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Circle of Thorns:
Religious Intolerance

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What they say:

"Starting in the late 1800's, the Circle of Thorns, a cruel coterie founded by Baron Zoria, has been a nonstop nuisance across the globe. Initially, the cult was deemed quite harmless, but as their numbers quickly and inexplicably grew, so did their controversial powers. After it became known that they delved into such black arts as ritual human sacrifice and demonomancy, the outcry of many religious leaders forced many European countries to enact laws that forced the Circle of Thorns from the continent and to Paragon City. Unfortunately, this worked out to their advantage as Baron Zoria became obsessed with finding the mystical city of Oranbega, which he believed to be buried under our very streets. The Circle of Thorns were often a target of many heroes in the city, and were eventually thought to be vanquished, but recently they reemerged, proving to be even more of a threat."

- “Introduction to Folklore in Rhode Island” by: Josef Keller

The Truth:
Religion is often a controversial topic. As the saying goes, the two topics you never bring up are politics and religion. I believe I’ve proven I don’t shy away from the former, so perhaps it’s time I scrutinize the latter. Normally, I see this topic as quite off limits myself as it is a hot topic, but it’s unavoidable to point out the injustices to the Circle of Thorns without addressing it.

Religious stigmas are nothing new. Take a glance at a history book, and you’ll see a veritable list of powerful religions clashing in bloody battles or smaller skirmishes: the Inquisition, jihads, the Middle East, the Crusades, etc. I’d say most civilized countries have evolved past these aggressions and have learned to live with each other, but that would refute my entire point. This is occurring in Paragon City today with the constant debate over the Circle of Thorns’ fight to be able to practice their religious beliefs.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit the Circle of Thorns do some strange things, but who am I to judge? Again, nothing new. When religions of yore had people dancing naked in moonlight and carving up animals for prophetic visions, are their attempts to chat with demons so unusual? So they’re looking for a mystical city? Was Ponce de Leon chastised for searching out the fountain of youth? If not for him, maybe Florida and the Southeast wouldn’t be part of our country. Who knows what the Circle of Thorns will find in their searches. At worst, they find nothing. At best, they find their holy land. Is that so horrible? We’re often excavating lands looking for the past, and this group has an actual link to it. I say let them find their Oranbega!

Of course, people will probably bring up all the things the Circle of Thorns have been accused of over the years. They were run out of Europe under suspicion of human sacrifices and such. How much can we rely on that? In the 17th century, we had people in this very country believing there were witches flying around their villages. It’s been recently speculated that that hysteria can be attributed to hallucinogenic mold. Isn’t it possible the same happened here? Even if that’s not the case, we don’t exactly know that the Circle of Thorns are the same group that existed back then. As mentioned in the above section, the Circle of Thorns were thought to have vanished, so it’s completely possible this group is related only in name and belief, and not actions.

Speaking of witches though, let’s not forget that the occult is nothing that is outlawed in this city. Take a gander at heroes like Clarissa Moore, the aptly named War Witch. It’s known she communes with spirits, and who knows what else? In fact, the Federal Bureau of Super-powered Affairs (FBSA) has an entire division devoted to integrating magic using heroes into the city - Modern Arcane Guild of Investigation or MAGI. Even Statesman himself has recently admitted to having magic origins recently (although the water that supposedly gave him his power sits in MAGI’s vault and is as potent as the water from my toilet.) If these mystic monkeys can practice their magic, why can’t the Circle of Thorns? Is it because they choose to use theirs piously rather than violently for the “safety” of the city?

The Circle of Thorns perform a holy ritual.

Why is Tabitha Fabish tolerated, but not the Circle of Thorns?

The Circle of Thorns attacked under Statesman's directive!

Why?

Which brings me to the “why.” Why has the Circle of Thorns been singled out? Perhaps Statesman has some sort of grudge against them for not using their talents to help him strengthen his stronghold on the city. It’s very easy to label them as religious wackos since their beliefs have been controversial in the past. Of course, Aleister Crowley was quite a controversial figure himself, but no one bats an eye when Tabitha Fabish doles out his artifacts to heroes. Overall, I think it boils down to greed and a fear of the unknown. One of the things the Circle of Thorns wants the most is to find Oranbega. If it’s found, what knowledge might it contain? I guess Statesman is a little too afraid of having anyone but himself gleans that information.

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