The Hidden

"Of all creatures that ever inhabited Maerlandayr, the Firstborn were the most vile. Of all Firstborn who ever lived, the Hidden were the kindest."

- Abazus, 'Second Hymn'

The Enlightened, widely known as The Hidden, were a splinter group of Firstborn who set out to stop and reverse the widespread withering of life in the Maerlandayr Galaxy following the Battle of the Cindered Lair. The Hidden, along with the Paragon, are an object of extensive scientific studies and religious worship for the Ilsivists led by the The Covenant of the Hidden. On the contrary, the Progenists, once united under the now-defunct Progeny, regard the Hidden as the traitors to the Firstborn ideals and goals.

Following the destruction of the Heart of Maerlandayr, Firstborn from all across their crumbling Empire have grouped together to combat the emergent degradation of life, which they believed was a direct consequence of the Firstborn destroying the Heart of Maerlandayr. In the following decades, the Enlightened have amassed many fleets manned by crews completely devoted to the cause. Due to their efforts, the dwindling life in Maerlandayr was reinvigorated. Once their goal was achieved, the Enlightened disappeared, leaving behind nothing but few snippets of their own actions hidden deep within the Chronicons.

Worship of the Hidden
The discovery of Chronicons in 1 EE was a major step in uncovering the Galaxy's past. Seran scientists have spent following thousands of years decoding the corrupted data these massive structures housed, but only a fraction out of the whole was recovered so far. Discrepancies in interpretation and contradictory nature of some messages led to heated debates in the scientific community, eventually turning into conflicting beliefs.

Ilsivists, who believe that the Paragon acted benevolently, despise the actions of the Firstborn and glorify the Hidden. The Progenists infer the opposite and see truth in the records left behind by the Firstborn, not by the Hidden. They view Paragon as a malevolent being who caused the downfall of the Firstborn Empire, which had the moral upper hand in this conflict. Progenists consider the Hidden to be heretics and traitors, who, at best, have corrupted the Galaxy in Paragon's favour.