Penitential Pilgrimage

The Immaculate Order has established a number of punishments imposed for various heresies and acts outside the purview of the Perfected Hierarchy. Most common are death, destruction of property, and Immaculate Ostracism, but sometimes a different penance is imposed upon an individual by the clergy: that of the penitential pilgrimage.

A penitential pilgrimage is a journey undertaken by an individual where, through devotion and difficulty, their faith can be proven and restored. The monk imposing the penalty nominates a location to which the penitent must travel, usually a holy site temple, and the penitent must walk there on foot, wearing a belt of grey-dyed rope over his clothes. Once there, the penitent must carry out prayer and fasting and service until declared absolved by the monks of the destination temple.

There are two major penitent pilgrimage routes on the Blessed Isle:

The Pilgrimage Ascendant – The most difficult penitent pilgrimage to walk is the Ascendant Pilgrimage, climbing up the Spine of the Amaranthine Dragon on the slopes of the Imperial Mountain in Juche Prefecture to reach the Victorious Ascendance of Mankind Temple.

The Pilgrimage Sublime – The most common penitential pilgrimage is to Sion in Incas Prefecture, to the steps of the Palace Sublime, along the Great Coast Road. While pilgrimages are not a common penance, the regular flow of penitents along the road has led to a number of temples on the Road offering berths for penitents, who repay the kindness with labour or donatives. At the Palace Sublime, penitents are not permitted through the gates, but a number of minor temples accept them in exchange for further donatives or labour, through which they earn their eventual absolution. Those with significant wealth are able to donate their way to absolution quickly, particularly if a corrupt monk can be found to trade religious favours for financial or political considerations (a practice, like many linked to the Corpulent Abbot Heresy, which has grown more prevalent since the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress). Poorer penitents are in a highly difficult situation, as the expense of reaching and living in Sion awaiting forgiveness is not insignificant, while there is little chance to earn scrip for such expenses while also working for the Order to earn absolution. Many penitents are bankrupted and reduced to a life of begging and starvation, cleared from the streets by Black Helms with little tolerance for their presence.