Army of Holiness

The Army of Holiness is the military force of the Apostles of Flame, the ancient and wealthy cult that had long prophesied the periodic destruction of civilization by fire. In the chaos following the total eclipse of Dovim and the devastating appearance of the Stars, the Army of Holiness emerges as the most organized and powerful military entity in the post-apocalyptic world, seeking to impose a theocratic order on the ruins of the Federal Republic of Saro.

Origins and Purpose

The Army of Holiness is not a standing army in the traditional sense but a mobilized force of the faithful, raised by the Apostles of Flame to fulfill their apocalyptic vision. The cult's leadership, particularly the public-relations adjutant Folimun 66, had long prepared for the moment when the Year of Godliness would end and the world would be plunged into madness and fire. The Army's purpose is twofold: to crush any secular or rival power that might attempt to rebuild civilization on rational or scientific principles, and to establish the absolute authority of the High Apostle Mondior 71—who is later revealed to be a fictional construct—over all surviving populations. Folimun, the true leader, intends to use the Army to "smash whatever reconstituted governing body it is that has taken form" at places like Amgando National Park and to proclaim the Apostles "the only legally empowered ruling force in all of the Republic."

Key Actions and Campaign

The Army of Holiness first threatens the Saro University Observatory on the night of the eclipse. Folimun 66, who has infiltrated the Observatory, delivers an ultimatum to the director Athor 77: destroy all scientific records and instruments, accept Mondior as the true voice of the gods, and the Army will not attack. When Athor refuses, Folimun warns that "a band of angry people led by the Apostles of Flame will ascend this hill and destroy your Observatory and everything within it" within one hour. This threat is carried out when a mob, stirred up by the Apostles, storms the building, leading to the deaths of Athor and many others.

In the weeks following Nightfall, the Army of Holiness consolidates control over the entire north side of Saro City and the territory beyond, placing it under religious authority. From this base, it plans a major military campaign southward along the Great Southern Highway. The goal is to march down to Amgando National Park, where a provisional government of university people and former government officials is gathering. The Army intends to "clear away all the new little provincial governments that have sprung up along the highway" and then "smash whatever reconstituted governing body it is that has taken form down there." To achieve this, the Army assembles a convoy of trucks and moves not by the blocked highway but by minor country roads, demonstrating superior organization and logistics.

Confrontation and Aftermath

The Army of Holiness's campaign is ultimately not a military conquest in the traditional sense but a political and ideological takeover. When the journalist Theremon 762 and the archaeologist Siferra 89 are captured by the Army's scouts, they are brought before Folimun. Instead of executing them, Folimun reveals his true plan: he does not intend to harm the intellectuals gathered at Amgando but to offer them posts in the new government. He argues that only a religious totalitarianism, backed by the Army's discipline, can pacify the superstitious and traumatized populace and provide the stability needed to rebuild civilization. Theremon, convinced by Folimun's ruthless rationality, persuades Siferra to join the Apostles, arguing that the Army of Holiness is "a wound so big he can swallow all the others" and that working from within is the only hope for healing the world. The Army of Holiness thus becomes the instrument through which the Apostles of Flame, under Folimun's direction, establish their theocratic rule over the remnants of Kalgash's civilization.