Cumaea

The Cumaea are an all-female, all-human Federation and quasi-religious organization dedicated to the goddess Marium. They are lead by the enigmatic Mother Superior.

They represent the fiercest opposition to Arcanics, believing that the human bloodline should remain pure and free from Arcanic blood, and are the front-line in the war between the two factions. The Cumaea are ruthless and undertake any methods of assuring their dominance. They have a strong focus on experimenting on captured Arcanics to research lilium, going as far as to massacre their own people to keep these experiments secret.

## Background

#### Marium

Marium, the "goddess" revered by the Cumaea, was in a human born fifteen hundred years ago on the coast of Galilea. Marium was a composer, healer, and scientist who also possessed the ability to see the future and read the minds of others. She became the first human to utilize lilium, finding that the substance enhanced the mental and regenerative abilities of humans.

#### The Thirteen Apostles

Sometime after Marium's death, the Cumaea were founded by thirteen apostles of Marium. At first, the Cumaea existed as a small faction, but through keeping the knowledge of lilium to themselves, used its power to gain supremacy over the tribes of men.

## History

### Volume 3

It is confirmed that many, if not all, of the Cumaea witches are in fact possessed by old gods, revealing a deep hypocrisy in the human-supremacy teachings of the Cumaea.

### Volume 4

The Cumaea continue to push for war, but the Federation is resisting their demands, seeking instead peace with the Dusk Court.

### Volume 5

After the bombing of Aurum, the Cumaea lead the Federation into war. However, the monstrum witches - Dagon, Dreamer and Gull - are aware of the truth behind the bombing: that the Lord Doctor bombed the city in order to breach the vault containing the third Mask of Power fragment. Meanwhile, Needle and Hammer are stymied in their attempts to return to the High Council and inform the Mother Superior that the monstrum have invaded the ranks of the Cumaea. This leads them to their own revelation: that Desteria is a monstrum herself.

## Ranks

### Mother Superior

The leader of the Cumaea, to whom all other Cumaea show deference and respect, and who consults the Prime Minister on matters of importance. The current Mother Superior is Destria.

### Inquistrixes

Sisters in arms, the Inquistrixes are an elite division of the Cumaea who handle sensitive matters through the application of brute force. They brandish titles instead of their birth names, such as "Hammer", "Flay" and "Needle". They are all skilled in combat, though their specialties vary. They receive their orders directly from the Mother Superior and follow them unwaveringly, showing no hesitation even killing other Cumaea. The Inquisitrixes wear black armor with gold insignias and each outfit is specialized to the individual's method of combat and accessorized for flares.

### Witch-Nun

Members of the Cumaea who possess special mental powers. They perform research and other educated endeavors from Cumaea Compounds. Though called "witch-nuns" they are not expected to be celibate, though interbreeding with Arcanics is a heinous crime. Witch-nuns appear divided between chief researchers such as Sophia, attendants such as Atena and young initiates who assist with research.