Cult of the Maw
The Cult of the Maw is a small and elusive sect devoted to Bwimb II , the Slime Sovereign, believing in the ultimate dissolution of all things. Unlike major cults with grand schemes or widespread influence, the Cult of the Maw operates in the shadows, tiny in number but unwavering in faith. Their existence is whispered about in obscure texts and by those who have stumbled upon their disturbing rites—often at the cost of their lives.
Most cultists never set foot in the Elemental plane of ooze , nor do they seek to. For them, the plane is a distant paradise, an unreachable ideal, while their duty is to prepare the Material Plane for its inevitable fate—a slow and silent consumption into the endless hunger of the Maw.
Beliefs and Tenets
The Cult of the Maw believes in gradual decay rather than grand, world-ending rituals. Their philosophy revolves around embracing entropy and spreading small, hidden pockets of corruption.
The End is Slow, but Certain. The world is not meant to crumble in an instant; it will be devoured piece by piece.
To be Consumed is to be Freed. Mortals are shackled by form, structure, and selfhood. Only through dissolution can they attain true peace.
The Maw Cannot Be Stopped. It does not need armies or power—it simply needs time. Eventually, all things collapse into sludge.
Most Will Resist. Let Them. The Cult does not recruit openly nor seek followers. Those who are meant to dissolve will find their way.
Size and Influence
Unlike vast, structured cults, the Cult of the Maw is exceedingly small—perhaps no more than a few dozen members scattered across the world. They do not build temples or fortresses; instead, they hide in basements, sewers, and forgotten ruins, whispering their prayers in solitude.
Most mortals have never heard of them. Those who do often dismiss them as deluded fanatics. However, the few scholars who have studied them understand the deeper terror: the cult does not need numbers to succeed. It only needs patience.
Hierarchy and Organization
There is no formal structure within the Cult of the Maw. Its members operate independently, guided by vague visions and intuition. However, some members hold more influence than others:
The Maw’s Chosen
A title rarely given, these are individuals who claim to have received direct visions from Bwimb II. Whether these visions are real or the result of prolonged exposure to ooze is unknown. They offer no leadership, only guidance, speaking in cryptic riddles.
The Ooze-Touched
Most cultists fall into this category. They carry out small acts of quiet destruction, introducing living sludge into wells, libraries, or sacred places, ensuring slow, unnoticed decay. Some have exposed themselves to ooze, resulting in slight mutations—dripping fingertips, glossy eyes, or unnaturally smooth skin.
The Absorbed
Few ever reach this stage. These are the cultists who abandon their mortal forms entirely, allowing themselves to be consumed by ooze. Some dissolve completely, while others remain as shambling, semi-solid beings that continue the work of the Maw in secret.
Practices and Rituals
The cult’s rituals are subtle and rarely involve grand displays of magic or sacrifice. They believe the world is already dissolving—their role is simply to nudge it along.
Seeding the Maw
Instead of bloody sacrifices, the cult’s primary practice is introducing oozes into the world. Small samples of living sludge are placed in deep wells, cracks in sacred statues, or hidden within ancient libraries. Given time, these seeds spread decay unnoticed until it is too late.
The Ritual of Stillness
Once a year, cultists gather in total silence, meditating on their inevitable dissolution. Many coat their skin in thin layers of ooze, letting it sting, dissolve, and reshape them as a sign of devotion.
The Slow Feast
Instead of grand sacrifices, the cult believes in the gradual destruction of knowledge and memory. They carefully erase records, let ruins fall, and remove signs of civilizations past, ensuring history is forgotten piece by piece.
Notable Sites
The Rotting Cellars
Hidden beneath an ancient city, these damp, rotting tunnels house the cult’s largest gathering—though “large” is a relative term. Perhaps a dozen members reside here, their whispers lost in the dripping decay around them.
The Forgotten Well
In a ruined village, an old well bubbles with a strange, undisturbed sludge. Locals avoid it, not knowing that it is one of the cult’s first successful seeds, left undisturbed for centuries, waiting for its time to rise.
The Hollow Archive
A once-grand library, now abandoned, its books rotting from within. The cult did not burn them; they merely let the moisture and time take their course, ensuring knowledge faded slowly, naturally, as it should
Final Thoughts
The Cult of the Maw is not an empire, not an army, not even a faction of significance. It is a whisper, a slow-spreading thought, an unnoticed decay that seeps into the cracks of the world.
They do not conquer. They do not fight. They simply wait.
"The Maw does not rage. The Maw does not hunger. The Maw does not chase. It simply is. And one day, so too shall we be."
– Unknown cultist, before vanishing without a trace.
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