And more importantly:
A frightened populace is easier to sway.
The humans of the outskirts began seeking meaning in their survival. They studied the statues. They whispered prayers. They pieced together scraps of lore, half-truths, and desperate conclusions.
Their understanding coalesced into something new.
A relationship, a story and a theology born from terror and gratitude.
Keles, the vampire godlings, and the night linked together in a fragile triangle of reverence and fear.
From these whispers, the people drew a single, powerful conclusion:
The Empire must have angered the night itself. Why else would these creatures suddenly appear and began to roam the land at night? Why else would divine protectors appear only after the Empire began enforcing its harsh decrees?
The logic was flawed, tangled, but emotionally perfect. And belief is a weapon that does not need accuracy only force and action.
The rumor spread.
