Envoys of the Midnight Tide

The **Envoys of the Midnight Tide** were a fringe religious organization and proto-nation which worshiped Sagittarius A\*, the black hole at the center of the galaxy.

The area surrounding Sagittarius A\* is quite dangerous for most life. In addition to the supermassive black hole itself, numerous other smaller black holes orbit close by. Additionally, due to the intense gravitational pull of Sagittarius A\*, some bodies orbiting it travel at up to 2.5% the speed of light. Gravitational chaos combined with swiftly-moving debris make the area a nightmare to navigate using even the most advanced drives. Nevertheless, humans have occupied the area since they have had the capabilities to reach it. Pirates, rebels, rogue researches, and others who don't wish to be found are common in this most inhospitable region of space.

This situation remained relatively stable for a number of centuries. Recovered journals from the area indicate that change began to occur after a group of exiles claiming to hail from the Basilica of Saint Bakr became active in the region. After establishing a territory viewed by most as perilously close to Sagittarius A\*, they began to wage expansionary campaigns, swiftly becoming the largest power near the supermassive black hole. Their success was largely attributed to cutting-edge Promethean weaponry they had pilfered before their exile.

While wars of unification were unusual, the area had seen several before. What was truly surprising was that after achieving hegemony, the group declared that their mission was holy in nature. They were no mere pirates, but envoys of the divine truth: black holes are ever-growing and ever-expanding. They are unstoppable, and one day they shall swallow the universe. But, the envoys said, that day would come sooner rather than later if sapient life did not act. These tears in the universe must have their ravenous hunger sated. Thus the newly self-styled Envoys of the Midnight Tide ordered that all needless things be thrown into the black holes. Sagittarius A\*, as the greatest they could reach, was their preference. Those who disagreed with this edict were, of course, thrown into the black hole.

The upstart cult was largely viewed as a galactic oddity for some time. No one particularly cared about the fate of pirates and rogues at the center of the galaxy, and the cultists seemed content to live a spartan lifestyle and sing the praises of a collapsed star. Until, one day, they decided they needed more mass.

What ensued was a campaign of galactic terror, the fervor of which has rarely been seen again. Cult branches sprung up near every black hole within reach. Navigational systems were hacked so that ships were flown past event horizons. The slavers of Prod were made wealthy through under-the-table deals on cheap sacrifices. This culminated in the attempted theft of an experimental explosive, with the goal of using it to collapse Earth's sun into a black hole, thus swallowing the entire Solar System and symbolically cutting away useless attachments in order to better serve the Midnight Tide.

While the theft was a failure and experts decided it was unlikely the device would have worked as the Envoys had hoped, the attempt still spooked a number of galactic powers. Shortly thereafter the Uruk's Chosen mercenary company was given a bid high enough to convince them to set foot near Sagittarius A\*, and set to work rooting them out. The cult was destroyed, although fragments and would-be successors litter the galaxy. Travel near black holes at your own peril.

-Manifold Cloth