Cult of the Damned
The Cult of the Damned is an organization which has existed since the days of the Nameless Empire and is shrouded in secrecy. Believing in humanist tradition and secular ideals, they have often fought against superstition and ignorance. They work behind the scenes, offering support and knowledge to the poorest people of the world, helping communities survive against time and the elements. Their greatest enemy is the Church of the One Sun and their militant monks of the Fellowship of the Palms. They operate from a citadel deep within the Shin Empire, hidden within the peaks of the Apps Mountains.
Due to the need to preserve their secrecy, the Cult of the Damned has very exclusive recruiting techniques, seeking out particularly skilled or intelligent individuals to join their order. They also offer refuge to those who reach their citadel in the Shin Empire, the journey being harrowing to attempt. Those they deem worthy are trained in martial arts and sent out into the world to help improve the lives of all. Many engineers, scholars, and other educated individuals find their ways to the Cult of the Damned, and serve them in secret.
The Cult relies upon secrecy and thus does not possess much in the way of open military force. While several powerful warriors have sworn allegiance to the Cult, there is no army or organized force that they can deploy. The Cult prefers to work in the manner of sabotage or subtlety, deploying monks and rogues to do anything that requires a blade or violence. They have been known to undertake assassinations of particularly despotic secular or religious leaders, but rarely emerge into the open in the aftermath. Occasionally they set out to recover or reclaim artifacts of the Nameless Empire, which they deem to be self-destructive or more likely to make the lives of people worse and not better.
Structure
The Cult of the Damned could consist of anyone of any race, and they have the most diverse membership of all factions within Emicara. They welcome anyone who stands up to tyranny and wishes to aid the people of the world. The closure of the Shin Empire has divested the members of the Cult of their primary leadership, and they, despite their efforts have little idea of what is going on in the depths of the Apps Mountains. Thankfully, they are organized in cells, with each cell having only limited contact with each other. This allows independence of action as each group does its best in the area that it is located within.
Public Agenda
The Cult of the Damned publicly stands for the preservation of technology and reason, hoping to improve all people's living conditions. They also advocate the overthrow of tyrants and those who abuse their power over others. The platform that often causes their members the most trouble however, is their constant war against the Church of the One Sun, which they believe is the antithesis of everything they stand for. Members of the Monastic Brotherhood and the Fellowship of the Palm wage countless attacks and wars against the Cult and the threat they represent to the order of the Church and Jakonian Empire.
Assets
The Cult of the Damned possesses a massive fortress on the summit of the mountains, deep within the Apps. Originally paid for and constructed by the Shin Empire, the Eternal Empress turned over the citadel to the Cult due to their similar goals and ideas for the future. The citadel possesses ample fortifications and structures that make assault unviable, as only a narrow road leads to it, which has been populated with traps and obstacles, both magic and mundane. The Cult possesses deep archives and stores of ancient magical artifacts and items, which they have sworn to preserve and use for good. This is combined with ample gold reserves and a standing force of armed individuals and well trained soldiers. Unfortunately, the assets of the Citadel have been lost to the various cells scattered across Emicara, due to the closure of the Shin Empire.
The cells have since operated on their own, and they each must make do with what resources they have. This has proved a struggle, as they continue their disjointed fight against the Church of the One Sun. Each cell typically has to use whatever they can scrounge up to accomplish their regional goals. Thankfully the independent nature of the organization allows for considerable longevity, as cells exist in nearly every major city in Emicara.
History
The Cult of the Damned’s unfortunate name is said to have been taken upon them by persecution at the hands of the Nameless Empire. It is said that in legend the Empire sought to demonize and suppress the Cult at every turn, thus the ominous moniker. When the Nameless Empire collapsed, the Cult was actively involved in preserving every scrap of knowledge and technology they could, creating a massive archive hidden in the Apps Mountains. When civilization began to emerge once more from the wreckage of the old world, the Cult provided open aid and support to new and struggling communities, teaching advanced agriculture and engineering. Unfortunately, the rise of the Church of the One Sun resulted in an open war between the two orders, which the Cult lost, forcing them into hiding. Since the war of the orders, the Cult of the Damned has remained active, usually engaging covertly with other groups attempting to bring about change for the better of all people.
Reason Above Order
Founding Date
Unknown
Type
Secret, Brotherhood
Leader
Location
Notable Members
Comments