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 group of ambitious Firstborn who set out to reintroduce the withering life back to 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 Heart of Maerlandayr, a few individuals have grouped together to combat the emergent degradation of life, which they believed was a direct consequence of the Firstborn wounding the Paragon. In the following decades, the Enlightened have amassed hundreds of fleets manned by scientists thoroughly devoted to the cause. Thanks to their efforts, life in Maerlandayr did not perish and was reinvigorated. Once their goal was achieved, the Enlightened disappeared, leaving behind only vague snippets of the Firstborn history, hidden deep within the Chronicons, such as Rhígisa.

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 thousands of years decoding the corrupted data these mighty structures housed, but only a fraction was recovered. Discrepancies in interpretation and contradictory nature of these messages led to conflicting beliefs in the scientific community, eventually turning into a heated debate.

Ilsivists, who believe that the Paragon is benevolent, despise the actions of the Firstborn and find solace in the actions of the Hidden. The Progenists are their polar opposite and find truth in the records left behind by the Firstborn and not by the Hidden. They view Paragon as a malevolent being who caused the downfall of the Firstborn, who had the moral upper hand in this conflict. For Progenists, the Hidden are nothing more than deranged people, who corrupted the Galaxy forever in Paragon's favour.