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Prime universe
(Capcom's primary storyline)
Los Iluminados

Los Iluminados' Insignia

Los Iluminados (from Spanish, meaning "The Enlightened") is a religion native to an isolated, mountainous region of Spain. It lasted throughout ancient times until several centuries ago when its adherents were eradicated by a Christian army led by the First Castellan, a folk figure in the region. It experienced a mysterious revival at the start of the twenty-first century and became militant. In late-2004 its adherents were again killed, this time by a number of foreign agents.

The religion was centered around the power of the Plagas, parasite organisms they believed held some divine significance. Adherents believed that the surrender of body and soul to the creatures was key to spiritual cleanliness and the gateway to true happiness.

History

Early history

Game 2014-08-04 21-09-11-859

Evidence of Los Iluminados' early beginnings could be found in a cave.

Los Iluminados existed in Europe in ancient times, and may have been connected with the island culture, given their cave art could be found on the same island as this people's ruins. During the Spanish Inquisition, the first Castellan of the region, in fierce opposition to the religion's teachings, launched a violent repression on its activities, seemingly eliminating them.[1][2]

Reemergence

When the castle was under the rule of the 8th Castellan, Los Iluminados - now being led by Osmund Saddler - was allowed to mine the area. Salazar felt that he should atone for the sins of his ancestors, who sealed the Plagas away from humanity.[3] Eventually, Saddler was successful in occupying the castle and using said castle as a base for his cult.

When Ramon Salazar released the Plagas seal no one thought they could bring them back to life. However, Plaga remains were found to be fossilized. Although they appeared fossilized, they were able to survive the long years by lying in a dormant state at the cellular level remaining in a spore-like form. These were found to be what first infected the miners, becoming full-fledged Plagas after many years of development. Likely using these first Plagas, Saddler perfected the ability to reproduce the organism and took to implanting Plaga eggs into new hosts.

The cult's followers were soon implanted with Plagas along with much of the local population who had joined the cult. Saddler himself was implanted with a Dominant Species Plaga and as such has direct control over the others, using lieutenants with similarly augmented Plagas to monitor and direct the Ganados on the ground.

The villagers then returned to life as normal as they could, farming, attending cult services at the local church, acting as guards for Salazar's castle or working the mines while the cult zealots engaged in dark rituals and sacrifices in the name of Saddler.

The plan

Some time before Autumn 2004, American agent Jack Krauser, while secretly working for Albert Wesker, arrived at the village in search of the parasite. He was later used to kidnap Ashley Graham, daughter of U.S. President Graham, as part of an Iluminados plot to do no less than take over the entire world by infecting Ashley and returning her to her father in order to influence the United States' executive branch. Saddler noted, however, that in order to take over the US, the parasites would need to spread to those with influence over the President's decisions - Congress; the Department of Justice; military government agencies and large private companies.[4][5]

Plan B was to use Saddler's paramilitary militia to infiltrate the United States and sow discord from within, likely gaining converts to Los Iluminados as they went. Ada Wong, an agent for "the 3rd Organization" and subordinate to Wesker, destabilized "Plan B" when she sank the militia's warship docked within the island.[6]

Alliance with Glenn Arias

Years later, the remnants of Los Iluminados allied themselves with arms dealer, Glenn Arias, to plan a massive terror attack in New York. The attack was successful though the surviving victims were cured when Arias was killed by Chris Redfield.

Cultural practices

Los Iluminados members congregated in specially dedicated buildings for communal rituals. The villagers modified their local church to suit their new religion. It was here that Saddler conducted ceremonies for the cult. As a holdover from Christian tradition, the ringing of a church bell was interpreted by the locals as a call to worship. The cult members living at the Salazar castle also conducted their ceremonies, which involved praying before an unidentified golden idol resembling a blood-soaked dagger with the Los Ilumnados logo on the hilt.

An older practice was ritualistic human sacrifice, which existed as long as the religion itself based on the cave paintings. The village Ganados in 2004 prayed in a cave decorated with a Los Iluminados emblem before murdering people. Ada Wong was briefly captured and laid on a stone alter to be hacked to death with axes; her acrobatic skills allowed her to escape.

Another practice seen in the village cultists was the use of signposts to warn of any booby traps. They appeared as wooden sticks sticking out of the ground with human skulls attached with rope.

Gallery

Bibliography

Sources

notes


references
  1. Hamamura (ed). Kaitaishinsho. p.14
  2. Excerpt from biohazard4 kaitaishinsho revised edition, page 014:
    "アシュリーが監禁れていたヨーロッパのとある村にて、 古くから活動してきた独自の宗教団体——それがロス・イルミナドス教団である。「教え導く者たち」の名を取る同教団は、 古来、 特殊な方法を用いることにより、 信者を増やしてきたが、 信心以前に教祖が信者を身も心も完全に支配する……という特異性ゆえか、 初代領主から激しい弾圧を受けて衰退。しかし、 現領主ラモンが信徒となり全面的に協力をはじめてからは、 教団の力は村全体に広まり、 いまや村人全員が信徒となった。現教祖サドラーは全世界にその力を浸透させんとの危険思想を抱いており、 アシュリー誘拐事件への関与もおおいに疑われる。"
  3. Resident Evil 4 (2005), file: "Castellan Memo"
  4. biohazard4 (2005), file: "The goal of the cult"
  5. Hamamura (ed.),kaitaishinsho, p.449
  6. Resident Evil 4 (2005), level: "Separate Ways" Chapter 3
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