Cult of Digend

The cultists are a Vagabond faction, united by their devotion to Digend, a pagan god of chaos. The Cult of Digend spreads discord and conflict through Hireath as their primary goal.

## History

In the aftermath of the God's War, some horses were disillusioned by Hireath's gods. The deities, equine-kind's creators who had sworn to protect them, had ravaged the world they'd made, then abandoned its people to an uncertain fate. What would become the Cult was first formed by stranded individuals whose homes, families, and lives were destroyed by the God's War. They acknowledged *chaos* as the only sure thing in this world, a force that held dominion even over the gods. The Cult's innocent beginnings were around a campfire, populated by a group who believed that change was the only constant, and who lived day by day, abandoning traditional society.

Over time, the ideological reliance on chaos became more prominent. Chaos grew from an invisible force to an all-seeing entity. Wishes for luck turned into prayer. Superstitions became rituals. When times were hard, they pleaded with Chaos for his favor.

Living at the whims of Chaos was not enough for long. Chaos - who had found the name Digend - needed more. The first step had been to abandon and reject the societies who followed the old gods. Then came to bid to fight back against them. First, these raids and regular offerings of worldly wealth sufficed. Then, it would not sate the god the Cult had made any longer. She would require something more.  They paid their dues to their god in laws broken, victories stolen and items plundered. They offered her the fruits of the chaos sown. What she gave them in return was freedom: if they could take chaos into their own hooves, it would not be rained upon them by invisible forces.

But a divide had begun to emerge. Some of them wanted more extreme means - blood, carnage, panic and fear. They believed that Digend would only rise by the means most extreme and heinous. But others, they desired to worship Digend with valiance; to be *change* rather than mere chaos.

Inevitably, the two bands split up. One became the root of the modern Cult of Digend.

In the centuries since the God's War, their population has waxed and waned under the leadership of various Ascendants. The most devout Ascendants tended to be the most vicious, and established many traditions of ritual bloodshed in Digend's terrible name. Currently, the Cult is relatively large compared to its meager history, but until lately, still had only a small, fanatical population. With Digend’s recent rise and appearances around Hireath, however, new believers have joined their midst.

Some of them bring with them the winds of change. The Cult, too, might need to evolve.

## In-Game Timeline

Read a more in-depth chapter timeline here

Unlike many other factions of Hireath, the Cult of Digend has known little real hardship over the past two years. They have celebrated the Nights of Bloodletting as usual, managed to find messengers of Digend among them, and have grown exponentially in number and confidence. After a violent encounter with the Vindicators in spring 1700, the Cult has largely stayed clear of their old nemesis, focusing on their own goals.

The most significant changes have been to leadership. In late 1700, Ascendant Genesis died, and the Cult received their first leader who did not walk among them - Ascendant Medulla. In summer 1701, Ascendant Dalach made himself known. This change in leadership has also marked the change towards a more ambitious existence for the Cult.

In the aftermath of Dalach being chosen as Ascendant, he saw Digend’s most devoted stray, and so he named the first Incarnate, Klaus, to lead them back to their roots.

## Cultural Notes

The Cultists are nomadic, and have no permanent settlements. Due to the predatory nature of their lifestyle, the Cult is frequently uprooting its camps to follow major trade routes and vagabond migrations. The Disciples of the Cult travel in a loose caravan, its population usually split into many small camps spanning many miles, crossing continents like a snake. If one Cultist camp is discovered, it's likely that the surrounding area is infested with Digend's disciples. Occasionally the Disciples break up further to pursue different goals, but eventually the caravan is always reformed. The largest campsite will be home to the Incarnate, as well as many of the Channelers and Hunters.

The Cultists frequent Onea and Sirith in particular, though they have been known to occasionally cross into northern Sedo. If they can, Cultists enjoy a rare excursion into Eithne, but this has become increasingly difficult since Vindicator attacks closed Aodh's borders. The Cult does not have access to Aquore, or any desire to cross the treacherous Barrier Mountains. They tend to "hunt" along roads, small settlements, and caravans, attacking and robbing (and often killing) anyone they can overpower. Being such a small population, they avoid conflicts with large settlements or anywhere a herd's militia might intercept them. The only organized force they would dare face off against is the Vindicators, whose numbers are as pitiful as the Cult's own.

Until recently, the Disciples would flee from Raiders, Chevaliers and other organized forces - however, emboldened by their growing numbers and new orders, they have recently begun to ambush armed troops as well. Most notable example is their ambush of a Valkyrie patrol in order to capture the child of the War Lord. For the most part, however, the Disciples avoid difficult fights, and prefer to prey on the weak and defenseless. They choose to utilize traps and hit-and-run tactics - open combat is not their style.

Despite the small numbers of the Cult, they tend to be suspicious and hostile toward their own. Cult members travel in small cliques of (barely) trusted individuals and may share resources with those few, but are usually wary and withholding to other Cult members. They are suspicious for good reason -- the Cult's belief that only the strong survive has created a rather self-destructive culture, and thievery and violence between Disciples is common. There is no true hierarchy among the cultists beyond their obedience to the Ascendant and Incarnate, but Hunter and Channelers usually garner some limited power over Disciples - as much through fear and superstition as through merit.

If any Cultist is attacked by an outsider, trust that the entire Cult will avenge the insult twofold. Traitors are treated with equal or even more ferocious disdain, and hunted down whenever possible. Many have rued the day they made an enemy out of the Cult.

Cultists believe that everything must be earned through power (physical or otherwise), and do not provide well for the children among them. Children (called Nothings) remain nameless until they complete a ceremony called the Proving, wherein a young preteen must complete a deadly task to prove their worth to Digend and the Cult.

The Cult as the Disciples know it revels in ruthless violence, chaos and freedom. Although their Ascendant directs them towards specific goals and missions, they are free spirited anarchists at heart, only compelled to obey by their devotion towards Digend.

Lately, with Digend’s physical manifestation arriving on Hireath, a new kind of Cult has begun to form. Digend has shown much interest in the people of Hireath, and seems keen on conversion, and projecting a new, gentle and nurturing image. The new followers sworn to this interpretation of the deity do not necessarily call themselves cultists, and may in fact seek to purposefully differentiate themselves from the old sect.

### Religion

The Cultists strictly worship only Digend. The inferior "heretic" gods of Hireath are regarded as untrustworthy and weak, as even they bow to the power of chaos. They regard Digend with a mixture of adoration and fear, for they know the whims of their chaotic god are fickle. These feelings are also applied to their leader, the Ascendant, Digend’s chosen, and their chosen general, the Incarnate. The fear of displeasing Digend looms over devout Cultists constantly -- any Cultist who expresses doubt in Digend's existence or the will of the Ascendant and Incarnate is likely to be rebuked violently by their peers, in case the god should punish them all for the transgression.

Cultists believe that Digend is the cause for any great change in the world, including natural disasters and changes in government. Digend's will is ever-changing, however, and the Cult does not attempt to predict his plan. Cultists do not fear death, because they believe that Digend will find a place for them in his army of chaotic spirits after they die. Indeed, many of them believe that Digend will reward those who bring mayhem in their name, turning cultist religion into a bloody competition.

Although there have been a number of religiously significant cultists over the years, such as various channelers, lorekeepers and Ascendants, the Cult does not have any formal teaching of their god, or things such as established religious ceremonies. Although many individual rituals and strange sermons are observed, these are local, unique and completely up to the whims of a particular band. Their truest way of worship is to sow chaos, and the Night of the Bloodletting is their one sacrament. As such, individual cultists may have highly varied ways of worshipping Digend through various self-invented rituals and offerings.

It should be noted that despite their loathing of the old gods of Hireath, the cultists encourage seeking their blessings, as these can be highly beneficial in their pursuits. No cultist should ever hold any true devotion towards any god other than Digend, but to pass by weapons so freely given would be foolish.

### Creed

While the Cultists observe no land's law, they live by a vicious creed handed down from an ancient Ascendant.

* I. Revere our Lord Digend. Love her, for she gives us strength. Fear her, for we are ants beneath her hooves.
* II. The gods of the heretics are inferior. Utilize their Blessings, given so freely, but do not speak their praise.
* III. Destroy all that your hooves can reach. Squander no opportunity to seed chaos and strife.
* IV. Pity not the weak. It is the strong who will inherit the world.

### Holidays

#### **Night of Bloodletting:**

During the first snow of each year, the Cultists give a bloody offering to their god. The sacrifice is a young equine, preferably kidnapped from a herd, a practice which both shows dedication to Digend and causes the most discord. The perfect sacrifice is healthy, able bodied and while young, no longer a child, as capturing such an individual shows much greater skill and daring than nabbing a babe. As the sun sets, the young captive is taken into unfamiliar wilderness and released. The Cultists will say a prayer to Digend and give chase. On occasion the Cultists will forego kidnapping, and instead hunt prey that is simply unlucky enough to come across them.

While the goal is to kill their quarry, the death is meant to be drawn out until just before daybreak. Thus, the sacrifice is forced into a game of cat-and-mouse, hounded relentlessly and bitten throughout the night. Just before sunrise, the Cultists will overwhelm their prey and finish the deed. A closing prayer is said as the sun rises on the red snow.

The sacrifice is believed to become a plaything of Digend in the afterlife.

When possible, the Disciples will all come together to perform a single Night of Bloodletting - more often than not, however, several such hunting bands will set out from different camps, each set on providing Digend with souls.

Larger bands often utilize Hunters to bring them the most ideal game.

#### **Proving:**

The Proving is a potentially deadly task that every Nothing must complete to prove their strength, cunning and devotion to Digend. The ritual is most often performed when the Nothing is a preteen, but truthfully is held at the whim of the Disciples and may come sooner or later, depending on the will of the Cult. It is, however, unusual for it to be postponed to be later than the 15th year, as Nothings are useless to the Disciples. It is more common for the Proving to be held early, than late.

Usually, the Proving is a mass ceremony, where all Nothings currently close to the appropriate age are tried at once, rather than each being given a unique ritual.

The trial itself varies. Sometimes, the Proving is surviving a deadly fight with a hungry wild animal, a crime that must be committed, or fetching a dangerously-acquired item. Rarely, if a sacrifice to Digend must be made, it is a fight to the death against another Nothing, but this has fallen out of favor in years past as the Cult has decided to grow. A new and popular way to perform a Proving - and one highly recommended by the Ascendant - is the vandalization of worship sites of other Gods.

When the Proving is complete, surviving Nothings may give themselves names, and in modern times often use Aging Potions to become stronger Disciples.

## Membership and leaving the Cult

It used to be that most Disciples were born members of the Cult or joined them as children and teens, raised from Nothings into bloodthirsty followers of the god of chaos. However, with their recent expansion and aggressive recruitment, an increasing number of Disciples come from varied backgrounds, some even  having history as members of a herd.

Becoming a member of the Cult of Digend is simple - one simply needs to come across a band of cultists, and convince them to allow them to join, rather than killing them. A small test of some kind of might be involved, but the Cult is eager to add to its numbers, and killing members who prove untrustworthy is easy enough.

The Cult does not allow its members to leave, in any way or for any reason. A betrayal by one of Digend's followers could bring the capricious god's rage down on all of them, so anyone who expresses continued doubt about Digend or the Ascendant is often killed if they cannot be corrected. Any who attempt to sneak away from the Cult are hunted down by Disciples, most ending up murdered in Digend's name.

The only exception to this rule is to leave in search of Asylon, a place the Cultists know simply as Digend’s Kingdom.

There are a rare few who escape the Cult, but doing so requires exceptional secrecy and incredible luck. Those who have managed to leave the Cult spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders, knowing that if a Disciple were ever to spot them again, it would mean certain demise. Their chances of survival are best if they manage to integrate themselves into the major societies of Hireath, where the Disciples won’t be able to follow.

## Herd Relations

Cultists are universally reviled by all the herds of Hireath. Historically, they are a small enough force to only be a known threat to traders, traveling merchants, and vagabonds (all of whom are in the practice of employing mercenaries or bringing guards to protect from Cultist attack), and many herd horses have never had personal encounters with Cultists. To many herd horses, the Cultists are little more than a boogeyman or a folk tale; they and their pagan god are the villains of hard-to-believe stories.

The War-Forged are the herd most likely to have met Cultists, who are most commonly found in the forests of Onea and the unpopulated Vastlands of Sirith. The Cultists are known to launch attacks on Onean travelers and have in large part poisoned the War-Forged against Vagabond travelers. They are likely to be attacked by Raiders, Scouts and Valkyries on sight. on sight.

Very occasionally cultists will be emboldened enough to enter Sedo, but they are usually quickly dealt with by Furies, and generally avoid the area as it is poor looting.

Some cultists have visited the Isles of the Dead aboard Rogue vessels, but such ventures are rare, and considered rather pointless.

Other than Harbingers, who hide in plain sight among herd horses, Cultists are unable to enter the tunnels of Breim, any of Eithne, or the mainland of Aquore.

### The Vindicators

The Cult of Digend has a mortal enemy in the Vindicators. Since the Cult took a turn toward spreading violence, the Vindicators have fought to thwart them whenever possible. Because the Vindicators are sworn defenders of balance, they are dedicated to stopping major conflicts in Hireath and are directly opposed to the mission of the Cultists. The two groups have an intense hatred of one another, and all encounters between them end with blood.

Despite this, their recent goals have drawn them further away from each other, and the two factions rarely meet. If Vindicators are aware of the increasing strength of the Cult, they have done little to intervene, having tied themselves into a conflict with Aodh instead.

### Asylon

Asylon is, in many ways, a splinter faction of the Cult of Digend - they share the same leader, the same god, and the same ultimate goal: to empower the god of chaos. As a result, the cultists have been instructed to leave the settlement and its inhabitants alone. Although it is no true alliance, the Cult views Asylon and its residents in a more favorable light than other Hireath societies - they, at least, worship the one true god.

## Ranks

* Ascendant
* Incarnate
* Harbinger
* Hunter
* Channeler
* Disciple
* Nothing

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