The Same

Authority Figures: The One
Important Figures: Noritor Dumduril
Seal/Standard: A circle with two lines crossing through it at a 120-degree angle
===History===
The Same were founded in UC 1,102 by the enigmatic man know as ‘The One’. Very little is known about him, other than in that year, he seemed middle aged, walked with a limp, and was an albino. While in Parlera, he encountered a night watchman, Noritor Dumduril, and shared his personal philosophies and teachings. Dumduril was so moved that he abandoned his life in Parlera and began following the wandering philosopher. Others followed as they went from city to city.
The core concept behind The One’s philosophy, and the cult’s central thesis, is that pain and suffering come from inequality. For people to truly be happy, they must become homogenous, meaning that all people should occupy the same social status, the same economic standing, the same philosophies, and even looking the same. As a result of this, members of The Same give up whatever material wealth they own, either abandoning it or donating it to the cult itself to be used in a manner that benefits all. Initiates choose new names upon entering the group, leaving behind everything they once had, including social standing- meaning that all members, despite their origins, are seen as no more superior or inferior to any other acolyte.
Very little has gone on that specifically influenced or was influenced by the cult, with the exception of the events that unfolded in UC 1,132, in Castle Blaze. When the city was besieged by a horde of Undead, The Same were staying in the city. Along with others, they elected to stay and protect the city and her outlying environs from the Undead army.
===Attitude===
The Same look past physical appearance, social standing, economic ability, and other things that society generally says makes a person ‘better’ or ‘less important’. They aspire to a world that disregards such things, and all people live as one. They travel the world demonstrating to all they come in contact with what this idealistic goal might look like. They do not evangelize and preach, but rather seek to ‘convert’ people by example.
===Organization===
The Same are highly centralized: what The One says is law. When The One is not available, what his proxy says is law. Though The One, or his proxy aren’t technically more important, or of higher standing than any other member, they are de facto. All members are seen as the same, and are treated the same. Favoritism, partiality, and preference are non-existent.
===Regions of Influence===
The Same travel across most of the world, staying place to place for a few days at a time. As such, while they have no specific area of influence, there are places where they have more contacts, or are better received than others. Of note, they are most welcome in Castle Blaze, Altathair, Parlera, and Louisa. They are generally least welcome in the Hedgelands, though natives are usually not outright hostile.
===Leadership===
The leader of The Same is the enigmatic individual known only as ‘The One’. His real name and origins are a mystery to all, including fellow cult members. Some say he is a disgraced Shou nobleman, others say he is a peasant from the Hedgelands, and other say that he is a being from another planet/dimension. The One has never done anything to confirm or deny any rumors. His very infrequent public appearances and hermit lifestyle help fuel the rumors of strange origins.
Because The One rarely appears even among The Same, leadership of the group more or less falls on its de facto leader, Noritor Dumduril, a former Parleran soldier. He handles all day-to-day issues The Same face on a daily basis. When he speaks, all acolytes listen, and do their best to comply. The group is not completely authoritarian, though. Even though they do their best to minimize the differences from person to person, every acolyte is different, with their own strengths and weaknesses. Those who have experience on certain matters are deferred to, generally speaking.
===Recruiting===
The Same do not actively recruit, just like they do not actively evangelize. If a person wants to join the group, they are allowed to. If a person does not want to join the group, they are not pestered about it. If a person wants to join the same, they are accepted into the group. Though not forced, they are expected to eventually adopt the same guise and mannerisms as other members.
===Allies===
While The Same are generally welcome all across the continent, they are most welcome in Castle Blaze. Their role in defending the city from Undead in UC 1,132 did not go unnoticed by Duke Lucien Hendron. While as a whole, they don’t get any kind of special privileges in Castle Blaze, they are generally well received in the city. Certain members were given special medals giving them special privileges within the city, but owing to their collectivist philosophies, these rights are not invoked because they only apply to certain members, and not all members.
===Enemies===
As an organization as a whole, The Same have few enemies. Many are uneasy of their presence, and feel scared or threatened because of it, but these complaints are about their strange appearance and behavior, and are not specifically about their beliefs or what they represent. Certain churches or kingdoms are suspicious of the group because of their beliefs, values, and attitudes, but very rarely do these suspicions manifest in any tangible way. The biggest exception to the rule is Brother Karry, the High Cardinal of the Church of Ajora. Though they do not know his role in summoning the Undead horde that attacked Castle Blaze in UC 1,132, they were instrumental in defending the city and eventually destroying the danger. Though welcome in Castle Blaze as a result, Brother Karry keeps his eyes on The Same, and through his contacts, periodically harries them. If he had the ability to, he would most likely seek to directly destroy the group.
===Joining The Same===
Primarily, the cult draws most of its recruits from those who are downtrodden and down on their luck. The group is mobile, and travels from place to place, drawing from a wide pool of potential recruitees. Their presence in many places, because of their odd appearances and behavior, has been known to some degree of fear, unrest, and unease- especially in smaller, more rural settlements. Membership is open to anyone, and nobody is discriminated against because of their social status, age, appearance, or anything else.
There is no formal entry into the cult- a person can simply walk into a camp of their and start following, learning as they go. There is no specific way to leave it, either. A member can simply wander off and never return. There is no set mechanism for forcibly kicking out a member, as that scenario has never played itself out in the decades long history of the group.
===Costs and Benefits of Membership===
For some, the costs of membership can be difficult, while for others, they can be easy. Members are expected to give up everything they had in their ‘old’ lives- money, possessions, family, friends. For some, who don’t have a lot of those things, giving it all up can be easy. For those who had those things in excess, giving them up can prove difficult.
In the past, members of The Same have caused fear, unrest, and unease among communities that they have traveled to. To alleviate this, The One ordered members to take up trades, which encourage positive interaction between acolytes and non-members. When The Same travel to an area, they bring with them goods and other crafts, which they often sell to locals, turning their camps into mobile bazaars. Of particular note, The Same are known for creating exceptional firearms, such as pistols and shotguns, as well as the bullets for both weapons. They do not sell their secrets, but sell the items themselves in small numbers.
===Appearance===
The group is most known for the ritualistic body modification that its members undergo, or force upon themselves. In mirroring the appearance of their leader, members do various things to modify their bodies- taller members walk on their knees, to be the same relative height as their fellow acolytes, while shorter members walk on stilts, for example. Members wear white make-up and wigs to mirror the appearance of their leader, with some going as far as using magic to permanently change the color of their skin and hair. Some walk with a fake limp, while others have even physically hurt themselves in specific ways to encourage healing with certain scars or other deformities. All wear emblems representing the group- a circle with two lines crossing through it at 120-degree angles- somewhere on their persons.