Antemplars

The Antemplars are an order aligned with Garukavar or other gods which strongly oppose natural existence and human civilisation. According to the Red Temple, their leader is an Endon called Votorin. They have no known headquarters or center of operations. They are known to appear in any civilisation easily accessible via Benevis, which leads some to believe that Antemplars originate from the Umbener region, or somewhere nearby. Aside from The Darkness, Antemplars generally operate undercover, avoiding detection by any means possible, with the goal of disrupting and damaging civilisation. They also actively hunt and try to destroy synavos.

Control

Antemplars have two primary ways of controlling others to do their work: Coercion and Corruption.

Coercion

This is when an Antemplar approaches a human and either offers them something or makes a threat in order for them to complete a task. Offers may include power, protection, or vengeance, while threats range from harming loved ones to blackmail. Oftentimes one who allows themselves to be coerced by an Antemplar ends up joining the order, else they may be executed for knowing too much information. This sometimes leads to corruption.

Corruption

Not much is known of how Antemplars corrupt people, but what is known comes from autopsies of deceased corrupted Antemplars. This is the presumed process:

• Two to four eggs are swallowed by the victim.
• The eggs hatch into larvae, one of which becomes the dominant one.
  • The dominant larva dwells at the top of the rib cage and attaches itself to the spine and brain, influencing the host's behaviour.
  • The other larvae devour the inside of the host's body very slowly over time, but keep the vitals intact.
• The host continues to play their position in society, often in a high rank.
• Eggs are prepared inside the body, ready to use on another victim.
• On finding a worthy victim, the host starts the cycle over with a new host when circumstances are favourable.

As well as this, corruption is known to present a cluster of consistent symptoms. These often include:

• Feeling or expressing one mood almost all of the time.
• Breathing very slowly and subtly.
• A very slow but strong heartbeat.
• Rarely sleeping.
• Fearlessness.
• Gaining an unexplained physical ability, often:
  • An increase in one or more senses.
  • Increased strength, stamina, or agility.
  • Becoming unusually sneaky or good at keeping still.

There is no known remedy or counter to corruption aside from death, which generally results in the dominant larva taking full control of the now-dead body in order to protect itself and the other larvae.

History

Autopsies on deceased corrupted Antemplars have only been done for just over four hundred years, so it isn't known for sure how far back the corruption goes. There are also stories of some very upper class members of society of the first kingdoms of Nor becoming demons upon being murdered, suggesting that Antemplars may have been present up to 1700 years ago. Indeed, Votorin was first described to people around 800BD, when Nikina first revealed himself to the people of the Nor Vastin Kingdom. It was explained how Monsters are controlled by Votorin and created by Toryalnor. There are other older stories of rulers elsewhere in the world seeming to display a few of the aforementioned symptoms. Some say this is evidence that they were corrupted, while others think it's possible that they were simply unfit rulers or the accuracy of the accounts is debatable. Most of what is known of the ranks of the Antemplars comes from Nikina.

Ranks

The upper ranks of the Antemplars constitute Votorin at the top and all the other known Odanon beneath him. Corrupt Antemplars during the present day are not known.