Pilgrims

The **Pilgrims** are a group of people in Louse. They seek Rot, presumably to join it.

## History

The Pilgrims are a group of people that seek Rot. It is heavily implied throughout Louse that their goal is to journey to Rot and accept the gift it offers all that arrive at its body, joining it. The Pilgrims all wear mitestone masks as they journey towards it, and each one carries a vial of nullification juice, which is their most closely guarded material. They also appear to wear large black cloaks, which cover their entire body.

The first pilgrim was Pilgrim Mite, who descended to the depths of Rot after the world began to collapse. They came back up from the surface and announced to the world that The Creator had abandoned them, due to them being the "greatest disappointment." They then told them that they must forever toil upon the single gift He would bestow their ungrateful existence, as the voices below demanded. As Pilgrim Mite traveled the land to inform the world of what Rot told them, various settlements were built up to procure more pilgrims.

One of these settlements had both Null and the Old Friend, along with an unknown number of others. When Null was young, they watched as their parents were together chosen to make the pilgrimage to Rot. As they watched, the Old Friend comforted them, informing them that they were courageous and would go on to do great things. As the only mitestone carver left in the settlement, they took Null on as an apprentice.

Later, when the Old Friend was to begin his pilgrimage to Rot, Null created their first mitestone mask. When he saw it, he expressed gratitude for Null's having made it, saying that he's glad their first mask would be the one to join him on his trip. Despite him being a pilgrim, he was not taken by Rot for an unknown reason.

After 10 years passed, Null traveled to Rot with three other pilgrims. One of them was named Crine; the other two are currently unnamed. The four of them traveled for some time, until the others woke Null up earlier than expected. When they were awoken, Crine said that he noticed two vials of nullification liquid in Null's pack, and asked them how they had come to acquire an extra vial of their most closely guarded material. Null claimed that it was a mistake, which caused Crine to ask if they were genuinely suggesting it. Null shrugged and nodded, which did not satisfy the other pilgrims, as they knew Null stole it. The three of them then approached Null.

No longer needing to put up appearances, Null took off their mitestone mask and threw it at Crine, shattering it and killing him. They then grabbed a shard from their mask and murdered the other two pilgrims while feeling a fury they never felt before course through them; once the other pilgrims were murdered, Null dropped the shard and continued their journey to Rot.

When they spoke of their desire to end Rot to Turmoil, they said that Null was unlike the other pilgrims that they had met. It is unknown how many other pilgrims made it to Rot before Null.

## Known Pilgrims

There are a number of known Pilgrims in Louse. They are:

* Pilgrim Mite
* Null
* Old Friend
* Crine
* Unnamed Pilgrim 1
* Unnamed Pilgrim 2