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A Planetwide lunar eclipse occurs every 600-700 years, during which time the son of Satan will be born through a mortal vessel. This event will be followed by a solar eclipse 6 days later. During the interim, this individual called the Warlock (https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net must summon his father from his hellish prison into the mortal realm before the solar eclipse. The devil can then walk the earth to conquer and destroy it. The only way to prevent this are six magical rune stones that create light to vanquish the darkness. These stones are in the possession of an ancient organization of Druids tasked with protecting the world. The rune stones are used in a ritual during the birth of the warlock, excorsicing the demon back to hell.

The problem is that the Catholic Church regard this organization as a pagan cult, and their members as practicioners of witchcraft. The church seeks to wipe them out and exterminate their history, and has obligated all of their allies in the Holy Roman Empire to hunt them down. In lite of this, the Druids must find a way to conceal themselves from their enemies to protect the rune stones in order for them to assemble when the time is right. There are, however, a number of problems with there options.

If the organization stays together, they can keep themselves and the stones in a relatively close vicinity and can assemble easily when needed. However, it makes them easy pickings if they are located by the wrong people. This makes them vulnerable to being wiped out all at once. If they diverse themselves across the world, they become harder to exterminate completely. If one sect is killed, they will have no information on where others are located, allowing the majority to survive. However, this can lead to the Druids being a forgotten order as centuries pass. The stones can become lost to time as they remsin scattered. This is a period without smartphones and email. Without any efficient way to communicate with each other, sects can simply fade into history.

How can the Druids remain safe while hiding the runes to fulfill their task?

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    $\begingroup$ How many members are required at any given time ? If it's just six and they can train e.g. apprentices then it's easier than requiring hundreds of thousands. If all you need is six people to carry the stones and meet up eventually then that's simpler than needs a large number all the time (or at the end). Also how serious a threat do the church regard this as - a nuisance or a real threat to mankind's survival ? The search will be different as will it's development over time. $\endgroup$
    – StephenG - Help Ukraine
    Jul 6, 2020 at 22:40
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    $\begingroup$ "Followed by a solar eclipse 6 days later": Here on our Earth, a solar eclipse cannot happen within less than 15 days of a lunar eclipse, because a full half month must pass for the Moon to move from behind Earth to in front of Earth. It follows that the story in not set on Earth. The story being not set on Earth, the words Druid, Catholic and Holy Roman Empire cannot possibly have their earthly meanings. What they mean is unspecified, and thus the question is ill-defined. Voting to close as unclear what is being asked. $\endgroup$
    – AlexP
    Jul 6, 2020 at 23:04
  • $\begingroup$ maybe try check christian during roman persecution? to see how this religious cult survive and dominate rome in the end despite many horrible massacre. $\endgroup$
    – Li Jun
    Jul 7, 2020 at 7:29
  • $\begingroup$ This isn't nearly as hard as you think it is: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakure_Kirishitan $\endgroup$
    – Ton Day
    Jul 7, 2020 at 21:19
  • $\begingroup$ I agree that it needs more details. Given the vastness of the world, how can the druids possibly hope to find the right vessel so they can use the ritual on them during the birth? How close do they have to be? Why can't they just kill the vessel (or its mother, before the birth even happens) if they lose the stones? Why won't the Devil's opponent intervene if the stones are lost? How is the vessel selected? Given that the devil can try indefinitely, and only has to win once, why isn't the world's destruction inevitable - humankind cannot win, all we can manage to do is not lose today? $\endgroup$
    – Ton Day
    Jul 7, 2020 at 21:24

2 Answers 2

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One druid. And he is a bishop.

People doing witchy culty things will attract the ire of the church. This runestone stuff is too serious to get mixed up in all that.

One person keeps all the stones. This person is highly placed in the church and above suspicion, in no small part because he does not indulge in the pagan stuff. This person has disciples as is appropriate for a religious leader. If the lone druid dies, one of the disciples has a letter to be opened at the time of his death, which explains about the stones and their importance.

When the ceremony needs to be performed, the Druid deputizes several trusted members of his entourage. Under the freaky circumstances he will not have difficulty with that.

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  • $\begingroup$ The Church isn't above suspicion. Even the Spanish Inquisition themselves would go after their own (albeit lower-ranked) members on suspicion of heresy, and should their be some kind of religious upheaval, then there's a good likelihood of all members of the previous inquisition office or anyone sympathetic to the old order getting.accused of heresy. $\endgroup$
    – Halfthawed
    Jul 6, 2020 at 23:39
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The Whoniverse Answer:

According to Doctor Who, especially in the 1970s, you can't swing a cat on any planet in the galaxy without hitting a robed cult of some sort sneaking about in cellars or after dark upon assorted weird errands.

Simply don't make a big deal about the purpose of the group nor the stones, and absolutely don't sneak about after dark in robes. Let the Church inquisitors wear themselves out upon all those other amateurs while your geology and public service clubs meet openly on Saturday afternoons. Your stargazing club meets monthly at the church just before sunset, Mrs Wattle brings tea for everybody.

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