Cult of the Flayed

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The **Cult of the Flayed** are one of the Wych Cults of the Drukhari, newcomers to the Dark City they have carved themselves a reputation for brutality beyond even that of other Cults, led by their Succubi the self-styled Flayer Queen they have become a force to be reckoned with. Unusually among the Cults they are entirely female, no males are allowed within their sanctum upon pain of death, even the beastmasters, almost universally male in other cults are made up of females, allied to the equally female dominated Kabal of the Screaming Skull they will fight against anyone within the Dark City and beyond, whether on the Battlefield, the blood soaked arena's or even just within the twisting streets of Commorragh the Flayed Ones will fight to their dying breath.

## History

Little known beyond the environs of Commorragh, Imperial Scholars have no idea when the Cult was founded, indeed the first reference to them only occurred within the early years of the 42nd Millennium when in conjunction with the Kabel of the Screaming Skull they launched a brutal assault against the World of Ixus VI slaughtering the populace and leaving the world a lifeless husk bereft of all life, the only evidence of their passing the Flayed and Mutilated remains of what was once a thriving population.

For the people of Ixus VI the week began like any other, workers flocking to the manufactorums while traders and others went about their business. Far from the warzones the world had enjoyed over a thousand years of peace, they had not even mustered for the Guard in 7 generations, then the whispers began, at first they were innocuous merely stating that the end was approaching, as their were many preachers espousing this exact same thing the populence paid them no heed but the whispers grew in intensity and soon they were addressed to individuals telling them what was going to happen to them and on the 3rd day the killings began, whole Arbite squads massacred, their flayed corpses hung from street lights. By the seventh day the world was in utter panic, terror stalked the streets but worse was to come, the sky lit up and with the scream of engines the Drukhari came. Thousands stormed out from the hidden portals comprising Kabalite Warriors of the Kabel of the Screaming Skull and Wyches from the Cult of the Flayed, a hailstorm of splinters swept from them and screaming Wychs slaughtered their way through the hastily erected barricades. By the end of the day it was over, tens of thousands lay dead and as for the survivors they were rounded up in their thousands and taken in chains to nightmare world Commorragh to live their short remaining lives in utter misery

## Organization

As stated before the Cult is comprised entirely of Females, any males foolish enough to enter the Cults domain will killed and their flayed corpses left in the streets as a warning, even the male members of the Cults allied Kabel are forbidden to enter.

In order to recruit new members, once every generation or when needed the Cults Succubi will descend into the City, taking any that stand and fight, killing those who do not, those taken will be inducted into the Cult

The Cult contains a number of subordinate Succubus, known as the Bloodborn, each Succubus is a vicious and violent killer and is able to lead their own real space raids but all are subservient to the Flayer Queen who rules with an iron fist. She is accompanied by nine handmaidens who fight with overwhelming skill and the violence they are able to unleash is terrifying. Known simply as the Mael Dannan they are the finest warriors in the Cult and each has pledged their lives to the Flayer Queen, woe betide any that attempts to usurp her.
Numbering in their thousands the Cult operates in vast groups of Wyches, overwhelming foes in a tidal wave of whirling blades.

## Beliefs

The Cult follows the teachings the Dark Muse Hekatii, the Red Crone, they revel in the spilling of blood and live only for the feeling of the hot splash of blood on their faces. Victims are ritually flayed, often while still alive, the wyches will then wrap themselves in the skins as though it were a cloak. Unlike other Cults who attack with surprise, the Cult of the Flayed will toy with their victims for days beforehand, by the time of the attack their victims are in state of utter terror and the Wychs drink this in revelling in the nourishing energy that is released.

One of the most noteworthy belief of the Cult is a hatred of combat drugs, most Wyches use them to enhance their already exceptional skills but the Cult of the Flayed abhor them, believing that they dull the sensations and lower the pleasure gained whenever they take a life.

## Domain

The Cult resides within high Commorragh and they occupy a vast swath of the City, their citadel a massive edifice, Known simply as the Haranshemash it is a hellish place the rotting corpses of those foolish to enter hanging from chains in their thousands across its walls. Beneath it lays the beast pens where hundreds of creatures reside waiting for their turn in the Arena, the Arena itself is located on the outskirts of their domain and hosts barbaric games daily where the Cults members hone their skills for the battles to come. The Arena is the only part of their domain where outsiders are tolerated but only when the games are hosted.

## Notable Members

* **The Flayer Queen -** The Archite of the Cult, beautiful beyond compare and insane beyond measure she rules with an iron fist, where she hails from is unknown, some whisper she not originally of Commorragh but rather their Craftworld kin, whatever her origins she has proven to be as sadistic and evil as any other, wielding a pair of razor sharp blades and clad in skin tight Wych suit she is a whirling dervish of gore, few within the Dark City can match her, fewer still are those that can best her. For some inexplicable reason her destiny has somehow come to be entwined with that of the Charnel Brethren's Chapter Master Michaelus, how and why is a mystery she would dearly love to solve.

## Allies and Enemies

* **The Kabal of the Screaming Skull -** The Cults principal allies within the Dark City and like the Flayed it is female dominated, whenever either carries out a raid the other will be there, there are some that claim that the Kabel Archon and the Flayer Queen are sisters, certainly they are alike in many ways but if their is a familial relationship they have never said and only a fool would question them.