The Many Below is a god of victims and martyrs. It only helps the desperate and hopeless, those in their final moments. It feeds on the sacrifices offered to other gods.
| ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD! Beyond this point, major plot spoilers are expected. Continue at your own risk. |
Description[]
The Many Below presents as a tree like plant, with white crocus flowers. Paige describes the Wound Tree in her dreams:
'A great black oak, with branches that split the sky apart like lightning.'[1]
Gallery[]
Organization[]
The followers of the faith are known as the Children of the Woundtree. There are approximately 60 disciples[1]. They live in the Grace, in Bellwethers.
Later in the season the number of followers grows to 500 disciples.[2]
Prominent Followers[]
- Paige Duplass: The Widow of Wounds. Paige creates the Many Below after her time with Carpenter and Faulkner, where she expresses that she wants to create a better god.[3] She uses the book On The Birthing Of Gods as a guide[4], as well as a catalogue of gods she received from Hembry to create the god.[5]
- James Hayward: The Rootkeeper. Hayward is initially kidnapped by Paige after following her through Nesh.[5] Paige invites him to join her, and after realising the hopelessness of his situation, Hayward does. He joins Paige in her task giving birth to the god.[4] He consistently looks out for Paige[6] and takes on the burden of running the Grace while she is unable to.[1] He is practical and embarks on a journey with Carpenter to get Adjudicator Shrue to publicly endorse the Woundtree.[7] He is successful in convincing Shrue.[8]
- Dennis Duplass helps Paige and Hayward create their god.[4] He makes his doubts known throughout the process. In spite of this, he is helpful and uses his connection Corvin to get a meeting with Esther Grammen to spread the word of the Many Below in the CLS prison system.[9] When he realises that Corvin has betrayed them, he sacrifices himself to their god to allow Hayward and Paige to escape. His death causes Paige to breakdown.[6]
- Elgin is Hayward's right hand at the Grace.[1] She initially does not seem to like Paige much, arguing with her that they need to find somewhere else for the Children of the Woundtree to live after the god-rocket attack.[7] After Hayward leaves for Glottage, she admits that Paige was right and seems to lose hope in humanity. She and Paige grow more friendly. Paige puts her in charge of the alcohol and they scheme together to find out who may be spies for the Legislatures.[10] She is a helpful and valuable member of the Children of the Woundtree.[11]
- Dan is a fanatical disciple of the Many Below. He spends a lot of time outside Paige's house[1] and preaching over the sound system.[7] He spots the Maiden while on patrol and spreads the idea that the attack in Fenton was by people aligned with the Woundtree.[10] Despite his fanaticism he is a genuinely helpful member of the Children of the Woundtree.[11]
Religion[]
Origins & Mythos[]
Creation[]
The Many Below was created by James Hayward, Paige Duplass and Dennis Duplass.
Dennis tells the story of someone he knew in prison, Walter, who was sacrificed to build an extension to the prison compound. He feels guilty for the way he treated Walter.[4]
Paige talks about her mother, Gwyneth. Her mother died at a busy intersection in Nesh. She loved white crocus flowers. Paige made that intersection into the memorial to her mother in her mind, after her passing.[4]
Hayward talks about the children who would go missing from the estate. How he was discouraged from playing outside late by his mother. That new people moved into the tenements. No one ever spoke about the missing children.[4]
Together the three of them say:
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First Manifestations[]
On the radio it is reported that at the site of Gwyneth's death, a vast tree with white crocus flowers grows.[9]
Hayward finds a half buried hare and a barn owl dead on the way back to Dennis' farmhouse. They are both dead. The hare is covered in dark veins, and from it white crocus flowers grow.[9]
The Widow of Wounds[]
The Widow of Wounds lost her one true love to a breach of contract and lawful sacrifice. As she wept before the grave, the first buds of the Woundtree stretched out around her and formed a bower to shelter her from the falling rain.[1]
Hymns[]
The Truths:
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Holy Books[]
The First Book of the Spoiling Craw.[9]
Known Saints, Angels and Miracles[]
- Esther Grammen is the first Saint of the Many Below.[9]
- Dennis Duplass becomes the second Saint of the Many Below.[6]
- Paige is slowly transforming into something tree-like.[2]
Known Marks[]
The Marks of Revolt/Revenge[]
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Notable Events[]
- After creating their god, Paige and her father visit a prison in the Linger Straits to sell their god as one that can bring prisoners who are going to be hallowed justice. Esther Grammen speaks to them and eventually chooses to invest in their faith when she finds out she's to be hallowed for the war effort. The prison is destroyed and the faith is announced publicly.[9]
- Dennis Duplass finds out that Corvin has sold them out to the lawful authorities. He sacrifices himself to their god to give Hayward and Paige time to escape.[6]
- The followers of the Woundtree settle in the Grace, in the Peninsula's Polluted Lands.[1]
- Paige has been having nightmares about the Woundtree.[7]
- Bellwethers is attacked by the CLS and they lose a lot of disciples in the attack.[7]
- Moss and his companions get stuck in their vehicle outside of the Grace. Paige rescues them and ends up in peril herself.[2]
Trivia[]
- The Many Below was created with the help of the book On The Birthing Of Gods.[4]
- It took Paige far longer to adjust to her role than it took Hayward to.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Chapter 32: Its Wrath Shall Scald The Sun
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chapter 41: But As My Last Breath Splits My Throat
- ↑ Chapter 13: So Let Me Dwell Eternal
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Chapter 23: I'd Howl, I'd Scream, In Victory
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 20: And Rend Us Both To Dust Below
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Chapter 27: So I'll Bear It Trembling Onwards
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Chapter 34: Some Day There Shall Be None
- ↑ Chapter 40: This Hateful Hymn Shall Cease
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Chapter 26: My Song, My Sorrow and I
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chapter 37: And Even The Kings In Their Bowers Of Steel
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chapter 41: But As My Last Breath Splits My Throat
- ↑ Chapter 43: One Last Song Of Revelations