one knows for certain whether Saint Joachim is a simple human granted eternal life until his Holy Mission is complete, an angel of the Celestial Choir descended to guide us, or something else entirely. Our Lord never enlightened us on this subject, and though we cannot fathom his reasons, we shall not question his wisdom, for to do so is to blaspheme.

And so it came to pass that, throughout the land that would come to be known as Marignon, belief in Saint Joachim spread, and that, when the time came, his followers were numerous and prepared.