Ahlam's Temple
Ahlam's Temple
Exploring the Mysteries of Experience
Ahlam's Temple is a faction dedicated to systematic exploration of the mysteries of experience and the senses. While they are renowned for their courtesans, their foundation differs from other cults. Instead of religious traditions, the Temple emphasizes the eternal importance of the present. To them, The Icons symbolize various positions of the human soul, both spiritual and physical. Similar to the Church of the Icons, Ahlam's Temple seeks to disseminate their philosophies, believing that an understanding of the purity of the present can enhance the lives of Horizon's people. Ahlam's teachings extend to various domains, from dance and art to jurisprudence and politics. Even the Judicators' non-torture interrogation methods are based on Ahlamite principles. These teachings originated from Miran temple dances and pre-Portal Wars poetry, developed over time by renowned philosophers like Haraman Hassam and poets like Jasmine Sidat, resulting in the Temple of Ahlam as it exists today.
The Courtesans
Ahlam's Temple is most famous for the courtesan academies they operate on Coriolis and Mira. These academies exclusively focus on the eight arts of pleasure. Notable individuals, including rhetoricians, prophets, entertainers, and officers, have attended these academies. Both the Zenithian Hegemony and the Bulletin regularly send their employees and aristocrats to learn about subjectivity and sensory input. True courtesans undergo extensive training at these academies from a young age, with only the most exceptional students earning their titles. Courtesans from the Temple are highly sought after in metropolises like Coriolis, often accompanying individuals in the political arena. Wealthy families and even major corporations employ personal aesthetes to showcase their status. Less discussed is the Temple's subgroup known as the Black Lotuses, courtesans trained in the ninth art, the pleasure of death. These assassins played a pivotal role in the destruction of the Nazareem's Sacrifice, though their current activity remains uncertain to outsiders. Prominent members of the Temple include Terminos Lete, the council member, Hija Goua, the bi-gender courtesan from Menele, the war dancer Palmira Ferex from Mira, and Darkes Lamann, the slum poet known for mocking rulers and plebeians alike. The Temple possesses ancient proxy technology designed for therapeutic and educational purposes, enabling individuals to share experiences and knowledge. Regrettably, the Syndicate has stolen this technology and uses it to produce erotic "proxy trips," with rumors of "moru trips" that allow users to experience another's death. The Temple strives to recover their technology but has made no progress thus far.
Ahlam's Mematurgy
In addition to proxy technology, rumors suggest that Temple philosophers can create their own memes. Mematurgs manipulate light, sound, and bio signals to make people believe or do things contrary to their nature. While Temple philosophers and teachers view memes as a means to enlightenment, they can also be used for control. The saying goes, "a courtesan's whisper is a bond for any man or woman." Rumors suggest that the Temple's Black Lotuses are trained in using verbal memes. Other examples of mematurgs exist, such as the tyrant Dziban, who controls parts of the Dziban system. Tales of the Djinni suggest they can implant thoughts in people's minds.
