Retmong

House of Ishongo

**Retmong** is a spiritual movement guided by the **House of Ishongo**, commonly called the **Retmongic Society**. The House of Ishongo is considered a secret society and its stated purpose is to enforce strict study and discipline upon its membership in order to harness Kesh spirituality. Retmong has over 150 million followers today, mostly located in Keshong, Lueng, and Zhumbe. Most of the Kesh diaspora practices Retmong.

## History

### Retmong in Keshong (300-1353)

It has its roots in ancient sorcery with origins in the Mbang expansion, being practiced among skilled Mbang blacksmiths in c. 300 AD. Ancient Areadian observers talked of a "black magic" plaguing settlement in the region, describing "sentient lightning" and "three-winged birds" being summoned by Retmongic practitioners. According to folk lore, "Dark Retmong" cults reigned terror along the Kesh river for almost a millennium until Miriah of the Kesh formed the Kingdom of Keshong in the 1300s. Under his leadership, the cults were banished from settlements and Retmong became punishable by death unless practiced by a whitelisted family. This led to the formation of the House of Shamong by the whitelisted families, of which Miriah himself was reported to be a member.

In opposition to the House of Shamong were the "rain cults" which had begun sprouting across the boundaries of the Kingdom of Keshong in the mid-1300s. During times of precipitation, these cults sought to channel Retmong to cause the river to flood. They likely did this with the intention of destabilizing the kingdom. The House of Shamong often justified its existence as a "spiritual front against dark magic",

Miriah died in the 1340s. His son died in combat a year later. A month after the incident, the House of Shamong disbanded and the entirety of its membership went missing. Rain cults also went silent until the aftermath of the failed Rotongu Uprising in 1353, after which rain cult activity was "all too common" according to Triskedis Livianore, who led an Aeduain expedition to the Kingdom of Keshong. According to him, beams were being "projected from the heavens to indeterminate spots for no longer than a split-second during rainfall". He also reported being chased by a 'sentient flame' in the Kesh rainforest: one that seemed "more interested in driving us out than killing us".

As the Kingdom of Keshong expanded over time, especially from 1390 to 1560, written reports of rain cults became significantly less common. Cannibalistic secret societies were at their peak in the late 1500s, which usually claimed to be the successors of the House of Shamong. Retmong played a major role in legitimizing certain movements; leaders would claim to have mastered channeling Retmong.

### Rise of the House of Ishongo (1353-1785)

In 1604, a mysterious blacksmith by the name of Sesomo began travelling the rainforest. He claimed to have explored several temples, having seen "objects of unorpheusly origins". In 1607, he met with Utzhutu tribesmen who claimed to have sorcerer ancestry. By 1609, Sesemo visited a secretive ruined temple in the rainforest almost daily in order to "worship the land for the blessings of the Kesh". That same year, he figured that the indecipherable texts in the temple were a written form of the ancient Mbang language. For eight years, he lived with the somewhat isolated Msungolang tribe that had lived in caves around Mt. Songanu and maintained a similar writing system according to stories from the Utzhutu. By 1616, he had mastered the complicated writing system and was able to comprehensively read and write. He translated the texts to Simbasi in the Khizan Uzonbo, which is Mbang for "Songs of the Temple". The Khizan Uzonbo is only less than approximately 30% of what was translated. Based on the texts, most of which are still kept secret, Sesomo warned of the colonization of Keshong by Amilor and barbarians from the north destroying the whole civilization. These prophecies arguably ended up being true, with followers drawing parallels to Aeduain colonization and the Great War.