Cultus of Krūrim

The Disciples of the Arcane Mother in Shīddūnti

Overview

The Cultus of Krūrim is a localized but powerful religious and philosophical order devoted to Crorrm, known within Shīddūnti as the Arcane Mother of Law and Balance. The Cultus is not missionary in nature and does not proselytize beyond the borders of Shīddūnti. Instead, it focuses on harmonizing the arcane with civic order and moral restraint, acting as an ethical counterweight to the scholarly pursuits of the Tower of Knowledge and Magic.

The Cultus holds Crorrm’s exile as a sacred wound in the arcane order of the world, and views her ongoing observation from Stoilved as proof of her divine patience, wisdom, and justice. While other sects of Crorrm may vary in their beliefs or practices, the Cultus of Krūrim is the oldest, most systematized, and most doctrinally rigorous.

Tenets of Faith

The Cultus believes that magic is a sacred burden, gifted by Crorrm and meant to serve the polis, not the individual ego.

Necromancy and unchecked Evocation are not forbidden, but considered "unstable paths" requiring extreme discipline and often subject to Cultus oversight or restriction.

The exile of Crorrm is viewed as a divine act of endurance—proof that true mastery includes restraint and the willingness to suffer for truth.

Worship

The Quiet Turning

A daily rite of silent contemplation conducted within the central chamber of the Temple.

All classes of the Cultus participate alongside secular arcanists.

Focuses on the internal reconciliation of one’s magical desires with the needs of society.

Veiling of the Sigils

A solemn ritual performed by Sigil Novitiates who choose a school of magic to focus on.

The initiate binds a cloth of silver-threaded vellum across their brow inscribed with their previous knowledge, veiling it before receiving a new sigil upon the brow, symbolizing submission to arcane balance.

The Concord of Threads

Weekly philosophical debates in the Hall of Reflection, attended by both Cultus members and senior scholars from the Tower.

Hypothetical magical dilemmas are presented and analyzed, with no single right answer but many ethical perspectives examined.

A favored tradition of the Cultus, with written records archived in the Temple's Memory Alcove.

The Passing of Light

Performed when a High Canon or Adhīh dies.

In the case of succession of an Adhīh, the Scepter of Kir Dhi is ceremonially brought from the Vault of Lines by the Scepter-Bearer and presented to the next Adhīh̹, following a blessing from the Cultus, acknowledging the continuity of civic and magical responsibility.

Priesthood

High Canon (Kurovac)

• The spiritual and philosophical head of the Cultus.
• Appointed for life by unanimous decision of the Veilbearers.
• Resides in the Temple’s highest cloister and delivers final rulings on magical ethics, particularly in cases of legal inquiry involving wizards or arcane infractions.

Veilbearers

• Senior clergy who serve as traveling judges, moral advisors, and teachers in magical ethics.
• Each Veilbearer oversees one of the seven magical disciplines acknowledged by Crorrm in the Temple: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, Transmutation, and Universal Theory.
• Veilbearers are often former professors, researchers, or civil mages who turned to religious service later in life.

Orderbinders

• Clerical scholars charged with maintaining the Temple’s arcane wards, codices, and doctrinal tomes.
• They also serve as librarians of the Temple’s Ethical Archives and are permitted to correspond with the Tower of Knowledge and Magic on formal matters.
• Orderbinders draft and preserve records of magical oaths and public declarations made under divine sanction.

Sigil Novitiates

• Initiates into the Cultus, often young or reformed mages seeking to align their craft with moral law.
• Required to complete the Veiling of the Sigils before they are permitted to advance in the Cultus.
• They serve as assistants to Orderbinders or ceremonial attendants to the Veilbearers.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Relations with Other Faiths

• The Cultus of Krūrim does not recognize Puava, viewing her betrayal as a spiritual schism that nearly tore the arcane world apart.
• Worshippers of Crorrm in other lands may differ widely. The Cultus views these interpretations as lesser fragments of the true path, but does not seek to suppress or absorb them.
• Worship of other gods, provided they are not in conflict with Crorrm, is permissible for the faithful, but not for members of the priesthood. Persecution of other faiths, even Puava, is not permissible.

Relations with Secular Organizations

The Cultus of Krūrim operates outside the formal hierarchy of Shīddūnti’s government, but its guidance and approval shape magical legislation, public sentiment, and civic ethics.

Relations with the Tower of Knowledge and Magic are close but guarded—while there is cooperation, the Cultus stands apart to preserve its role as ethical arbiter.

Seat of Worship

Temple of Krūrim, Khit

Divine Patron

Crorrm, the Arcane Mother

Region of Practice

Exclusive to Shīddūnti

Relationship to Broader Worship

Independent from other Crorrm cults across Kornax

Capital

Khit

Deities

• Crorrm, the Arcane Mother

Controlled Territories

• Temple of Krūrim