Fellowship of Dreamers
"We aren't a cult, we're an underground religious movement"
Structure
- Neophyte: Promising individuals are recruited by Initiates, with the approval of an Adept. To progress further, a Neophyte must undergo a rite of initiation overseen by their recruiter and a member of the Sisterhood.
- Initiate: Most who join stop at this rank, assisting the cult in its goals in exchange for a safe haven in troubled times and the benefits of networking with other members.
- Disciple: Should an Initiate seek to learn the deeper mysteries, they will be placed under the guidance of an Adept. Through complex rites they will be led to a deeper understanding of the All-Seeing Mother. At this point active participation is required.
- Adept: Once a Disciple has completed their journey and gained a deeper understanding of the mysteries, they will be promoted to Adept by a Dreamer. Using their expertise and resources, Adepts will work towards the completion of a physical vessel for their Goddess.
- Dreamer: To truly understand the nature of their Goddess, an Adept must be blessed with a vision from the All-Seeing Mother, confirmed by an Enlightened Dreamer. They dutifully serve as the intermediaries between Adepts and the Enlightened Dreamers.
- Enlightened Dreamer: The highest rank that can be achieved, with only six Dreamers achieving it at any given time. They are in direct communication with the All-Seeing Mother and see to her will being carried out through lesser members.
Public Agenda
The All-Seeing Mother acts as our muse and guides us towards a brighter future. Through her revelations, we will bring mankind into a new age of enlightenment.
History
On May 23rd, 1865, six residents of Ashville met in the woods to discuss the town's future. That night, the All-Seeing Mother made her presence known for the first time, revealing herself to the first six Enlightened Dreamers. From that point onwards, the cult sought out and recruited the most promising minds in town, subtly shifting its course according to her design.
With the Great Fire of 1923, the cult's members had a chance to reshape the most important buildings of Ashville in their image. Through their financing and designing of the new library, town hall, police station, and other buildings, they were able to make their presence known with subtle hints and to begin a network that would run under the town, connecting these buildings but ultimately expanding far beyond them.
The status quo continued until 1980 with the birth of Phoebe Williams, the daughter of the All-Seeing Mother. With this milestone reached, it was finally time to put their resources to use. The cult began working alongside The Williams Corporation on the development of cybernetics and other such technologies, selling off some inventions to the government or private individuals but keeping their best work to themselves.
Their work continued in secret for decades, developing and refining a physical form for their goddess to inhabit. In that time, Biancia Williams was born, and the Enlightened Dreamers made it known that their chosen one had finally come. From the shadows they watched her, waiting for the day when she would be ready to fulfill her destiny. Finally, with the destruction of Ashville, that day came.
When she returned, they fought relentlessly for her cause, securing her victory in the Cascadian Civil War. By this time, the prototype for the All-Seeing Mother's physical form and her avatar were both ready, and the Ritual of Ascension was commenced. In a cathedral deep beneath the ruins of Ashville, they went to work on Biancia, replacing the weakness of flesh with the strength and certainty of steel. On that altar, Biancia closed her eyes for the final time, what awoke was the Mother Incarnate.
Tenets of Faith
Through her, we will attain enlightenment. For her, we must be willing to do anything. As they are family, we must aid our fellow believers always. By these words we live, and by these words we die.
Priesthood
The Dreamers serve as the priesthood of the cult, having the ability to commune directly with the Mother should she see fit. Chosen by the Mother herself and distinguished by their red robes, or white robes in the case of Enlightened Dreamers, all cult members can identify them and behave accordingly.
Granted Divine Powers
Dreamers and Enlightened Dreamers are blessed with long lives and graceful aging, often living to be supercentenarians. The Sisterhood and Enlightened Dreamers are especially blessed, with Ashton Williams having lived to 144 and the founder of the Sisterhood still being alive today.
Political Influence & Intrigue
One of the chief goals of the cult has been for its members to infiltrate positions of power wherever possible, both inside and outside the town. Wherever their tendrils reach, they siphon resources back to their own projects, whether that be money, knowledge, or manpower. Through control of Ashville's government and police, they were able to cover their tracks for the century and a half they operated in the town.
Sects
The Sisterhood are a more extreme sect of the Fellowship of Dreamers which was founded by Victoria Anderson. Members are required to live in and maintain the compound, with their final goal not being to give the Mother physical form, but to interface with her directly through the creation of a hive mind. Despite their extremism, they are viewed as an essential arm of the cult.
From Her Womb Shall A New Golden Age Be Born
Founding Date
May 23rd, 1865
Type
Religious, Cult
Leader Title
Subsidiary Organizations
Deities
Location
In response to the prompt Describe a cult in your world. How did they form and what do they believe in?
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