Sunekan Occultism

Sunekan Occultism is an eclectic synthesis of organized superstition, old folklore, pieces of ancient now-extinct religions, beliefs from charismatic cults, heresy, and warped foreign religion. It lacks a clear worldview or mission- this is not a religion. This is a group of interconnecting traditions devoted to the accumulation of personal power through supernatural means. Sunekan occultism, like occult traditions around the world, does not actually offer unique magical powers, but it does often include methods for learning actual magical arts.
Sunekan occultism may steal from local faiths, but it is not the same as local heresies or ancient religions. Rather, it appropriates their aesthetics and certain elements of their beliefs to create a sense of "forbidden knowledge and power" that the Sunekan priesthoods "aren't powerful enough to control". It advertises to the ambitious and the desperate, who seek the knowledge that they believe can make them successful. Not all occult groups are cut-throat ambitious power-brokers - most are disillusioned priests and middling-class youths who want a sense of control and individuality in a system that demands total obedience. But ambitious politicians are known to provide protection to occultists in exchange for political power.
The Sunekan Occult has a lot of variety, and honestly means different things to every practitioner. Only rarely is it actually harmful: most of the time it is focused more on self-empowerment than doing harm to others. Occultists have been known to use Curse Magic and unethical mind control, but only a handful of unhinged occultists have actually performed the kind of ritual atrocity that they are accused of by the greater Sunekan priesthood. They are often used as scapegoats for corruption and blamed for natural disasters or bad policy decisions.
As an organization, Sunekan Occultism is a loose network of practitioners who trade tips and rituals. They meet in isolated cells that often center around particularly well-studied or charismatic masters. Within this network, sub-networks gather around specific Lunar Gods that help them coordinate in exchange for influence. These celestial allies protect the occult network and allow it to flourish despite its persecution.
Occult groups may be distinct from heretical movements (heresies seek to appeal to everyone, while occultists revel in their individualism and exclusivity) but they do enter feedback loops and alliances where they trade information and philosophy. A special brand of semi-occult personality cult exists between the two, acting as middlemen that filter rituals and strategic information between heretics and occult cells.

Cosmological Views

To Be Ascendant

An idea introduced by the Matukel School of Sunekan Occultism in the 300s ME is that of "The Ascendant": a magic user of such immense power that they transcend harmony itself. The idea of a magical super-person who uses occultism to become so powerful that they are in some way divine has gotten a lot of mileage from personality cults and drawn a lot of followers from across Sunekan occultism, and has basically become a staple of occult philosophy. Some say that the Ascendant is a kind of person that anyone can become (and may also have multiple levels within it), some say that it is a specific messianic figure that will beckon a new era of magic, and some say it is a state of mind that can be accessed temporarily to enhance one's power.
In terms of what the Ascendant actually is, typically it is someone who is totally self-sufficient- who has become so individually contained that they are their own god. It is the goal of most occultists to become Ascendant, and exhaustive literature exists on the topic of just what that means and how to do that.

Outer Knowledge

Outer Knowledge is the knowledge that exists beyond the harmonious universe (the "Mundane World"). The "Outer Universe" is all that exists beyond what the Mundane World chains us to. The Outer Universe is inhabited by Outer Gods- some say they are beings involved in creation and power beyond out understanding, others say that all Gods have "outer parts" that exist beyond what is knowable. The Outer Universe is also possible full of outer worlds- other planes of existence inhabited by many strange creatures and powers.
The importance of Outer Knowledge is that it exists beyond what is and is not harmonious- it transcends the division entirely, as it exists beyond the mundane universe. By being outside this frail world, it allows beings who are mentally transcended to channel power that would normally be impossible for limited beings such as mortals. An example of this is warlockery, but outer knowledge can enhance the power of any creature and any magical or mental discipline.
Outer Knowledge can unlock powerful rituals, mental states, and abilities that allow for power over the gods themselves.

Sects

There are a number of distinct schools unique to Sunekan Occultsm:

• The Matukel School, originally a group of Northern occultists said to be the court mages of the ancient Northern monarchs, are famous and revered. They are said to have studied and even manipulated Ederstone, and to have stolen the lost magic of the Kobolds. Many occultists claim that they mastered wizardry prior to the official discovery of the art in 1000 ME. The Matukel school honors the Sunekan God Matu, the Monkey God of Curiosity that accidentally allowed for the ancient Stildanians to unleash Ederstone and from which all Kobolds are descended. Matukel traditionalists focus on praying to the "Secret Aspects" of Gods and unlocking the aspects of Gods within one's soul to become Ascendant.
• The Teketeva School, named after the infamous Occultist Teketeva of the 1600s ME. It is said that Teketeva was a shapeshifter who summoned a wide variety of powerful demons and walked among the Outer Planes. Teketevan traditionalists are big on summoning and using hallucinogens to contact Outer Gods. They also seek out the Ascended Masters, powerful occult mages who live in the Outer Planes. They were the first in Suneka to make Demon Folios for conjuring.
• The Akrokel (Moon-King-School) School is devoted to the Lunar Pantheon as creator spirits that can allow access to the Outer Planes and pure divine power. They are basically Lunar God cults.
• The Chisokel School, an occult movement that began among a clique of charismatic priests in the 500s ME. It believes that pleasure is a form of divine communion, and that any form of successful worship or magic should be enjoyable for all. While the originally heretical movement was crushed, the occult magic hedonism of the Chisokel remains a strong influence in the occultism of the Sunekan heartlands- and has a lot of influence in the Asuna heresy. Also common among the Chisokel is a warped and exoticized version of proto-Nediran religion. Chisokel masters often call themselves judge-monarchs, a great deal of emphasis is put on discerning one's magical destiny, and magical rituals are important in upholding "the secret laws of the outer planes".

While posh occultists may claim to belong to one group or the other, most mash them together according to personal preference.

Type

Secret, Occult