The Forgiven

One of the major tenets of Sarenrae's religion is the constant striving to offer redemption to those who embrace evil. According to the cultists calling themselves the Forgiven, this means the best way to glorify her is to do the worst possible things, be the worst possible person, and then ask for—and accept—forgiveness.
The idea originated on Nukalara, a Near Space world, where the high priest of a particularly corrupt church began preaching the doctrine as a justification for his own vile behavior—via far-reaching multimedia broadcasts. The idea quickly caught on among the selfish and the cruel, and it has spread still farther in recent years.

Structure

MEMBERS Though the cult arose on a Near Space world, it rapidly spread, given its leader’s growing celebrity status and the appeal of the philosophy. Most of the Forgiven uphold the doctrine in a facile sense to provide blanket justification for a hedonistic lifestyle utterly free of guilt and shame. These followers are less prone to spreading the ideology—leaving that task to the sect’s head—but the sheer number of them lends credibility to the group as a whole.
More recently, a number of young people have embraced the philosophy ironically, but more than a few are brought into the cult proper—typically at extravagant, debauched parties—before they realize that they have begun upholding its tenets in earnest.
LEADERS High Priest Laroedahn (CE male Aasimar envoy) is the undisputed leader of the Forgiven, having originated the philosophy to provide a cover for his own terrible abuses of power. He has since built a galaxy-spanning media empire founded upon the ideology. This adoration has convinced him of the truth of his views, which he now espouses far more faithfully than he ever did the doctrines upheld by most of Sarenrae’s church. Less than a year ago, he claims he was confronted by a pair of angels sent by Sarenrae in “the ultimate test of his faith,” an encounter he often recounts in media interviews and that only furthers his sense of righteousness. He surrounds himself with a court of sycophantic and equally despicable priests.
ENEMIES The core church of Sarenrae has found that the more it overtly condemns the Forgiven, the worse the cult’s behavior gets and the larger its following, and so the church has begun to enlist outside aid in the form of independent investigators and even the occasional team of adventurers to curb the faction’s worst abuses. Local authorities (in areas where they haven’t been paid by the cult to look the other way) are also a major problem for the Forgiven, as most of the cults’ activities are not merely vile but outright illegal.

Public Agenda

Laroedahn doesn’t dream of anything so grand as ascending to godhood or ruling the universe. Instead, he’d like to acquire a private planet where he can indulge in his vices without having to follow any rules of decency. He will offer the cult’s growing political clout to any faction that can make that dream come true.
Most of the cult’s followers are concerned only with having a good time through various debauches. Those in the inner circles, however, end up spending just as much time covering for themselves and one another as they do enjoying the excesses of their faith. Much of the cult’s considerable resources goes toward destroying evidence, disposing of bodies, silencing witnesses, and blocking investigations.

Type

Religious, Cult