If I recall correctly, Mariah said she would join If the ESA followed the prophet directly and had only Mathurin as the sole prophet, which whoever I spoke with disagreed to.
Though at that point I had kind of stopped caring about Battlemaster and was just going through the motions. I had a really long period of just playing the game without writing anything.
Ah yes, 'sole' would've been an issue. ESA follows Mathurin, but also holds Rabisu and Malus as prophets. Some within ESA hold Seoras as prophet. But there is nothing in Mathurin's words that proclaimed him the only prophet, that was only part of the corrupted political-establishment of SA after he departed. Even that SA does not follow Mathurin's teachings anymore, but Jonsu-Alaster-Helm corruption
Our view of prophethood is that a Prophet is acclaimed/recognized by the Church community, not self-declared or appointed by elders. In other words, it something that is earned by behavioral distinction of one's peers.
See, I really think thats a part of why we have different smaller groups and frustrated people, is people coming and going. So, for myself, I know I came after frustrated folks within both SA, Lurian, and Asylon/Bloodmoon corners, and I tried to work with elements of each where we were compatible first by reforming the existing and then founding ESA.
Meanwhile, some of those folks I came after were too frustrated with events that they either quit, pause, or were barely-engaged. Until finally I become frustrated enough with others not-engaging that I myself pause, barely-engage, and pause again.
And meanwhile to my disengagement, new players have come, old players have created new accounts, unpaused, or gotten more active, and are now frustrated with my disengagement, so that they try to reform institutions I've already tried to reform, and create institutions to do what I've already been doing with institutions created. No differently than me starting a new institution after there were already existing institutions, or having attempted reforming other existing institutions. And so we continue the cycle...
