BUILD YOUR OWN WORLD Like what you see? Become the Master of your own Universe!

Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild

The Temple At 12 Cults Flat

A Temple | A Prison

12 Cults Flat is the location of a massive battle between, you guessed it, twelve major cults. While there were many movements involved that remain uncounted, these 12 cults were the most influential, the most powerful, and the most zealous.   The battle was gruesome and bloody. Creatures fought beside the cultists, avatars of entities beyond time and space clashed until it became clear there could be no one victor. All of this bloodshed occurred over a building that rose from the salt flats in Utah, a temple.   The temple appears Greek or roman, as if carved from a massive chunk of marble. The original intent was to house a power, a literal Pandora's box. The cults fought merely to keep each other out, agreeing to stop their holy war when realizing no one intended to go inside in the first place.

Neutral Ground

You have to be careful here. If you so much as utter "Deus Vult" Without going through the hoops, you'll make youself some powerful enemies. Cults are funny like that...
— Casey Mccollough from The Squire
   
Due to its isolated position, civilization being many miles away, and its religious significance, the temple is used by all alternative religions to better their connections with each other and settle old scores. The salt just around the foundation of the temple is a pale red and orange, the blood spilled having been absorbed by the salt over the years, as if pulled to the temple by an unseen force.     The temple was repurposed, a symbol of peach and war alike. The temple stands as neutral ground for all those in The Commonwealth of Alternative Religion . This is where disputes are settled, sometimes through diplomacy, sometimes through holy war. The wars are fought in the temples shadow, always casting a sense of dread to those who wonder what lies inside. It's a prison now, and the nameless thing within must never be let free.   No one is allowed to study the temple, and being found near it without a reason is not a healthy life decision to make. Each of the 12 cults dedicate two members who monitor and patrol the temple, enforcing the rules of The Commonwealth.

Crusades and Constitutions

The 12 Cults created a complex system reminiscent of feudal society when forming The Commonwealth of Alternative Religion . They engrained themselves into the culture of The Web, whether The Web wanted it or not.   The Web is always in chaos when the cults go to war, unsure if they should intervene or let them fight. Siegfried is always on site when battles are fought, ready to bomb the temple from orbit should someone attempt to enter it. The fact that some horrible thing resides within the temple puts everyone on edge.   To the members of The Web, its only a matter of time until someone tries to go inside. They see cultists as insane, the followers of dark gods and darker agendas. They see cultists as just another villain. This couldn't be further from the truth, at least most of the time.

Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild


Cover image: by Brandon Green

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!
Jul 2, 2020 23:33 by Grace Gittel Lewis

Love the concept here of a war where everyone fought out of distrust, when they all were on the same side.   Interesting to see a supernatural prison become a peaceful meeting ground, too. That seems like a bomb waiting to go off...   So, how does anyone know that something horrible resides within?  

Flora grows in designated spaces and muvhbof bears fruit.
The temple sounds lovely, and the area around it, too? That's a REAL nice visual!   Summer Camp seems to be going well so far on your end, good luck!

Jul 2, 2020 23:49 by R. Dylon Elder

So far so good, for sure. You as well. You have a nice little head start as of yesterday.     Oh yes. ticking time bomb for sure. I loved the idea of cults trying to keep the evil in instead of releasing it XD As to how they know... They don't. ;) Ill fix that bit. lol it slipped past me. Thanks so much! I'm enjoying it thus far, thought about streaming as well though everyone else seems to have that covered XD

Jul 3, 2020 00:12 by Grace Gittel Lewis

Hey don't let us stop you from streaming! Overlap is inevitable, I wouldn't be too concerned about it!

Jul 3, 2020 05:45

mmm... a symbol of peach and war. sounds delicious and violent. (;   I think I'm more comfortable with the cults fighting around the temple than I am with pointing a bomb at it just in case. If the temple is supposed to be Pandora's box, a bomb will almost certainly break the box open. A team of snipers might be a more measured response, perhaps.   The cults are in an odd limbo for me. They aren't inherently evil; that much is clear; however, they don't seem as approachable as some of the other organizations of the web. From the account of the first battle, the cults' leaders seem quick to action and slow to diplomacy, putting their beliefs before anyone's convenience, or lives for that matter. In short, if you play by their rules, you'll be fine. If you don't, prepare to die or backtrack very quickly.   I can very easily see one of the cults filling in the doors of the temple with cement, just in case.   If someone wanted to get in, how would they go about it? first off, you'd need to make sure Siegfried isn't around. Take them out discreetly, if need be. Secondly, there's the matter of the locked doors. first, maybe try dynamite. then maybe just try climbing or flying into the courtyard. failing those, probably recruit an expert; a wizard or high-ranking cultist may be able to open the doors for you. The only problem I have no real solution for is the guardian within; but maybe I'll get lucky and he'll be myth, illusion, or the evil I was trying to release in the first place. In any case, one would have to get into the temple in the first place to make any sort of workable plan, barring any divination magic, that is.   Barring any of those solutions, I'll have my evil organization obtain a nuke (or just a lot of TNT) and do Siegfried's job for them.

Jul 3, 2020 15:27 by R. Dylon Elder

War peach is my favorite flavor lol I shall fix that.   The hope is that the bomb will destroy whateber lies within.... not the case, obviously but wishful thinking lol.     The cults are not as approachable. they have a dark side, their members are capable of some really messed up stuff, but they are not inherently evil. They are quick to action and I will be discussing this in my counter culture article. Cultists effectively have proof their religion is true. They know they are not the only ome but their is a certain level of pride that can spawn from that...   As far as opening it, no one has ever tried. Not even once. Even if they wanted to, they have no reference to know where to begin. That's the fear of the unknown for you.

Jul 6, 2020 18:12 by Marjorie Ariel

Really enjoyed reading this (and your article is beautiful). I like how this has become a special place for different cultists and is a neutral ground in a sense, but I would like to know more about how it became a prison, which felt like a sidenote.

Jul 6, 2020 18:29 by R. Dylon Elder

Ohhh oll make that more clear for sure, thanks for letting me know. Effectively whatever evil lies in the temple is what is imprisoned. That's my fault. Thanks so much!

Powered by World Anvil