Cult of the Immortal Dirt

The Cult of the Immortal Dirt is a religion centered around the worship of dirt, specifically the Immortal Dirt. It was founded on founded on November 20th, 2020. Followers of the Cult (colloquially called *Dirt Cultists*) believe the Immortal Dirt will remanifest one day and usher in the Age of Dirt.

## History

### Prequel

The city of Posopolis was founded on October 17th, 2020, and saw steady development through the month. Near the end of October, a local leader named **McThuggin** built his personal house on the shore of Pos Lake, constructing a one-chunk large tower and protecting it with a special area claim to secure his belongings.

By mid-November, however, a building theme and block palette had been firmly decided for Posopolis and **McThuggin**'s lakehouse did not fit the theme, so the area claim was deleted and the house was demolished to make way for **EJ741**'s planned luxury house district.

### Discovery

On the 18th of November, 2020, while attempting to build a new house on the old location of **McThuggin**'s lakehouse, **EJ741** was surprised to discovered that there was a 6x6x1 area of dirt on the ground that he could not break. Whenever he mined a block, it would instantly return, resurrected from destruction. **McThuggin** also tried to break the dirt but could not. **EJ741** continued building his house and left the dirt alone, resulting in a completely finished house with a conspicuous 6x6 area of dirt instead of wooden planks on the floor.

As the mystery continued and the unbreakable dirt remained unexplainable, **McThuggin** and other members of Posopolis began to suspect supernatural causes. **EJ741** suggested they form a new religion and worship the unbreakable dirt. The High Priest of Melee HD, **SlightlyOffKiltr**, expressed support for the idea.

### Enlightenment

Eventually, on the 20th of November, 2020, **McThuggin** realized that he had probably been the one to summon this unbreakable dirt. At that moment, he experienced an enlightenment and announced that the dirt would be given the title of the "Immortal Dirt" and that the new religion would be called the "Cult of the Immortal Dirt". He asserted that the Immortal Dirt had come because he had unknowingly performed an ancient dirt ritual, and the dirt had chosen him and his house as the local for its holy manifestation.

After his conversion, **McThuggin** set up a rudimentary shrine on the location of the Immortal Dirt and began to spread word of the new religion across Rathnir. **EJ741**, as a potential convert to the Cult, prepared to convert the house over the Dirt into a temple.

### Desecration

On the 25th of November, 2020, in an action of cruel ignorance, **Guge** of Posopolis discovered a way around land perms and was able to destroy the Immortal Dirt, banishing the manifestation back into the essence of nature and replacing it with a wooden floor. The defeat of the Immortal Dirt desecrated the shrine and canceled construction of the temple. The Cult underwent an identity crisis as it struggled to comprehend the death of the divine and questioned the purpose of the religion in the future.

### Evolution

Eventually the followers of the Immortal Dirt determined that the Immortal Dirt was not truly dead, just de-manifested. The current believers of the Cult assert that one day the Immortal Dirt will return and usher in an Age of Dirt, where dirt will reign supreme over Rathnir - wild oceans will be filled, jagged mountains will be tamed, and hostile deserts will become fertile.

## Beliefs

### Holy Site

Dirt Cultists believe that the original location of the Immortal Dirt shrine, while desecrated, is still a holy site and worthy of pilgrimage. The site of the Immortal Dirt is currently a large house on the lakeside in Posopolis.

### Dirt

Dirt Cultists believe that dirt is a divine substance that contains, supports, and eventually absorbs all life. Dirt is the essence of creation and the sustainer of life. We come from the dirt, and we will return to the dirt. The Immortal Dirt is a manifestation of the essence of life, coalesced into a 6x6x1 area, a divine personage who came to show us mortals the nature of Nature and the Way of the Dirt. It is our duty as living beings to follow the Dirt either until the *Dirt* returns to *us*, or until *we* return to the *Dirt*.

### Grass

Dirt Cultists consider grass on dirt blocks to be an infection, a blemish, like rust on an iron sword. The most virtuous form of dirt is without grass or snow or other impurities.

### Netherrack

Dirt Cultists consider netherrack to be anti-dirt, a manifestation of the Corruption, a twisted form of dirt that should have no place in the Overworld.