End of the World Cult
The End of the World Cult operates from the Border settlement in the Northern Clime, founded by a man named Auden who claims to have seen the truth about what ails the world. That truth, as Auden tells it, is that the boundary between life and death has been breached, and the world's suffering flows from that wound. If balance between the living and the dead can be restored, the world will right itself. If not, everything will continue sliding toward death until nothing else remains. The Cult's mission is to maintain that border by force.
In practice, this means hunting Full Dead, Unborn, psions, and Semper Mort with trained, daily-drilled combat efficiency. Acolytes man the Guardhouse towers at the Border and fire on approaching undead and, occasionally, unmasked Retrogrades whom nervous gunners mistake for walking corpses. Psions who display their abilities openly are executed on sight as too tainted by the other side to be permitted among the living. Graverobbers are mistrusted as meddlers with forces they do not understand. Sacrificial rituals at the Reptile House involve drugging condemned individuals and lowering them into a pool of trained reptiles, a spectacle that serves as both punishment and theological demonstration.
What distinguishes the End of the World Cult from the Fallow Hopes is nuance that most outsiders miss. The Fallow Hopes seek to assault the Gravemind directly, treating it as an enemy to be destroyed. Auden's cult respects the Gravemind as a power to be managed, not eliminated. In some ways, it has become their god. They do not wish to break death; they wish to put it back in its place. Many members try to bring balance into their own lives, killing when necessary and helping when they can, seeking equilibrium in all things. The theology is coherent, the conviction genuine, and the methods brutal. Sermons at the Palace preach about the fallen world and the duty to hold the line. Baptisms are performed in the main chamber. The bell rings, the faithful gather, and Auden speaks of borders that must not be crossed.
In practice, this means hunting Full Dead, Unborn, psions, and Semper Mort with trained, daily-drilled combat efficiency. Acolytes man the Guardhouse towers at the Border and fire on approaching undead and, occasionally, unmasked Retrogrades whom nervous gunners mistake for walking corpses. Psions who display their abilities openly are executed on sight as too tainted by the other side to be permitted among the living. Graverobbers are mistrusted as meddlers with forces they do not understand. Sacrificial rituals at the Reptile House involve drugging condemned individuals and lowering them into a pool of trained reptiles, a spectacle that serves as both punishment and theological demonstration.
What distinguishes the End of the World Cult from the Fallow Hopes is nuance that most outsiders miss. The Fallow Hopes seek to assault the Gravemind directly, treating it as an enemy to be destroyed. Auden's cult respects the Gravemind as a power to be managed, not eliminated. In some ways, it has become their god. They do not wish to break death; they wish to put it back in its place. Many members try to bring balance into their own lives, killing when necessary and helping when they can, seeking equilibrium in all things. The theology is coherent, the conviction genuine, and the methods brutal. Sermons at the Palace preach about the fallen world and the duty to hold the line. Baptisms are performed in the main chamber. The bell rings, the faithful gather, and Auden speaks of borders that must not be crossed.
Structure
The End of the World Cult is led by its founder Auden, who conducts sermons, trains acolytes, and directs activities from the Palace at the Border settlement. Below him, priests conduct rituals and interpret artifacts related to the border between life and death. Trained acolytes serve as the cult's fighting force, manning the Guardhouse towers, patrolling the settlement perimeter, and hunting Full Dead and Unborn in the wider wasteland. Members train daily in both hand-to-hand and ranged combat, with the acolytes ready to shoot down any undead or suspicious travelers approaching the settlement.
Public Agenda
The End of the World Cult believes the border between life and death must be maintained, and that the world's despair stems from the failure to keep it intact. Their mission is to hunt Full Dead, Unborn, and other beings that have crossed from the deadlands into the living world, while respecting the Gravemind as a power that must be managed rather than fought. Members seek to restore balance between life and death; if the world tips too far toward death and is not corrected, only death will remain. They kill when necessary and help when they can, seeking equilibrium in all things.
History
The End of the World Cult was founded by a man named Auden at the Border settlement in the Northern Clime after he claimed to have received a vision about the importance of maintaining the boundary between life and death. Auden gathered followers from multiple Strains, including Yorkers, Retrogrades, and others who shared his belief that the world's suffering stems from the breach of this border.
The cult established itself at the Border, converting the settlement's Palace into a place of worship and the Guardhouse into a defensive perimeter. Rituals developed over time, including sermons at the Palace when the bell rings, baptisms in the main chamber, and sacrificial rituals at the Reptile House where condemned individuals are drugged and lowered into a pool of trained reptiles. The cult distinguishes itself from the Fallow Hopes by respecting the Gravemind as a power to be managed rather than destroyed, treating it almost as a god whose influence must be contained but not challenged directly.
The cult established itself at the Border, converting the settlement's Palace into a place of worship and the Guardhouse into a defensive perimeter. Rituals developed over time, including sermons at the Palace when the bell rings, baptisms in the main chamber, and sacrificial rituals at the Reptile House where condemned individuals are drugged and lowered into a pool of trained reptiles. The cult distinguishes itself from the Fallow Hopes by respecting the Gravemind as a power to be managed rather than destroyed, treating it almost as a god whose influence must be contained but not challenged directly.
Guardians of the border between life and death.
