Children of Apollyon

The Children of Apollyon are a series of churches, organizations, and movements associated with a extradimensional deity known as "Apollyon". While a majority of cult-members share a set of key beliefs, the nature of their organizations, even their doctrine varies greatly between instances.
==Overview ==
The origins of the Children of Apollyon are difficult to trace; while evidence of worship of Apollyon has been recorded as far back as 7000 BGS, the complete elements of modern sects first appeared in the early days of the Tarqalan Empire, an ancient civilisation that was centred around Tuva and Lake Baikal, and is reported to have existed from 2800 BGS to 380 BGS. Certain Apollyonist sects can be traced back to this empire, while many others developed independent of it.
It is theorised that if any individual or subculture makes contact with Apollyon under the right conditions, it would allow Apollyon to exert some form of psychic influence upon its point of contact. Implanting a philosophical framework that may coalesce into a instance of the Children of Apollyon. If this is true, the Children of Apollyon cannot be permanently destroyed.
==History==
=== Ancient Evidence ===
Apollyon was first recorded in ancient cave paintings dated to 51000 BGS, seemingly made by a species of Ancientfolk. These paintings depict Apollyon as a large cephalopod, wielding a scepter. Despite clear allusions to the themes of hierarchy and masculinity, there is no evidence that this species entirely worshipped Apollyon, but seemingly was aided by them in some conquest.
Communications with some of the oldest Theian Natives such as the Dazhiee has proven that Apollyon is not limited to just Yata. These ancient sources from the Dazhiee originate in their ancestral lands far north of where they live in the modern day, specifically within Estin & Coridora, in these locations evidence of the existence of Apollyon has been discovered and dated to roughly 34000 BGS. According to the Dazhies these findings were reportedly made by some outcast group of the species which was destroyed when it attempted to spread its faith.
Following this evidence there is no documentation of Apollyon until 2800 BGS, in which the first instance of a successful and long-time Apollyonist Faith has been found. This being the religion of the Tarqalan Empire. 
=== Targõltõš and Apollyon ===
The Carmine Faith, as it was known to the Tarqalans began as an covenant between the Kingdom of Targoltos and Apollyon, allegedly serving as the basis for the kingdom's authority. According to available documentation, the ruling Targoltos were sent demands by Apollyon in order for their covenant to exist, these being;
* Dividing its populace into a series of labour-based castes.
* Establishing a secondary caste system based on an individual's gender role.
* Ensuring that these castes were assigned individual and unequal values.
* Establishing a priestly caste dedicated to the worship of Apollyon, staffed exclusively by females.
* Violently opposing any attempts to interfere with these mandates.
In return, Apollyon provided the Targoltos with the following:
* A consistent source of thaumic power.
* Divine favor upon the monarchy.
* Safety from Apollyon's "divine beasts".
* "The Carmine Covenant", a means by which the Kingdom enforced the Faith.
The Carmine faith was intimately intertwined with the Kingdom's establishment in 2800 BGS. The Faith may have initially been a religion of Targoltos, the ruling and priestly castes were the only ones bound by its scriptures. It's here where the thematic elements of the Children of Apollyon began to coalesce. Apollyon's power was recognised as dependent on a series of inherent inequalities; Moreover, by separating the kingdom into multiple hierarchies the Tarqalans inadvertently created one of the first examples of a state AND faith-enforced gender binary, though it is notable that the gendered hierarchy constructed by the Tarqalan Empire was matriarchal, suggesting that despite the masculinity of Apollyon, it does not mandate patriarchy - only that one gender rule over the other.
As the Tarqala developed, so too did their understanding of Apollyon. The violence of building and maintaining the empire was increasingly viewed as integral to the Faith as it expanded. The transition to an expansionist imperial order in the 1900s BGS would see the creation of a permanent slave caste, eventually growing to dwarf the non-slave population in the empire. The Tarqalans over time expanded the Carmine Faith to encompass its entire citizenry, putting on them strict obligation to control those designated to be below them.
The most immediate shift in the Carmine faith during a war an nation known as the Volgan Confederation in 1748 BGS. when supposed "avatar" of Apollyon was killed in battle. Once a figure of unquestioned strength, Apollyon was now envisioned as a kind of martyr of Tarqalan Imperialism, "Unjustly crippled" by the Volgans. An apocalypticist sect soon emerged, popular with minor nobles, that preached the return of Apollyon's scepter would herald the Tarqalan Empire's "conquest of the universe"
=== Modern Era ===
Many instances of the Children of Apollyon practice a specific form of human sacrifice, often named some variation of "rank-putting". A typical victim would be subject to a series of deep, but non-lethal lacerations. often in factors of 7, before being drowned in sea water. This has been recorded in populations way before the Kingdom of Targoltos; however, it appears to have exponentially increased with its founding.
Despite the connection, most of the actual Faith's foreign permutations appear to have started as non-anomalous classic cults, despite it being tempting to see them as a religion of empire. The Children's most common recorded manifestation is the formation of an explicit cult, often named some variation of "the Children of Apollyon". While this accounts for around 70% of known manifestations, though the SDS Foundation fears that this form may only be the most recognizable, and that the majority of followers have evaded detection.
==Beliefs==
It should be noted that as a "god", Apollyon is worshipped by more than just the Children. Apollyon has appeared in numerous pantheos, often in an antagonistic capacity; He has also been worshipped solely for the power he provides. Thus, determining who qualifies as "The Children of Apollyon" can prove difficult.
The Children of Apollyon are infamous for their violence and depravity, these traits however fail to connect this to one of the Children's most common thematic elements; those of hierarchy and authority. While many gods have been associated with concepts of kingship, this is often a secondary, even incidental aspect of their nature, With Apollyon however, this kingship is envisioned as an explicit reflection of his place in the universe. Almost all followers emphasize this position in their ideologies, contextualizing the place of all things in relation to each other and treating them accordingly. In most manifestations, the right of Apollyon's power is granted by his strength; Apollyon can conquer the universe, and is therefore its rightful ruler. By the right, Apollyon decrees the universe be arranged into a hierarchy of strength, where the strong are required to rule and the weak are required to submit. Primal violence becomes the rule of law, and egalitarian heresy; the strong may do anything to the weak, except to show mercy. 
Some Children, particularity those associated with existing religious groups, may alternatively subordinate Apollyon to a higher power. While Apollyon's kingship is still emphasized, It is only within a narrow purview; despite it being indistinguishable on a societal level from the more orthodox position. Interestingly, the Children are not always directly beneath the king. Their position may be conditional on their own ability, or stuck in a lower tier as a servile class. They are, however, near universally violent in their defence of this hierarchy.
A notable expression of Hierarchy in the faith is seen in several captured members of the Children, who have insisted they have to be physically and psychologically tortured by the SDS Foundation, and become distressed when interrogators refuse. 
=== Violence and Transgression ===
Violence and transgression play an important role in most of the Children's cosmologies, and are often intertwined with themes of hierarchy; the Children of Apollyon believe their god to be violent, and that this malice is the source of its power. In reflection of Apollyon, the Children regularly engage in violent and "immoral" acts against others, within and without their organization. The Children almost always recognize the "repulsive" nature of their actions, and in many cases are disgusted with themselves for having performed them; it is, indeed, the transgression that gives such actions power.
=== Political Standing ===
With its preoccupation with generally hierarchical and "backwards" concepts, it's tempting to see the Children of the Scarlet King as a reactionary, even fascistic movement; While the Children have certainly manifested as a number of "far-right" groups, such as the "Integralist Party of Nuevopedro" and the "Iron Order of Malaya". 
However, not all of the Children belong to the "far-right", or are even necessarily political, secondly the Children have faced heavy opposition from several fascistic groups, most notable in Islamist organizations, which have consistently stood in violent opposition to the Children. Occasionally, the Children may even ally with anti-fascist organizations to achieve their goals. 
==Organization ==
Despite themes of hierarchy and authority, the majority of the Children operate as autocephalous organizations, independent of other cells and only occasionally collaborating with one another. Naturally, this leads to high levels of variation between groups. Below are descriptions of several active manifestations of the Children of Apollyon. 
=== The Eponymous "Children of Apollyon" ===
"The Children of Apollyon" is the most common manifestation, and the group from which it takes its name. It is suspected to be the favored manifestation of the Apollyon itself.
The Children of Apollyon is a classical cult dedicated explicitly to the Apollyon. It typically contains all of the thematic elements coveredin the article, alongside an apocalypticist preoccupation with bringing Apollyon or its spawn into our world. With some exception, there is only one "Children of Apollyon" at a given time. The most recent discovered iteration of the Children of Apollyon was destroyed by a joint SDS Foundation-Anti-Anomaly Agency operation in 288. 
=== Iron Order of Malaya ===
The Iron Order of Malaya began as a Nakmaian street gang associated with "Ketuanan Melayu" thought, Prior to infection, there was no indication they were involved with the anomalous. 
The SDS Foundation had been alerted to the existence of the Iron Order of Malaya and their connections to Apollyon prior to Incidents such as the Christian Communion incident as such, it did not consider the Order in its purview, due to the Islamic character of the Malay Power movement. Following recent investigations the SDS Foundation now recognizes the Order as a genuine manifestation of the Children. The Order's aims are non-anomalous — forging a sovereign malay nation while enforcing a reactionary fascistic government — but Apollyon plays heavily into their iconography and justifications.
=== Crypto-Apollyonism ===
Crypto-Apollyonism is a political philosophy invented by members of a forum that was formerly dedicated to the Church of the Red Leader before its excommunication for "excessive sophistry." It proposes that society should be ruled by a supremely powerful AI, constructed by an "intellectual elite".
Crypto-Apollyonism is a kind of "crypto-Child" philosophy, in that while it makes no explicit mentions of the Apollyon, it takes clear elements from — and allies with — existing groups of Children. Plans for the AI include sigils and motifs relating to the Apollyon, as well as hierarchical structures. The most prominent Crypto-Apollyonist organization is the Institute of Circuit-Based Intelligence (ICBI); documentation recovered via hacking reveals plans to incorporate dimension-breaching magic into its most recent prototype.
=== J. Kaufman's Writings ===
Kaufman's writing incorporate numerous thematic elements of Apollyon's mythology. This would normally not warrant attention — Apollyon is a common stock character in literature — except that he writes for an above-Veil audience. Additionally, Hoffman has sent numerous letters to SDS Foundation front companies, typically consisting of poetry and microfiction.
=== The "Christian Communion of Yorica" ===
The "Christian Communion of Yorica" is an ecumenical Christian advocacy group, Since August of 279, the CMY has adopted a policy of hostility towards the SDS Foundation, manufacturing false accusations of child abduction while obstructing investigation into its ties to the Children of Apollyon. the Christian Communion of Yorica has explicit ties to a number of churches that were later revealed to be fronts for the Children. Additionally, motifs of Apollyon (such as the number 7, aquatic animals, and the color red) have appeared in a number of Christian Communion of Yorica projects. In combination with mentions of "God's Red Right Hand", an "angel" with a heavy resemblance to the Apollyon, this suggests that the Christian Communion of Yorica have successfully synthesized American Christianity with the Children.
=== Kingdom of Abaddon ===
The Kingdom of Abaddon is community of hostile reality-altering entities located in North Africa, which have been proven to worship Apollyon.
==Further Documentation==
===Dr. Pequot's Research===
Director of Children of Apollyon Research in the SDS Foundation, Dr. Pequot is the SDS' preeminent expert on Apollyon. Dr. Pequot has been involved in a multitude of projects related to Apollyon, and has designed a number of effective containment peasures, including procedure ███████. Presently Dr. Pequot is directly responsible for the following special defensive safeguards:
*███████
*██████████
*████
*███████
*█████████
===Operation: Red Messiah===
In 209 the SDS Foundation was contacted by the █████████, to assist in the containment of ████████, an entity that had been sighted around Murica. Upon arriving at the designated location, faculty in the extremely prevalent religious institution in the nation attempted to disrupt the investigation. Because of this incident it has been discovered that the Evangelical Church of Murica is seemingly associated with the "Christian Communion of Yorica", which is a organization which has notably been assimilated to the Children of Apollyon.
i want to tell you something
You've felt it, haven't you? The desire to probe the depths of human cruelty. An all-too-nagging curiosity at what might happen when Who Does What. Pleased don't be ashamed of yourself: you're a human, after all, and that kind of exploration is what you do.
I can help.
Who is Apollyon, Who are his children?
Apollyon can be seen as… "villainous", as can the Children. One can say they make for a good "villain", of course, but that seems a bit reductive, doesn't it? The Children and their King are more than just another generic "villain" — they represent the primal part of humanity that seeks to define the "strong" and the "weak", the basal urge that wets our thrones in dust and blood, the Red spot at the back of our minds.
Or maybe you don't believe that. Maybe you believe the natural state of humanity is "tabula rasa" or "mutual aid". That's fine by me.
I want to be free from expectations.
Perfect! Apollyon and the Children are a wonderful vehicle for the shocking and transgressive.
Who can i talk to?
Don't limit yourself to a static group of a few people; no one human can say they define Apollyon.. Talk to anyone in the community you think might help you.
Spread the word. :)
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Category:Children of Apollyon