>>722945919
My theory, and it's a good one backed up by loads of evidence, is that the pilgrimage was encouraged to get more meat to run the Underworks. Someone needed to keep the power on and do all the menial chores around The Citadel since all the full citizens were busy engaging in The Chorus to keep Granny Silk asleep. So the pilgrims who made it through Blasted Steps or Sinners' Road were immediately conscripted into serfdom in The Underworks to keep things functioning. The Architects were trying to automate everything, but they didn't quite get that far and needed manual labor in the power plant