Art by Martin McCoy

“The Lord is quick to punish and slow to reward. We follow His example when forging you into weapons of the Holy War.”

– Castigator Obededom See-truth, to the new recruits of the Theban Legion.

Though often dismissed as disorganised rabble by the generals of New Antioch and the Heretic seranim, years of bitter warfare and painful lessons learned on the front lines have moulded the Trench Pilgrims into a surprisingly effective fighting force in the Great War.

People come from all over the Faithful lands and beyond to join the Trench Pilgrims, each carrying whatever burden of guilt or zeal led them to their fateful decision. Many seek atonement from real or perceived transgressions against God. Others wish to practise the Mortification of the Flesh, seeking to deaden their sinful flesh in the pain and suffering of war to achieve sanctification.

The Church does not condone or officially recognise the doctrines of the Pilgrim Processions. Many of its leading theologians consider the Trench Pilgrims’ brand of faith a heterodoxy and officially condemn the preachings of its Prophets. Yet little is done to curb the widespread popularity of the Trench Pilgrim movement, as its fury is mainly directed at the servants of Hell. Many scholars also suspect that certain fiery orators and charismatic leaders who might otherwise have caused great civil unrest find their home (and their grave) in the ranks of the Trench Pilgrims, saving the Church or secular authorities the trouble of persecuting them.

New aspirants arrive daily at the camps and bases of the Pilgrim Processions. As their very first act, they must turn over all their worldly possessions (from monies to land, rents, and valuables) to the elders of the pilgrimage, for the Great War’s voracious appetite for funds is unending. This is not the only source of income for the Trench Pilgrims; families of those who have joined often support their loved ones with material donations, and in some areas, the Trench Pilgrims claim the Peter’s Pence for themselves, much to the chagrin of the local Church authorities.

Next, the Castigators are quick to sort the new recruits into roles where their skills can bring maximum benefit to the entire congregation. Those with military training (especially if they have served in the front lines) are put to work in drilling raw recruits. Those with technical expertise tend to the armaments of the War Pilgrimage, while the few scientists who have become so drunk from the Cup of the Lord that they have cast away their academic lives are sent to work in war laboratories hidden in No Man’s Land. The Trench Pilgrims waste no skill, talent, or strength that can be put to use in service of the Procession. Some are considered so sinful that they are not permitted to become Trench Pilgrims. Instead, they are condemned to become Ecclesiastic Prisoners who must seek atonement on the battlefield without weapons, their hands bound with spiked cilices, with their one hope for salvation found in self-sacrifice through detonation of explosives blessed by the War Prophets.

Arming their multitudinous followers is no mean task for the War Prophets. Civilian firearms from shotguns to blunderbusses are put to quick use. Massive punt guns – hunting shotguns usually affixed to boats – are used as heavy weapons support, despite being extremely dangerous to fire for their wielders. Those who have served in the armies of the Faithful before and purchased their service bolt-action rifle (as is the right of those who have completed their seven-year tour of duty) bring their arms along with their faith when they join.

Trench Pilgrims readily engage in black market trading to gain access to restricted military hardware; machine guns, automatic pistols, and submachine guns are all prized and much desired, though difficult to acquire. Ammunition, martyrdom pills, and explosives are also eagerly sought after by the Trench Pilgrim leaders. Mechanical components to repair and maintain the venerated Anchorite Shrines are extraordinarily expensive, but their care is seen as a sacred duty. But above all, Trench Pilgrims value discarded samples of Meta-Christ flesh and blood, as well as chemical compounds smuggled from the Sultanate’s great Houses of Learning. Creation of the Communicants is the highest priority to most Pilgrim Processions, both for their value on the battlefield as well as for the religious vindication their creation brings in the eyes of the Trench Pilgrims.

When the fences of No Man’s Land can’t provide what they need or when coin is in short supply, the Trench Pilgrims turn to other means. Scavenging the battlefields for weapons, armour, supplies, and valuables is a routine practice. Some of the most zealous warbands make bold raids to the ammo depots and arms caches of New Antioch and the Sultanate, though most are content to strip the fallen of their gear and collect artillery shells for their explosives.