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A what if a major Gnostic Christian sect survived outside of Roman influence.

143 AD Valentinus having failed to become Bishop of Rome withdrew to Cyprus and continued to draw converts to his beliefs.

With his sect growing in numbers Rome started to suppress this new upstart.

In 148 AD Valentinus has a dream, a divine intervention telling him to take his followers by ship through the Pillars of Hercules and God will deliver them to a land beyond the reach of Rome.
As only the faithful will be delivered a series of trials will test the belief of his followers to ensure they are worthy.

Over the next two years Valentinus and his followers pool all their possession to purchase a dozen ships and prepare to journey to the chosen land.

In 151 AD the fleet sails, for once the Romans leave them be as they are only more then happy to let this troublesome group fend for themselves on the outskirts of the empire.
The fleet next made port at Carthago Nova taking on all the supplies that they could carry.
On entering the Great Sea the fleets is hit by a series of tempests each worst then the last.
The fleet is blown far from known lands and only Valentinus and his iron faith in his vision keeps the faithful together.
The tempests eventually cease and the fleet comes across some islands that enables the fleet to re-provision.
The fleet is hit by more tempests the followers are becoming afraid that they are not worthy and several die from a mysterious malady unknown to the healers among the fleets.
After the last tempest even Valentinus is starting to doubt his faith when suddenly in the dead of night the tempest stops and the ships start to drift while their crews collapse into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning Valentinus awakes to a bright flashing light in his eyes.

During the night the ships have drifted into a sheltered bay and as Valentinus looks around the flashing light strikes his face again.
This time he notices its shape in the shape of the Holy Cross and he lets out a cry and begins to pray in thanks for deliverance.
the rest of his followers follow his example and offer a prayer of thanks and then they start to unload their ships to make a new life.
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