The Council of Cycles

The Council of Cycles is an interorganizational sect used as a means of establishing relations between Prisma's various occult and religious organizations. It was primarily an organization dedicated to chronicling and prophecizing the nature of the cycles of existence, although it has since become an organization that focuses primarily on maintaining at least some stability in a world increasingly defined by feuds between magical factions. As such, it can be seen in many ways as an occultist's version of The Wulin.

History

It is well known among the Prisma's highest scholars, saints, and occultists that existence has been but a seemingly endless series of cycles. Worlds are birthed, grow, and then wither. Sometimes, cultures, devas, and worlds continue throughout cycles. Sometimes, the end of a cycle is a mass extinction event. In almost all cases, bloodshed and chaos defines the end of a cycle. The Council of Cycles was a joint alliance by various typically hostile groups of factions such as the Shambali, Th'uul Society, Coven, and Warrior Priests of the Emerald Empire. No matter the foul intentions an organization may have, they all typically shared the motivation of wanting to exist. It was this shared fact and the possibility of apocalypse that allowed for the Council of Cycles to exist. If any faction learnt anything of the oncoming apocalypse, they would report it to the Council so that the entire occultist community could prepare to counter-act a possible end of the cycle.

Over time, however, things became far more complicated. Certain factions, such as the Th'uul Society, intentionelly held back information or even seemed interested in bringing about apocalypse. Eventually, as secret wars broke out around Prisma by its various occult factions, the Council of Cycles began to serve as a sort of mediation organization so that the inevitable conflicts between factions such as The Coven and the Rose Guardians wouldn't spiral out of control. Leaders and important individuals from the various member organizations used it as a means of ensuring that conflict between the factions would be organized. In many cases, The Wulin was used for conflict resolution.

Culture

Unlike the Seekers and Guild of Harmonious Intent, the Council of Cycles is an ancient organization with connections that go back to the original cabal of Qi Wizards who first brought about The Shattering. Not all members of the Council of Cycles are members of the Wulin, but almost all organizations within it usually have a fighter associated with them that they can use for dispute resolution. There's also just a lot of crossover room between occultist or religious figures and The Wulin, since typically such knowledge of the magical allows for one to grow in power substantially.

The Council of Cycles has an actual council that leads it, typically made up of very important individuals from some of Prisma's most important organizations and religions. Technically anyone belonging to a member organization, in addition to independent Qi Wizards and academics, can also make us of the institutions the council provides. The Council of Cycles has a vested interest in The Wulin, due to its ties to Qi cultivation, the supernatural, and Devas. As such, many members of the Wulin belong to the Council of Cycles.

Current Goals

Many occultists and prophets have received visions, visions of an upcoming end of the cycle. The world is ending, many say, and the Council of Cycles seeks to understand what is causing the apocalypse before its too late. The Council of Cycles dismisses the other factions for fighting over petty issues. The Seekers and Guild see the Council as nothing more than an organization of madmen and manipulators. The presence of factions such as the Th'uul Society in the organization does not help. The Council of Cycles seeks to petition Emperor Guanyin to focus on assisting the Council in discovering and preventing the apocalypse.