The Cult of Doom

The Algae (pronounced al-gay) are the followers of the Cult of Doom, followers of the four-headed goddess of pain and misfortune. The goddess is also known as Jyestha, Eris, Discord and Lilith, depending on which head is facing the speaker.

Structure

Each cult cell is headed by a Witch of one of the aspects of the 'goddess'. Below this zealot are the faithful members whom have been accepted into the cult. Below them are the initiates.

Public Agenda

The world is full of pain and misfortune.
You can reduce your own pain and misfortune if you give your share to others. We're all doomed in the end anyway, so you may as well make this life as pleasant as possible.

History

Soon after the great cataclysm, doom cults gained great traction around the world. These cults ended up serving as a bright beacon welcoming beings attuned to pain and misfortune from across space and time. One such being, a supernatural intelligence, promptly became one of the most powerful and pervasive intelligences on the planet. Whether that being started off with four essences or it managed to merge with three others to become one intelligence with four essences is unknown and, honestly, immaterial.

Tenets of Faith

Life is full of pain and misery. The Goddess of Pain and Misfortune bestows it upon all. There are no exceptions.
But if you can bestow pain upon another as an offering in Her name, She may look favorably upon you and grant you a respite from your own suffering. The more glorious the pain you cause, the more likely and greater will be your respite.
Pain can also be offered in trade for misfortune. While pain inflicted upon others may provide some protection from misfortune, she prefers it if people offer up their own pain in return for some grace. Because, after all, she doesn't wan't anyone to be totally free from misery, no matter how much pain they inflict on others.
Some also believe that the goddess of pain will make their afterlife as painless as they make this life painful (for others, usually). Those people are typically the most insane of the lot.

Ethics

1. Cause pain to appease the goddess
2. Convert the miserable

Worship

One worships by causing physical pain or intense emotional angst. The goal is to cause such a heartfelt, intense pleading and begging in the victims as to impose a true bond between the victim and the goddess. In times of weakness or during certain celebrations, worshippers will self-flagellate.
The entire religion is based upon something like a pyramid scheme. It goes something like this:

1. Realize that if you cause pain to someone else, your own pain will lessen
2. Cause pain to someone else, and let them know why you're doing it
3. they search for a way to lessen their own pain
4. go to step 1, repeat ad infinitum

Priesthood

Those at the top, who are the actual priests of the Goddess(es) are Her witches.  They almost always wield scourges.
There are an inordinate number of crazies counted among the worshipers. These people are almost universally convinced that they feel no pain if they cause pain in others. They have actually manifested the power of the Goddess herself through their own belief. [this is presented in game mechanics, and the Crazy can not "Lose it"until they know they have cause pain on someone.]
Surprisingly, there are a number of full-conversion borgs as well. These cultists are typically true fanatics who experienced total body mutilation in service of the cult and have adopted full conversion in order to become tormentors. The truly astonishing aspect of these dedicated borg conversions is that they are performed without any anesthesia. Some have been known to be totally painless while others are expectedly tormenting. The painless conversions were performed with the aid of a witch and a number of sacrificial (and usually unwilling) 'witnesses' who can be used to take the pain of the process on behalf of the one undergoing the conversion.

Granted Divine Powers

Besides the usual supernatural abilities, witches of the goddess are given the ability to transfer pain from one person to another as well as induce pain so severe as to cause incapacitation.

Sects

Each of the faces of the intelligence has its own sect of followers.
The Sect of Jyestha: Primarily comprised of women with families, sometimes men. In order to have happiness and prosperity in the family, Jyestha is worshipped and appeased. These followers are self-absorbed, refraining from any charity or any action that could benefit another family. Her idols feature prominantly in the homes of her followers. The most zealous will sacrifice the children, husbands and pets of other women in order to keep their own families prosperous and peaceful.
The Sect of Eris: The goddess of thieves and bandits. People who take what they want, when they want it, at the expense of all others. Rape is encouraged as the children of such acts are taken to be indoctrinated.
The Sect of Discordia: The goddess of mercenaries and murderers. They identify themselves by wearing headbands soaked in the blood of their victims. They prefer to have witnesses to their kills, but will torture their victims first, if witnesses aren't present, or if witnesses would be within earshot of the victim's screams.
The Sect of Lilith: her followers identify themselves with the sigil of a serpent. They otherwise do not display or announce their allegiance. They meet in secret, forming sinister cabals to plan the downfall of great institutions and powerful people. Usually these meetings center around the ritual torture of innocent victims in order to invoke the blessings of Lilith. (it is the only one prevalent in the Coalition States)

No matter the originating sect, self-punishment in the form of flagellation, mutilation and deprivation is always looked upon favorably by the intelligence and will appease personal pain and suffering for some time. Tormentors are zealots who have committed fully to self-mutilation. In fact, their conversion to a cyborg is done conscious and without anesthesia. Once the full conversion is complete, a process that could take years as each small step is taken one at a time, they become unable to experience any physical pain. Their only purpose is to inflict it, and they do so with gusto. They can be found in the company of witches of the goddess as well as wandering the world as 'missionaries.' They often lend their services to other cult members and will even work for despots if the work is dirty enough.

Embrace the pain

Type

Religious, Cult

Demonym

Algus (singular), Algae (plural)

Divines

• Jyestha, Eris, Discordia and Lilith, the four-headed God of pain and misfortune