The Imperial Cult

"The Imperial Cult, despite what their name may lead you to believe, is one of the more persecuted cults within the Empire. Their persecution is caused by the fact they don't worship the emperor or some representation of him and his predecessors, but rather the idea of the Empire. This has caused numerous problems for the House of Fornost since the very founding the Grand Empire of Néresia centuries ago."

Theology of the Empire, by Neliel Erea Parfindil

Culture

Members of the Imperial Cult revere the Grand Empire of Néresia, but that is not to say that they mindlessly support all that it does nor that they approve of its leadership and emperor. As a general rule, they hate that which tarnishes their idea of the Empire and love what glorifies it. A military defeat may cause one member of the Cult to view those responsible as traitors to their empire, while another may ignore it completely and instead hate an official that bends laws to lessen the suffering of the people as they aren't following the rules of their empire.

Public Agenda

The more radical leaders of the Imperial Cult has declared their support for the "Empire of Faith" movement that has emerged in some parts of the Empire which pushes for the Empire of Néresia to be ruled by a theocracy. This support extends so far as to preach the necessity of its success for the continuance of Néresian civilization and approve all its actions as "what must be done for a brighter future," despite not all of the movement's activities being peaceful.
Additionally, the Cult as a whole continues to denounce the persecution it has endured since the War of the Churches a century ago. In particular, they are attempting to rally the people of the Empire against King-Margrave Vicent Alcarin II of Aranje who has declared the Cult an enemy of his realm and the Néresian Empire as a whole, and that giving comfort to those affiliated with the Imperial Cult shall be punished as treason.

History

The exact year that the Imperial Cult formed is unknown, but it is generally assumed to be around 430 CR, roughly 40 years after the declaration of the Empire of Néresia. Not much is known about the early Imperial Cult as it was secretive even then. It had achieved political significance by 460 CR and became a thorn in the side of the Fornost emperors by 480.
When the Church of Vulphir was beginning to attain a major following within the Empire in the early 500s, the High Magister at the time viewed this new church as a threat to the cult and instructed his magisters to attempt to prevent it from gaining a wider following. The cult's efforts would prove futile however, and Emperor Lenion Dúvain adopted the new faith as both his own and the Empire's, inviting conflict with the elvish Church of Sarien that had previously held religious hegemony over Western Ceres.
Various low elven kingdoms of Andustara took up the cause of their faith and declared a war to restore the Empire of Néresia to the true church of the West, thus beginning the War of the Churches. Watching the chaos beginning to unfold, the High Magister decided that he couldn't let such an opportunity pass him by and rallied his faithful lords to enter the war as a third belligerent.
Many scholars agree that this was the single worst decision made in the entirety of the cult's history. The war did not go well for the Imperial Cult. Its followers were primarily located in the heartlands of Nírien, where the majority of the campaigning was occurring by the followers of both churches. The majority of their forces were crushed in the Battle of Asmeri by the Vulphirians and their involvement in the war came to an end.
After the War of the Churches came to an end, the Imperial Cult entered a state that has lasted even until today. For inspiring revolt among his vassals, Emperor Lenion Dúvain made involvement with the cult a crime punishable by death in an attempt to stamp it out entirely. The Imperial Inquisitors were also established by Lenion shortly after the end of the war, ostensibly to root out warlocks and fiend worshippers but they frequently jumped on any rumor of the cult during his reign. Néresian policy towards the Imperial Cult has lightened a great deal over the centuries, but known involvement with the cult is still enough to cause a person to lose their citizenship and discovered magisters are frequently handed over to the Imperial Inquisitors and never seen again.

Tenets of Faith

• Have faith in the Empire. Our glorious Empire is eternal, it shall overcome all that stands against the rightful overlord of Ceres.
• Denounce the faithless. There are those among us that would see our Empire weakened and cast down, expose their sins to the judgement of the faithful.
• Become leaders. The world is full of crises and hardship, only the faithful are strong enough to guide the Empire through the turbulent centuries to come.

Priesthood

The Imperial Cult is guided by the magisters, who in turn pay homage to the high magister who directs the Cult as a whole. Magisters serve both as priests to guide their flock in sermons, but also as regional leadership to organize the efforts of every member of the Cult within their influence.
Although every member of the Imperial Cult brands themselves with the Rose of Néresia, magisters enjoy the honor of two roses while the high magister is allowed to suffer a third. This is the only way to tell the magisters apart from the rest with any certainty. The faithful of a region all recognize each other if they don't know each other, and the persecution they suffer has caused them to abandon the regalia that used to signify their religious affiliation.

Granted Divine Powers

Unlike faiths that follow gods or some other being, the Imperial Cult worships an idea, something that can't bestow divine power. Some theologians have, controversially, used this to hypothesize about the nature of divine and clerical magic as the most zealous and devoted among the Cult's priesthood do possess similar powers to those that worship gods.
Those blessed with magic are capable of healing wounds, turning undead, and shielding others from harm. The more powerful among them can return the dead to life, bestow curses, and call down holy fire from the heavens. All of this is achieved by the strength of their devotion and faith.

Political Influence & Intrigue

The Imperial Cult has long meddled in the affairs of the Empire, rightly so they believe. Those who set themselves against the Cult describe it as a parasite that worms its way into every facet of imperial administration, seeking to hijack the powers of the Empire for its own purposes. The belief that only the Imperial Cult can lead the Empire to greatness that is a core tenet of their faith has led the cult to try and obtain as many positions of power for its members as it can, almost obsessively. While this practice is incredibly disruptive on its own, it has caused a great deal of civil unrest whenever Cult leaders decide to begin exploiting the influence their underlings have achieved. This often takes the form of pro-cult legislation, riots directed towards the Cult's opponents, and in some -extreme- situations, the complete break down of an administration followed by a Cult leader restoring "order" with the new administration made entirely of cult members.
As destructive as the Imperial Cult can be within the Empire, its influence can be even more devastating beyond Néresia's borders. In regions where the Empire has little influence, the Cult is quick to spread its own. While the cult leadership generally has very little care for controlling governments that are not linked to the Empire, it does enjoy tearing them down. Those magisters who make the noble sacrifice of leaving the realm that they love quite often have a hand in revolts that spring up where they come to reside.

Sects

Theocrats
The Theocrats are a faction within the Cult that has seen the state the Empire is in and blames it upon the emperors that have led Néresia for centuries. They wish to overthrow the monarchy that they say has fallen into decadence and refuses to preserve that which it built. In its place the Theocrats would install the high magister, or one of their magisters, as the Emperor of Néresia. The Imperial Cult would rule the Empire in the light of the sun, instead of from the shadows the War of the Churches forced them into.
The rest of the Imperial Cult is divided between denouncing and being halfway convinced by the Theocrats. There are elves alive within the Cult that remember what followed after the War of the Churches and fear what such an open attack against the House of Fornost may bring down upon them. Others who lack the historical perspective, but have seen the sorry state of the Empire say that no matter what may happen to the Cult, removing the existing power structure may bring about the Empire's destruction. After all, some of them say, the Treaty of Sielle was signed by the House of Fornost, not the Imperial Cult, would that be enough cause for Ilythiir to finish what they started? Yet still, the ones with Theocratic sympathies say the Empire would not be in the position it's in if it weren't for the House of Fornost, only the faithful can guide Néresia through the turbulent times it is faced with.

Pennon flown by the Imperial Cult during the War of the Churches.

Founding Date

ca. 430 CR

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

The Cult of the Empire, the Cult of Néresia, the Néresian Cult

Leader Title

High Magister

Related Historical Events

• 532 CR
  The War of the Churches