Cult of the Outside

"These truly are troubling times. We caught another convert within our ranks, Cyneric from Virat. This was his first assignment at one of the watch castles. I told Captain Elayne that the Cult has been taking advantage of the younger knights and they should be cycled out more frequently, but she didn't listen to me. Those damned lunatics don't limit themselves to just opening new portals out in the Wastes, they also prey on those that feel the essence of this place weighing on them, turning us against each other and weakening the guard. Why these bloody Rift-makers are so intent on bringing the Outside in, I'll never understand. Do they hate existence that much?"
A Watcher's Journal, by Avanor Truespark

Culture

Members of the cult view all of reality as a disgusting and fundamentally wrong perversion of the Outside. This colours their every interaction with everything. They spend most of their time in either the comforting Planar Wastes or their strongholds that they have warped to feel more like the Wastes and what they imagine the Far Realm to be. The Rift-makers feel a deep sadness for all who have yet to experience the beauty that they have and wish to share what they have seen so that more may join them in their glorious purpose to end the perversion all around them. There is an intense need within the heart of each Rift-maker to restore the world around them to as it should be, pieces of the Outside.

Divine Origins

Similarly to the Knights of the Watch, the Cult of the Outside has its origins in the Planar Wastes. The Wastes have a destabilizing effect on a person's sanity, making them more susceptible to the influence of the entities that bleed into the Material Plane. This means that when the predecessors to the Knights of the Watch began keeping guard over the Planar Wastes and venturing forth to banish Outsiders and close rifts, some individuals became corrupted. Those that were undiscovered eventually formed the Cult of the Outside, a group dedicated to "opening the way" for creatures of the Far Realm. They would journey into the Planar Wastes to open new rifts for Outsiders to walk through, spread their madness to those still struggling against the Outsiders, and work to "open the way".

Cosmological Views

The Cult of the Outside believes that all of Creation used to be part of the Far Realm, a chaotic plane of pure madness that lies beyond the furthest of the Outer Planes. For uncounted eras, there was simply this nightmarish realm of insanity until a collection of spirits began applying order to chaos and shaped a pocket of the Outside into a place where time ran straight and reality had structure. This act caused excruciating pain to be felt by the unfathomable Lords of the Far Realm, and they lashed out against Creation in an attempt to destroy the source of their agony. Despite their rage, they could not destroy Creation but were able to sever it from the rest of the Outside and their pain subsided, though it did not disappear. Ever since, the Lords have endeavored to bring about an end to Creation so that they may exist without eternal agony.

Tenets of Faith

• The Way must be Opened. We must tear down the great barriers that keep out the beautiful Outside, our Lords await us.
• Open the minds of Those that Watch. There are those that would resist the glorious Opening, they must be shown the beauty we see.
• End the Perversion. The Outside has been perverted to form Creation, all must return to its natural state.

Granted Divine Powers

Unlike many cults and other religious organizations, there are no clerics within the Cult of the Outside. All who have been blessed with the power of the Outsiders exhibit abilities most often associated with warlocks. Some examples include: limited telepathy, the ability to summon eldritch horrors or corrupt creatures and locations into reflections of the Far Realm, and access to arcane magic.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Due to their intense disgust for nearly everything that surrounds them, and their own lunacy, Rift-makers find it nearly impossible to infiltrate any organization. When they manage it however, madness follows. The cultist uses their new access to individuals that haven't yet seen the Outside to attempt to convert new members for the cause. Most often, this simply results in either the death or insanity of their victim, but sometimes they are inducted into the Cult of the Outside and begin working towards the local cell's ends. The Rift-maker then seeks another victim and the process repeats until they are discovered and purged. With luck, the infiltrator would have been discovered after the first few bodies, but it is not unheard of for entire local governments to become destabilized.

The Outside is beautiful

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

The Rift-makers, Portal Bastards, Reality Haters, Tentacle Lovers, Summoners, Worm-spawn

Demonym

Rift-maker

Historical Dates
1E c. 450 - Founded

War

Cult of the Outside

-100

Knights of the Watch

-100

The Cult of the Outside and the Knights of the Watch serve opposing ideals. The Knights believe in the sanctity of the Material Plane and Aldanir, that it belongs to its people and should be left alone by extraplanar beings, such as fiends and fey. They actively hunt down and banish creatures that originate beyond Aldanir, even celestials if they are causing harm or wielding undue influence within the Material. The Cult believes that all of creation was stolen from some "Outside" and must be returned. They're disgusted with the world around them and endeavor to return it to its "natural" state. These differences have caused both organizations to target each other and created sub-organizations that specialize in hunting down and disrupting the activities of the other.