The Cultists

Written by Darkfyyre

Codex Entry

"wip"

Summary

The second group to appear, following on the heels of the Devoted. They took the concepts of the Devoted further, as the Machine's byproducts and waste began to spawn beasts of pollution and misery. The Cultists conceived of the Starvation, a counterpart to the Machine itself; an infernal force to oppose that of the divine Machine. The elements of iron, water, fire, coal, and blood compose all things of humanity's world. They want only to continue to feed both the Machine and its Starvation.

Structure

This ideology is far looser in structure than both the Devoted and the Scientists, though one sect is recognized as the "official" representation of the system of belief in the context of the political sphere. This sect is largely agreed to be the origin of the Cultists, and so takes the role of interacting with the rest of the city at large.
On the smaller scale, various sects are lead by one or more individuals, usually the founder or founders of an area's secret temple and congregation. The leaders of these sects have their followers meet regularly, once weekly or sometimes daily, to discuss any matter of topics, depending on the chosen focus of the congregation.
Sometimes within larger congregations, a sect's priest will select other individuals to act as community leaders, to improve communication and connectedness within the sect. Overall, however, any community of Cultists tend to be loosely governed, with few restrictions on how each member of the congregation practices their faith or pursues their research.

Public Agenda

The Cultists, having arisen after the Devoted, share many of the views of their predecessors. They see the Machine as something divine in nature, a positive influence in life of the city. However, the Cultists belief in an infernal, opposing force to that of the Machine - the Starvation.
Overall, the Cultists seek to expand their knowledge and understanding of the Machine and the Starvation, as well as the things they consider to be related. Varies sects will set up research efforts to study everything from the Relics to the Beasts, in hopes of unlocking new secrets that may better mankind.

Assets

As one of the major influential ideologies within the city, the Cultists have a variety of resources at their disposal. They are more connected to the Devoted than the Cultists, giving them access to information and material related to the Machine and the Relics. Some members of the main body of the Cultists have access to the Machine itself, which is usually reserved for the Devoted only.
(wip)

History

The ideology of the Cultists came about soon after the rise of the Beasts. They took many of the concepts of the Devoted, and expanded upon them. The Cultists believed there to be a connection between the Machine's influence, and the sudden appearance of the Beasts, and that connection was a phenomenon they refer to as the Starvation.
These beliefs picked up a lot of traction within the Devoted, many of whom felt there was more to the Machine than simple divinity. A lot of these Devoted converts had experiences with the Machine itself, and vouched for the concept of the Starvation, and influence that demanded and hungered for sustenance.
Once a more unified body of believers formed, and branded themselves the Cultists, they became recognized as a major Ideology within the city.

Type

Religious, Cult