Gargesh

Gargesh, born Gargesh Lashughi (538 - 572), was a priestess of the Hand whose heresy, known as the Error of Gargesh, lasted throughout most of the 560s. Little is known of her life in rural Omba until 561, when Gargesh began training men in the mysteries of the Hand of the Dead, in open defiance of Hand leadership and centuries of practice. By 563, Gargesh had attracted a considerable following, including some members of the Voice, who were trained as Hands and thus followed both priesthoods of the Corps. Prior to that time (and since then) there had been men and women who had socially transitioned their gender and received training as Hands and Voices, but Gargesh was the first to openly advocate that regardless of one's gender, one could receive training in either priesthood. This principle stood directly in opposition to the duality of the priesthood advocated since Zunuga's time, and both the Hand and the Voice began working against it. The Error of Gargesh enjoyed some popularity in Omba and Khutu. However, by around 570 Gargesh had been imprisoned for her beliefs and she was eventually executed in Omba in 572.