Cults of the K'Thonim

When one of the Jewels of the Eforoi falls into the hands of someone that has a good deal of charisma and loose moral standards or just downright evil already, they might quickly be Marked by the K'Thonim. The cults that arise from these leaders are evil, committing monstrous acts in order to gain power and favor from the K'Thonim.
First, above all, cults attract those that seek power. They do this by giving them the power and protection that is not normally afforded them. This is important to those that see themselves as powerless or those that feel under threat for some reason. The cult itself might even provide that threat, either in the form of "information most people don't have" or otherwise creating the illusion. Once the new cultist is indoctrinated, they are slowly brought into deeper "inner circles" that both require and give more.
Second, in the ongoing search for power, the cults like to accumulate more Jewels of the Eforoi. Not only does this strengthen the connection to the K'Thonim they are following, but it also allows the cult to give out the Jewels for special missions, possibly to top lieutenants. The Jewels themselves can be charged by a K'Thonim who do so in exchange for a positive flow of T'Shole in many cases. These then become powerful artifacts that can impress cult recruits and again in turn grow the cult more.
Finally, all of this is done to benefit the K'Thonim patron.  The cult is merely a tool to be picked up and used and discarded when they are captured or killed.  However, the cult is unaware of this.  They are more than happy to go where the power suggests.  They will rob, murder, kill, harvest T'Shole, or any other thing the K'Thonim coaxes them into depending on how deep they have accepted the cult's paradigm.
Cultists love to recruit the uninformed or those short on ethics. If they can't sway someone with admittance into the cult, then they are not above swaying them with harassement and abuse. Finally, those that pose high threats to the cult might disappear or, worse, find themselves part of a ritual T'Shole harvest.
The goal of the K'Thonim supporting these cults is to attempt to assert some kind of influence over Europa. So far they have been unsuccessful thanks to the hard work of the The Antikathonum. Using the cults, the remaining living K'Thonim can gather intelligence from the threat that the European countries represent. They are very aware of the operations of the Antikathonim and would love to infiltrate them, but they have not been successful in that for over 3500 years since the first day of the Great Darkening.
For thousands of years, the Antikathonum have targeted cults, knowing that the K'Thonim influence is a larger threat than anyone knows. They fear a resurgence of the K'Thonim or worse the return of the bulk of the banished K'Thonim and a return to the days before the The Great Darkening. Dealing directly with a cult that the Antikathonum is aware of is quite hazardous to your health.

One of the ways that one can recognize that one is getting deeper with cultists is when they start sharing the meanings of the insider language with you.  If you are on a mission where you are to infiltrate them, this is a sign that you are succeeding.  Cultists find the curious attention flattering and are more likely to think of you as one of them when using this insider language correctly.  Include all insider language in your reports to your supervisor.  Using the insider language and practicing its use with the cult members will accelerate your infiltration.
~ Antikathonum Covert Operations Manual.

Type

Illicit, Other