> a brief timeline I'd be proud to have debated by Malkioni fans
As I'm broadly delighted with this timeline, I'll only comment in detail on the few highly-technical issues that I'd query.
> 1) first decade
I think Hrestol's thoughts aren't written down until after his martyrdom, which may have been more like thirty or so years into Time. But no real problem with this. Hrestol is put to death by the Brithini overlords of Sog City, but a miracle which occurs at the moment of his execution makes it clear that something wonderful has happened, and the Brithini cannot keep the lid on it (as his martyrdom was a public spectacle).
> 2) first century
As well as spreading among the oppressed Brithini, and the "Old Malkioni" (who've inherited the entire downside of Brithini Malkionism with few if any of the benefits), Hrestolism is also spreading among the sub-human native populace of Akem, those crude Hsunchen primitive barbarians. These have never been approached by the Brithini: it's the first spreading of Malkionism away from the descendents of old Brithini colonists.
Apart from this, I agree 100% with Sandy's timeline and characterisation.
This is also an Age of Marvels for the "Early Church", with martyrs and miracles aplenty. Books of Hrestol's alleged teachings (and accounts of his life etc.) are being produced, but these owe as much to individual preachers' interpretations as to the Real Thing. Note that the epicentre of all this is Akem in Fronela, not Seshneg (which is still doing fine under the Serpent Kings and their polytheistic Malkioni beliefs).
> 3) second century
At this point Hrestolism is not monotheistic. The realisation that "not all Hrestoli are the same " is combined to some extent with the decision that "some gods are evil and not worthy of appeasement or propitiation". First victims of this new "hard line" are the Earth Cults of old Seshneg, Queen Seshna Likita and her various deified husbands, which are condemned as "corrupt and pagan". The old Basmoli animal cults probably get whacked by the same backlash. But Hrestoli Malkionism is still a broad church and acknowledges many gods and powers in the universe.
> 4) third century
Yes, I agree 100% with this interpretation.
> 5) fourth century
The "unholy mess" is exactly right! Praise the Lord for the God Learners!
This is just my tuppen'orth as co-author of "How the West was One". The only area of our "History of Malkionism" which this impinges on would be the early Ecclesiastical Councils, and that article acknowledges it's a post-God Learner reconstruction of events which may (or may not) have taken place at the very Dawn of Time...
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