The Ophitics

The Union of the Snake is on the Rise...

Structure

Decentralized splinter cells generally on friendly terms with each other, generally a low to mid-level, high-charisma Cleric or Druid with various low-level acolytes and a group of 10 to 100 followers who run the gamut of races, classes and levels. The oldest and still largest faction within the Ophitics Cults are the urban form, the Perataes, numbering perhaps 10,000 across the Khazigiri Empire and another 8,000 among the Valentinians, and close by these are the Naasenes, rural practitioners of the snake-worship cult in more isolation, with more peculiar beliefs as a result.

Public Agenda

Their ultimate goal is the replacement of the oppressive, and in their view actively evil, Celestial cults of the Basilideans and Valentinians with their more 'pure' veneration of the essence of the Serpent and Bull - though the specific goals of splinter groups varies widely. All of them agree that the existing pantheon of the 71 angels only pretend to be a force generally for good, and that in reality these lesser celestials only seek to suppress and water down the divine knowledge.
They worship two Archons (Angels) unknown to Basilidean or Valentinian pantheons: Ophidiel, or Ophidius, who is the union of Tarshiviel and Teniel, the hidden and the public knowledge; and Suriel, a bull-headed Archon and companion of Ophidiel. There are in these beings, echoes of the older faiths of Toz, in which both snakes and bulls are venerated as gods, specifically of the old kings, and indeed it is known, but kept secret, by the greatest arcane scholars that proto-Ophitism existed in a Tozzite form before the coming of the Celestials at all; it is an older faith than either Basilidean or Valentinian faiths. Nevertheless - or indeed, perhaps because of the threat this poses - Ophitics are a heretical sect and membership in the cult, if proven, is punishable by death. Membership is rather hard to prove, however, as members will regularly denounce the faith as needed in order to preserve their own lives.

Assets

Unknown: Most large cities have one or several meeting centers, often in sub-basements or natural caves. Buried ruins are a favored place to appropriate and use as a center of snake worship, and best of all are abandoned churches and chapels once dedicated to the 'orthodox' celestials. It also is a popular, perhaps even trendy, faith among the upper classes.

Ophidiel Vjerni (The Faithful of Ophidiel/Ophidiel is Faithful)

Maps

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  Coastal Caves - Flooded

  Deluge

  
  After clearing the debris blocking the old cave entrance, the party discovered that the cave mouth had been 30' underwater all along. All parts of the cave at or below the level of the cleared space were rapidly flooded, and though the water is draining slowly through the lower pool drain where Ten Hooks used to be, it will take months just to lower it to that level, and this will still leave much of the cavern complex flooded until the Humanoids do something to further drain it.
  The Ophitic cult that had been using the northern chamber for their temple has presumably drowned, though the structures remain mostly intact under the water. Their area was a further 20' or so in lower elevation, so the water in that section is well over the top of the low buildings.

Type

Religious, Cult

Demonym

Ophitics