Shrouded Piety: Order of Yaktosh

Order of Yaktosh is a Drama and Historical Fiction book announced in late 2020 and began June 23rd, 2021, and is part of the Shrouded Piety series. This book—alongside The Osiris Contract—exists as a reboot of Tale of Two Godcrafts. Order of Yaktosh is the first book in the rebooted Shrouded Piety series, but shares this spot with The Osiris Contract, which can alternatively be treated as the first book. Chronologically, Order of Yaktosh takes place centuries before The Osiris Contract (with the exception of the latter's Prologue) and thus may be treated as the more ideal entry into Shrouded Piety.

This book revolves around the Crimean Goth, Suri, who is a magical healer of her people and an immortal being, as she struggles to find her place in a constantly changing mortal world. Common themes in this story include supernaturalism, mystery solving, religion, politics, and relationship. The story follows Suri throughout the centuries, namely starting from the 13th century CE, and contains large time jumps between chapters to make this transition. Unlike The Osiris Contract, Order of Yaktosh covers much broader historical events, especially from the perspective of the Knights Templar and Vatican; the story frequently features major historical events, implying that Suri played a role in them—a fact that delivers the 'Historical Fiction' theme.

Shrouded Piety: Order of Yaktosh contains adult themes consisting of violence, light cursing, sexuality, and topics of bigotry.

## Plot

In the 4th century CE, the mighty Roman Empire is on its last leg with the empire itself split and never before so decentralized. Fast fading are the days of Hellenic faith and values as the much newer Christian faith continues to spread and usher in a new era for Europe and Africa, as even Rome itself now stands as a capital of the new faith. Amidst this religious revolution, the Goths living in Crimea have long established a new home and rooted their Baphometic faith but with tiny imports of Christian ideals coexisting in their society. Even with the Roman Empire in a state of imminent collapse, the current King of the Goths, Goltz-Plut, fears that religious division in his country will lead to a Roman invasion with the aim of Christianizing Crimea and bringing it into the empire. A Christian convert himself, Goltz-Plut thus decides that the best way to avoid war with the Romans is to gently push his people away from Baphometism. Unfortunately for Goltz-Plut, while this process goes relatively well, his kingdom's full conversion is complicated by a woman named Suri—an immortal healer and orator for the Goths. Suri, stubbornly, insists that both Baphometism and Christianity are compatible and part of the same divine truth, and thus is considered a 'half-convert' among the Goths; consequently, a cult of personality she did not ask for forged by their obsession with her immortality and powers decide to follow in her footsteps and stand firm as half-converts, too. Goltz-Plut wishes no harm on Suri nor her cult of personality, but sees them as a great liability, thus he appeals to Rome to have a trio of bishops travel to Crimea and convince Suri to lay down her Baphometic faith completely. What was meant to be a peaceful and productive discussion with Suri, however, almost immediately turned bad when one of the bishops, Father Sixtus, declares Suri to be a spawn of Satan and an incurable corruption among the Goths. Despite the objection of one bishop, Father Modestus, Goltz-Plut reluctantly agrees to betray Suri and have her exiled down a well, where she would reside for almost a thousand years.

Come the arrival of the 13th century CE, Renaud de Vichiers has just inherited control of the Knights Templar during the Crusades, and one of his first ambitions as Grand Master is to answer an old archived Vatican plea by the long passed Father Modestus detailing what happened in Crimea, and requesting a rescue team to undo Father Sixtus' mistake. A team comprised of Grand Master de Vichiers, Sir Egbert, Sir Baldrick, and Sir Conrad return to the now destroyed and abandoned village of Yaktovus from which Suri once supposedly lived. After spending a day there, the group eventually discover what remains of the well she was dropped into, and upon finding her old necklace at the bottom, discovers that she has the ability to live inside of her necklace, thus she is liberated by the Knights Templar. With so much time passed, the group finds Suri in a pathetic state, not knowing a word of French and being very afraid of the world she has finally returned to. It is controversially decided that Suri would be brought back with them to Acre, Jerusalem, where the entire Knights Templar could debate on what to do with her. Little do they know, Suri, even to this day, still clings onto her belief in Baphomet.

Now a controversial presence within the Templar walls of Acre, Suri learns French and Christianity under the guidance of Sir Egbert, her new mentor, and constantly seeks a family out of the Templar, as she no longer has anyone. While Suri elevates her position within the Templar by providing essential healing and treasure hunting insight, she also, unintentionally, begins the cycle all over again as her supernatural exploits convince some that there may be just reason to bring Baphomet into their hearts. Underneath it all, Suri seeks to learn more about her true purpose in this world, who she is, and who the mysterious Egyptian woman is that has always existed within her necklace whom she knows as 'Brunna.'