Cult of the House

The Cult of the House is the dominant religion within the city of Las Vegas and its territories.

## History

The Cult arose after the Great Decay, during the Dark Days and was formed as a result of the focus on gambling, prostitution, and organized crime found in Las Vegan society, along with several other important societal factors. The divine figures of the cult are said to have been derived from ancient historical documentaries. While the early history of the Cult of the House is not well documented, it had firmly established itself within Las Vegas by 15 PD. By 41 PD, the Cult was known to have been the dominant religion in the region, and following the Chip Wars (name will likely be reworked), which lasted from 54 PD to 57 PD, the Cult had become Las Vegas's official state religion, with all other faiths outlawed.

## Pantheon

### Mr. House

The most prominent of all the deities within the Cult, Mr. House is the God of the House, both the home and the casino. As such, he represents both patriarchal authority and the power of casinos, where his worship takes place. As the Lord of Gambling, Mr. House oversees all gambling events, be they at the casino (where his power and presence is strongest) or any other location. Any time the sacred act of gambling is conducted, Mr. House is usually invoked to observe the venture.

Acts of cunning are greatly pleasing to Mr. House, who is also the Patron of Rigging, and smiles upon those who manipulate outcomes to their favor. The fact that casinos are the most skilled riggers of all is attributed to his blessings. Those who impress Mr. House, either by competent rigging or, even more, by overcoming a rigged game, are more likely to be allowed into the Great VIP, the afterlife which he owns and manages.

Mr. House also holds the title of God of Money, and all currency is owned by him. All money spent at casinos is said to make its way to him, and those who spend large amounts are more likely to attract his favor and gain entry to the Great VIP.

### Lady Luck/Mrs. House

Mrs. House, also known as Lady Luck, is the wife of Mr. House, Goddess of Luck and Housewife of the House. She is the perfect housewife, faithful and obedient to her husband, which all Las Vegan women should strive to model after, able to keep a house clean and also assist her husband in all ventures, particularly, the managing of his accounts and resources. Mrs. House is responsible for managing the earthly fortunes of her worshippers, controlling luck, particularly in the romance department. Men with good wives are said to have been blessed by Lady Luck.

### Chip Pokerface

The son of Mr. and Mrs. House, Chip Pokerface is a living embodiment of nepotism, and possesses the power to flout his father's rules, gifted to him by Mr. House. He bestows this ability to mortals, giving them the ability to cheat. He is the God of Cheating, Deception, Cunning, and Trickery, and is beloved by any who wishes to screw people and get ahead during gambling. An extremely charming deity, Chip is known for his tremendous charisma, and is called upon to help one make deals (especially those which cheat the other party), talk one's way out of dangerous situations, and calm angry wives.

### The Godfather

One of the more benevolent deities, the Godfather is one of Mr. House's top employees, and is the son of Father Hoover and Miss Mead. The God of Tradition and Family, The Godfather helps keep order, and is invoked to make sure that deals are honored and truth is upheld. Naturally, he is firmly opposed to Chip Pokerface, the flouter of rules, and spends most of his time trying to catch him in his wrongdoings and report the deeds to Mr. House, who of course, being a nepotist, largely allows Chip to escape unpunished.

The Godfather is also the God of Protection, both of the type provided by mobsters, who is the Patron of, and of safety for the family. While he is brutal and efficient when it comes to maintaining order, the Godfather holds a parental role, similar to Mr. House. Whilst his employer represents the power and authority of the patriarch, the Godfather represents the caring side that resides beneath the patriarch's firm exterior. Indeed, despite how much Chip Pokerface exasparates him, the Godfather deeply cares for Chip, and pursues him only because he wants him to be a better man. As such, he is known as the Defender, for his role in protecting the family and teaching children proper behavior.

However, the Godfather is still the Patron of Mobsters, and possesses a ruthless streak, providing mob bosses the power to ensure that their will is carried out. He represents the orderly and refined side of organized crime, the boss sitting in his office, giving orders to his underlings.

### Boss Vinnie

Boss Vinnie is a subordinate of the Godfather, and is the Patron of Criminals, representing mostly the small time crooks and those who ply the streets. The God of Violence, Brutality, and Lord of the Whack, Vinnie gives gangsters physical strength and the determination to kill their enemies in as violent a manner as need be. Gifted with the powers of Intimidation (from which he derives his title of the Great Browbeater), Boss Vinnie is also the Lord of Extortion, and it is through emulating him that gangsters and other worshippers learn to use fear to get others to obey their will.

### Mistress Ginger

Mistress Ginger is the Goddess of Prostitution, Pleasure, and Decadence, and serves as the concubine or "bitch" of Mr. House. A sensual and beautiful being, Mistress Ginger oversees all earthly prostitutes, and presides over sexual acts, and is the Giver of Orgasms. Her blessings make those who receive her favor more attractive and seductive, making her a central deity for all practicing prostitutes. Mistress Ginger further presides over birth control, and is invoked whenever one wishes to have sex without inducing pregnancy. When pregnancy does result, she is also receives prayer for successful abortions.

### Father Hoover

Elderly and gentle, the God of Roads and the Mighty Colorado, Father Hoover is another of Mr. House's employees, and oversees all forms of transportation, and gifts Las Vegas with the precious water needed to survive in the desert. Just as importantly, he is also the Giver of Electricity, with his dam supplying Las Vegans with power. The Lord of Mercy, his water and electricity are viewed as his gift to humanity and a demonstration of his boundless benevolence. So great is his capacity for forgiveness that serving at Hoover Dam, a holy site constructed by the Beloved One himself, is a means by which any penitent Las Vegan can be forgiven for all their crimes. Father Hoover is often called upon for mercy, succor or aid whenever one finds themselves in dire straits.

Married to Miss Mead, Father Hoover is also the father of the Godfather, who grew up learning his good values and as such became a loyal employee of Mr. House. He represents the archetypal kindly grandfather, retired and happy, whose main goal is to dote upon his family.

### Miss Mead

Miss Mead is Father Hoover's wife, and Goddess of the Lake which bears her name, The Giver of the Sweet Drink is represented as a kind old grandmother, who like Mrs. House helps her husband in all things, giving out his gifts of water to the faithful. She holds the Secret Recipe, and is said to be behind the housewives who possess a great gift for cooking, indicating that they have received her blessings. However, the Great Grandmama is also more than willing to scold her children, and always ensures they clean themselves properly, being the Hygiene Queen.

Miss Mead is married to Father Hoover, and is the Godfather's mother, having imparted him with his stern adherence to rules by beating him her Spanking Spoon whenever he was naughty. Furthermore, while she is married, and should as such be addressed as Mrs., she is instead addressed as Miss, because it is polite and complementary. As the Mistress of Manners, she teaches everyone to be polite, and how compliments can help one move up in the world.

### Daddy Charles

Daddy Charles is the tired and weary father of Mr. House, who left his son the family business due to being exhausted of his wife constantly hectering him for being unfaithful. The Father of Mountains, Snow, and Forests, Daddy Charles placed these on earth to provide mankind a place to relax and take vacations, giving them a chance to get away from work. The Builder of Hotels, Daddy Charles formed these establishments for the purposes of vacations, but also so that men could have a place to meet up with prostitutes away from their wives.

Despite his age, Daddy Charles is known as the Desired One, because of his tremendous wealth and the Old Man's Charm, which still allows him to attract bitches with ease. Many older men, focused on women more than work, pray to him because of this. As the Great Retiree, Daddy Charles is always invoked when any man retires from working.

### Mother Mojave

Mother Mojave, known as the Heat Hag, the Goddess of Death and the Desert, is the wife of Daddy Charles and mother of Mr. House. She represents the hectoring housewife, who constantly nags her husband about his business, meddles in the business of others, and resents Daddy Charles for having affairs. In her anger as she searched for her husband and his prostitutes, Mother Mojave is said to have created deserts, ruining the land out of pure spite simply to make everyone else as miserable as her.

For her mean nature and petulance, Mother Mojave is often known simply as The Great Bitch. Due to her controlling and badgering nature, Mr. House gave her the funds to build a house of her own so that he would not have to suffer her presence. The souls of the damned are sent to her, to be nagged for all eternity.

### Uncle Sam

The most terrible of all the pantheon, the dreaded Uncle Sam is a monstrous being who strips Mr. House and his Las Vegan children of their hard earned money. Individuals such as vile tax collectors, his agents on earth, are the only ones who truly worship him, though blessedly, no such beings exist in Las Vegas. Most of Uncle Sam's power is exerted outside of Las Vegas (as the efforts of Mr. House keep him away), where other governments commit the black evil of taxation. The God of Greed, Uncle Sam steals money not through honest thievery, but through oppressive systems instituted by law, such is his insidious nature. Uncle Sam is also the Dread Marshal, the Stealer of Children whose mortal minions once have the power to force children to serve in the armies of other nations.

Most terribly, Uncle Sam holds the title of the Illuminati, and his dreaded eye peers into the hearts and bank accounts of men, and he plots theft and the destruction of Las Vegas eternally.

## Practices

### Rite of Sacred Exchange

The Cult holds that casino chips are holy currency, ordained by Mr. House himself. The act of exchanging other currency for casino chips is performed as a holy rite, the Rite of Sacred Exchange wherein earthly cash is exchanged for divinely touched chips, all of which are said to be blessed by Mr. House, and to contain his divine spark. As such, all gambling which uses such chips is said to be witnessed by Mr. House himself, and all participants are given an opportunity to prove their wits and cunning beneath his gaze. Once the game is over, and chips are transformed back into cash, an altered version of the Rite is once again held, where the holy chips are returned to the casino and earthly cash is once again taken.