Tag: cult

#Lore24 – Entry #322 – Fantasy Month IV #17 – A Messy Situation

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

For those readers who may not be aware of the exact timing, these journal entries are indeed written well after the events described within them; I can’t very well catalogue my thoughts when I’m being assailed by ravenous vines covered with lust-inducing venom, now can I?  As an example, this and the last entry were both written once the party safely returned to Vindinium.  As to how that happened, do read on.

I am uncertain how long the druids allowed the vines to enjoy our bodies, for it is all a pleasure-shrouded haze of frustration in my case, though perhaps Risai and Korvalis may indeed have a different opinion on the matter.  I would daresay Risai may have enjoyed the predicament for a time, and perhaps Korvalis as well, though the wrath he would bring upon the druids following our eventual escape may indeed indicate the opposite. 

We were taken into a well-hidden camp deep within the Thistlewood, nestled among some of the ruins of the ancient draconic city, the vines shaped and controlled by the druids to keep us restrained and at their mercy.  I can recall Risai fighting against the binding vines, to little effect other than the vines seemingly redoubling their efforts to feed upon her essence.  As my memories of the hours or days that we spent in captivity are hazy at best, I will skip to the parts I remember, the night we were to be sacrificed.

I believe their ritual was intended to correspond to the peak of the full moon, for the druidic cult had dedicated themselves to preparations during our captivity and grew ever more excited for what was to come, to the best of my recollection.  I am thankful that our companions who had not been captured remained vigilant, for on the day of the ritual, the druids rested later and more deeply than normal as they prepared themselves, leaving only a handful to keep watch over us.  Ellisar saw to cloaking our party members with his magic, while Shassk saw to dealing with our guards in a silent, if most gruesome, manner, aided by magical silence from Ellisar.  Once the druids controlling them were dealt with, the maidenbane vines lost interest in us, thoroughly gorged as they were upon our vital essence.  Gresilda thankfully had prepared several spells to remove the lingering effects of their poison upon us, giving us a proper chance to carry ourselves out of the hidden enclave, cloaked by more of Ellisar’s invisibility.

I was content to make a hasty retreat to Vindinium, but Korvalis would have none of it, insisting that he had to pay the druids back for their actions.  This was the first real conflict amongst our party, and I could understand wanting revenge, certainly, but our best interest lay in retreat to fight another day.  Still, Korvalis, once he had regained his equipment, set off on his own, followed soon by Shassk, while the rest of us rode ahead toward the river crossing a few miles away.  We would wait until sunset for them, and if they didn’t return, then we were to assume they had been captured or killed.  Nobody liked it, but Risai and I were nearly exhausted, and Ellisar and Gresilda had little left in the way of magic.  I still don’t know exactly where Korvalis found the energy to do what he did.

It was just an hour or so before sunset that our two wayward party members returned, the smell of blood heavy upon them, remarkably light of injury. I didn’t get all the details, but Korvalis seemed sated in his bloodlust, and all Shassk would tell me was that even he was now rather unsettled by the deadly efficiency with which Korvalis dealt with the druids. “I have never seen so silent a death befall so many…” was all he told me. There would be no further need to worry from that particular cult.

With that dark mood firmly established, we pushed onward to the village, arriving a couple hours after sunset, where we could finally take time to recover from our long excursion.

#Lore24 – Entry #321 – Fantasy Month IV #16 – Detours and Detainments

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

Upon leaving the standing stones, the greatest source of my frustration finally stopped their incessant buzzing, returning to their more normal routine of random stimulation that only left me mildly frustrated in comparison.  The southeasterly course we had picked was not as easy to navigate as our previous route and thus took us several more days to traverse, but didn’t seem to pass through any kobold territory, so at least we were unmolested in that regard.  There were dangers aplenty, though, for with game being plentiful, it meant we also encountered more predators that were none too pleased to have intruders into their territory.  Though mostly your more mundane cougars, wolves, and the like, we did have to deal with another flame-drake that came at us from above.  I must say that for once I was quite pleased to see Ellisar’s Staff of Many Bindings be used, for it made short work of the creature once its ability to fly had been taken from it.

Our luck would not hold, however.  As we neared the region where we were likely to find the next set of standing stones, we began to see signs of humanoid habitation in the form of painted markings upon the rocks, old campfires, bones of harvested game.  The rock paintings indicated orcs, likely one of the many tribes of them that the Heroes had been facing on a semi-regular basis since they had begun their work in the region.  Soon enough we would begin to see cooking fires in the distance indicating a very large population of them.  Thus far, only a scant few tribes have proven themselves the least bit civilized, the Empire’s loyal Badaxe Clan foremost among them, so it was unlikely that these tribes would be willing to entertain outsiders in their lands, especially when said outsiders are likely responsible or killing a great many of their kin.

Thus, we were forced to move with extreme caution, detouring off our planned route for several days, following Shassk and Korvalis as they navigated a route that would avoid the worst of the orcish population.  At least we would gather some useful information about their location and numbers for future use.  Once we had come out of orcish territory, we had to swing back to the northwest, circling the rim of the valley that housed the standing stones for another day before we finally found a passable route down into it.  Thankfully the orcs had not claimed the area for their own, and like the previous stones, the primal energy that lay heavy upon the site had kept them away. 

We completed our next ritual without incident and made haste to clear the area, driving swiftly to the southeast once more in the direction of Vindinium.  Our good fortune would run out as we neared the Thistlewood and Lake Thistlelonica, on the far side from the village.  As we ventured along the upper shore of the lake in search of the river that fed it, and a crossing that would get us to the village, we found ourselves facing a sudden ambush that even our guides had failed to notice, for it was not at all what we had come to expect.

In our haste to return to the village, we had failed to notice the curious nature of the overgrowth in this region, the thick canopy of leafy vines that spread like a green sea over the hills, wood, and shore.  We skirted the mass, not wanting to go through blindly, but the mass of vegetation came alive, swelling and rising up like great leafy serpents.  Our horses were spooked, rearing and dancing wildly at the sudden movement, and Risai, Korvalis, and I were unable to control their wild behavior and were thrown.  As we tried to recover from our misfortune, bruised and dazed from our falls, I heard shouting and chanting in a language that I would later come to recognize as the secret tongue of the Druids.  Walls of thorns sprang up between us and the rest of our party, and the very trees began to come alive against us.  The vines closed in around us as spells filled the air, and try as I might, I could not keep the vines away from me or the others.  Risai’s heavy mace was mostly useless against the vegetation, as were Korvalis’s daggers. 

In my case, the vines swarmed around me in a fury, and as they latched onto me and their secretions began to tingle upon my skin, I realized that they were a form of maidenbane vines, for I grew somehow hornier and lethargic in their grasp, dropping my scimitar as they coiled about me and ripped my clothing away.  I suppose I was the lucky one here, for I was at least somewhat protected from their most erotic probing by Lady Armenia’s chastity gear, though they still found their way to my rear and into my mouth.  Fight as they would, Risai and Korvalis were likewise subdued by the combined strength of the vines themselves and the potency of their poison, leaving them helplessly wrapped in their invasive clutches.

The sounds of battle would fade as the others were forced into a hasty retreat, and through our pleasure-addled daze, we would see the fur- and foliage-covered druids we had not noticed approach us, watching with satisfaction as their vines continued to hold us helpless before them.  Using their magic, they urged the binding maidenbane vines to move, and we were brought deeper into the cover of the Thistlewood, for what purpose I could not imagine in that moment, for I was lost in the pleasure haze, even if the accursed chastity gear prevented me from climaxing, even with the poison coursing through my veins.

#Lore24 – Entry #244 – Fantasy Month III #1 – The Long Journey to Caerlon

As Told by Erilantielle “Eri” Kitami, Champion of Erisaya

“Why did I come to Caerlon?  To rest, relax, and enjoy the local flavor, of course, just like everyone else.  It’s known as one of the best cities in the land for that kind of thing outside of Arcavarlon itself, right?  What?  Not good enough for you?  Well, I guess you could say there’s more to it than that, yeah… You really want the whole story?  You sure about that?  Well, alright, I guess.  I’ve got nothing but time right now anyway…

So, it all started back when I was abandoned by my family, whoever they were, into the arms of the loving sisters at one of Erisaya’s holy whorehouses.  I had only my given name, but that was more than enough for the sisters, given what it is; not every day a redheaded child is delivered to you out of the blue that shares your goddess’s namesake, am I right?  They saw me as good luck, sharing a little bit of the goddess’s own name and all.  Some of them made a real big deal out of that, tried to make it a lot more than what it was, I think.  Anyway, I was adopted by the Erisayans, raised by the church, and eventually took on the name of my adoptive mother, Kitami, one of the few elvish holy whores.

Life was good for a while when I was growing up.  Got to see life outside the elvish kingdoms for what it was, mixed in with so many short-lived races.  Really gives you a different kind of perspective on things, you know?  I was all set to join in on the church as another of the sisters when I was old enough, just seemed the obvious choice, you know? 

Well, some things went down that I don’t like to talk about…suffice to say that happy life came crashing to a halt when someone decided to summon up a demon and use my home as the sacrifice.  There was…a lot of blood…a lot of suffering… I was meant to be the crowning sacrifice, you know.  Meant to be the vessel for that demon… Well, Erisaya wasn’t going to have that, and she got good and angry about the whole affair.  Channeled her holiness right through me once she got wind of what had happened and sent that demon packing, all those in the cult that had come to town along with it. 

Ever hear of the Rose’s Thorns?  Nah, figured you hadn’t; they’re pretty rare, even amongst the Erisayan faith.  We’re usually a pretty easy-going lot, not prone to stirring up trouble, but woe be to you if you get the Lady angry enough to call out a Thorn against you.  I was too green to be a proper Thorn then, but Erisaya saw to that, guiding me towards someone who taught me how to fight, and others who were friendly to the faith, and so it was I got set on a quest to root out every last member of that demon-loving death cult.  Took us damn near fifty years of traveling all over this side of the world, but we saw it through to the end, sent every one of them straight to their master in whatever festering hole it dwelt within.

So, after all that, with most of my friends too old to keep up the adventuring life, we went our own ways.  I decided it was time for a little rest of my own, but had good memories of Caerlon, so that’s why I wound up there again.  Yeah, that’s right.  This is where I was raised, and that story about the whorehouse massacre?  Yeah, that was one of Erisaya’s temples, the one I was raised in.  It’s not there anymore; got burned down by the cult during the chaos when the Lady got angry, and most around here don’t remember it, having been so long ago. 

What?!  Now that’s just stupid.  Why would what happened back then have any bearing on what happened at the Bronze Unicorn?  Hey, you asked me to start at the beginning, and when you ask that to an elf, you better be prepared for a long conversation; I’d rather not have drudged up those memories, just so you know. 

Look here, it wasn’t our fault, alright?  Just ask any of my companions, they’ll tell you the same!  Fine, you do that, then!  Well, go on, I’m tired of looking at you, too!”

#Lore24 – Entry #191 – Supers Month II #10 – Mines and Monsters

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

A couple days later we’d ridden into the Black Hills area, and before long, we’d found where this thing had wanted us.  Weren’t hard to find, I suppose, considering there was a whole mining town that this thing had consumed for itself, leavin’ the bodies of the miners and townsfolk behind as mindless, walking corpses with a right fierce hunger for fresh meat.  It was grim work, but it had to be done, lest these diseased things spread their condition around the whole area.  Figure it was this demon’s plan to help tire us out before the real fight, cause while the zombies weren’t much of a threat to myself or my two ever-bickering companions, it did take us the better part of the day to clear’em out, even with Assane and Richard’s considerable magic.

We could sense the presence of the demon all over the place, and we knew exactly where it was hidin’, deep in the mines.  I never was one for the underground, and after this, I surely wouldn’t feel no better about goin’ into tight and dark places like’em.  Still, there was work to be done, and I weren’t goin’ to let a little thing like that stop me from dealin’ with that evil bastard.  We knew goin’ into the place it was gonna be dangerous, traps abound from the dynamite and sabotaged bracings and the like, no doubt.  My companions didn’t have so much to worry about if they mistepped down there, but I was under no such protections, and, as much of a handful as they are, it was rather touchin’ that they were bein’ extra careful on my account. 

Weren’t just traps in there, though; the demon had some more undead roamin’ the place, and as we got further down, some lesser demons it had called up, bunch of little imps and flyin’ things that were more or less balls of teeth that spat acid everywhere.  Was a good thing I knew some curin’ magic, cause I would’ve been right deaf before it was all said and done.  My magic reserves weren’t nothin’ like Assane’s and Richard’s, so I had to be careful with what I used up.  Not that I had a ton of powder on me at the time, so I had to be careful regardless, though my magically enhanced toothpick did its own fair share of the work down there.

So, it was slow goin’, and well into the night when we finally navigated our way through the maze of tunnels and drops into the deepest recesses where this thing had took up.  We knew we was close when we heard the chantin’ and saw the red glow in the dark of the tunnels ahead.  I hadn’t counted on there bein’ a cult of humans ‘round the demon, but of course, I weren’t as learned on them as I was followin’ this whole thing.  I could see the magic swirlin’ about and knew we was in for a rough time of it.  Still, we marched right in there, knowin’ what needed to be done and with some idea how to do it.  I was the weak link, bein’ the most inexperienced and the only one who could die permanently, but the pair, for all the trouble they had put me through, had taught me several tricks I’d never had thought up on my own.

Turns out, this demon, and its cult of worshippers, were after Richard.  I honestly weren’t surprised by this revelation, nor was Assane.  Turns out he’d been at the center of a nasty fire some years back that nearly wiped out some city over in England, and some of the wealthiest survivors were none too pleased that they’d been put out like they had.  So, they’d been nursin’ the grudge for a good thirty or more years, just tryin’ to track Richard down so they could kill’em off and had learned the dark arts to make sure that happened.  Assane was of a mind to leave them to it just to get it out of their system, but I ain’t for sure if she was just doin’ that to throw them off their guard or what. 

Needless to say, things got real messy, but it was the first time I’d seen Richard and Assane unleash their full elemental genie natures, turnin’ into bein’s of pure fire and ice.  These Limey cultists weren’t unskilled at what it was they were doin’, and the magic they’d warded the place with was provin’ difficult to deal with, but in the end, we managed to see it through.  In the heat of the moment, I didn’t think about it too much, cause my life was on the line, and who knew how many others if we didn’t kill this demon off, and in a moment of desperation, with my bullets expended and my magical reserves nearly exhausted, I called on that damn spell I’d learnt from Arrnor.  Don’t think that demon expected me to call out to another demon, and it certainly weren’t expectin’ what that spell did to it, but it did the trick, and let us do what was needed to banish that sucker back to its own little corner of the pits it had came from.  Think that spell might’ve broken the resolve of the cultists too, cause it weren’t much trouble to finish the clean up after that.

Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, even if it ain’t always the smartest or best thing.  In the end, that demon got cast out of our world for a good long while, the cult that called it up got wiped out, and we made it back out without the whole place fallin’ in on us.  All in all, I’d call it a definite positive on the scale of things.  That event would lead me to the next big change in my life, which I’ll be getting’ to right shortly.

#Lore24 – Entry #90 – Fantasy Month #30 – Yurisayan Religious Practices

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

I cannot say with absolute certainty, but I am convinced there are only two possibilities given Mother’s recent choice of topics.  Either she is going through an extended phase of infatuation with topics that are deeply erotic or could be considered very nearly so, or we are due to receive a delegation from the Yurisayan church at some point during the near future, and they will be practicing some of their rituals at the Great Library, with me as the volunteer.  Of course, a couple of weeks of topics is hardly a blink in the eye of someone Felaria’s age, but for myself, it seems quite long indeed.

Regardless I shall approach today’s choice as I always have.  Though often seen as quite secretive, Yurisaya’s faithful are perhaps the most open of the major religions, requiring the curious to simply inquire within their shrines and temples and to be willing to explore their own limits.  Rumors abound of forced inductions into the clergy, of painful rituals and years of physical torments, but I have yet to find concrete evidence of such things.  Likely such rumors are started by those who simply do not understand Yurisaya’s ways, and are fearful of the darker, carnal nature of her domain, especially when compared to the far gentler nature of her sister Erisaya.  Or, just as likely, they are confusing the actions of various cults with that of the Yurisayan clergy, for there have been many, many cases of evil cults practicing similar rituals against the will of captured victims.

The topic itself is broad, so I shall have to focus upon the details of such religious practices that I am most familiar with, having spoken to directly to several priests and priestesses personally, as well as some who tried to join up only to find that their faith was not as strong as they had first thought.  Firstly, as Yurisaya is the darker of the Lovely Sisters, her clergy tends to wear black as their primary color, though additional favored colors include purples and reds, and they tend toward more revealing attire, either tightly fitting, diaphanous, or both, with certain more extreme exceptions in the case of their newest acolytes and most dedicated clergy.

Specifically, I am referring to their insistence upon strict chastity, enforced by custom-fitted metal and leather chastity gear, for both males and females.  Any who are inducted into the church officially must undergo a period of enforced chastity and denial, with their training specifically meant to enhance the desires they cannot act upon.  “Teasing and edging are commonplace…constant and unrelenting, for one must be at the peak of desire and desirability while being absolutely and utterly denied to truly find the goddess’s favor,” as I have been told.  Either one will presumably be driven mad, or, in due course, they will find their faith solidified and be inducted fully into the clergy as proper priests and priestesses.  At this point, during their ordination, the gear is removed and they are finally allowed to experience a long-awaited release.  Orgies are not uncommon during such events, I’m told.  Later in one’s life as a devoted of Yurisaya, they may then seek to further enhance their dedication by undergoing greater tests, once again donning their sacred chastity gear and entering into a period of intense desires and denials, perhaps lasting through the rest of their lives, though I am told they find fulfillment through other means than simple intercourse.

And I suppose that will be an excellent segway into the more extreme and oft-considered ‘darker” of Yurisaya’s practices, those focusing on heavy bondage, strict discipline, and harsh punishments.  Keeping in mind that the faithful do all this to themselves, often quite gleefully, and that only in specific circumstances such things are visited upon those not of the faith.  Most, if not all, of Yurisaya’s rituals and common practices involve some form of bondage; the aforementioned chastity gear is locked on, of course, and the acolytes are usually made to wear some form of bondage during their daily tasks, to heighten their struggles in performing their daily tasks, add to their frustrations, and improve their focus.  The larger rituals and ceremonies tend to involve various members of the clergy in various states of restraint, or, during the public celebrations, of those of the attendees who volunteer to take part. 

Much of Yurisaya’s perceived “vileness”, as it is described by some, comes from the higher level rituals which delve into the extremely painful, basically torture, that they inflict upon themselves.  And yes, it is torture, every bit as extreme as what any Imperial torturer would inflict upon a captured enemy, though performed with absolute consent and willingness of the “victim”.  The goddess’s grace will either see those who successfully complete such rituals healed completely once finished, or possessing scars that are seen as marks of honor left by the goddess herself; even the most heavily scarred of Yurisaya’s faithful are still considered to be quite beautiful by most, their scars usually forming something akin to divinely inspired art upon their bodies.

Of course, the Yurisayan clergy do have something of a deserved reputation that instills fear into the common man, as since the Empire has grown, the clergy have been entwined with it, as have other deities, of course, but usually in a less glorious light than the faithful would perhaps like to admit.  The Emperor has historically been quite fond of the Yurisayan torture methods, and has made it a requirement to have his most talented inquisitors and torturers to spend time training with the Yurisayans, if not outright employing members of the clergy into these positions.  Individuals who employ their pain-giving arts in such ways are known as Confessors and are typically described as having the most kind and caring personalities one could imagine, which is retained during even the darkest of interrogations.  Some accounts have stated that “they’ll make you scream for days, but whether that’s pain, pleasure, or some strange mix of both, who can really say?”  It is results that the Emperor desires, and the Yurisayans are more than capable of getting those results.

I feel as though I could go on for pages about Yurisaya’s practices, but my daily duties must be tended.  As much as I’m sure Mother would enjoy testing my knowledge further, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.

 

#Lore24 – Entry #89 – Fantasy Month #29 – Cult of the Unified Sisterhood

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

Apparently a rapidly growing movement, the Cult of the Unified Sisterhood, as it is known, seeks to unify the churches of Erisaya and Yurisaya, or at least, to promote the worship of both goddesses equally and simultaneously, rather than favoring one over the other.

Historically speaking, the goddesses and their associated worshippers have always been allied, but distinctly separate, groups.  The holy symbols associated with the goddesses of course reflect this, each one half of the same mask, the white half with the rose attributed to Erisaya, and the black half with the rose’s thorns to her sister Yurisaya.  Their practices are very similar to one another in general, though each has their own private rituals that are much more specialized and more closely linked to their specific beliefs. 

Each of the sisters emphasizes different aspects of love and passion in their beliefs and practices, Erisaya focusing more on innocent, pure love, while Yurisaya favors the more darkly erotic and carnal love.  It is this distinction between the goddesses primarily that separates them and their worshipers, and their churches have evolved in separate but often parallel ways because of it.

The Cult of the Unified Sisterhood seeks to reconcile these differences and merge the practices of both goddesses together into a singular church, supposedly with the intention to worship each goddess equally and simultaneously.  Speaking from an outside perspective, this seems logical and perhaps even natural, but thinking more deeply upon the goals of the cult, and having spoken to followers of each goddess regarding them, I can very much understand their concerns.  Is not worshipping each goddess equally and together simply trying to combine the two into a singular being?  Is this cult seeking to undermine the very foundations of each of the churches to form a new one, and while promoting equality of worship, ultimately diminishing the essence of each goddess?  Are their goals, rather than good natured, actually subversive and dangerous?  Worship of multiple deities is not uncommon, of course, but the individual usually picks one with whom their beliefs are most closely aligned as their true patron; what does worshipping both goddesses at once say about that?  What are the implications in the afterlife, when one must go to the realm of their god for their rewards?  Will they be welcomed by both, shunned by both, fought over, or will their very souls be torn in twain? 

Truly one, when taking time to think over the nature of religion and a cult of this nature, can begin to understand the reason the faithful of both Erisaya or Yurisaya approach the Cult of the Unified Sisterhood with some amount of concern and in some cases, outright hostility.  Any organized religion is built upon its faith, and to disturb the foundations of it can certainly have far-reaching consequences.  Is it possible that the two faiths will begin fighting one another over this cult?  Who can say for certain?

There are rumors of efforts to create a unified temple in the great city of Arcavarlon across the great Brineda Ocean, so the cult is not unique to the lands of the Empire, either.  Perhaps this is a schism that has been developing for some time and is just now gaining the prominence required for the average person to notice.  Or perhaps it would be more accurate to compare this situation to a volcano?  The pressure is building, there are ever increasing rumblings, but currently we cannot know if there will be a violent explosion or if it will simply calm down and go dormant once again.

#Lore24 – Entry #87 – Fantasy Month #27 – Cult of the Mantis Queen

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

I’ll admit that my knowledge of the inner workings of dark elf society is very surface-level, so I may be missing some of the particulars of the history of this particular cult.  If needed, I’m sure Felaria will gladly provide any corrections and additional context should I inquire with her about it further. 

As I understand it, the dark elves, before the Great Cataclysm, were a strictly matriarchal society who worshiped a particular insectile goddess known as the Mantis Queen; her true name I do not know, and perhaps its erasure from history was intentional.  Their society was already in crisis before the rest of the world had devolved into the chaos surrounding the Great Cataclysm.  They were suffering poor relations with other races sharing their underground realm and a severe population growth crisis.  At the time, the female leadership of the dark elves were all following the decrees of this Mantis Queen, leading them to becoming fixated upon their own superiority, even in the face of blatantly contradictory facts, rather delusionally so, and further were carelessly sending their men off to fight and die in one pointless battle after another, if not sacrificing them to the Mantis Queen to further their own power. 

When the Great Cataclysm was triggered, like many races, the dark elves were forced from their traditional homelands.  The matriarchal leadership, at the behest of the Mantis Queen, decreed that they would stay put, regardless of the growing dangers and outright hostile conditions they now faced, convinced that their power would see them safely through and with even greater power waiting on the other side of a difficult period.  Having had enough of their delusions, the long-suffering males revolted against their women and the Mantis Queen’s tyranny, overcoming their female rulers and severing all ties with the terrible goddess.  With their women essentially enslaved at this time, the men quickly gathered up what they could of their homeland and escaped the underground, eventually finding their way to the surface realms where they would begin rebuilding their society anew.

In the many centuries since, dark elf society has become very much patriarchal with strict customs their women must follow, though curiously a majority of them tend to the worship of Yurisaya; I am likewise not as well versed in the nature of this relationship between dark elf and goddess as I should be, but thus far, it seems that the relationship has worked in a mutually beneficial way for all involved. 

The Cult of the Mantis Queen, however, is a more recent development and has evolved following the spread of dark elven women outside of their (new) traditional homelands as they have mingled with other races and cultures.  To the best of my knowledge, having spoken to no members of the cult nor any who claim firsthand knowledge of them, the Cult of the Mantis Queen seeks to bring back the old ways and the true name of this forgotten goddess, seeking an exclusively female-dominated society, dark elven or otherwise, that has absolute control over its “lesser” male members.  I cannot say with certainty that the cult was created by dark elven women, but it would stand to reason that only the eldest survivors of the dark elves who remember the days before the Great Cataclysm would still hold such knowledge, even if the true name of the Goddess has been forgotten.  They are hardly squeamish about honoring the ancient rites involving sacrifice, reportedly performing rituals in which males have their heads removed at the height of sexual intercourse.

For now, the Cult remains relatively small and with little real influence, but perhaps that will change given enough time?  Will they sacrifice the wrong person and bring the wrath of a true church upon them, or will they find a way to bring themselves to the power they so crave?  Or will the cult ultimately fade away into obscurity?  As with all things, time will tell.

#Lore24 – Entry #79 – Fantasy Month #19 – Sisters of Silence

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

A curious and mysterious cult, there is little in the archives that I have been able to find during my admittedly light research into the group over the years.  The general consensus is that the Sisters of Silence, also known as the Silent Sisterhood, are followers of Mausolus, the god of death, and in particular, the aspect of his domain devoted to assassination.  What is not entirely clear is the nature of their service to Mausolus, and what the associated rituals may be. 

The very existence of such a female-centered group dedicating themselves to this particular deity is curious because it is well known that Mausolus favors men and is quite misogynistic in his ways, tending to believe women inferior in most things aside from childrearing and keeping the home orderly.  Though few are historically known, the Hands of Mausolus, the most elite assassins chosen by the god himself, have all been men, and supposedly, have had dalliances with the god during their service.  There is an entirely different discussion that could be had about the nature of Mausolus’s relationships and attitudes to the two genders, but I shall refrain from delving too deeply here and instead focus upon the Sisters as requested.

Some theorize that the Sisters of Silence may represent the idealized purpose of women under Mausolus, serving his clergy and Hands as a woman should, as quietly as possible and with a minimum of complaint, whatever it is the men of the order may require, perhaps even acting as little more than breeding stock to increase the number of faithful.  Others suspect a more sinister purpose to the Sisterhood, however.  While these women dedicate themselves to service and worship of Mausolus, there are some accounts that indicate they too may be assassins and spies, though not on the same level as the Hands.  Perhaps it is they who handle the more mundane killings for the god, the ones that don’t require the skills that a Hand possesses?  Though unconfirmed, there are a few accounts of encounters with a supposed Sister, appearing and striking suddenly, then vanishing just as quickly once their target has been dealt with, and other tales of poisonings that have been attributed to them.  There are even some descriptions of a particular style of mask worn by the Sisters, further supporting their name, which covers their faces below their eyes and contains a silencing, phallic gag (I suppose this goes back to the idea that they are in some way embracing the idea of a perfect woman in the eyes of Mausolus?), which may also contain a capsule filled with deadly poison that they will consume should their mission fail and capture seems imminent. 

Certainly, more information would need to be collected before any true determinations could be made, but I am not going to hold my breath.  Delving into the ways of assassins and death cults often leads to particularly terrible ends, and I am certainly in no hurry to find my final rest.

LORE24 ENTRY #59 – Supers Month #28 – Solaria

 

From the files of Cyber Seer…

 

Heroine Name

Solaria

 

Real Name

Unknown

 
Description

if it’s one thing Solaria has, it’s a sense of style, though, like, I’m not so sure about some of her fashion choices.  On the outside, that whole “priestess of the Light” thing is pretty hot, flowing white dress, revealing slits on the sides and on the skirts to show of her hips and legs, the golden accents, thigh boots and opera-style gloves, yeah, it totally works with the goodly healer bit.  I’m not so sure about the rest of that outfit though.  Like, the golden collar and cuffs on her wrists and ankles, those are totally awesome, sure, but the full set of chastity gear under the dress?  That’s a bit much, I think.  Like, no way I could handle something like that.  Not at all, I’d go like, totally crazy in no time flat.  Wonder if she’s like, focusing her mental energies somehow by doing that, or if maybe she’s like, a virgin and has to protect her virtue or like, lose her powers and stuff?

Oh, she also has this really cool looking sun-themed staff too, also gold, for like, channeling her energy, I think.  Really sets off the rest of her look!

 

Powers and Abilities

So like, Solaria is all about the heals, right?  She’s like, the only person I know who can do a proper RPG-style healing, and she does it super-awesome like.  She even does the prayers and stuff to the Light when she does it!  And she isn’t the least bit shy about sharing her gift, either, which is totally awesome!  She goes around the city to all the clinics and homeless shelters and stuff and heals those she can, from minor cuts and scrapes to broken bones and like, even some diseases!  

She’s even like, got some other powers relating to the light, too.  She can pull off a totally awesome flashbang attack, and she absolutely glows when she calls on her healing powers; total beacon of holiness!  She can do light shields and stuff too.  She’s probably got other powers relating to Light manipulation (HOLY LASERS!!!) if I were to make totally random guesses, but like, maybe she’s saving them for hard times?  Or something?  I’ll get into that more in a sec…

And honestly, guys, I’m like, 99% sure I could take Solaria in a fight, and I’m totally not a fighter, right?  She like, totally doesn’t get the combat thing, even worse than me!  You’ve seen the vids, right?  She can defend herself, like, in the general sense of the term, but like, your average street thugs tend to overpower her on the regular.  If this were like, an RPG, I’d say she totally min-maxed her offense and defense, and it’s like, totally out of balance.

And like, this is totally unconfirmed and stuff, but there’s like, this other chick that’s been spotted near Solaria a couple times now, just came on the scene.  Like, I don’t know if Solaria is summoning a literal angel (cause she totally looks like a kickass avenging angel), or if like, she’s aligned with Solaria spiritually or whatever (her armor sort of looks an awfully lot like Solaria’s chastity gear), but it looks like she packs a punch!  Maybe she’s min-maxed the opposite way Solaria is to act as a balance?  I’m still digging on this one; camera footage is totally whacked so far, just got tons of eye-witnesses and you know how they can be.  

Update from Black Cat:  Dudes!  Finally caught up with Black Cat again and like, she’s totally confirmed some things!  Solaria is definitely using full blown healing magic, and she’s definitely got like, an otherworldly patron of some kind guiding her!  So all that stuff she is always preaching about?  Like, totally true!  What Black Cat couldn’t say for sure was whether it’s actually something from beyond our mere mortal realm, or if Solaria actually willed it into being herself, or if it’s one of those familiar things with a super-bloated opinion of itself.  But like, she also said a bunch of other stuff that I had trouble following (magic is actually pretty hard to understand; give me some deep encryption algorithms any day!), so like, maybe you can ask her about it next time you see her?  But like, that new angel chick spotted with Solaria?  She’s definitely not a manifestation of Solaria’s power, she’s her own thing!  Need more info, like seriously!

 

What She Does

Okay dudes, I’mma lay this one out here and just, like, make of it what you will.  Solaria is like, this totally awesome healer, right?  Seems like someone Sentinel City could use more of, right?  I mean, she totally spends most of her time helping people and expecting nothing in return, right?  Well, like, maybe?  But like, she’s got this quirk about her, and I’m totally not against religion and stuff, but dudes, she’s totally developing a cult around her.  Like, seriously, the Light she is always praying to?  More and more people are praying to it now after she’s been preaching about it so much (like, she’s even been hauled off by the cops a few times when she got really fired up about it); she’s practically starting her own church.  It’s like, only a matter of time before she starts doing healing live on TV and getting donations and stuff from all over the country.  Like, those megachurches that are out there now?  They will have nothing on Solaria if the girl got serious about it.  Am I saying that’s a bad thing?  Not really, I mean, maybe it’s high time for a new religion to spring up?  Not my field, though; I’ll stay well out of the whole theology debate, yeah?

And like, there’s this other quirk about Solaria though, and I can totally get it!  And like, she’s worse than me in this regard!  She gets captured.  A lot.  Like, running the numbers, I’m seeing like, of her known fights that have been captured on video, like 85% of them end with her getting overpowered and captured, tied up in various humiliating ways and drug off somewhere by the baddies.  Like, I get it, totally, she’s got a damsel-in-distress fetish; I’ve been there (still might be there, in fact), but still, when I’m saying that it’s a bit much, you know its bad.  Like, damn, PP, you need to catch up with this girl and put her through some serious training!  I guess maybe that’s why she adopted the chastity gear?  Like, it makes sense in a hentai-kind of way.

 

Known Allies

Hooded Harlot

Her Mysterious Guardian Angel

The Solaria Cult

 

Known Enemies and Rivals

Anyone on the captor side of a kidnap fetish?

Shadow Lynx.  Maybe; I mean, like, their powers are like, totally opposites, right?  We all remember what happened to Shadow Lynx when the lights came on in the Dollface fight, right?  So like, I could see sparks between these two.  And Shadow Lynx is such a bitch (taking PP’s word on that one!), so like, it’d make sense, right?

 

Comments

Mecha Musume – I cannot help but feel like we should be keeping a closer eye on Solaria; her healing abilities are very unique, and could be dangerous in the wrong hands.  As prone as she is to being captured, who is to say that some villain out there doesn’t already have their eyes on her, and is planning on kidnapping her and forcing her to keep them and their minions healed?  I also think that, if you’re willing to assist, Pink Pussy, that some self-defense training is certainly in order.  Perhaps Cyber Seer and Solaria can be enrolled in your program together?  Since someone here has thus far been avoiding said training.

-Reply from Cyber Seer:  Oh, that’s not fair!  You know how busy I am all the time!  The internet totally never sleeps!

–Reply from Pink Pussy:  Si, I’m more than willing to put these two through their paces!  Strength training, combat training, long runs and hikes, the works!

—-Reply from Cyber Seer:  Uhhh…nope, totally not for me.  I’m super-delicate, you know?  All these late nights, stuck by my computer?  I’m totally not built for that kind of thing.  This is a nerd body, through and through!

——Reply from Mecha Musume:  Oh, I think that sounds wonderful!  You could use some proper sunlight from time to time, Cyber Seer.  And perhaps we should look into getting you some gear to match Solaria’s?  Maybe you would be more motivated to getting yourself in shape if certain pleasures were denied?  I can discuss the matter with Mecha Mistress and I’m sure she’d be in agreement.

——–Reply from Cyber Seer:  Totally not cool, dude!  Not cool at all!  Like, no!  NO!

———-Reply from Pink Pussy:  Have Mecha Mistress tag me in on that convo, ‘kay?  I think we can work something out!

Further comments on this thread have been blocked by the administrator.

 

Pink Pussy – Hey, chicas, I have some bad news here…I think Solaria has already been scooped up by someone!  Don’t ask me how I know, but I’m like 99% sure Solaria is moonlighting at the Edgewater Institute!  They’ve got a healer on staff that could absolutely be her, wears the same golden chastity gear, has the flashy light effects when healing, the works.  She wears some pretty heavy-duty latex nurse outfit, though, so her face is hidden.  I’m not sure she’s there of her own free will, but with the way she’s always getting captured, maybe?  Either way, I don’t trust someone like Jennifer Tempest with her.  That woman is scary in her own way.

-Reply from Cyber Seer:  Heavy-duty latex nurse outfit?  Tell me more 😀 😀 <3 <3 <3

–Reply from Pink Pussy:  Nah, I’m not taking that bait, chica.  I’ve said too much already.

—-Reply from Cyber Seer:  Awww, come on!  Edgewater is like, totally locked down; I haven’t been able to take a peek inside at all, so tell me!  Inquiring minds want to know!

——Reply from Pink Pussy:  Fine, I’ll tell you, but you gotta do some serious training with me first.  

——–Reply from Cyber Seer:  You know what?  I’m totally not that interested suddenly 🙁 🙁

———-Reply from Mecha Musume:  Thank you for telling us about this, though.  We’ll have to keep it  on the radar for a future investigation.  Maybe Black Cat could perhaps use her magic to discern more information about the situation there?

 

Gun Bunny – if it weren’t for her healing abilities, Solaria would be in the crazy file at the SCPD.  When she gets rolling about the Light, she really gets rolling; records indicate that the PD have had to gag her a few times when she’s been hauled in, though I’m guessing that’s intentional on her part.  Still, I’d say she’s a net positive in the city, though if she’s got links to Edgewater and the Tempests, I’d definitely tread carefully around her, and be careful what you say, otherwise the Tempests may hear about it.

-Reply from Cyber Seer:  Heh, she’s definitely worse off than me when it comes to the bondage thing.  Totally good advice as always, GB!  I’ve been digging into the Tempests myself, and there’s definitely something shady with that family!  If someone knows more about them, I’d say it’s that reporter for channel 9, Delia Emmerson.  She’s done several interviews with them lately, so maybe we reach out to her?  Seems to me like all of the Tempest’s operations are locked behind the same level of security as Edgewater, and thus far I’ve not had a reason to try to bust through their firewalls.  Might have to take a deeper dive soon…

–Reply from Gun Bunny:  Don’t do anything too dangerous, Cyber Seer.  The Tempest family isn’t to be underestimated; they’ve got their fingers in so much around the city, it’s scary.  They’ve got roots with the Italian mafia families, so expect harsh retaliation if you’re caught.

—-Reply from Cyber Seer:  Don’t worry, I’m the best at this kind of thing!  They’ll never even know I was there!