The Devotionalists are a group of Kinshaya that reject the reining orthodoxy but instead believe that knowledge of the divine is gained on a direct, personal level rather than mediated through the church. A primary faction of these Devotionalists arose on Janalwa, one of the older and most populated planets in the Holy Order of the Kinshaya, which allowed them an amount of clout and independence from the Order until the Kinshaya homeworld was destroyed and governance transferred to the planet. With the higher amount of influence, the Devotionalists were declared heretical and their numbers reduced from a sudden series of purges, driving them underground but rallying public support and inspiring a populist resistance.
By 2382, multiple factions had arisen on Janalwa; while they all sought to oust the reining regime of the Pontifex Maxima, some chose to seek peaceful methods while others were willing to resort to the use of force. The leader of the movement was Yeffir, and Nagrom led a group of more aggressive dissidents.
The Romulan Unification movement sent a delegation to advise and support the Devotionalists; also among the group were Starfleet Lieutenants Jasminder Choudhury and T'Ryssa Chen under aliases forged by Starfleet Intelligence. The groups first assembled together in the catacombs of an old abandoned church where a plan was put together for peaceful protests the following day.
At their first public rally in Niamlar Circle at the heart of Rashtag, Yeffir spoke to the hundreds of Kinshaya of all ages that assembled, calling on Pontifex Ykredna to stand down and allow reformation, condemning the current regime's actions. However, in short time, the Inquisitors declared the assembly sacrilegious and demanded the crowd disperse, and when their orders were refused, began to strike with clubs and force field projectors. Nagrom, T'Ryssa Chen, and others began to fight back, but suddenly dozens of Breen appeared and fired disruptor shots into the crowd, scattering the rally.
Yeffir was wounded and taken prisoner, eight Devotionalists were killed, the Unificationists lost two, and many others were wounded. The government seized control of the public information network, and edited footage of the protests to make it appear the Devotionalists mounted a violent terroristic uprising that the brave Breen cohorts had lent assistance in restoring order. The remaining Devotionalists were forced to hide out in an abandoned complex on the outskirts of Rashtag as the Breen began patrols of the streets and catacombs, imposed a curfew, and searched the homes of any suspected sympathizers. Members of Nagrom's faction clashed with the Inquisitors in several incidents while the leaders regrouped.
Nagrom tried to rally the group to gather the support of the public and fight back, but the Romulan Vranien argued it would only serve to defeat their purpose and make the protestors seem as hateful as the government was trying to make them out to be. Choudhury tried to temper Chen's emotions of loss and the desire to act, insisting that non-violence is in itself a course of action. This conversation was inadvertently heard by the others gathered, and Vranien seized on the words to bolster the Devotionalists for another public rally the following day.
The following day, nearly twenty thousand descended upon Niamlar Circle before the Inquisitors could blockage the entry points. Yeffir's second, Hycneb, and Choudhury under cover spoke again to the assembled crowd, and again the Breen threatened the group. After several escalating warnings, the order to fire upon the leaders was given to the Breen, causing the crowd to panic and fleet, but the Devotionalists stood firm. Unknown to the government, Chen and Lorrav were able to override the block on the information network and the footage was broadcast live across the Holy Order. The weight of the crisis grew heavy on the local leaders, who had to force the Breen to stand down and withdraw. With hundreds dead, the incident became known as the Niamlar Massacre.
Having overseen the security response but now ashamed of their actions, Vicar General Tepesor began to lead a movement among the priestly government calling for reformation. Tepesor ordered the Inquisitors to halt persecution of heterodox Kinshaya, released Yeffir, and volunteered to participate in negotiating a transition to a more populist government. (ST - Typhon Pact eBook: The Struggle Within)
By 2384, the Devotionalists had taken control of the government of the Holy Order, but Kinshaya loyal to the Episcopate still remained. The loyalists loathed the Devotionalists, and desired to overthrow them and return to their previous power. (TNG eBook: The Stuff of Dreams)