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Kaethos283 notes · 3 chapters

The Church of ITYS

5 min read

Words of the Church of ITYS

“Dixi Vobis Ita” — I Told You So.

The Religion of "I Told You So" — a faith / faction, not a deity

The dominant religion of Kouréas, born from the apocalypse. Founded by Father ITYS — who as Father TEIN (“T.E.I.N — The End Is Near”) walked Old Town with a sandwich board preaching doom, and after The Forgotten Hour proved him right renamed himself Father ITYS (“I.T.Y.S — I Told You So”): the End was no longer near — it had already happened. He wrote its scriptures, built its Temple of ITYS over the sealed portals, and then vanished — supposedly murdered.

FounderOriginBuilt overScripturesStatus
Father ITYS (né Father TEIN)Post-The Forgotten HourThe Pit / The Spirit Engines (a catacomb of portals / stargate)The Book of ITYS (canon) · The Echoes of ITYS (apocrypha)Dominant religion by the Echoes era

Origin — The Quiet Year (session 0)

Chronicled in The Quiet Year, the founding year after Zen’s apocalypse:

  • A boy, Terry Ringer, falls into The Pit and dies, discovering three doors and the ancient Spirit Engines (a broken stargate) at the bottom. The community grieves; the Pit becomes the most important place in Kaethos.
  • An anti-technology religious impulse forms in reaction to Lashara’s workshop and by Spring Week 7 formalizes into the Church of ITYS — “The Church of I Told You So.” A temple rises over the pit where Terry died; a golden statue of Terry crowns its spire.
  • The founder-prophet (“the Bishop” = Father ITYS) reveals the core doctrine from his journal: “The name of the church… I Told You So.” He is later found murdered (a note reading “Romoni did it”); his body rises from its sarcophagus and walks the city with a sandwich board “He is risen,” then disappears.
  • The Church claims the stargate as sacred ground, wages an Inquisition against The Lashïngs (Lashara’s female assassin clan and the church’s sworn enemy, who permanently thwart it), and brands Lashara its Satan figure. Captain Romoni leads its fortifications; Joe Sef infiltrates it as a convert-spy.

Doctrine & scripture

  • Central creed: “I Told You So” — gallows humor sanctifying the prophet’s accurate prediction of doom. A hard line divides “doctrine” (holy) from “culture” (blasphemy); building a god or keeping “anti-literature” is the highest blasphemy.
  • Canon: The Book of ITYS. Apocrypha: The Echoes of ITYS — both written by Father ITYS. The campaign title Echoes of ITYS references these texts and this church.
  • Soul magic is a Church-exclusive art: the Sorcerers of ITYS alone forge moon-touched blades, based at the School / University of ITYS — a strict church campus with a history-of-the-church exam.

The Echoes era (a century later)

The dominant faith of Kouréas, seated in ITYS-Trinity City and split into “new wave” and orthodox branches. Foulclaw is its devout (if disillusioned) evangelist — majoring in applied proselytizing, converting the Choldrith Amla, planting a congregation on El Cinede. Mutatio is revealed to be falsifying its official history.

Key figures

  • Father ITYS (né Father TEIN) — founder-prophet, author of the scriptures, built the Temple, then vanished.
  • Terry Ringer — the first community death; martyr-icon, golden statue on the temple spire.
  • Captain Romoni — fortification captain, accused in the founder’s murder (“Romoni did it”).
  • Joe Sef — community spy who infiltrated the church.
  • Foulclaw — Echoes-era evangelist. Enemies: Lashara (its Satan) and The Lashïngs.

Appearances

  • 240208-ch0.2 (⏱ 00:50:40) — Father ITYS’s faith; he founds/grows it by converting the saved townsfolk; its allegiance pledge is the password through his Forbiddance.

  • 240222-ch0.3 (⏱ 00:08:26) — Father ITYS’s faith; its allegiance pledge is invoked as a code phrase and force-field motif over the city.

  • 240307-ch0.4 (⏱ 03:03:18) — The religion founded by Father ITYS after he says ‘I told you so’ over Zen’s death; by week 7 of the rebuild it formalizes, gains a fortified temple, and its leader is later found murdered.

  • 240530-ch1.1 (⏱ 00:34:19) — The dominant religion, split into ‘new wave’ and orthodox branches; Foulclaw is a devout convert; its scripture paints the scientist Lashara as a Satan figure.

  • 250604-ch3.2 (⏱ 00:54:50) — Religion of ITYS; cares for the living, runs welfare; Foragers are members.

  • 251009-ch3.7 (⏱ 03:07:33) — The dominant religion; the school is a strict church campus with a history-of-the-church exam; building a god or keeping ‘anti-literature’ is its highest blasphemy.

  • 251023-ch3.8 (⏱ 03:40:54) — The dominant religious institution whose history and doctrine are the exam subject and which Mutatio has been falsifying; its scriptures and a coloring book of its doctrines feature throughout.

  • 240626-ch1.2 (⏱ 02:59:05) — Foulclaw’s evangelical religion (jokingly the ‘Church of Idiots’/‘Church of Yes’); he tries to convert NPCs.

  • 250816-ch3.5 (⏱ 02:57:13) — The church Xeros newly converted to, scripture the Good Book of ITYS; runs on tithing, prayer rolls, and conversions.

  • 260227-ch4.1 (⏱ 00:10:13) — The faith Xeros is converting to and Foulclaw was raised in; tithing, scriptures, prayers, a sabbath; produces the Hideous Echoes headphones.

  • 241113-ch2.1 (⏱ 00:11:53) — The powerful religion founded by Father ITYS, whose antagonism drove Lashara away from Newell. It is Foulclaw’s faith; he does missionary work spreading its doctrine and pamphlets.

  • 250314-ch2.8 (⏱ 00:16:44) — The gospel-style religion Nortle and Foulclaw proselytize, converting NPCs; its deity ITYS/Edeas is said to have struck a pulpit with lightning. Gospel-based, deep-south revival flavor with the Book of ITYS as scripture.

  • 250724-ch3.4 (⏱ 01:57:59) — The dominant religion of Kouréas, founded by Father ITYS; Xeros (a recent convert who tithes 10% to it) invokes a high-level rogue employed by the Church to steal his tarot card back, and the Church is named as the holy source of the veil powder that becomes Purple Filth once it leaves.

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