Cults in T2K

[Raellus]

Circle of Blood

A good-looking, charismatic young man brings a bevy of attractive young women into his orbit with charm, blandishment, and bizarre claims that he is a vampire who holds the secrets to immortality. Consensual blood-letting/drinking cements a powerful psychological bond between leader and followers (those invited to imbibe the leader's blood, themselves "become" immortal vampires). The group supports itself by ensnaring male travelers in honey trap schemes. Some captives are bled to death to "feed" the Circle. Others- a select few- after careful "testing", are invited to join the Circle. The Circle currently operates nocturnally out of a derelict church building in a small, abandoned village.

[RN7]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Circle of Blood

A good-looking, charismatic young man brings a bevy of attractive young women into his orbit with charm, blandishment, and bizarre claims that he is a vampire who holds the secrets to immortality. Consensual blood-letting/drinking cements a powerful psychological bond between leader and followers (those invited to imbibe the leader's blood, themselves "become" immortal vampires). The group supports itself by ensnaring male travelers in honey trap schemes. Some captives are bled to death to "feed" the Circle. Others- a select few- after careful "testing", are invited to join the Circle. The Circle currently operates nocturnally out of a derelict church building in a small, abandoned village.

I think Rainbow Six put up a good article about a real live female vampires living in T2K Poland some time ago. I think there was a picture of the actress Eva Green to portray the vampire, which was a good fit as she is vampish looking.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by RN7

I think Rainbow Six put up a good article about a real live female vampires living in T2K Poland some time ago. I think there was a picture of the actress Eva Green to portray the vampire, which was a good fit as she is vampish looking.

Ah, yes. I remember that now. IIRC, his piece was quite good. I didn't think of it when I was whipping up the Circle of Blood blurb. Any similarities between my bit and Rainbow's material were therefore completely unintentional. It'd be great if he'd add his piece to this thread. I'll ask him.

[unkated]

I have been reading a lot of Call of Cthulu material lately. These frequently feature capture someone and sacrifice them horribly to open a gateway for some horrrific god who will grant the cult knowledge/power/salvation.

It is easy enough to see a group of survivors become crazed enough to profess such a belief as action.

Or, is the cult now simply acting a little more in the open now that the authorities have gone away....

('Here in the Carpathians, we have always worshipped the old gods. When the Christians came in the 10th century, we put up a church, and go on Sundays. We don't discuss what we do in the hills Saturday night, and we intimidated the priests not to ask; when the Communists came in 1945 and shut down the Church, we did not argue. But since there was a Police squad from the city attached by a phone line, we have had to be more surrepticious for two generations - until now.')

Such a cult can either just be lunatic enough to believe their own story; ('In that second truck - a woman with golden hair and emerald eyes! A mate fit for the King in Yellow! We must seize her and present her to him - but subtlely to avoid alerting her friends with all the guns...')

It can be a charismatic leader who drives them to horrors and then uses guilt and shame to control the village; ('When the last strangers came and we ate them, as I told you Yogsotha commanded, were we not stronger for it? The starving children stopped starving! We must do the same to these strangers before they spread word of what we have done to those in the valley below, who would not understand...')

Or for those of you willing to tinge your campaigns with the occult, an actual supernatural connection. ('Uh, is it just a trick of light, or is there something with horns and a tail moving in the center of that pentacle?')


Uncle Ted

"Sorry, LT. I thought I was driving through the village, but the non-euclidean geometry of those houses confused the crap out of me..."

[swaghauler]

While I don't want to revisit our previous debate on the subject, you are missing a few "bad guys" common in America today.

The Sovereign Citizen Movement:There are approximately 350,000 avowed "Sovereign Citizens" in America. There are large concentrations in Florida, Idaho, Ohio, and Tennesee. There are smaller enclaves in all 50 states. I see New America as portrayed in the GDW modules as closer to the Sovereign Citizen Movement than it is to The Clan. This movement wants to restore power to local governments (which it can control through fear and political pressure) and weaken Federal power in the US. The big problem with using New America as an "evolved Sovereign Citizen Movement" is that they are NOT RACIST. There are many black Sovereign Citizens. This movement would be a dangerous opponent to ANY reconstruction effort. They are also linked nationally (which lends some credence to them as New America).

Aryan Nation: what I believe was the original model for GDW's New America is (since the early 90's) a fractured group of white supremacists. They lack the power to form any type of National Movement but can be VERY DANGEROUS locally. Most of their members are military trained and they are quick to use violence as a form of conflict resolution. While I cannot believe they could ever become a New America, they would be tough opponents none the less. They are also spread throughout the US but are more common in the South, Idaho, and the Dakotas.

Citizen's Militias: Started mainly in the US "Rust Belt" (the states bordering the Great Lakes) as a response to ever increasing legislation against The Constitution's Bill of Rights. They primarily focused on 2nd Amendment Rights but were also vocal about 4th and 5th Amendment Rights Violations by the Federal Government. The movement spread South and West and eventually "evolved" into the "Prepper Movement" we have today. Any Militia would have a wide range of skills and be fairly well equipped. Most members probably did some form of disaster assistance (flood, fire, tornado) and they would still be well organised after The Exchange. They would probably have the support of the local population as well (due to their tendency to show for even the most mundane emergencies). They will be mostly military trained and drill at least monthly. They would provide opposition to any Federal mandates (especially after The Exchange) especially Conscription, or confiscation of supplies. They may be in communication with other militia groups and will PROBABLY be hostile to community "outsiders."

These are just a few modern groups who might rise to power in America after The Exchange.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by unkated

i have been reading a lot of call of cthulu material lately. These frequently feature capture someone and sacrifice them horribly to open a gateway for some horrrific god who will grant the cult knowledge/power/salvation.

It is easy enough to see a group of survivors become crazed enough to profess such a belief as action.

Or, is the cult now simply acting a little more in the open now that the authorities have gone away....

('here in the carpathians, we have always worshipped the old gods. When the christians came in the 10th century, we put up a church, and go on sundays. We don't discuss what we do in the hills saturday night, and we intimidated the priests not to ask; when the communists came in 1945 and shut down the church, we did not argue. But since there was a police squad from the city attached by a phone line, we have had to be more surrepticious for two generations - until now.')

such a cult can either just be lunatic enough to believe their own story; ('in that second truck - a woman with golden hair and emerald eyes! A mate fit for the king in yellow! We must seize her and present her to him - but subtlely to avoid alerting her friends with all the guns...')

it can be a charismatic leader who drives them to horrors and then uses guilt and shame to control the village; ('when the last strangers came and we ate them, as i told you yogsotha commanded, were we not stronger for it? The starving children stopped starving! We must do the same to these strangers before they spread word of what we have done to those in the valley below, who would not understand...')

or for those of you willing to tinge your campaigns with the occult, an actual supernatural connection. ('uh, is it just a trick of light, or is there something with horns and a tail moving in the center of that pentacle?')


uncle ted

"sorry, lt. I thought i was driving through the village, but the non-euclidean geometry of those houses confused the crap out of me..."

so your the one responsible for turning wallshadow into "the necromonger!!"

[Raellus]

@Unkated: Thanks for the suggestions. I like the idea of a Pagan revival across Europe (w/ regional variations).

@Swaghauler: Yeah, I deliberately excluded those organizations because, IMHO, they're fairly straightforward "marauder" groups with much less overt emphasis on religious or spiritual doctrine. To qualify as such, cults, in my mind, need to have more central, more overt religious/spiritual beliefs and practices.

Merriam-Webster's website defines cult as "a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous". That's what I'm going for with this thread.

[.45cultist]

Twilight Encounters had one scenario with a doomsday cult.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by Raellus

@Unkated: Thanks for the suggestions. I like the idea of a Pagan revival across Europe (w/ regional variations).

@Swaghauler: Yeah, I deliberately excluded those organizations because, IMHO, they're fairly straightforward "marauder" groups with much less overt emphasis on religious or spiritual doctrine. To qualify as such, cults, in my mind, need to have more central, more overt religious/spiritual beliefs and practices.

Merriam-Webster's website defines cult as "a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous". That's what I'm going for with this thread.

Don't you know that Politics IS a religion now?

[WallShadow]

Originally Posted by swaghauler

so your the one responsible for turning wallshadow into "the necromonger!!"

Bah, a mere mortal taking credit for my transformation? Hah! Only my studies of the arcane and electronically-mouldering tomes and scrolls could expand my puny flesh-based mind to be capable of unleashing the terrible cthonian knowledge! Cringe before me, puny humans, and despair of your crumbling universe!!! Bwahahahaha!

[LT. Ox]

Originally Posted by WallShadow

Bah, a mere mortal taking credit for my transformation? Hah! Only my studies of the arcane and electronically-mouldering tomes and scrolls could expand my puny flesh-based mind to be capable of unleashing the terrible cthonian knowledge! Cringe before me, puny humans, and despair of your crumbling universe!!! Bwahahahaha!

"Dear" ...."Yes Hun"
Check the Garman is the next stop any where near PA.?