Cult of Spiders
Structure
The Spider Cult is known for having a very complex structure that usually only priests and certain jobs/individuals bother to completely keep track of.
The cult, much to the worry of some of the other minor gods, has a large amount of influence on the global stage. Some have taken to referring to the cult as the “Crawling Web of Influence”. Many mortals do not bother to fully understand how involved the cult is with so many different societal processes. While they do not run or oversee everything their presence can be felt to one degree or another in all kinds of politics, laws, business, etc. It is not uncommon to find that, after some digging, a member of the Spider Cult helped oversee the routes specific ships took or had a say in where a famous painting got placed in a museum. While their cult is not the size of that of a major god it is one of the biggest minor god cults but their population is spread thin across most of the world. They not only have influence in regards to a lot of official dealings but also shady and underground ones.
The cult has 8 high priests at any given time, with 2 serving Ana, 2 serving Nancy and the remaining both serving both gods equally. Priests usually do the typical duties one would expect of a cult and can also function as information gatherers or reconnaissance.
Public Agenda
To further the plans of Ana and Nancy, and to direct the world to what the spider gods deem to be the ideal future.
Demography and Population
While most members of the cult don’t join a specific sect, the Sect/Cult of Ana and the Sect/Cult of Nancy are two known distinct groups within the cult. While they both consider themselves as part of the Cult of Spiders, the Sect of Nancy prioritizes the worship of Nancy and the Sect of Ana prioritizes the worship of Ana.
The Sect of Nancy focuses more on understanding the past and that which is concrete and tends to be made up of historians, mathematicians, and lawyers.
The Sect of Ana focuses more on the potential of the future and that which can be changed and tends to be made up of artists, sewers, and scientific theorists.
The cult is well known for being a hub of information. They own a popular news channel network and newspaper and much information about the world can be found on their websites and in their temples, they also host a variety of interviews. The cult is also well known for its detectives and spies. They have a love of using official contracts aided with law magic to sign off on deals.
The cult is known to have a lot of laws, with the average person being lax about most of them but priests and high priests being very stringent about them. Priests are known to be taught powerful law magic. A type of magic that is created by using countless runes being placed all around a certain area to give certain rules tangible or magically binding effects. For example, someone may become paralyzed for a time if they are caught trespassing or find any litter they attempt to throw becomes stuck to their hand. The magic tends to be restricted to areas where it is properly set up with runes, however. So it tends to be limited to the temples of the spiders or specific cities and/or buildings where the Spider Cult holds enough influence. Law magic can be a double-edged sword as the caster must be bound by and follow the same laws. Law magic is often combined with chain-based magic by inscribing runes that invoke restrictions or laws on the chains. Lawyers within the cult also tend to be fond of law magic. Many find similarities between law magic and computer coding.
The most common and popular magic the cult is famous for is its puppet magic. Many of its members own or can construct a variety of complex puppets that are commanded or controlled via magic. Some of these puppets need to be controlled manually while others can be given a number of preset commands or instructions on how to act during different situations. Manual puppets of course tend to allow for complex movements and reactions but usually need constant input and more concentration. Puppets tend to be made out of some sort of wood and resemble some sort of marionette or mannequins but can be made out of all kinds of materials and even resemble and act like actual people(especially if actual flesh is used). Some can also be mistaken for robots from their appearance. The use of puppetry also makes the cult very proficient at creating prosthetics using similar magic and technology. Many members of the cult have prosthetic limbs or may add additional limbs or parts onto their body using their puppet magic.
Another form of magic used within the cult revolves around sewing, threads, cloth, strings, fabric, clothes, etc. The cult is well-versed in weaving fabrics with magical properties or using magic to manipulate threads or strings. Certain clothes can be quickly unraveled into a strong string and then back again. This also makes them very adept at stitching both wounds and fabric and using magic in tandem with it. They are capable of using this to reattach limbs and have them working as normal over the course of a couple of weeks or even attaching additional working flesh and blood limbs to someone or something.
Another one of the more popular forms of magic revolves around the use of eyes, be they real or fake. Some members of the cult have had extra eyes grafted onto their bodies or carry around fake eyes that can be used to observe or find certain types of information with magic. Similar magic also extends to things like cameras and other recording devices. The cameras from this cult can often be identified from the fact that the lenses of their cameras resemble eyes like that of a mage in appearance and function.
Mathematicians within the cult often use spells that require proper mathematical calculation to use. This allows for spells that are much more complex and nuanced than what the average person is capable of but also tends to make when and how the spells can be used rigid as improper calculations can cause the spell to function incorrectly. So casters of these spells tend to only memorize one or two ways of using these spells.
The cult uses magic in tandem with computers and electronics very often. Others can use magic to interact with the nervous system of themselves and others directly for various effects. Some people even wield strings infused with, or created from, nerve cells.
Territories
The heart of the cult’s official territories lies in Montgomery, Alabama in America and Ghana in West Africa respectively. However, their population can be found just about everywhere to some capacity, but their populations can be very sparse in certain areas and they are often spread thin and tend to be not as heavily concentrated in particular areas as other cults. Sometimes a town or city may contain but one member of the Spider Cult
Military
While they do have a military it does very little direct fighting and tends to focus on surveillance, subterfuge, spying, and sabotage. They may sometimes help as strategists for other armies or allies.
Religion
While Ana and Nancy have different jurisdictions and associations most members do not bother to differentiate them or memorize their differences and just pray to both gods at once when they desire something.
The cult is known to have a popular philosophy within it. It tends to revolve around the idea that everyone is equal due to the fact that anyone can and/or does have a place in the spider gods’ divine plan. This also means that everyone is in essence equal as they all have their role to play for the greater good of the ideal future and one should be wary about looking down upon others. A way of thought that tends to make them very welcoming to outsiders, even if they follow enemy gods. Since you never know what is and isn’t part of Ana and Nancy’s plan it’s important to look at the silver lining of situations and try to see how it can create good in the world. Everything that happens can be for a reason. Their philosophy also has an emphasis on knowledge and they may pray to their gods for insight or control over themselves and their situation or to find their place in the world and the plan of the spider gods. They refer to the spider God’s schemes and plans as their “divine plan” or “divine web.”
Laws
The use of pesticides is banned within the cult as even natural pesticides can kill or harm spiders and damage their population. The cult is known for having a myriad of laws but most don’t bother to keep track of or enforce all of them.
Even followers of enemy gods can join the Spider Cult without issue, as anyone can aid in the great plan of the spider gods.
Agriculture & Industry
They get most of their money from newspapers, articles, selling silk, cloth and various clothes as well as their various prosthetics and puppets. They also are often paid to record things such as documentaries, video, movies, and tv shows and they also provide video editing.
Cosmological Views
Spider silk is seen as sacred and members often wear clothes that contain spider silk or are made up entirely of it. If silk is not available they may simply have spider web patterns on their clothes.
8 is a sacred number within the cult. The 8th day of the 8th month of the year is a sacred day for them and some of the more devout pray at 8:00am every day.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Ana and Nancy are always ensuring that their cult holds a large amount of influence. It always seems like members of the cult happen to be at certain places in certain positions at the right time. The fact that they have a major hand in the news and film industries also gives them a lot of influence.
Sects
The cult has two major sects known as the Sect of Ana and Sect of Nancy respectively. The sects are extremely small in comparison to the rest of the cult and they both consider themselves to part of the Cult of Spiders. The Sect of Ana prioritizes the worship of Ana and are loyal only to her and the Sect of Nancy focuses on the worship of Nancy and claim to be only loyal to him. However, they get along amicabily and are both generally loyal to the Spider Cult.
"In the end, we are all connected by the web of life."
Type
Religious, Cult
Capital
Alternative Names
The Spider Cult, Cult of Anancy, Anancy's Cult, Cult of the Spiders
Leader
Ruling Organization
Currency
Like many cults surrounding the gods, the Spider Cult will accept any currency but they are particularly favorable to coins and notes depicting their god, Ana and/or Nancy. The coins have a spider representing Ana on one side and a spider representing Nancy on the other.
Major Exports
Prosthetics, puppets, news, articles, information, fabric, silk, clothes, etc.
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Permeated Organizations
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments