Divergence

What would be called a work in the Post-Apocalyptic genre. I was inspired by After the End, and originally this started as a submod but now it's me wanting to try my own take. Due to this origin 'the event' is often mentioned in descriptions.

## Cultures

* Angelino - Around the city of Los Angeles.
* Appalachian - Appalachia
* Hudsonian
* Montanan
* Texican - Old Mexican border with Texas.
* Valleyan - 'The Valley' of California

## Religions

### Atheism

* Godless - The godless are atheist that lack direction. They see Humans as a mixed bag, of benevolent and malevolent action that comes and goes. People flow in their lives and being altruistic or pessimistic about everyone else will only hurt you. Their lack of direction has them acting on a pragmatic mind that's primarily focused on being able to live as they only have one life. Not having to live in fear or need would be nice. If authority gives them comfort, let it last. If it gives them anxiety let it fall. If charity is offered, it is to be accepted, but you'll have to get your own things when others are not around. In the end you can only know yourself for certain.
* Humanitarian - The Humanitarians believe that Humans are innately good and all ill is garnered from external factors. They seek to foster the Humanities; things that help to build a better world so Humanity's good nature can shine. Humanitarians are mostly known for their patronage of the arts and sciences along with charity work and what are known as Humanitarian Efforts. Doing good makes them feel good and motivates them to continue doing so. To not have the choice of doing so would gravely distress them.
* Authoritarian - The Authoritarians do not believe that Humans are innately good natured. Rather they believe that before government the world was full of savage conflict. It was only by force, not consensus, that peace was brought about. The Authoritarians believe Humans need strong authority to keep their malevolent and selfish selves from harming one another. To the Authoritarian the less power an individual has the more secure the world will be.

### Christian

#### Catholicism

* Catholic - After contact with the Papacy was severed most believed the Papacy had ended. The Catholics here however believe the Papacy continues overseas and with this hope adhere to Catholic teachings and rulings from before the Event as preserved by the various Patriarchs of the Church, with the most influential being the Bishop of St. Louis. They expect to renew contact with the Papacy someday. Most surviving Pre-Event catholic orders in the former US adhere to this.
* Sedevacantist - Sedevacantist is a term for those who believe the Papacy is vacant and that those claiming to be the Pope are not the true pope. In the world after the Event the term refers to those who adhere to Catholic teachings and rulings from before the Event as preserved by the various Patriarchs of the Church while believing the papal seat to be vacant and that if it is filled it's filled by someone who is not truly the Pope.
	+ Gothic Church - The Gothic Church emerged along the old Texas-Mexico border and is a combination of Mexico's unique brand of Catholicism with the variety that was found in Texas before the Event. The Gothic Church is lead by a Patriarch and like mainstream Sedevacantist believe that Peter Romanus was the last Pope. While old world Catholicism had it's belief in spirits the The Gothic Church deviates from proper old world Catholicism for it's belief in "ghosts". One that seems to have incorporated a little of Texan Spiritualists concepts that would be considered necromancy in so far as speaking to the dead. Earth according to the Gothics is Purgatory. Saints go to Heaven while the rest are ghosts awaiting the resurrection. Due to this they operate distinctly from mainline Sedevacantist.
	+ Gracia Divina - A faith from further south of the old border with Mexico Gracia Divina believes in a kharmatic version of grace and places a high focus on Mary.
	+ Sacred Love - The Sacred Love, also known as the Cult of the Saints by mainline Catholics of the post-event world, derives from the veneration of the Saints in Mexico. The Sacred Love believe that the Rule of the Saints and Martyrs has come upon the Earth. They celebrate the Day of the Dead (with a focus on ancestors who died in the Great Persecution) and petition Saints for patronage.

### Protestantism

* Edenist - At times referred to as 'Neo-Adamists' the Edenists have roots in Christian naturism prior to the Event though like the Adamists before them have come to seek a return to the state of being enjoyed by Adam and Eve in Eden before being cast out. They believe that such a state was how God intended Humans to live. As such Edenists are pacifists, vegetarians, practice equality between men and woman, and incest as close as brother and sister.
* Evangelical - During the persecutions prior to the Event many Christians put aside minor doctrinal differences to survive. After the Event and fall of old civilization a number of the churches sent delegates to a convention to create a unifying doctrine. The followers of the Evangelical Church are those adhering to this doctrine.
	+ Adventist - The Seventh-Day Adventists had delegates at the convention but left as the church had fortified it's excluding mentality that they are the End Times Remnant Church which proclaimed the three angels message to the world. Their delegation had only arrived to try to convince the others in attendance of this. The Adventists continue to believe that they are the church through which one can be saved. Due to this they do not marry outside the church and are weary of all non-Adventist secular authority.
	+ Antonionist - Not everyone agreed with the doctrine set forth by the convention. Antonionists believe in pre-destination and are known for their 'once saved always saved' mentality. Due to betrayals and falls from grace experienced during the persecutions most at the Evangelical Convention disagreed.
	+ Charismatics - The Evangelical Convention ultimately dismissed the belief that the gifts continue into the modern era. To the Charismatics too many false prophets granting false hopes during the Great Persecution simply lead the other delegations to be closed to the prospect. The Charismatics continue to believe in the gifts and look for those who have them.

### New Age

* Ascensionist - Ascensionism is a spirituality that believes this world is one of many planes with lower planes being places of greater suffering and negativity while higher plans are of pleasure and positivity. They believe that spirits from the lower planes can ascend into higher plans and that Humans are the physical form of such spirits on this world. To ascend into a higher plan one must foster good feelings and alleviate suffering. Being negative or causing pain can either lead one to being cycled back into this world or sinking down into a lower plane. This spiritual system borrows from Eastern thought, primarily Buddhism and Jainism. The ultimate goal of an Ascensionist is to prepare themselves to ascend into the next plane on a path to becoming a being that is without suffering.

### Old World Cults

Religions based around perceptions regarding how the world was before the Event.

### Pagan

* Athenian - Athenians worship a variety of Greek Gods and arouse from the old Pre-Event Hellenic population. The Athenians believe the Event came about from Athena, who they believe to be the one destined to slay Zeus, doing so. They hold that Athena is now the governing Queen of the Gods and that around her are those who where loyal to her in this rebellion against Zeus. The Athenians seek to bring about an era of wise governance during this new age of Heroes. They have thus discarded worship in a number of Gods they believe where killed during the Event and their stories about such gods put them in a rather negative light.
	+ Hellenism - Worship of the Greek Gods and practice of rituals associated with that worship had saw a revival prior to the Event. Hellenites adhere to a religion that is close to the pre-Event variation. They unlike the Athenians believe that Zeus is still King of the Gods.

* Krystean - Living in the mountains and hills during the time of the Event isolated many Christian communities. With the word passed increasingly by oral iteration as Bibles became scarce among the growing tribal population after the Event a degraded form of the faith emerged. The Krysteans are pagan in thier belief in a physical god who walks the Earth with Christ having become a demi-god in their theology. The Krysteans believe in a physical Hell below the ground and a Heaven in the clouds above. A separation of the material and spiritual is alien to them.

## Societies

* Sons of Liberty - The Sons of Liberty is according to legend as old as Old America it's self. They where active as a resistance organization at the time of the Persecutions and after the Event became public in a few communities before new arising authorities worked against them. The Sons of Liberty wish to restore America to a state it strayed from before the Event. The Sons of Liberty work to overthrow tyrants and bring about republican governments. With in Republican societies they seek to guard against what transpired before the Event in Old America. [To Join: Must be 16. Must be member of a religion in the Protestant group. One of the following must be true - Has no title or holds an elected title.]

### Cut Religions

* Americanity - Americanite theology includes a number of patriotic myths and perceptions- some of which had previously only been relegated to the 19th century. Founding fathers such as George Washington are seen as examples of virtue to aspire towards. They believe the the Tornado that saved Washington DC from British occupation in the War of 1812 was a divine act. They believe the creation of the United States of America was set into motion by the divine. They refer to the Book of Revelation which speaks of the Kings of the Earth being deceived and believe that a republic lacking Kings will not be. They see the rise of Republicanism as a way to combat the Anti-Christ. Certain more military based hymns are also included in worship such as the Marine Corp Hymn. [NOTE: There are no Americanites at the start of the game as thier position before the Event made them vulnerable to the persecutions that precluded it. Americanity can however be revived under certain conditions.]
* Californian Catholic - Originating around the San Francisco area the Californian Catholics are a 'reformed' sect that emerged after the fall of the Eternal City. The Californian Catholics emerged following the disposing the region's Patriarch in favor of the 'living word' offered by Maria who became the first Papess of California following the coupe. The Californian Catholic Church has it's college of Cardinals, it's Pope/Papess, allows female temple holders, and homosexual marriage.
* Catholic (Older Concept for it's history) - Following the destruction of the Eternal City, and the death of Pope Peter, the College of Cardinals found it's self on a ship bound for the Americas. There they carried out the appointment of the next Pope only to find upon landing such Pope being rejected with many faithful believing Peter to be the Peter Romanus of the Prophecy of the Popes. The Catholic administration has since traveled without a proper seat for centuries.