There is a fringe branch of the Curtain local to Kensdale, Ohio that worships the Pied Piper as a Christ-like figure who was crucified at the Calvary (or execution place) of Hameln, Germany and rose again to lead the town’s children through the cave where he was laid to rest.
Unlike that of the Curtain itself, the iconography of this sect seems to contain a notable amount of sheep imagery—in most cases overshadowing that of the rats. Not being present in Pied Piper lore, it seems these are a product of the same conflations with Christian lore which may have produced this denomination in the first place.
Both the Curtain and this mysterious sect believe a Rapture event will occur, brought about by the imaginations of children. Both aspire to reach Calvaria, or the Valley, which is analogous to Heaven in their respective intertwined theologies. It has been said that this Kensdale-based sect referred to themselves as Calvarians prior to their dissolution.
Caroline Hunter has been studying the Calvarians for years, but due to their small numbers/an apparent dispersal that occurred a decade prior, firsthand accounts of the group and their beliefs remain sparse. It’s rumored that a small rotting church in the woods is where they originally practiced, though structural instability and likely infestation has made it hazardous to investigate.
If we are to adhere to the Static Rapture theory posited by Hunter in her controversial manuscript, CURTAIN CALL: How Christian Theology Shaped the Cult of the Unseen, we may be able to explain the sudden disappearances of both the Calvarian sect and the Curtain members of Kensdale. Both cults believe in an end-of-days which they aspired to incur themselves by grooming children to be vessels of divine energy. Their methods differed, with the Calvarians for instance ascribing all members under the age of 18 the surname “Moutman,” designating them (Hunter states) as “sacrificial lambs to the Great Nil.” Upon reaching adulthood, this title would be rescinded, though the name has resurfaced in local records.
Investigations into the Calvarian denomination remain ongoing, and whether their presence in Kensdale led to the Curtain’s invasion of the town at the turn of the 21st century cannot be stated for certain at this point in time.
