Cult Of Manos
The Cult Of Manos is a fringe cult that has connections to an ancient deity from between the realms. Although it has taken many forms over the eons, the Cult of Manos is the most recent iteration to come about, having become infamous throughout what used to be El Paso, Texas. It exists even after The Withering, having taken up a wide range of land within the tip of what, ran by an entity known only as The Master and their servant, Torgo.
Structure
The Master
O Manos, thou of primal darkness! Thou who dwelleth in the depth of the universe in the black chasms of night... Thou who bestoweth the mother darkness upon thy faithful, to live eternally in her keeping.
The Master was the first priest of Manos, acting out his will throughout the ages. He is said to be an ancient entity, having existed since the time of The Crucifixion. He would become Manos' priest shortly after he managed to get into Earth. Each time The Master has appeared throughout the ages, he has taken on a new body, living on through an arm that is surgically attached to each host.
Torgo
I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away.
Torgo is The Master's long-living and long-suffering manservant. Once, he was the servant of The Minotaur, before his exile. Being a strange half human, half Satyr creature, he serves The Master in his lodge, taking care of the place whenever he slumbers during the day and watching out for intruders. Oftentimes, though, he displays an envious attitude towards The Master's 'Servants', often desiring one for himself.
The Servants
The Servants are women who serve The Master. Oftentimes brought in as tribute by those beneath him, they sleep alongside The Master during the day and are fiercely loyal to him, with The Master using them as a source of guidance and decision-making. It's been said, too, that The Servants are granted magical powers in their own right due to the constant exposure to The Master and the high amounts of Mana radiating from his body.
The Hands
The Hands are the lowest rung of membership within The Cult Of Manos, helping to enforce and spread the will of Manos through any means necessary. Most of them are there willingly, having been drawn in by the calls and stories of power Manos gives to his followers, while others are forcibly converted into the cult. After The Withering, there was a massive influx of folks that would become Hands, seeking protection and safety from the dangers of the world.
Culture
The Cult of Manos regularly practices various dark arts that allow for the extension of their lives, granting them various powers that allow for them to better defend themselves from outsiders. Most of these dark arts were said to have come from The Red Bible, though this is mostly speculation. A good amount of folks within The Cult are farmers and doctors, which has served them greatly in the world.
A good amount of people who have joined the cult in the years after The Withering have done so as a means to survive the enviroment around them. Even with the horrors they witness due to constant exposure to the darkness of Manos, even as some become Transformed due to the heavy amounts of Mana used by the cult, they see it as a better alternative then braving the wilds or trusting the governments of the new world.
Oftentimes, you will not find a member of the cult out and about during the day. They will only come out at night, obscured by the darkness, feeling the cold; dark power he resonates. Due to this, farmers have to plant and plan ahead of time when it comes to the care of their crops.
Public Agenda
Alongside the doctrine of survival in the new world, The Cult Of Manos offers to bring enlightenment to those who join the cult. The Master and his followers have spread word that, of all beings in the heavens, Manos is the one that will bring people understanding in a world that has gone mad. Although Manos is a god of the dark, The Cult Of Manos claims that the entity that walks amongst the darkness will hold the best knowledge on how to survive it.
Mythology & Lore
In ancient days, Manos is said to have existed as a mere idea of power from the darkness. From one piece of ancient scripture, "Holy Darkness" from Strakh, circa unknown:
Given the era, it was easy to believe in such darkness and power. The age of the scripture dates back to the time after the 10,000 Days, whereupon Humanity was attempting to retrace the ways to use Edenite properly. Humanity was still afraid of the dark, yet a few quickly realized the power that comes with it, hiding in the shadows and using their magical tools to strike fear into those around them.
Although weak, it sought to bring itself into the realms, Manos hid in the darkness, waiting for the perfect moment for itself to reach in through the void between realms. It leeched off of that of Strakh for the longest time, drawn in by the darkness found within it's Second Cycle; yet unable to proceed into the realm due to the overwatching eye of the Bozhestvo. It would wait, observing the other realms for a way in. It would get this as a result of The Crucifixion on Earth, reaching in past the overflow of magic unleashed by the event.
It would latch on to hands due to what it witnessed during The Crucifixion.
Divine Origins
How the religion formed in the past is not known. All that's known is that The Master was the first person to have discovered Manos, and subsuquently was the first priest of Manos that ever came to be. He would live on through the ages, passing from host to host to pass on the teachings of Manos, only being stopped by the progression of time and the occasional war that came about.
The current iteration of it was founded on November 15, 1966, in El Paso, Texas. The Master set up shop in a building called the Valley Lodge, and would slowly attract people into the cult from there, eventually creating a compound with various farms located on it. Alongside this iteration of the cult, The Master would be served by Torgo, who would act as an enforcer of his will as well as the caretaker for the Lodge
My favourite thing is that the Master asks his Servants for advice about decisions and things. You really wouldn't expect that from a cult that gives women to him as tribute.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales