The Heralds of THE PIT

Emblem of the Heralds of THE PIT

The Heralds of THE PIT (commonly shortened to ThotP) is the organization responsible for handling all religious and theological matters regarding THE PIT. The Heralds were founded in the year 1459BF by Doug Pitman, a menial laborer who dug trenches in the underwater city of the UCR. With a history stretching back at least 1500 years from the UCR to the settlement of Lakkos, the Heralds have seen every major development of the Lakkosian people. Though worship of THE PIT started as an informal cult amongst the miners in the UCR, more widespread dissemination of the teachings of THE PIT lead Pitman to form an organized religion.

## Early History

The Heralds grew out of the teachings of a man named Doug Pitman. Doug was a miner who was part of the large team of workers who were digging out and excavating large areas deep underneath the UCR. The UCR needed as much ore and precious metal they could get their hands on and they relied on poor laborers to perform this grueling and often dangerous work. This excavation work began in the 17th century BF and continued up until the UCR was forced to make The Exodus to the island of Lakkos in 695BF. Though the work in the mines was difficult, the miners were a close-knit community who often relied on each other during tough times. UCR foremen in charge of these work sites noticed large numbers of miners speaking of one particular worker who was extremely peculiar. This worker turned out to by Doug Pitman himself.

Pitman believed he heard voices emanating from deep below the bottom of the ever-growing mine shaft which he began calling THE PIT. Doug became obsessed with finding out what these voices were trying to tell him, and he began digging feverishly in the hopes of reaching whatever was sending him these messages. He started working long 18 hour shifts in THE PIT and greatly expediting the work on this particular mineshaft. Even when Pitman reached deepslate and the mining became even more difficult, his fervor only seemed to increase. Many miners were put off by Pitman's manic obsession, but they soon began listening to his retelling of the knowledge he was supposedly getting from THE PIT. The miners initially listened to Pitman's stories purely for entertainment purposes, but soon other miners were hearing odd sounds coming from the impressively deep PIT. By the time Doug reached bedrock and completed THE PIT, most of the miners listened and paid close attention to his sermons. The UCR foremen were baffled by this phenomenon, but saw no reason to stop the spread of this new cult since mine productivity had increased substantially.

Though there were other mining projects to be completed, Pitman spent most of his time down at the bottom of THE PIT. Pitman's sermons began speaking of a mysterious group known as "The Ones Who Dwell Below". As the years went by he would drop hints as to the nature of these beings which, according to him, were responsible for the voices of THE PIT. Despite Pitman giving many teachings, the exact nature of The Ones Who Dwell Below is not well understood even to the present day. Another miracle attributed to THE PIT and The Ones Who Dwell Below is Doug Pitman's seeming immortality, which is a closely guarded secret by the Heralds. Pitman's endlessly long life has convinced many of the validity of THE PIT's power.

## Founding of The Heralds of THE PIT

As word spread about THE PIT and the cult that had organized around it, many curious members of the UCR began to seek out knowledge about this new group. Pitman welcomed anyone interested in his beliefs, but soon felt as though he needed to codify what the tenants of his teachings actually were. To this end, Pitman founded The Heralds of THE PIT in order to allow his followers to have an identity and so he could oversee how people interacted with the core beliefs of THE PIT. During a packed sermon in late 1459BF, Pitman announced the creation of this group to his followers as they cheered and celebrated the founding of this new organized religion. Doug Pitman became the leader of this new church and declared himself the Deacon, a purposefully humble title, to show that he was not more important than his teachings.

The UCR was initially hesitant to accept the Heralds and PIT worship in general as anything other than a simple cult. As time went on, however, the UCR realized that a majority of their citizens identified as PIT worshippers. The final obstacle to full acceptance of the Heralds was the adoption of PIT worship by a member of the UCR's political elite, Senator Robert Lambert, who fought for equal rights and protection for PIT worshippers. Though the UCR was mostly inhabited at this point by people whom were PIT worshippers, it was never Pitman's desire to see it as a state religion.

## The Exodus

When the UCR was forcefully evicted from their home, the Heralds faced the possibility of losing THE PIT they had come to respect and worship. Despite the bleak circumstances, Pitman reassured his flock that no matter where they ended up, they could always dig a new PIT and regain their connection to The Ones Who Dwell Below.

The journey to their new home on the island of Lakkos was fraught with danger and not all who set out on this trek would survive to see their destination. The Heralds were constantly looking after those who struggled with the long march and Deacon Pitman labored tirelessly to help as many people as possible make it to their new home. Just when the hope of the UCR refugees was starting to fade, Lakkos was spotted on the horizon. Pitman looked at this new island with a newfound zeal, for he believed that this island would be where he would accomplish his greatest dreams and help spread the good word of THE PIT to any and all who would listen.

## The "New PIT"

The original PIT that the entire ideology of the Heralds was based on now was half a world away. Many followers felt a great disconnect from THE PIT now that they were so far from the UCR. Deacon Pitman, however, had no such lapse of faith and immediately began scouting for a location for a new excavation. This new PIT would be larger and more grandiose than THE PIT in the UCR and would require many miners to assist in its creation.

There were many unemployed people that hadn't managed to find work after The Exodus that were quickly put to work digging out THE PIT. Despite the best efforts of the Heralds, there were numerous accidents in and around THE PIT excavation site. Another problem for construction was that there was only one dizzyingly high ladder that could be used to ascend or descend the work site. Better and safer means of travel up and down THE PIT could have been achieved, however one greedy merchant had established an early monopoly on wood sales which caused a massive shortage of lumber throughout all of Lakkos.

After 2 years of nearly ceaseless work and numerous memorials for the many who died during construction, THE PIT was finally unveiled to the public causing great jubilation among the Heralds and followers of THE PIT. Lakkos was abuzz with building projects all over the island, and THE PIT became merely one of a number of impressive feats of labor accomplished by the hard working Lakkosians, as the inhabitants of the island had taken to calling themselves.

## THE PIT Spire

Deacon Pitman felt as though the Heralds required a building to signify the importance of THE PIT. Pitman hired a renowned architect from Ashai to design a grand spire adorned with gems and intricate masonry. Work on THE PIT Spire began in 345BF and completed in 320BF and involved the diligent work of thousands of stoneworkers, masons and artisans. THE PIT Spire, as it came to be called, was an impressive feat of construction and acted as an early lighthouse for ships making their way to or navigating around Lakkos. To the Heralds, the Spire signified that THE PIT is akin to a massive root which stretches deep into Rathnir, keeping the citizens of Lakkos grounded and hard-working.

Though THE PIT and Spire used to be open to all, recent attempts to deface THE PIT have led the Heralds to forbid any to trespass on these holy sites unless given express permission by the Heralds. The Spire also houses many gems including emeralds, amethysts, diamonds, solid gold, rubies and compacted lapis lazuli. These gems have long been targeted by particularly intrepid thieves, but none have yet managed to scale the Spire without facing the justice and wrath of the Heralds. Deacon Pitman is very slow to anger, but when one commits such heinous acts such as desecration of THE PIT or Spire, he is quick to take decisive and brutal action.

## Beliefs

The Heralds have no strict traditions regarding worship of THE PIT. In accordance with the precedent set by Deacon Pitman, there are no church attendance requirement, though Pitman himself makes weekly addresses in the Courtyard District. To the Heralds, PIT worship is not mandatory and those of other faiths are treated with respect and seen as equals.

The greatest mystery surrounding the Heralds pertains to the mysterious Ones Who Dwell Below. Even among the Heralds, very little is known about these figures and their true form and nature. Deacon Pitman has always kept references to these demigod-like entities sparse and vague. Though the Heralds and PIT worshippers in general are normally peaceful, there are some among their number who wish to ascertain what The Ones Who Dwell Below are and how their power can be used or harnessed. It is for this reason that Pitman keeps knowledge of them hidden from even the higher ups within the Heralds.

The Heralds generally value labor above any other activity, owing to the miners and diggers which constructed the first PIT. Hard work is considered a virtue and any particularly grueling accomplishments are seen akin to miracles. As such, the Heralds are involved with a number of worker collectives and aid in providing charitable assistance to the working class of Lakkos. Another important facet of PIT worship is meditation and many followers of Pitman's teachings have set up meditation areas throughout Lakkos. The Heralds believe that the further underground one is, the more in tune one is with The Ones Who Dwell Below. For this reason, many mediation centers and private meditation centers are located underground in abandoned mineshafts or subterranean caves.