Cult of The Mother Bear

The Cult of The Mother Bear is a syncretic “religion” that reveres a divine being Known as the Mother Bear. The members of the cult believe that The Mother Bear is a primordial spirit that is routinely reincarnated into physical form upon the death of the previous host.

## **Theology**

The cult worships the being referred to as The Mother Bear, who is an ancient bear spirit that possesses a mortal vessel for the entirety of said vessel's life. Upon death the consort of the current Mother Bear is tasked with searching out the newly reincarted Mother Bear. The theory being that the Mother Bear's spouse would be best tasked for finding their lost love.

The First Mother Bear was a woman only Known as Enoch and lived in Rathnir's prehistory. She lived in the city of Bruin, a city state obsessed with Bears and now the epicenter of the Cult. One day the King of Bruin decreed that all the city's children must join in his newest conquest. Fearing this Enoch stood before the cowardly king and defied his order. For this she was blinded in an effort to stop her treason, yet she was hellbent on saving the lives of the children. She lit a lantern and herself stumbling in the dark led the children out of the city to hid from the wicked king. After many day and night she led them home, her feet blooded by the trails and her hands burned from lighting the lantern. She led the youth into the city again and found it abandoned. Having no troops the king was taken away and his lands left to rot. The children then crowned Enoch Baroness of Bruin and the First Mother Bear a title held by all after her.

Followers of the faith refer to themselves as her Cubs and believe that she will defend them all with righteous fury. Their goal is to find a way to ascend to reincarnation in order to be eternally with their loving mother.

Being a syncretic religion, believers of The Cult of The Mother Bear are allowed to worship other gods and beings. So long as they continue to Love their Mother Bear.

The current incarnation is Carpicious and is spiritually the mother of all.

### Athaz The Great, Current Consort

The Husband of Carpicious, Athaz the Traveler is the current secondary figure in the cult. As the Consort of the Mother Bear he will search out the next host of the spirit upon the current one's death.

After he defeated Entropy with the Mother Bear at his side, Members of the cult formed a holiday to praise him for this noble deed and refer to him affectionately as Athaz The Great.

The 7th day of each month he is celebrated along side Carpicious to remember their battle with Entropy on that day.

## **Practice**

Cultists praise The Mother Bear through ceremonies at small shrines. At these shrines’ gifts of fish, berries, and alcohol are either burned or left for The Mother Bear; for her to refuel while on journeys across the world.

The holiest day of the cult, Deliverance day is calibrated every 24th day and marks the date the First Mother Bear sacrificed her sight out of kindness to her Cubs.

On the 7th day of each month followers take a pilgrimage to the Temple of the Mother Bear to celebrate the day that entropy was defeated by the current Consort Athaz the Traveler marking the first day Rathnir breathed free from her evil.

The Cult's main temple lies in the ruins of the ancient town of Bruin an area near 0,0 considered the holy land for the cult. After reaching the temple a secret ceremony takes place where members drink a confidential drink and praise The Mother Bear.

Members of the cult wear lanterns on their head to show devotion and empathy to the first Mother Bear who was blinded by the King of Bruin for her refusal to allow the cities' children to fight in one of his pointless wars. After her death lanterns were worn in honor of her sacrifices to save her cubs.

The lanterns only need to be worn on during the pilgrimage, though many cultists choose to always wear it.

### **Cult Structure**

The Cult is a nonhierarchical religion in which no one is above another, for we are all The Mother Bear’s cubs.

However individual members may choose to be preachers who hold ceremonies at shrines.