Church of Panolgomates

The **Church of Panolgomates** is the church founded by Dano, after her transformation into a Pano that provides an alternative to the Imperial Church of Psology.

## Beliefs and Practices

The Church adheres to a hybridized religious system combining elements of True Lore and Amalgomate beliefs.

### Hallows' Eve

An annual holiday that falls on the end of the farming season, right before the onset of winter. During this event, people defy their fears. Ghosts, monsters, and evil spirits are mocked and celebrated by both merrymaking and outrageous costumes. Children take to the streets and ask for sweet treats and people are obliged to provide them it. The youth often engage in wanton vandalism as a part of one of the festival's traditions. It is during this time, the barrier between this world and Desperanto grows thin. The muse Jackie Patch comes to terrorize during this time and is held at bay by scary masks which frighten him.

### Denkea

One of the most sacred periods for the Varśvia, honors both Henny and Demirua and is associated with marriage and fertility. Beginning with the flirtation among uncoupled individuals for over ten days. Gifts are given, vows are spoken, and true feelings are made known. On the end of the last day, uncoupled individuals gather at nightfall and divide themselves into two groups. Individuals playing the role of prey don antlered headdresses and are otherwise nude. Those choosing to act as hunters paint themselves with dyed ink and wear the skulls and skins of wolves, bears and other savage predators. Both parties consume a tea brewed from fermenting fruits, hallucinogenic fungus and toxic moss then enter into the woods, where throughout the next few days, hunters will venture out carrying their prey over their shoulders and will return to the village with newly forged life long relationships.

### Rite of Rapturous Indulgence

A celebration dedicated to the muse, the Restless Heart, that is a night of hedonistic revelry; wine, song, and other delights. At the height of this, a group of chosen recipients are selected and given a specially prepared drug. Then the performance begins, under the simulation of the drug and the hypnotic spell of the drumbeats. They are compelled to dance, joining together to dance to the ceaseless drum until ether dying or collapsing from exhaustion at first light of dawn, at which the ritual is complete.

### The Black Arts of Laanmesh

The arcane sciences that surround the distillation of various poisons and toxins are known to the followers of the muse, Laaanmesh, who is favored by assassins and murderers alike. Drawing on the emotional spectrum, sect members can drawn it in and manifest said emotions into reality. Brewing them into potent toxic compounds, altering them to enhance their effect, intuiting how best to maximize them.

### Martyr's Day

A sacred day that commodores the tragic death of Axleda. The faithful offer silent prayers, give thanks and remember her self sacrifice. At nigh, bonfires are lit and effigies are burned to honor her memory.

### The Crimson Judgment

A terrible ceremony conducted by Virgil's executioners. It involves the execution of the victim by means of decapitation, as an sacrifice not only to Virgil but to Dano herself.

### Fools' Folly

A holiday favored by the followers of Cenir, especially children. A time where anyone can pull pranks or jokes or japes, which often are elaborate and extravagant in nature and plotted for months in advance on companions, on neighbors, and most typically on rivals, with the understanding that provided no lasting harm is done, any humiliations inflicted are to be taken in stride.

### The Wild Hunt

A collective ritual preformed solely by those of the Demiruan Sect. Rarely ever done, the ritual is only used for the purpose of justice or an act of vengeance. When invoked, the practitioners channel the power of their muse and nature itself. They become feral and animalistic, then the horde is unleashed on the offenders to be hunted and torn apart in a savage fury. Once the hunt is concluded, the hunters revert back to their original state and the offending party's remains are used to fertilize the soil as an offering to nature.

### Rite of the Unliving Egg

Preformed by the muse Zomken on a deceased avian and or even a person's corpse. The body is taken and sealed in a makeshift egg constructed from broken egg shells, resin and other similar materials. After the chant is spoken, the egg incubates for a short period. During which energies fuse the body and egg together. The final creature that hatches from the egg is a newly created zombie chicken ready to join Zomken's flock.

### The 19 Sacraments of the Holy Design

An ceremony created specifically by the most extreme members of the Dezo Sect. This obscure ritual requires nineteen specific sacrifices that the sect believes will create a new muse. The first ten sacrifices once slain, are to be carved with numbers in their flesh, the next eight consisted of themes that applied to the specific individual, with the final sacrifice being that of a pure innocent. Once completed, the ritual will facilitate the birth of a new muse, one that is completely independent from Dano's power.

### The Fugue Festival

Dedicated to the muse Vagrant, the Fugue Festival is a period of sanctioned anarchy. During this time the population is given free reign to commit acts of mindless distraction. Convoluted and otherwise unconventional behavior is actively encouraged and general chaos is the lauded goal.

### Puppet Parade Day

Inspired by the Puppet Parade. This holiday occurs during a single day where a parade of puppets created by various makers walk through the streets to show off their craftsmanship. At the end of the parade, the constructs are judged with the winner being crowned and rewarded.

### The Penance of Knives

A ritual practiced by the Sisterhood of the Knife, a particularly gruesome one at that. It serves as a means to punish an individual who has wronged the sisterhood. The victim is held up by a series of ropes and is repeatedly cut, stabbed and mutilated before finally having their throat slashed and offered up as an offering to Virgil and Henny.

### Rite of Satire

A rite that is a special drama crafted by those who favour Cenir for the sole purpose of ridicule and always performed during public with the offender in full view of crowds. The more humiliation the offender suffers and their reputation is damaged, the better.

### Sermons of Dano

Adherents of the church often gather to hear sermons on Dano, the church and the various tenets of the faith to remind them who and what they are. This reminder serves to strengthen their loyalty to the church and their dogma. Participants take turns reciting from the passages of Dano's teachings, while the others sit in a semicircle holding lit candles and meditating on the words of wisdom.

### The Sevenfolded Punishments

A series of punishments meted out by the church, to those who offend the Archbishop. The punishments are counted in seven, with the seventh and final punishment always imposed last. The first is to be strapped down and tickled until near exhaustion, the second is to be dunked in water, the third is to be stripped naked, and stung by angry wasps, the fourth is to be forced fed hallucinogens, the fifth is to be tarred and feathered, the sixth is to be flogged, the seventh and final punishment is death.

### Rite of the Moon Dance

Preformed in tribute of the Twins. When the night's sky is clear and the moon is visible, the ceremony is conducted with participants dancing under the moonlight. Sometimes it is invoked as a symbolic marriage for those taking part in it.

### Eggsun

A festival celebrated yearly, marked by the sudden appearance of bizarre eggs scattered in various hidden places. The eggs come in a variety of different colors, appearances, and sizes. During this time, people go out of their way in acquiring these eggs for anything could hatch from them. Many try to influence what comes out of them, subjecting them to all manner of strange augmentations like painting their shells, singing lullabies to them, burying them in dirt, bathing them in exotic concoctions, or other, more unusual methods.

### Elliot's Glen Pact

The founding members of the sect that came to reside in Elliot's Glen sought to separate themselves from the church. Fearing retribution from Dano, they forged a pact with a mysterious patron. In exchange for continuous tribute of sacrifices, they and their home would be spared from Dano and her wrath. If the contract was ever broken, their town would be cursed, becoming entwined with both the real world and Desperanto.

### The Grand Spectacle of Bliss

A event where the participants would have their minds calmed, their souls eased, and their spirits brighten so the next phase could unfold as planned. The final part is where all would get together to show the greatest public display of shared love and pleasure amongst themselves.

### Rite of Bal's Due

An unconventional ritual only preformed by those desperate or foolish enough to call upon the power of the foul-mouthed Bal to right a wrong done to them.

### The Masquerade of Veils

A wild celebration of food and courting, which commemorate falsehoods and illusions, a time when boundaries placed by society break down. It culminates with a grand ball wherein the participants wear elaborate masks and disguises that hide their true selves. At the end, all those in attendance remove their disguises to their partners, often with unpredictable and sometimes delightfully awkward results from said parties.

### Rite of the Beat Unceasing

One of the most infamous rites preformed by those most devoted to the Restless Heart. The ritual itself has the willing partakers sing and dance to the rhythm of the beating sound for hours on end. On the other hand, all unwilling participants are exposed directly to the muse's unceasing beats for long periods at time, slowly but surely they become captivated by its hypnotic call. Now under the influence of the Restless Heart, they are unable to stop dancing ever and become little more then slaves to the beat forever.

### Beholding Petal Ceremony

Visitors to the Garden Binders are invited to enjoy themselves in fields that bloom with flowers of every possible color and partake in a special ritual. They are instructed to pick a single petal from any of the flowers, which will show them a specific future. After the ceremony, participants are required to sacrifice something significant to the flowers. The sacrifice may range from anything like a lock of hair from a lover to more precarious such a piece of one's flesh or even your own mind.

### The Emo Quake

An incredible dangerous ritual that, through the collective willpower of participants focused together into unleashing the full volatility of their combined power. When the ritual was complete, the harnessed energy would take shape and corporeal form radiating with pale light and shimmering with smoky-like shadows. Then with a mere command, it would instantly detonate and annihilated any living being caught within its blast radius and absorbed their fragmented essences into a swirling vortex of perpetual torment and despair, before finally fading into nothingness.

## Factions and Sects

### Sect of the Divine Matron

Headed by a line of matriarchal Panos, the adherents of the Divine Matron's sect see their mother as a divine being.

### Elliot's Glen Sect

A separatist sect, having broken away from the core of the church to live more peaceful, stable lives. Though separate from the church, many of its core beliefs are still upheld.

### Virgil Sect

The enforcer sect of the Church of Panolgomates. Members would don red pointed hoods and act as executioners in honor of Virgil, since they worshipped Virgil as the one close to Dano.

### Rabbit's Eye Sect

An observational sect of Panolgomates dedicated to the muse, the Rabbit, they go out and watch the world change and report back their discoveries.

### Holy Vessalites

One of the largest divisions of the Panolgomates church, they follow a belief that they are all vessels holding sparks of creativity. A few among their numbers seek out the perfect vessel for it is their belief that who or what ever it is will be the ultimate expression of creativity.

### Laanmesh Sect

A secretive sect which revere the muse Laanmesh, who is a patron of assassins and murderers. Sect members are practitioners of their muse's black arts, the study of poisons, drugs and toxins known only to Laanmesh's followers.

### Sect of the Stone Mother

Members of the sect of the Stone Mother, respect a giant stone figure known as the Stone Mother, as something sacred and as a holy entity. The sect leaders of the cult believe it to be a sacred object and use rituals to commune with it.

### Demiruan Sect

Worshippers of the muse Demirua, the sect also revere nature as divine creation made manifest. Normally peaceful but will kill if they feel threatened especially if the environment is under threat.

### Daeva Sect

Savage and warlike, one of the more brutal orders of the church. Members of Daeva Sect perform bloody rituals fueled by their wild and raw primal emotions, using this as a catalyst, they can affect the fabric of reality in some unsettling ways.

### Grey Circle

A radical sect of Panolgomates that have become interested in the Red Circle, they actively hunt down the group's members, infiltrate their ranks and steal their findings for their own use.

### Merciful Mothers

A small all-female order that operates the orphanage known as the Merciful Mothers' House which they use to raise children and indoctrinate them in the teachings of the cult as prescribed by Henny.

### Worm Lodge

An obscure sect dedicated to Xorm who grants them a certain degree of protection and influence over Desperanto. They view it as a sort of holy land, a belief that is held as heretical to the church.

### Panomeme Sect

Members of the Panomeme Sect prescribe to a radical belief that the power of Memeite is a means of creation and seem to even worship it. Many of the sect willingly experiment with the substance and are known to fascinate the creation of Memeoids.

### Cat Coven

A small sect of the church that has become fixated on the innate power of feline cuteness, its members collect cat-related paraphernalia and breed cats to garner their cuteness in their rituals.

### Maternal Order of the Hearth

An all-female sect of Panolgomates that have dedicated themselves to the muse Henny. They watch over local communities, teaching them valuable lessons, guiding and protecting them.

### Sanguine Blades

A dangerous sect that worship Baltazar and work to earn more of his favor, their ceremonies involve blood sacrifices, which are fed to statues of Baltazar.

### Mortenai

A order sworn to the service of Mort, the Muse of the Dead and presided over death and the funeral rites to ensure that the souls of Dano's children and followers would not fall into the wrong hands in the event of their deaths.

### Axleda Sect

Formed in honor of the martyr, Axleda who was burned at the stake in Mother Russia. After that her followers gathered her ashes and took them deep into the mountains where they reside, waiting for her to return to them.

### Hungry Ones

A murderous cult made up exclusively of Yardat-Aakshi Panos, who freely embrace their predatory nature and the urge to feed.

### Varśvia

An isolated but self-sufficient sect that inhabit the frozen wastes of northeastern Mother Russia. Their religious beliefs are deeply tied to both muses, Henny and Demirua.

### Dezo Sect

A rouge Panolgomate sect that is centered around the belief of the eventually birth of a new muse that will led them.

### Wildwyrd Cult

Dedicated to the muse, the Dusky Moth. The cult is known for having hidden agendas given to them by their patron, its members often exhibit erratic and strange behaviors.

### Hateites

A small sect of Panolgomates that adheres to their belief in the power of hate over love for drawing on its destructive power to suit their needs.

### Sisterhood of the Knife

An all-female order that deeply venerates both Virgil and Henny, their practices are known for being strict and oftentimes brutal.

### Gigortha Sect

Centered around their high priestess, a powerful and very unusual Panomind.

### Triple Pact Society

A large order within the church that worshipped the muses, Henny, Kumo and Guaridinia. They also venerated certain adepts as saints.

### Coven of Thorns

Shunned by most, the members of this small and obscure sect are quite disturbing and is reflected by both their practices and their appearances.

### Cyreni Sect

A Panolgomate sect that's members seek to perfect their will power by refining it with experiences and expressing themselves to the upmost.

### Fervor Seers

A small sect of Panolgomates who seek prophetic visions through an state of raw emotion.

### Sect of the Elevated Muse

The sect surrounding the self proclaimed muse, a claim that is nothing short of heresy for other sects within the church.

### Lorniviates

An tightly-disciplined order of the church who have rejected their past lives and have pledged themselves to Lorn, the Muse of Memory.

### Scions of Vaaith

Comprised of those who follow the whims of Vaaith, its members display an arrogance mirroring that of their master.

### Auesha Sect

A sect based on the unraveling of consciousness. They practice simulating the senses, alternating between altered states of the mind all as a means to transcend the illusions of reality and see the world without boundaries.

### Emo Savants

The Emo Savants are a delegation of some of the most elite and brilliant members of the church operating as a think-tank, who explore new ideas, whether its studying Emojology and the potential uses of it, or breakthroughs in new ways of harnessing emotion, maximizing its effects and even formulating new rituals from it.

### Shades of Purple

Arguably the most reviled of all sects within the church, for they are in the service of the malevolent Man in Purple.

### Painkillers

Motivated by the suffering of others, this radical group have developed an controversial procedure that its members willingly undergo to twist their own conscience and silence it to better their role at preforming mercy killings.

### Surreal Dreamers

A sect of Panolgomates that have become captivated by the inherent nature of dreams and tapped into its power. The sect members hold some sway over the dreaming world, being able to lull others into a deep slumber and even influence what they are dreaming of.

### Kemmusa Sect

Led by their revolutionary leader that has taught them to indulge themselves in the ways of pain and pleasure, to achieve religious ecstasy.

### Fearmongers

A small Panolgomate sect who have become enthralled with the idea of harnessing and utilizing fear itself as a weapon.

### Baru Brotherhood

Known for being verse in the martial arts, those of the Baru Brotherhood have mastered the ability to not only regulate their bodies but also their emotions to the point of being resistant to pain.

### Sect of the Emocloud

A obscure sect of Panolgomates formed around an amalgamation of proto-concepts and half-formed muses all coalesced together.

### Thanatoari

Referred to as death mystics, the Thantoari have a morbid interest in the transition between life and death, and the emotions associated with it.

### Cult of the Pale Promise

The followers of the Pale Promise cult venerate a mysterious albino Pano.

### Ovum Sect

A sect that is dedicated to muses Henny and Eggbert. They practice a form of reincarnation where deceased members of the sect incubate in eggs, ready to be reborn and once they hatch are brought up into the faith again.

### Dentrian Order

An institution of the church whose members revere the muse Dentri and assist him in his task of collecting knowledge.

### Kiss of Henny

Dedicated to the muse Henny, an all-female group that focuses on healing and rejuvenation of those under their charge and care.

### Garden Binders

The Garden Binders were tasked with the overseeing the Archbishop's personal garden and the cultivation of the flora for a mysterious set of rituals.

### Sect of the Holy Unity

Taking inspiration from the defunct Order of Sacred Unity, the Holy Unity act as the go between for the other sects.