Cult of Azdar

Cosmological Views

The Cult of Azdar believes that the world is in disarray in its current state, even in peaceful times. Their beliefs include that the strong are meant to rule, and that both strength and devotion to Azdar grants authority. Authority is to be obeyed, and power is to be seized at any cost. They believe that Azdar will grant it for a lifetime should one have the strength to defend it.

Tenets of Faith

The Cult aspires to a strict social hierarchy: men are to provide for their families, protect them, and seize control at all costs, while women are to birth children, raise them according to the Cult's ideals, and keep the home. They do not believe in other gender identities, and refer to those as 'madness' or 'an illness of the mind'. The Cult also believes that the Human race is superior over others, and that they are the sole inheritors of 'the new world'. If one fails to adhere to any of these, then the Cult deems them as lesser, and to be 'put out of their suffering'. They believe that what they deem 'illnesses of the mind' can be 'cured' through common torture methods: those not adhering to their beliefs often suffer for days before they are either lobotomized or die from their torture. The torture rooms of the Cult are infamous amongst percieved conspiracy theorists.

Ethics

The Cult has different rules for the different layers of their society. Men are to be providers. If not soldiers, they are expected to work to provide their family an income. They are the only ones allowed to work, and are mandated to provide their products to the soldiers if asked to do so. If they are priests, they are exempt from all of this and the temple provides for them. Priests have the same right to a merchant's stock as the soldiers do. Women are to stay in the home, and raise the children. Azdar commands them to give birth at least once, and they are to 'educate' their children in the ways of Azdar. They are not allowed to work, but allowed to make purchases with the allowance their husband gives them. They are to prepare the home for their husband's return at the end of their work day. Soldiers have different rules to adhere by. As they are the strongest in the Cult's society, they are looked up to. They are to exemplify Azdar's ideals of power, and his twisted idea of purity. Questioning orders are a huge taboo for a soldier. When stationed in a hideout, they are to keep order at any cost. It's often their task to kill those who want to escape the Cult to prevent its secrets from being revealed to the public.

Worship

Members of the Cult of Azdar are expected to pray at least three times a day: this is to be done after the meal. Around these times, it's common to see many people head to the hideout's temple at once. The priest's sermons are often long, and children are in the temple's school during this time. Monks often patrol the walkways, keeping a lookout for those who seem to be losing attention, and use the nightstick-like weapons they carry to physically correct them. It's considered acceptable to pause work for these sermons. The post-dinner prayer is what horrifies those with information about the Cult the most, though. At the end of that sermon, a person from outside of the Cult is usually brought in for sacrifice. The priest says a prayer, while breaking the person's joints with a mace. Monks standing at the ready with wire and a sewing needle then proceed to sow the mouth of the sacrifice shut. If a member of the church has requested a personal prayer, then the priest will say it here. The priest then takes a dagger, and wounds the person. Monks standing at the ready with bowls of acid then move to stand around the sacrifice, and pour it over them. The priest says the final prayer of the ritual as the person dies in agony.

Priesthood

Xander Ivoryvale is the leader of the Cult of Azdar, and its highest authority. He has 5 trusted generals: Zayin Wright, Klark Moonfall, Heskel Wolfmoon, Dommik Frost, and Richmond Grimm. Each has their own unique talents on the battlefield, and they often fight battles for him to gain control over important territories for the Cult. They also maintain control over locations the Cult of Azdar has conquered. Answering to the generals are High Priests: there is often only one. And as with any authority figure in the Cult of Azdar, they are exclusively male. Their duty is to keep the Cultists in line. They are often called 'Azdar's Voice'. Then there's the Priests: they organize the temples in the Cult's hideouts. And at the lowest ranks are the civilian Cult members. They provide every service to keep Xander's army up and running: they forge equipment for the soldiers, run the inns to serve them alcohol, and fund the army's wages. It's forbidden for women to work, so it's often the less physically inclined men doing this work. The Cult keeps women in the household to raise the kids, and prepare the home for her husband's return. When it comes to the security of the Cult of Azdar, there is a similar structure. First there the Cult's sergeants, the Soultakers. They answer to Xander's 5 generals, and serve as their eyes and ears. They are often found guarding and defending fortresses and other tactical locations that the Cult has captured. Then there are elite soldiers: the Tormentors, also known as 'Azdar's Sons'. They are often seen in important battles and fortress sieges. If the Cult of Azdar can't afford to lose a battle, then they are often in the front lines. They are easily idfentifiable as their armor is covered in snake iconography. The Cult also has a group of elite assassins in their arsenal, The Reapers, nicknamed 'Azdar's cloak'. While stealth is looked down upon by the Cult's purists, most fear to speak ill about them. They are often sent after authority figures that the Cult can't kill openly, so they can be replaced by one of their own. Finally, there are the Cult's footsoldiers. Depending on the situation, they either patrol the hideout as guards, or infiltrate into society to strike as soon as Xander gives the orders.

Type

Illicit, Terrorist group

Leader

Xander Ivoryvale

Deities