The Cult of the Oasis

"From the Oasis we come, nothing but water and will. From the Oasis we draw life, drinking of blood and eating of flesh. To the Oasis we return. Our flesh and blood gone." -Carver Water Priest

Structure

The Cult is headed up by a Master of Water, who dictates how their underlings will live their lives, and engage the other people of the Rip. Under the Master of Water are the Water Priests, only listening to their Master of Water. They give instructions to the Fleshsmiths, war singers, and the masses. Fleshsmitsh and war singers work together, warping the flesh of foes, and healing the faithful. The War Singers beat their drums, spreading fear through the Arcane, and through the Meaning of the drum.

Public Agenda

The Cultists seek to spill enough blood to call forth the Clocktower, which they believe will lead all people to a land with no Gods, no Krake, and no Demons, where the people can be truly prosperous and happy.

Assets

The Cult has access to all things that its members had access to before joining the cult. Luckily, there are a few with truly large amounts of resources that join the cult.

History

The Cult was established when a man was cursed by Motros, to slay his family and wander the desert for all eternity, unable to be killed. The man wandered for centuries, in agony and madness, slaughtering those who he encountered, and feasting on their flesh. Eventually, it is believed that the man found the Clocktower. The Man was welcomed into it, and sought to teach the others of what he learned within the massive structure.

Mythology & Lore

The Cult of the Oasis believes that all water, and therefore all life, comes from the Oasis beyond the Clocktower. It is believed that should enough blood be spilled in the name of the Oasis, the Clocktower will be unlocked, and all people will be brought through to the oasis, to live a truly free and safe life.

Divine Origins

The First Carver was stranded in the desert by Motros, after he killed his family. It is believed that he found the Clocktower, where he was welcomed inside, and found the oasis.

Cosmological Views

All life flows forth from the Oasis, and as such, through the Clocktower. As such, it would be easy to believe that the focus of the cult would be on the Oasis, but it is not so. The cult focuses most on the Clocktower, and spilling enough blood to unlock it. The Cult of the Oasis believes that the Oasis is the center of all life, and that the world that all inhabit is merely a crumb of the world beyond the Clocktower. The Cult of the Oasis believes that the wind was created specifically to punish them, as it dries out their wounds and causes them greater pain.

Tenets of Faith

The tenets of the faith are incredibly basic.  Spill blood in the name of the Oasis, in order to fill it.  Give Praise Unto the Clocktower, for it shall guide us to the Oasis. Feed on the flesh and blood provided by the oasis.  Seek to fill the Oasis above all other things.

Ethics

The Carvers are guided only to sources of blood and flesh. The most pious act is spilling blood in the name of the Oasis.

Worship

Carvers worship on the battlefield. They shed blood, and torture those they capture. They feed on their flesh and blood. All of these are acts of worships to Carvers.

Priesthood

The Water Priests are distinguished by their excessive zeal, and their devotion to the cause. They are willing to carve the flesh from their bodies and shed their blood for the cause, even above the frothing masses. Flesh Priests are appointed by a series of Arcanic mutations that rack their bodies, causing them to grow larger, and more resistant to damage and pain. Water Priests are distinguished from the flock by their prowess with flesh shifting, an art that can warp and twist the flesh of the Water Priest's foes. Water Priests often have their skin peeled back and their muscle carved into with faces of the Clocktower, the sun, and images of the Oasis.
Masters of Water are further distinguished by the ability to hold conversations, and make actual strategic plans.
The most holy of the Carvers are the Cardinal Blades, so named for each Cardinal Direction. Chief among them is the Eastern Blade, a Carver wearing the skull of some antlered demon painted with sigils that cause nausea and pain in those that look at them. The Eastern Blade is chief among the Cardinal Blades because while the Cardinal Blades are reincarnated whenever they die, the Eastern Blade seems to be actually impossible to kill permanently. Whenever It is killed, It gets back up.

Granted Divine Powers

The faithful are immune to pain, both physical and psychological, save for the wind in their wounds, and are granted the ferocity and unending stamina to shed blood in the name of the Oasis.

Political Influence & Intrigue

All organizations within the Rip, including demons, will work with the others when faced with an incursion of Carvers.

"To feed the Oasis."

Founding Date

Unknown

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

The Desert Cult, Carvers

Demonym

Cultists