Sect

The sect known as the Renaissance was formed at the end of the 19th century by Seraphim Massaker, a former patient of a psychiatric clinic located near Great Bor. Seraphim, who was ethnically a descendant of a German noblewoman and a Latvian merchant, had grown up as a quiet and docile child in a loving family. However, a tragedy occurred during his childhood in which he suffered burns that disfigured half of his face. As a result, he was teased by his peers and had difficulty communicating with girls. Seeking solace, Seraphim began working at a church, where he found shelter and the opportunity to communicate normally. He became increasingly immersed in the teachings of the church and began to participate in the public life of the city of Great Bor.

In 1895, a small congress of atheists, communists, and revolutionaries took place in Great Bor, during which the ideas of separating power from the church were expressed and the local priest, who had protected Seraphim for many years, was insulted. Enraged by this, Seraphim burned down the inn where the congress participants were staying, killing most of them. One participant survived, however, and Seraphim caught and tortured him in the basement of a local steelworks. The atheist eventually agreed with all of Seraphim's accusations, begged for forgiveness, and claimed to have accepted the faith before dying.

Upon confessing his actions to his patron priest, Seraphim was deemed dangerous and was sent to a mental hospital to be isolated rather than being turned over to the police. While there, he organized a group of like-minded individuals with various mental disorders around himself. The hospital staff attempted to "treat" Seraphim and his supporters using torture and experimental methods, including electric shocks. Over time, the mental state of Seraphim and his supporters worsened as they were isolated from the rest of the world and could only communicate with each other. They developed their own distorted view of the outside world, believing that only sinners and madmen lived there and that the circle of people who understood this was limited to patients in the mental hospital.

In 1907, the well-known anarchist Lisevich was admitted to the hospital, where he was sent by political opponents. There, he met Seraphim and realized that he needed to escape quickly. Lisevich provoked Seraphim into starting a revolt, and the asylum for the mentally ill was burned down, with some of the staff being tortured to death. Lisevich helped Seraphim and his supporters escape, and they took refuge in a small village in the wilderness near Great Bor. The group took on the new name "Renaissance" and began preparing for the "revival" of the entire Empire, which Lisevich believed would happen soon. The anarchist then left the cultists to coordinate the actions of fellow anarchists.

For several years, the cultists lived quietly in the wilderness, carefully recruiting a few local residents into their ranks, most of whom were illiterate and easily influenced. In 1912, Lisevich returned to the wilderness with an anarchist combat detachment. The cultists received basic combat training, and both groups agreed to provide mutual support. The anarchists, who were losing the political struggle to other political groups, hoped to create a springboard from which they could start sabotaging under favorable conditions.

In 1914, the Great War began, providing the anarchists with the long-awaited opportunity they had been seeking. They began conducting raids for money and weapons and actively recruited supporters among disgruntled burghers and peasants. This activity caught the attention of the state police, who tried to counteract it, but their resources were increasingly drained by the war and the activities of other political groups. The cultists and anarchists, who had been working together, decided to go underground and began preparing for a large-scale uprising.

Immediately after the 1917 revolution, the cultists made their first attempt to capture Great Bor, which was unsuccessful. The sectarians were dispersed and some were arrested. Immediately after these events, Lisevich contacted Seraphim, who saw that the condition of the cultists was getting worse every year. He convinced Seraphim that the Day of Judgment had begun and that it was Seraphim's task to fulfill the will of the Almighty and judge all sinners. Seraphim, who was already struggling to distinguish reality from fiction, believed him and began to develop this idea himself. Now the sect believed not only in the sins of all people outside their group, but also in the fact that after a wonderful day, a new world should come in which only the chosen ones would remain.

In November 1917, the anarchists, who had previously captured Shpasberg, joined the assault on Great Bor. The city was captured, the emissaries of the Central Committee were executed, and the city and population were completely under the control of the cult. The anarchists and cultists planned to expand their area of influence throughout the western part of the Empire.