The Patriarch

Lore & Background

There is no historical record within RimWorld canon of a figure called 'The Patriarch' who established Imperial doctrine. The Empire's religious structure centers entirely on the divinity of the reigning Emperor or Empress, whose authority is absolute and unchallenged by any preceding spiritual architect. Additionally, the faction known as 'The Hegemony' does not exist in RimWorld; this name likely stems from confusion with other universes. Imperial dogma rejects the worship of a 'Great Machine'; instead, mechanized entities like Mechanoids are viewed as distinct, often hostile forces associated with artificial intelligence and ancient technology, separate from the Empire's human-centric religious faith.

In Their Own Story

The dust motes danced in the shafts of light piercing the cathedral's stained glass. Elder Bishop Kaelin knelt before the sealed archive, his hands trembling not from age, but reverence. The scroll he held was brittle, its ink faded to rust. It spoke of a time before the current Emperor, when faith alone held the Rimworlds together against the void. 'The Patriarch walked among us,' the text read, 'and his word became law.' Kaelin closed the book, feeling the weight of centuries pressing down on the stone floor. The Empire was vast and ironclad, but it all began with a whisper from this forgotten name.

Reader's Guide

Who They Are: A legendary or historical figurehead within the Empire's religious structure, often cited as the originator of Imperial dogma. Role and Arc: Serves as the spiritual predecessor to current high clergy. Their arc is one of establishment rather than active conflict, setting the stage for the Empire's expansion through faith. Powers/Skills: Possesses immense historical influence over religious doctrine; capable of commanding loyalty from generations of followers long after death. Defining Moments: The codification of Imperial religious law and the unification of early colonies under a single spiritual banner, though specific dates remain lost to history.

Did You Know?

• The concept of 'Moscow, Third Rome' was formulated in the 15th–16th centuries in the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
• Metropolitan Zosimus, in a foreword to his work of 1492, called Ivan III 'the new Tsar Constantine of the new city of Constantine — Moscow.'
• The monk Philotheus wrote in the early 16th century: 'two Romes have fallen, the third stands, and there will be no fourth.'
• The 1589 charter establishing the Moscow Patriarchate was the first official state document to incorporate the phrase about Moscow being the Third Rome.
• Under President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church have utilized the legacy of 'Moscow, Third Rome' to assert Russia's exceptionalism.