Acension

A Birth Of A Different Kind

Ascension is when an individual passes on from the physical plane, without dying beforehand. In many ways, it is a spiritual rebirth. When ascended, one is as vulnerable as a newborn. They are wide eyed, curious, sponges of knowledge. They learn to crawl in the metaphysical planes, learn to walk, and finally to run, all under the watchful eye of their patrons.
A cultist desperately desires ascension. The promise of Immortality, power, and love from a higher power drives them. They obey every command, observe every waking vision with scrutiny, and carry out their orders with unyieoding loyalty.

It is the goal of every cultist to ascend and join their patrons in the entities own realm. They are adopted children from this time forward, and are spoiled with many gifts befitting their station. Demigods, lesser deities, whatever their name may be, ascension is the end game for all those who believe.

A Second Infancy

Ascending can be as peaceful or violent as the patron desires. These entities are beyond the world humanity knows, beyond human comprehension. They cater their brand of ascension as if it were a fine tuned machine. Every ounce of pain and pleasure is intended. Each moment meant to be a lesson, or a warning.
A cultist who pleased their patron may be offered ascension. This can take years, but may only take a few weeks. The nature of these patrons makes their agenda and whim unknowable to those who have no place to ask. Through faith, the worthy are uprooted from their limits, and that's all that matters to them.
What happens once a cultist has ascended varies. Some are reshaoed, transformed into something more than human. Others sit at the table of their patron unchanged. Some go through a series of trials to further prove their faith, while some simply accept the gifts with little to no ceremony.

Fear and Happiness

Ascension, even if desperately desired, should never be taken lightly. It's dangerous, to both mind and body. Their is no telling who or what someone will become, even if successful.
Ascension is a time of joy, but also great fear. The cultists will experience such anxiety that they lose sleep, forget to eat, and other things that can hinder their much needed strength. Calm and collected thoughts are essential for the chosen.
The time before ascension is a test of faith. The chosen will have doubts. They will wonder if its true or if they will be betrayed. They will wonder if ascension is truely worth it or if they will find no sense of completion agent he deed is done. They don't want to disappoint their patron or their peers. They keep these thoughts quiet, but even the silent thought can prove dangerous.

Passing On

For the cults in The Commonwealth of Alternative Religion , ascension is a grand affair. It is to be celebrated, and nothing stirs up envy in ones peers more than being chosen by a mutual deity. Their may be feasting and other forms of revelry involved in the time before the cultist's second birth.
For some, such as The Order of The Black Sea, the ascendent takes time to say their goodbyes, handle affairs, and prepare themselves for the event. Not everyone who is chosen makes it to the end. Some perish before they complete their final pilgrimage.
Others cults make ascension a more private event, such as The Children of The Fiery Lock. When one ascends into The Red Maiden's garden, it could be some time before people realize they are gone.