Cults in T2K

[Raellus]

Tired of the same ol' marauders and petty warlords? Why not spice things up a little by making the bad guys into cultists? Evil cults are a mainstay of D&D and other fantasy RPGs but, as far as I can tell, it's an unmined resource in T2K.

The apocalypse (i.e. the Twilight War) would be a fertile time for the birth, development, and growth of all kinds of cults. Here are just a few ideas for cults that your players might run into. The first is taken straight from my Austria sourcebook and might be a little too area specific. The others are also region-specific but with a little modification, could be plugged in just about anywhere.


New Hussites

A cult-like group of militant pseudo-millennialists operating in the border region between Linz and Vienna. The group is led by a mysterious figure claiming to be the reincarnated Jan Hus. His teachings are rather convoluted, but they center around the proposition that he and his followers have been chosen by God to prepare the way for the imminent Second Coming of Christ. Most of his followers are Czechs, drawing heavily from the membership rolls of the official Czecholsovak Hussite Church, but some Austrians and Hungarians have also rallied to the cause. The New Hussites' symbol is a black flail over a red chalice on a yellow field. The group is poorly equipped, its meager collection of small arms and light support weapons supplemented by improvised weaponry of medieval technology. What the New Hussite fighters lack in modern technology, they make up for in fanatical fervor. The New Hussites are unusual in that a large proportion of their fighting arm is made up of women. It also rumored to employ children as fighters. Huss II claims to be in possession of a drum made from the skin of 15th century Hussite war leader Jan Zizka (before he died of the plague, the blind, undefeated Hussite military leader asked that his skin be turned into a war drum so that he could continue to lead his troops into battle after his passing.) Huss II boasts that this war drum makes his "army" invincible, but the results of recent skirmishes have belied this claim. Vigorous anti-marauder operations conducted by loyal Czech military forces starting in the spring of 2000 have pushed the New Hussite's militant core into pre-war Austrian territory.

This group can be modified a bit to fit a Poland-based campaign. The Eastern European folk-hero, Juraj Jánošík, is a semi-historical figure very similar to Robin Hood. Apparently, he's fairly well-known in Hungary, Slovakia, Bohemia, and Silesia. A charismatic individual could claim to be Juraj Jánošík or one of his "merry men" reincarnated, leading a small, cult-like partisan force, stealing from the "rich" (local polities, occupying armies, etc.) and giving to the poor.


Army of Saints

A millennial group dedicated to the idea that Judgment Day has come to destroy the wicked and that they, God's chosen few, have been tasked with repopulating the earth with righteous people to prepare for Christ's second coming. Led by a charismatic patriarch, the Army of Saints practices polygamy, with the leader and his inner circle taking many wives. Male members are rewarded for loyalty and service with ranks that entitle them to additional wives. These wives are often young women kidnapped from surrounding settlements. These wives are constantly pregnant and spend most of their time caring for the group's many children while the men work to increase the cult's holdings (i.e. raiding for "fresh" women and booty). The Army of Saints doesn't have much in the way of heavy weaponry, but their male members are well appointed with military-grade small arms and the women and children are both taught to shoot so that they can defend the settlement- dubbed New Jerusalem or some such- from unwelcome interlopers.


Angeles de la Muerte (Angels of Death)

This is based on a real cult encountered in the Southwest United States, Mexico, and Latin America. Santa Muerte is a feminine patron saint of death, venerated by many in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. If you've watched Breaking Bad, you probably remember the scenes where the twin Narco-assassins make offerings and pray to Santa Muerte in a little desert shrine. In T2K, worship of Santa Muerte has evolved. Devotees believe that the only way they can stave off their own deaths is to appease Santa Muerte with blood sacrifices- human blood sacrifices. Charismatic individuals have used this belief to amass a small army of fanatic worshippers who will capture anyone they are told to for making sacrifices to the Lady of Death, Saint of Bones, Lady Grim Reaper, etc. For the leaders of the cult, this means power and wealth, as the property of the sacrificial victims becomes their own. You could also use the Afro-Caribbean religion, Santeria, as the basis for a similar cult set in Florida and/or the Caribbean region.


United Aryan Church (New American Splinter Group)

This cult would most likely be encountered in the American Old South but I could see it springing up in the West as well. I suppose that it could also work in various parts of Western Europe too. This millennial group believes that God visited WWIII upon the earth to punish Western Civilization for "race mixing". This is a virulently racist paramilitary organization that won't hesitate to visit extreme violence upon people of color, Jews, homosexuals, and other groups that they deme "degenerate". Their symbology combines Nazi and Christian motifs. They are considered so extreme that they've been kicked out of the mainstream New America organization.


Mother's Little Monsters

This one would probably work just about anywhere. A charismatic woman (ex military psy-ops officer) leads a small army of children divided up into themed "platoons". The Supers, for example, dress in assorted superhero attire, the Kung Fu's wear bits and pieces of martial arts clothing, The Jocks wear sports equipment/attire, The Scary Monsters wear Halloween masks, etc. (this idea was inspired by real-life groups of child soldiers in Liberia and Sierra Leone). Each "platoon is led by a boy in his late teens. The matriarch uses sex to control the platoon leaders. Her elite personal bodyguard is made up of teenage girls. An army of kids creates a unique and vexing ethical quandary for the players since killing kids, even in war, is still pretty taboo. I guess that it's not really a cult per se, but the leader uses cult-like conditioning to secure the loyalty and obedience of "her children".


The Daughters (of Gaia) aka, the New Amazons

An army of women. They are incredibly hostile towards men, killing most on sight, unless members want children of their own, in which case they "Black Widow" male captives. This could be interesting as male PCs captured by the group might not immediately understand the ultimate fate planned for them. A twist could occur when one of the cult members falls in love with a male PC captive.

The leadership of the New Amazons, and many of the group's members, suffered victimization at the hands of men during the war (or prior) and their teaching revolves around the idea that men are evil and have brought about the destruction of the world. The only society, therefore, that has any chance of long-term survival is one that consists solely of females. Males are seen as wicked aggressors. Male children born into the group are feminized and raised as girls. Their religious beliefs and practices is based loosely on Wicca, but with an added emphasis on defensive black magic.


More to come...

If you have any ideas for T2K cults, feel free to add them to the thread.