Cult of the Storm
The Cult of the Storm represents Kontona's most visible followers if not her most numerous followers.
They believe that fomenting changing and removing barriers is good not only for individuals and societies but for the entire universe as a whole.
Individual cultists have different means on bringing things together. Sometimes this is very peaceful and harmonious and sometimes this is very brutal and violent.
Public Agenda
To foment change and bring the Land and the Sea Closer together.
Cosmological Views
Their first core belief is that without change and conflict, a person will die. Even if they don't literally die, they soul will suffocate.
This doesn't just apply to people, it also applies to society and the world as a whole.
Some Storm Bringers legitimately believe they are helping others when they shake things up. Others don't really care and use this tenet as thin veil for their love of destruction and chaos. Some split the difference going about harsh actions with mechanical efficiency.
Their second core belief is that Scarterra and Scaraqua should not be separate worlds. Land and Sea need each other.
Also note that they gave the ;and a capital "L." The Cult of the Storm are not the first group nor the only group in Scaraqua to postulate that Land is a cosmic entity at least as potent as Sea Floor, but they are the first group to say that Land and Sea are symbiotically linked.
As far as they are concerned, Scaraqua and Scarterra are only scarred because the two halves of the world/universe are sundered from each other.
Priesthood
The Cult of the Storm has a wide variety of Scaraquans in it, it is not dominated by any single aquatic race having many Astakalians, Merfolk, Karakhai, and Ojiongo among them among others.
Most of their recruits are countercultural adolescents and young adults chafing at the traditions of the culture they are born in. To these rebellious youth, the idea of removing barriers and fomenting change is attractive. Also, a lot of them are curious and exploration minded and this is one of the few groups in Scaraqua "where swimming on land" is not only allowed but encouraged.
While lots of groups in Scaraquan claim to be all inclusive, they usually have an informal pecking order that favors one group over the others. The Cult of the Storm may be one of Scaraqua's truly egalitarian organizations that actually live up to their ideas.
This might because the priesthood is extremely decentralized. The group shares some dogma and rituals but they don't really have a true command structure to speak of. They tend to operate in small groups either following their most charismatic or intelligent member.
Granted Divine Powers
Non-spellcasters among the Cult of the Storm never are given much respect or authority. Nearly every member of the cult wants to become a theurgist.
New recruits often want to develop the piety required to become a theurgist as quickly as possible and seek to prove their worthiness for Kontona's blessing by taking huge risks on behalf of the Cult. Essentially the Cult's attitude is to become a theurgist or literally die trying.
This risk taking behavior rarely goes away when the Cultists becomes a theurgist.
Because the Stormbringers wish to bring Scaraqua and Scarterra closer together, this means that Augmentation magic is prized above all others because it allows Scaraquans to survive on land and Scarterrans to surive in the sea.
Of course the Cult of the Storm would haven't gotten their moniker if they didn't occasionally make storms. The divine sphere of Weather is also very popular. Part of their philosophy that the land and sea should come together is motivated by pragmatism. A lot of Weather magic is less potent below the waves than above them.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Most of the Scaraquan powers that be including the Oshamni Empire, especially the Oshmani, believe that the Stormbringers are either an annoyance or a plague. The Cult of the Storm is often violently persecuted by the Princes of the Sea just because the powers that be like the Status Quo and want to preserve stability and not unbalance things just because of some crazy dogma.
This is not universal, while all the Stormbringers value change for the sake of change, not all of them are violent juvenile anarchists. Genuine political reformers can find members of the Cult of the Storm coming out of the depths to offer clandestine aid.
In the Oshamni Senate the Shallows Versus Deeps Political Debate is ongoing. The Stormbringers are very much in line with the Shallows and want to see greater ties between Scarterra and Scaraqua. Sometimes this can lead to (clandestine) alliances, but often Shallow aligned Senators among the loudest voices demanding harsh actions against the Stormbringers before their methods and strategies differ in extreme fashions.
At first glance, the Cult of the Storm is so small one would guess that they don't have the numbers or organization to have any political sway in Scaraqua, but they do have something other Scaraquans want, often want badly. They have a lot of Scarterran manufactured (which is technically bringing Scarterrans and Scaraquans together!), but either way the Stormbringers are usually rich in land goods.
We are the storm of change!
Type
Religious, Cult
Demonym
Stormbringers
Deities
Location
Notable Members
Comments