After the merging of the worlds and the signing of the Seelie Pact, humans and fae learned to live with each other side by side, as neighbours, allies, and friends. Or at least, most of them did. While the opinion of the general population lay somewhere in the middle, there were always a few hardliners - on both sides - who wanted change. Some wished to see the whole world turned fae, either to strip the gods and saints of their power or simply for their own ideals. Others saw the fae as an unnatural menace to be dealt with harshly and conclusively. Particularly prominent among this latter group were Lord Shipwright Osmund and St Boniface.
Of those who would rather see peace than conflict, Stanley the Abiding and other members of the Collegium Profanum sought to institute laws for the safe use of fae magic - both to limit its harm and appease any naysayers. Meanwhile, Pope Celeste I, prior to her own ascension, brought in new laws to make the fae more equal to humans in the eyes of the church (which in turn sparked a line of theological debate which continues to this day) and encouraged peace and justice for all. Yet none of this could cause St Boniface to stray from his path. Even the direct intercession of Saint Gavin and his repeated attempts to make peace with Boniface were to no avail. And so, inevitably, this led to a number of key incidents.
The first, they say, although the tales are changeable and sometimes vague, occurred in the Alps. A few small villages nestled near the base of the mountains found over time that their inhabitants began to turn gradually fae. Some called this a blessing; others a curse. When word of this got out, a team of Inquisitors arrived, they say, by flying ship and accompanied by the manifestation of St Boniface himself. They stormed through the villages seeking the source of this corruption and slaying any who stood in their way. Their investigations led them to the streams which supplied the villages with water; these in turn led up to the top of the mountain where they found a magical spring - the source of this fae transformation. The spring was tended by a mysterious fae who, they say, chose to disguise himself as a devout priest. However, confronted by the might of St Boniface, he fled and was never seen again.
The next noteworthy incident again involved a spate of fae transformations. These, however, occurred sporadically across the world. They were also less mysterious, being blatantly instigated by Ishri, Demiurge of Change. It is noted that many of her targets were sailors or shipwrights, presumably in direct defiance against the Lord Shipwright.
Though still young for a Demiurge, Ishri’s power was great and the battle between her and Boniface was one of the greatest since the death of Aelindis. The scar on the land can still be seen north of Stuttgart. Both the Demiurge and the Saint of the Inquisition brought all their powers to bear against each other. In addition to his deadly scythe, the saint and his followers attempted to weaken Ishri with a variety of ingenious cold iron weapons - clearly the work of a master craftsman such as Osmund. But Ishri was soon joined by Lahav BenIdan, and together their powerful magics were enough to tear the physical manifestation of St Boniface apart.
When St Boniface eventually recovered from this blow, he immediately set out on a killing spree, slaying every fae he could find. This prompted resistance not only from the fae and magic communities, but also from the Church. Such outrageously violent behaviour forced the hand of Pope Celeste, who ordered all his relics be found and brought to her. With the aid of St Adela, she bound his relics for all eternity, shackling his power and removing him from this world. St Adela now keeps watch over the chest in which lies the final relic of St Boniface.
Though Boniface was forcibly bound, the Lord Shipwright remained free and vocal on the subject of the fae menace. Now, years later, he is joined by another: Braith, God of Vengeance, has ascended and sided with Osmund. Though she is yet to make her views on the fae clear, she and Osmund both see themselves as truly Pagan gods. They distance themselves from the signatories of the Pact of Aleyn, and there remains an ongoing tension between themselves and the Christians.