Board Thread:Custom Lore Development/@comment-26535281-20170723151924

this is my version of a 'fun' or 'relaxed' writing day. Writing on cults with my own faction sure, but I find it rather fun to do so. Anyways throughout the Empire many thousands of cults exist throughout the vast and expansive borders some sanctioned some not sanctioned. Well not being sanctioned technically equivalents to illegal this is not always so seeing as some the state will tolerate in exchange for payment of some sort, but will not publicly state they are legal (welcome to the murky and confusing world of Rin politics and religion)

First let's understand the basic types of cults:

Warp Cults:

Cults based around the worship of the warp/void directly and tend to focus on either the positive or negative flow of the universe from which to draw power. These type of cults tend to be looked down upon due to the nature of the void and the possibility of demon summoning or other phenomena.

Blood Cults:

Cults dedicated to blood, war, and violence and tend to come in to forms the more thuggish underworld variant based around ritual killings and the military or at least militant style blood cult. Only the latter is accepted due to these cults being able to be used for military purposes while the prior are banned although their members may be recruited into all sorts of imperial functions once a cult is broken up. One other type of individual that comes from blood cults are gladiators. Many are dedicated to the worship of the 'Bloody Goddess'.

Cellular Cults:

Cults dedicated to small cells spread out across the known universe. Each cell has a specific purpose within the cult with only the leader having any contact with the wider cult. They tend to go hand in hand with many other cults thus if they are sanctioned or not is on a case to case basis

Charismatic Cults:

Cults based around the leadership of one strong individual they can come in many forms with the most common being rouge priests or powerful psychics. Depending on the individual and what they can provide. They tend to be sanctioned unless the leader does/says something to heretical or is a heretic themselves (for example a witch or sorcerer)

Cults of Change:

Cults that seek change on their world, sector, empire, or even in the universe. On most worlds they tend to be a force of good while on some they are rather corrupt and vile. They tend to attract ambitions and cunning people into it's ranks. Most of the time they take the form of a 'people's front' type organization. Most of these type of cults are sanctioned.

Death Cults:

Cults dedicated to death and to a extent violence. They generally practice elaborate death rituals and ritual sacrifices. They are generally banned (due to the Rin frowning upon ritual sacrifice) although some of these cults are sanctioned and to keep that title/rank they must provide the empire assassins.

Necrophagic cults:

A truly horrible and dark cult and a off shoot of both Death and Blood cults. They are dedicated to blood and death, but unlike the other cults they have gone completely and utterly mad with cannibalism, ritual sacrifice, and many other dark rituals practiced. The Empire tends to exterminate these cults when ever possible.

Resurrectionist cults:

These cults tend to pop up on worlds scarred by war and death and normally start with the good intention of bringing back the dead although they tend to take a darker form down the road with many dark arts and arcane magics. The State tends to exterminate these cults due to raising the dead being banned for good reason

Mystery Cults:

Cults that revolve around mystery, hidden information, or the like. They tend to attract small devote groups of followers. As they are secretive in nature and don't tend to reveal their secrets to prodding authorities, the State tends to just exterminate and ask questions later

Pleasure Cults:

Cults dedicated to pleasure, excess, and lust of all kinds. They are hardly ever banned (only banned if the rituals take a term for lustful murder) and are common place across the Empire between both the lower and higher classes in the Empire.

The later posts will be on prominent cults themselves and cultist themselves (as in the type of people) 