Temple of Apep

Apep

Apep, the beast that encircles the universe is the opposite of Re-Horakhty. While followers of Re have a less than glamorous tale of its origin, (that he is the cast off umbilical cord of Re) those who harbor a devotion to the Darkfire Serpent know differently. Chaos is as necessary as order. There can be no light without darkness, and no concept of Ma'at without an empyerian void upon which to enforce its tyranny.
Apep stands for Darkness, Chaos, and even evil, but also rather tellingly, fire: a small chaos from which great power can be generated.

Temple Organization

The Temple of Apep's explicit purpose in the Grand Ma'at is to stoke the everburning furnaces that provide power and propulsion to the star-city and to manage the collection and disposal of waste.
And yet, their embrace of chaos and disorder leads to a strange paradox indeed. They welcome the outcast, the mad and deformed, and any who find themselves rejected from general society, and find a space for them, ironically ensuring that even the most aberrant have a place in the Grand Ma'at of Ahnkhotep.

Rites and Rituals

Any small act of rebellion can be considered veneration of Apep (an idea that is certainly used to great effect to terrorize the children of Re's faithful). Beyond that, worship is chiefly done in the form of small offerings of blood and pain at minor shrines throughout depths of the city. Small groups of especially devoted meet regularly to engage in ritual mutilation. It is said among the faithful that burning pain wound inflicted on behalf of Apep becomes the burning of the Great Fires.
The Revels are an event dedicated to Apep which is practiced on a randomly determined date each 400 day cycle during which the Ma'at is upturned and masters serve their servants, minor crimes go unpunished and the streets run wild with debauchery and violence in equal measure.

Structure and Hierarchy

The handful of formal roles that exist within the Temple of Apep are technical jobs managing the furnaces of the city. Other aspects, from the collection of refuse to the running of worship circles to even crime in service to the temple offer low barriers to entry and high thresholds to success, operating on a roughly "free market" basis.
As a result, while many view devotees of Apep as members of the lowest rung of society, a small handful are wealthy and powerful not just through their birth, but by merit of skills that have let them triumph over the teeming masses.

Common Followers

Urchins, criminals, and even some merchants seek Apep's favor, though the most successful have tended to be Yuan-ti, for whom an association with Apep is an inescapable part of their heritage and because they have historically granted the engineering roles to members of their own race.

Type

Religious, Temple