The Harvester's message, its "Gospel of Perfection," was a bigger threat than any fleet of warships. It was an idea, a beautiful and very dangerous one, and it began to spread like a psychic plague across the weary, war-torn sectors of the galaxy.
The message was especially powerful on the fringe worlds, the places that had seen the most fighting, the most suffering. To people who had lost everything, the promise of a perfect, peaceful world with no more pain was an incredibly tempting offer. It was like offering a cool drink of water to a person who had been lost in the desert for years.
Small cults, calling themselves the "Children of the Divine Sculptor," began to spring up. They would gather in quiet places and listen to the Harvester's gentle, whispered promises that echoed in their minds. They preached a message of peace, of letting go, of accepting the beautiful, final order that the Gardener was offering.
