The first Pope, Serana, passed away in 5E86. At that time, the Cult of the Three Worlds God was only in its nascent form, and she had never declared herself Pope; it was a title bestowed upon her posthumously.
The current Cult of the Three Worlds God is divided into two parts: the Exoteric Sect and the Esoteric Sect. The Exoteric Sect serves the Horizontal Three Worlds Lu Yuan Bodhisattva, who is majestic and fierce, while the Esoteric Sect serves the Serene Mother Serana, who is compassionate and inclusive.
Strictly speaking, the Cult of the Three Worlds God is a monotheistic religion that worships Lu Yuan Bodhisattva, the Lord of the Pure Land. One can tell from the name alone that this god is an import; before this, the title 'Bodhisattva' did not exist. However, the localization of the Cult of the Three Worlds God was done very well. The 'True Scripture' states that all worldly gods are Incarnations of the Bodhisattva, and all worldly people are also Incarnations of the Bodhisattva. Thus, the Divines and Daedra from the faiths of Tamriel's various races were each given new names.
Aka became the Burning Lamp Dragon Corpse Buddha, Lorkhan became the Mara Snake Demon, Arkay became the Wheel-Turning King Bodhisattva, Mara became the Samantabhadra Vast Compassion Celestial Maiden, Stendarr became the Vaisravana Karmic Fire Wisdom King... Not just mainstream faiths, but even the gods of branch faiths were repackaged and stuffed into the factions of the Cult of the Three Worlds God, presenting a picture of unity and love.
In the center of the Pantheon Wall in the prayer room is the statue of Lu Yuan Bodhisattva, depicted with three heads. This is also a form of localization: the dark purple head on the left represents the Bodhisattva's absolute control over Oblivion, the white head on the right represents absolute control over Aetherius, and the middle head is the 'Skull of Truth.' Just like the Dream of the Godhead in theology, it is the vessel for the World Dream, which is where the Pure Land resides. By drawing close to the Bodhisattva's truth, one can be reborn into the Pure Land.
The Cult of the Three Worlds God is a very pragmatic religion. The Exoteric Sect constrains the bodies of the Leviathan's residents, while the Esoteric Sect constrains their thoughts.
However, the existence of the Esoteric Sect was actually an accident, contradicting the doctrine itself; the 'detailed examination' clearly points out that ancestor worship is not to be encouraged. The Esoteric Sect's reverence for Serana was actually a compromise between radicals and conservatives. In an era where old faiths were being completely abolished, to stabilize people's hearts, a group within the Cult of the Three Worlds God proposed posthumously deifying the late first Pope and leader of Nirn, Serana. They leveraged the people's gratitude toward the Serene Mother Serana to ensure the spread and rule of the Cult of the Three Worlds God.
The entire Leviathan was immersed in the frenzy of the afterlife. The current principles of action guided by the Cult were exactly the same as the packing activities before moving house. In short, they took everything they could take. The two moons and the eight stars were blasted apart, and resources were collected in a 'drain the pond to catch the fish' manner.
At this moment, a crisp chime suddenly came from the soul stone mechanical doorbell on the narrow walls on both sides. Jonas stood up alertly. Just as he was hesitating whether to turn invisible, he saw the small doors on both sides open simultaneously. A team of maids in black robes pushed a dining cart in from the left, while a team of maids in white robes brought a change of clothes in from the right.
At first glance, Jonas thought they were real people, but upon closer inspection, he found they were all disguised mechanical constructs. They represented various races and had outstanding appearances, but their facial expressions were designed to be cold and rigid.
After dining and washing up under the service of the robots, Jonas took advantage of the mechanical door opening to quickly escape the prayer room.
The outside was very spacious. The floor of the corridor was welded from large alloy brass plates, with paintings and tapestries on both sides, and the high ceiling was filled with crisscrossing steam pipes. Pedestrians were sparse along the way, most wearing white priest robes, though some wore black. These people would salute from a distance when they saw the golden robes on Jonas, their attitude respectful.
Jonas walked quickly to an intersection where there were many disc-shaped transportation tools. Learning from others, he stepped onto one and began to wander around.
Stopping before a panoramic map, Jonas finally realized he was located at the 'North Pole' of the Leviathan star. The entire man-made celestial body had eight sectors, composed of tens of thousands of independent space fortresses. Responsible for connecting the sectors were pipes and Oblivion Gates.
Located in the core area of the Leviathan star were the energy System and the intelligent machine body; even the gravity generators were concentrated there, making it the objective central district. However, the Holy See of the Cult of the Three Worlds God was at the North Pole, which was where Jonas was currently located.
Staring at the map, Jonas was in a daze.
What should he do now?
His adoptive mother Serana had already passed away, and his teacher had already ascended to godhood. His past friends and relatives had either perished in the initial disaster or had died of old age. The current Pope was indeed a Breton, but he would certainly not look upon Jonas with any special favor.
In the end, he was nothing more than a passerby who had lost his past, was lost in the future, and had forfeited his present.
Suddenly realizing this, he had lost all goals and motivation.
All that remained were his past bold words: to resurrect that bandit he had killed.
But seeing as the world was about to be destroyed, even if he truly resurrected that bandit, what would be the point? To take him to the Pure Land?
For a moment, he actually had some suicidal thoughts.
Jonas knew he could definitely enter the Pure Land because he was someone with a Brand; he knew this the moment he read the 'True Scripture'.
As long as one had a Brand, they could be reborn. Back then, Jonas's Brand was given by Simon. Now, it was harder than hard for the people of the Leviathan star to obtain a Brand; they had to use their faith in the Bodhisattva as that point of divinity to stimulate mental power. Only then would they be recorded by the Pure Land.
Among the people now, those with a Brand were superior to those without, and those with a complete Brand were superior to those with an incomplete one. The distinction between noble and lowly lay entirely in the difference between life and death. Those who could live were naturally more powerful than those who could not—it was only natural and right!
A broadcast loudspeaker suddenly became noisy. 'Only serve the True God! Attention all residents of the Leviathan star: the third stage goals have been completed. The fourth stage originally scheduled has been moved forward to mid-July. The afterlife is approaching; at this moment, pay your respects with a devout heart, and you shall surely find salvation!'
This message was broadcast five times, the waves of sound washing through the corridors. Everyone was silent, bowing their heads to listen. Jonas grew impatient after hearing it just once, but seeing the six or seven people around him being so well-behaved, it wasn't appropriate for him to do anything out of line.
Near the end of the fourth broadcast, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
Jonas turned his head and saw a black-haired man in a black robe. He looked like a Nedic, which is to say, an Imperial. The man smiled at him and mouthed the words, 'Talk?' Seeing this person, Jonas felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, so he agreed to the request.
After the broadcast ended, the black-haired man led Jonas into a hidden room. There was nothing here except a table and two chairs; it looked like a suitable place for a private talk.
The black-haired man smiled again. 'Let me introduce myself. My name is Tiber Septim. You can call me Talos, it's all the same.'
Jonas was stunned. 'Which Talos?'
Tiber said gloomily, 'Am I really this obscure now? It must be because the title they gave me, Rahula Majestic Wisdom King, is too mediocre. But your current Reincarnation is clearly someone from the Fourth Era; how could you not have heard of me?'
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