When news eventually spread that Sev had embraced the godhood many on both sides of the Gate had assumed him to already have, the Cult of Sev quickly became regulated and codified. Lelei Lalatina followed with fascination as the new religion grew, and learned just how different the new divine power would be.

The official religion included the new goddesses that were Sev’s ascended companions. The new pantheon basically had Sev as the archgod, with his four Brides as deities in their own right. At the same time, the small (but growing) harem of concubines, as well as his honor guard of 1st Company, were all granted demigod status, as much a show of Sev’s divine power as it was his usual display of generosity to those close to him.

Dedicated temples were forbidden, though personal or neighborhood shrines were allowed within certain guidelines. No offerings were needed nor wanted though, as supposedly Sev could neither smell nor taste anything left on the shrines or burnt in his name.

Licenses were required for those who wished to preach on the gospel of Sev, which involved a test that was overseen by the new god himself. Lelei had taken a look at the exam questions out of curiosity, and it seemed to her that the Nexus was doing its best to either maintain an elite priesthood, or keep anyone from becoming one.

Other faiths, assuming there were any left within the Nexus borders, were tolerated and any harassment against them was not tolerated.

Within weeks of its emergence, the new religion rooted itself deeply in Nexus culture and spread quickly beyond the borders on both sides of the Gate. From what Lelei had picked up from traders, migrants and visitors, his reputation was contradictory to those outside of the Nexus; On the one hand, Sev was feared as a deity of brutal vengeance and conquest, yet he was also known as a paternal guardian and a liberator of the oppressed. He offered comfort and succor to those who put their faith in him, but had nothing but obliteration for any who dared become his enemy.

It was interesting to note just how hopeful yet apprehensive some could be, enough that Lelei was becoming distracted from her work considering the possibilities of a god holding opposing ideas.

Due to the rapid growth of the faith, there was a brief period of disorientation as the new pantheon hurriedly got used to their powers. Due to being one of the project leaders of the studies into magic, the young mage was there to witness the living pantheon display moments of sudden frowning, or sharing confused glances, or even stumbling mid-step. They often turned to Sev for advice, as the head of the pantheon had mastered his divinity first.

Sev and his Brides were highly active, especially since they supposedly heard every prayer to their name. And also complained about most of them. The Brides in particular expressed disgust at the nature of some of the prayers. Just as quickly as the religion spread, the wrath of those lightly invoking the gods’ names followed right after.

Cait was the quickest to act as she was the quickest to anger, supposedly causing the weak willed to suffer bone-snapping convulsions should they call on the Goddess of Wrath’s aid to fight battles that they were unwilling, but not unable, to fight. If her name was called to aid a cause that ran against the Nexus’ principles, the bodies of the foolish invokers would end up in puddles of melted flesh and skin. Lelei had seen the eyebot feed, and could confirm just how…liquid a mortal body could end up being.

Nat and Curie were the most forgiving, and the most generous with their gifts, the Goddesses of Compassion and Intellect respectively being happy to just torment the insincere and the deceitful with intense migraines, or at worst, permanent but nonlethal brain damage. More interestingly, Lelei noted how the healing arches provided no aid at all to these afflictions. Either the technology couldn’t work against divine curses, or Sev had used his macro magic to achieve the same result. Again, the young mage got distracted from her work pondering on that topic.

Piper was somewhere in between, as the First Bride and the Goddess of Cunning prefered doling out punishments in the form of sensory loss over a period of time. For some reason, people considered hers to be the most sadistic curse to have inflicted.

Fewer people dared call on Sev’s name with such lightness, and fewer survived wasting the archgod’s attention. He paid the closest attention to the prayers he received, as it was those who desperately needed his divine aid who usually called to him. In the Nexus’ command center, it was normal to see several Sevs who were just sitting by the entrance, ready to act on prayers that required immediate attention.

Slaves who begged for release would find the divine metal legion tearing through their slavers within days, victims of hidden abuses would see their abusers dragged out into public as their crimes were laid out before they were messily smote by Sev’s heralds.

Unlike the gods of old, this new pantheon had the power to act directly and not-so-indirectly, and there was little doubt when they intervened.

By the end of the third month, the new pantheon had established their reputation, and the Nexus officially became a theocracy. Rumors shifted from guessing who he was bringing to bed, to speculating on what the trials were to receive the gift of divinity. Many attempted to join the holy harem, but other than an elf and a Warrior Bunny, all applications were politely but firmly rejected.

In the same vein, Sev’s actual priesthood was small, comprised mostly of retired 1st Company troopers and advisors, or the elite few who had garnered his trust. They had little to do save for ensuring that nobody annoyed Sev by claiming that they spoke for him.

The Rose-Order of Knights became the Rose Order of Paladins, led by the demigoddess Pina. Still serving as local enforcers, thanks to divine favor and the promise of a divine fucking, they became the softer, more popular face of the Cult thanks to how often they interacted with the non-believers who visited Sev’s land.

Lelei took part in accepting Rondel’s full conversion to the Cult of Sev, particularly dedicating the mage university to Curie, who had sent an incarnation there as well. It was weird to see her stepsister suddenly so…friendly to her, the sibling rivalry smothered as Arpeggio sought to join the vaunted Great Study of Magic.

In no time at all, Sev became the dominant divine power on this end of the Gate, and under his guidance the Nexus Theocracy became the world’s uncontested superpower. Few would try to provoke him and his lands, particularly regional gods and demigods that were not affiliated to the old pantheon, but the utter obliteration that followed quickly put an end to that fad.

Supposedly, on the other side of the Gate, Sev’s reign as a god-ruler (he hated being called a king in any way) was similar, as having an active pantheon in a war-blasted world often proved to be all that was needed to convince many to lay down their arms. Sev still was eager to conduct wars with minor powers though, preferring to keep his mortal and semi-divine armies battle ready.

On both ends of the Gate, the reign of the Nexus Theocracy began, followed by its subsequent and inevitable expansion throughout the worlds. The pantheon would expand as those truly favored by him ascended, and former apostles of the old gods proved their utter subservience to him. Some would recognize the irony or the humor that Rory Mercury ascended to become the Goddess of Love, and many would find it appropriate to learn of Gwen McNamara’s ascension to Goddess of Law, and Edward rising to become the God of Battle.