I still can't figure out how the Darkling wasn't elevated to some very local divine saint status long before the Fold was even created. It would be logical if the existence of such ancient "roots" had been distorted over time, just like everything else in these books.
Worse- it's outright offensive how we're introduced his alleged worshippers, who know nothing about him, and completely ignore his work and goals, aside from "good of Ravka" or whatever.
Okay, let's go, and suffer first...
WARNING: I'M TURNING THIS ASK INTO ANTI BOOK!STARLESS CULT RANT
Nikolai extended his hand. “Come to breakfast. My cook makes a marvelous pork loin.” [the Starless' leader:] “I don’t eat meat.” “Of course you don’t,” Zoya said. “It’s animals you object to killing, not people.” “The Darkling—”
King of Scars- Chapter 7
The Darkling what?!
The Darkling would've wanted his followers to go vegetarian?!
“No, you may not. I wish to speak on the matter of the Starless One and—” Abruptly Yuri straightened. His eyes widened and his jaw went slack as he looked around the room and seemed to finally register where he was. He clasped his hands like a soprano about to sing. “Oh,” the monk gasped. “Oh. It’s you. It’s all of you. I …” He turned to the members of the Triumvirate and bowed deeply. “Moi soverenye, it’s an honor.” He bowed a second time. “An absolute honor.” Down he went again. “A dream, really.” ... Zoya ignored Yuri’s protests and said, “You do realize every member of this Triumvirate fought against your beloved Starless Saint in the civil war?” “Yes, yes, of course.” The monk pushed his wire-rimmed spectacles up the bridge of his long nose. “I do. But, well, David Kostyk, the great Fabrikator who forged the first amplifier worn by Sankta Alina herself.” David looked at him blankly and returned to his reading. “Zoya Nazyalensky, who was one of the Darkling’s most favored soldiers.” Zoya’s lip curled. “And then, of course, Genya Safin, the First Tailor, who bears the marks of the Darkling’s blessing.”
King of Scars- Chapter 9
So the guy sees anti-Darkling murder club as people worth veneration during their lifetimes?! The very same people, who betrayed him? Who stabbed him in the back? He calls rather obvious punishment (again- very era-appropriate) "a blessing"?! The tiny little detail he uses the Darkling's title to address these clowns is just a cherry on the top.
The writing immediately gets worse than Ra-Ra-Apparat.
... if the monster emerged, if Nikolai revealed this dark presence, he might be the very thing that set his country back down the path to violence. “Perhaps you don’t give the people enough credit,” said Yuri. “No?” said Zoya from her perch. “The people who still call Grisha witches despite the years they’ve kept this country safe? Who bar them from owning property in their towns—” ... “People are always looking for someone to blame for their suffering,” Yuri said earnestly. “Ravka has seen so much strife. It’s only natural that—”
King of Scars- Chapter 12
So our little Darkles-worshipping monk is now excusing pogroms?! Poor people needed a scapegoat... oops, it happened to be Grisha?! What a shock!
Nikolai ignored her. He would say what he had to, do what he must to be rid of this sickness. “It was not coincidence that brought you to the palace gates. You were meant to bear witness to the last remnant of the Darkling’s power. You were meant to bring us to the thorn wood. You were meant to free us both.” “Me?” said Yuri, his voice a bare breath, but Nikolai could see that he wanted to believe. Don’t we all? Who didn’t want to think fate had a plan for him, that his hurts and failures had just been the prologue to a grander tale? To a monk becoming a holy warrior. To a bastard becoming a king. “Me,” repeated Yuri. ... “Only you can complete the Darkling’s martyrdom,” said Nikolai. “Will you help me? Will you help him?” “I will,” said Yuri. “Of course I will. I will take you to the thorn wood. I will build a holy pyre.”
-||-
It's just an easily manipulated fool for the dashing heroes to use...
“The followers of the Starless Saint will be waiting,” said the monk, practically dancing. “They know where he fell. They remember.” “Do they?” Zoya retorted. “I don’t recall any of them being there. If they had been, they would remember all of the names of the dead, not just your precious Darkling.”
King of Scars- Chapter 14
As it had been pointed out, the Cult would've been much more interesting (and believable) as a product of efforts of the Darkling's actual supporters. The remains of his forces. Not a bunch of random zealots spewing shit about blessing by merzost.
“Centuries before,” Yuri continued, “the Starless One stood on this very spot and challenged the rules that bound the universe. Only he dared to try to re-create the experiments of the Bonesmith, Ilya Morozova. Only he looked to the stars and demanded more.”
-||-
Okay, now how come some random normie monk knows all this?!
Let's say he found some lost annals written about Ilya. Who would be recording those, and why? A guy with a quill just dropped by, already certain Ilya's life is gonna be worth recording?! The writings survived?! Why would they be in the Church's possession? Are those some more diluted copies of Morozova's journals? How does he know the Darkling's intentions, when we only learn it from Grisha nerd, so it seems more like the kind of information otkazat'sya aren't overly interested in passing on?
Why reading a real history book always contains whole shitload of "We don't know/The records are patchy at best/Writing wasn't widely spread and writing materials deteriorated during ages/The descriptions come only from the enemy, so aren't very reliable...", yet here some rando knows EVERYTHING?!
How convenient the guy, who will be "saved" by the Darkling's action in the Fold read them all, and made such a clear-cut story of it. Again, this would make more sense as something told by a person familiar with Second Army and its leader during his lifetime. Old highly ranking Alkemi, surviving captain of the oprichniki, otkazat'sya librarian from Little Palace... someone, who has a reason to know and spread the glory of the unwavering, immortal General.
Honestly, the choice of Yuri itself makes the Cult much less serious. He isn't someone, whose conviction comes from experience and reason, he's just another fanatic, who read (religious half-lies) and dreamt his way into his faith. It might be enough for an ordinary religion, but it's rather insulting, since the Darkling's life and goals had always been about hard facts and tangible results.
“Great men are often the victims of the lies told by their enemies. What Saint has walked among us who did not face hardships in this life? We have been taught to fear darkness—” “A lesson you failed to learn.” “But we are all alike in the dark,” said the pilgrim. “Rich man, poor man.”
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Why I don't think this is the worst idea ever, I'd rather highlight the safety of being invisible. Then I'd connected it with the traditionally unseen classes of people- servants, people doing inferior yet vital jobs, outcasts etc.- then I'd elaborate into the above in a sense that even the King needs to shit and it won't smell of roses.
Instead of praying, a revolution would suit this MUCH more. Both the idea, and the man. The Darkling being the fallen leader painted on posters, an eclipse akin to sickle and a hammer- a symbol of WHEN are all people the same.
The Cult containing some of those familiar with the Darkling as a living human would offer more personal layer- don't spread grand myths of the Fold and how is it a blessing in disguise, but tales of his modesty, pride in being who he is no matter who spits at him, his effective ways of managing Second Army. Some war stories- a commoner, who isn't related to Grisha, yet learnt to respect the man would be a jackpot. Sure, build a monument, but make it a monument to togetherness. Use him as an iconic outcast ordinary struggling and destitute can relate to.
THEN maybe add that "Great men are often the victims of the lies told by their enemies.". Otherwise it looks just like arrogance defending a ten times convicted criminal walking free. And again- when speaking to possible new worshippers, point out whatever injustice they experienced to make them relate.
Then there was the strange blight that had struck north of Djerholm. Nina didn’t know where that had come from, a natural phenomenon or the work of some rogue Hringsa operative. But she did know there’d been murmurs it was the work of the Starless Saint, retribution for the religious raids and arrests by Brum’s men.
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 2
Priorities.
Brum, of all people, shouldn't be seen merely as a man responsible for suppression of a new-ish religion. He represents an antithesis of everything the Darkling stands for. Strongly nationalistic Fjerdan in charge of Grisha annihilation?
How I hate the complete erasure of Grisha plight from Aleksander's Sainthood.
.... “A blot of shadow rolling over the countryside, like night coming on too quickly. Everything the shadow touches succumbs to blight—livestock, property, even people dissolve into smoke, leaving behind nothing but barren earth.” “Pilgrims came through only a day ago,” said Zoya. “Followers of the Starless One. They claim this is punishment for the reign of a faithless king.”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 3
... They claim this is a sign of the reign of a worthless king.
Faith is one thing, but the Darkling's so closely tied to material concerns, I'd rather highlight current monarchy's other failures. Both neighbours hostile, enormous debt, no clear line of succession, Crown-supported religious crisis, continuing draft for only some parts of population... (and realistically a whole shitload of suspicious innovation and a lack of social security.)
“Besides, there’s a new Saint every week now,” Rasmus continued, clearly enjoying baiting the priest. “Sankta Zoya, Sankta Alina, the Starless One.” “Heresy,” the Apparat snarled. “The followers of the so-called Starless Saint are nothing but a cult of fools dedicated to destabilizing Ravka.” “I hear their membership grows daily.” Demidov laid a comforting hand on the priest’s sleeve. “My first act when we return to Ravka will be to root out the members of this Starless cult and stop their heresy from infecting our country.”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 13
It's already hard to believe Alina's cult is unanimously accepted pretty much immediately- no opposition, no academic disputes, no old believers unwilling to agree a Saint can live after their martyrdom-, but how come there's a voice raised only against the Starless?! The one, who happens to follow the traditional pattern of great deed-> death -> glorification? How come there's no voice raised against Sankta Zoya, whose miracles are what exactly?!
Not only she's still alive, nobody pretends she ever died AND she's a fervent supporter of current King, therefore she should be higher on possible Throne claimant's hit list, than a cold, dead and gone bogeyman.
Sure, the Apparat doesn't have a beef with her, yet...
“This isn’t a weapon,” said Nikolai. “Not one any of us know how to wield. The blight has struck in the Wandering Isle, Fjerda, and Novyi Zem.” She paused, taking that in. “The shadows, the dead soil that follows in the wake of this blight. All of it is reminiscent of the Fold.” “It is.” “There is talk of the return of the Darkling, the Starless One.”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 18
Not one any of us know how to wield. Well, whose fault is that? Perhaps killing the only person with some decent experience, then letting a herd of normies "destroy" the Fold five seconds after miraculously turning into Grisha might've been a giant fuck up instead of freeing the country from whatever.
There is talk of the return...
Do I have to type out HOW well could this be used to overthrow the monarchy?!
If the brilliant little straw man of a monk figured out there's only been one Darkling, why not point out and use any correlations between his "deaths" and stability of the country? If the Darkling's about to return, why not welcome him by levelling the playing field?
Chernov smiled. “And then we continue the good work of spreading the Darkling’s name and championing his Sainthood. Once King Nikolai is deposed, Vadik Demidov will be crowned and we will petition—” “Demidov will be a Fjerdan puppet.” “What do we care for politics of that kind?” “You’ll care when they stack Grisha on the pyre.” “Grisha?” Aleksander had to work to hide his anger. “Was not the Darkling a Grisha?” “He was a Saint. There is a difference. What has come over you, Yuri?”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 26
This is my greatest issue with the whole Cult bullshit.
The Darkling- the proudest of all Grisha to ever Grisha- isn't considered one, AND his lives-long no. 1 goal (since he were thirteen) is dismissed, because who cares about Grisha, right?!
He wasn't only physically robbed of his own being due to his resurrection, his alleged worshippers did it even in less literal sense, and kept spreading that shit.
Chernov took a step forward. “Yuri, you cannot mean that. We have never troubled ourselves with politicians and their games.” “This is no game. The Apparat betrayed the Darkling. He fought against naming him a Saint. He allies himself with Ravka’s enemies. But you would go to ground, trembling like animals without teeth or claws.” “So that we may survive!” “So that we can run back to a corrupt priest when he joins Demidov’s court? So that we can return to begging for his notice by chanting outside the city gates? We were meant for more.” He met the eyes of those watching him, exchanging angry whispers. “No doubt some of you joined this group for the very purpose of avoiding battle. You didn’t want to pick up a gun, so you put on a robe and carried the Starless banner. I will tell you right now, we do not want you here.” “Yuri!” cried Chernov. “This is not our way.”
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Spineless apolitical pacifists.
They can't be further from what the Darkling stands for.
“We don’t dictate the arrival of the Starless Saint. We have to be ready to defend ourselves.”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33
Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?
That's because it's Aleksander talking...
And I would totally make this one of the corner believes of his Cult.
Anyway...
Back to your original ask:
Yes for a shadow monster under little Fjerdans' bed, send to devour all those, who don't want to go to sleep.
Yes for a mysterious forest spirit, who hid in a swathe of darkness a group of unjustly hunted, when they tried to escape their pursuers.
Yes for a cruel noble, with a habit to bed all the most beautiful maidens in his domain, having his eyes see only black nothing after he strikes another pure girl for resisting him.
I'll end with my personal headcanon of what Aleksander as a Saint should represent:
Starless Saint, patron of outsiders, oppressed and nameless, shadowy friend of all lonely and friendless, propagator of fighting back and getting shit done.
Best worshipped by leaving sweets on his altars, since he himself is said to leave candy by children’s beds at night.
