The Local Cells

The local cell is the base unit of organization in the Cult. These are, at the end of the day, an organization of the faithful, led by a priest or leader. Cells are almost never in contact with other cells; it is too dangerous. Instead, the local Gods of Day are aware of the presence and activities of all the local cells, and coordinates projects that require cooperation between cells. There are two kinds of local cells:

• Temple: The temple is a permanent Cult establishment, serving as shrine for the Illuminated Heavens, headquarters, barracks and gathering-space for the faithful. These are often based around a hidden temple space of some kind, usually in slums, ruins or beneath establishments normally ignored, such as brothels and gambling dens. The temple is usually run by a blue-robed priest, occasionally with the help of younger priests and leaders. They are a center for recruitment for the Cult, and the means by which the Cult grows in number.
• Outpost: Outposts are more practical than liturgical: they are established in small farming communities, mercantile crossroads and other locations that are either remote (to provide a good hiding place) or filled with constant coming and going (so that traffic through there isn't noticed). Outposts are always headed up by one of the blue-robed leaders, sometimes with junior priests and other leaders assisting him. Outposts focus on fundraising and the more practical aspects of the cult's operation.

Cult Members

• Cultist: The average member of the cult is just that: average. They are ordinary farmers and merchants, noblemen and whores, fishmongers and innkeeps. They are united in their belief in the Illuminated Doctrine, and in their faith in the Illuminated Ones. These members have lives other than as adherents - there is no way the temple could afford to house, clothe and feed them. Plus, truth be known, it is their occasional contributions, tithes made as they are able to, that keeps the temple running in its day-to-day operations. Maybe a third of the cultists in a temple do, however, live at the temple, fed and clothed by their fellows. These cultists work long through the day advancing the efforts of the Cult in a local area. All cultists, however, are expected to drop everything when the Cult calls - especially when that call is from one of the Illuminated.
• Priests: Those who become priests are often trained as such by the leading priest of their temple. Those who show real potential are often shuttled to one of the training camps (assuming that's feasible); failing this, the Illuminated Heavens will arrange for a promising priest to travel in the retinue of one of the Illuminated for a season or two. They are trained in the rites of the Cult, and indoctrinated through teachings, purification (via the Four Asceticisms) and vision-seeking through bright morning and similar intoxicants. Priests are responsible for firing up their cell, teaching them the Doctrine and being the point of contact between the cult and the Illuminated Heavens. A few with the talents to learn are educated in thaumaturgy as well.
• Leaders: Leaders tend to the secular needs of the Cult. They are practical and hard-working, those who apply the Doctrine to daily life instead of spiritual pursuits. They may be fighting men, accountants, grizzled huntsmen or mining foremen, but they know how to lead and how to get things done. They are the equal of priests in terms of leadership.
• Hierophant: A large cell may be led by a Hierophant, one of the Visited. The Illuminated Heavens saw the greatness in this person - either a priest or leader - and charged an Embassy of Heaven with visiting them. They not only continue their original job, but their wisdom contributes to the ever-growing body of lore that is the Illuminated Sutras. They have something to contribute to the cult as a whole, and are invariably exceptional individuals. Occasionally, Hierophants are put in charge of multiple cells, a practice becoming more and more common, particularly as smaller cells are founded in a given area. He is charged with the responsibility of getting the most out of them, and fostering their growth into full cells. Hierophants are often taken under the wing of one of the Illuminated Heavens, trained to be both priest and leader, and sometimes even guided through enlightening their Essence. He also often takes charge of training the local priests and leaders.
• Supporters: Due to their policy of good works and improving the lot of those in Creation (particularly those around them), Cult cells often develop networks of supporters: individuals who do not necessarily share in the faith of the Doctrine, but are allies. These individuals often provide what assistance they can, even if it's just a hot meal or a hiding place occasionally.

Cell Activities

• Recruitment: Cells work to recruit new members - but not many of them. They work best when they are small, but influential or useful. They must be able to carefully watch one another for any signs of betrayal, and to prevent it from doing too much damage should it happen. Occasionally, a cell may request assistance in their recruitment of particularly important individuals from the Illuminated Heaven, who usually lend assistance in some way.
• Fundraising: Part of the duties of a temple involve fundraising, not just for their own cell, but to help maintain the functioning of the cult as a whole, funneling funds to the Illuminated Heavens, who then redistribute it to other cells where it will do the most good. Tithing certainly happens, but most cultists are average individuals. Running a temple or outpost is a minimum Resources ••• cost per year, and that kind of money doesn't come easily. Some temples raise money through unorthodox methods, including maintaining small farms that its members volunteer to work on one or two days a week, through the sales of crafts created by its membership, through the import and sale of drugs or by establishing a force of fighting men who can be hired out. A few temples in urban areas are even known to establish brothels where some of its members work to help support the temple's operation. Some rural area cells - particularly out-of-the-way outposts - are known to turn to banditry, raiding small caravans of rich merchants and noblemen. A few temples have even been known to turn to assassination of targets, although they are careful to target only those victims that stand in the way of the Illuminated Doctrine.
• Spying & Insurrection: At its core, the Cult of the Illuminated is a revolutionary endeavor: they seek nothing less than for the governments of Creation to fall, in order to make way for the Illuminated Kingdom. As such, they seek to undermine and gain power in governments of all kinds, from the bureaucracies of the Realm to the small courts of Threshold city-states. All of this is done in preparation for the great uprising; in the meantime, when the Cult sees the chance to possibly replace current leadership with (ideally) Cult adherents or (far more often) simply those whose policies are more in line with the Doctrine (whether they know it or not), they act. Cult members are often trained in arts of insurrection and sabotage, in guerilla warfare and undermining support structures.
• Communications: Communication is generally one-way: from the cell to the Illuminated Heavens (albeit, even then, it's generally just local gods). The Illuminated Heavens rarely communicate with the cells, unless they have a mission of some kind for them. Communication between cells is strictly forbidden - even if a cultist knows a member of one of the other cells (and this is rare, as the Cult encourages isolation, disguise and secrecy in such incidents), they must never try to contact them. All communications are performed through the priests.
  • Coded Messages: Priests are trained in cyphers and cryptography, using the Illuminated Sutras as a code-book. They can write messages that seem to be letters filled with scriptural quoting, all the while actually communicating something else. These can be delivered by post to drop-points (usually town centers like inns and taverns, and occasionally the temples of local Gods of Day); more rarely, a priest who needs to communicate with another cell will receive a message to drop the coded message somewhere, while the recipient receives a message to pick it up from there. This is also used to communicate with the Heavenly Illuminated, though it may take such a message months to eventually reach them.
  • Communique Prayers: A specific thaumaturgical ritual allows a priest to write a scroll with a message on it, and then burn it as part of a sacrifice to a specific god. If the ritual is successful, a block of ambrosia appears imprinted with the message upon it, in the Sanctum of the god in question. This is used in dire situations, and only by those with the knowledge to perform such a rite.
• Locating & Aiding Solars: When the existence of a Solar comes to the attention of a temple or outpost, they act. If the Solar is not in danger, the cell approaches the Solar, offering loyalty and aid. If the Solar is in danger, the cultists all take up arms and perform daring (and sometimes suicidal) midnight raids to free her, spiriting her away to their temple while holding off pursuit. Once a Solar is in the hands of the cell, they send information to the Illuminated Heavens via the quickest means they know, requesting intervention. If they are too heavily harried (such as by the Wyld Hunt pursuing stolen quarry), they will arrange for the Solar to be transported into the care of another cell entirely.

Security

The Cult operates in secrecy wherever it is found, generally speaking. Though there are a few farming communities that have grown up around outpost cells, or open temples in small backwater city-states in the far Threshold, for the most part, the Cult is more of a conspiracy than a religion.

• Lanterns: The cult uses a specifically-shaped lantern, or any lantern with yellow or amber glass, to designate their availability. These burn in the windows of those cult members whose residences or places of business are open to others in their cell as sanctuary; a lantern hung outside or in the window indicates that it is safe. If the lantern is missing, or extinguished, then it means that Cult members are not on-hand to aid them, or the location has been compromised or is watched.
• Quarry: The leadership of the Cult often directs trusted members to watch over other members. In this way, they create networks of watchful individuals who keep track of the lives of their co-religionists, looking out for the signs of betrayal.
• Shopkeeps: Members of a cell will often "check in," indicating to temple leadership that everything is alright by simply making themselves seen by one of the cell's "shopkeeps." These are individuals who are placed in public areas with a lot of traffic - actual shop-keepers, but also city guards, beggars or fishwives. Members of the cell check in by simply walking past the shopkeep, and being seen. Shopkeeps keep track of those they see during the day, and take note of those they do not. Should one of the cell members not be seen for a certain number of days in a row (usually three), the shopkeep sends a coded message to the leader of the cell.
• Rally Points: If something happens that is of danger to the whole of the cult, there is often a prearranged signal that can be noticed throughout most of the cell's area. Someone may set off fireworks, arrange for a bell to be rung in a temple or even set a derelict building on fire. When this happens, all cult members know that the time is at hand, and they make their way out of the area and to their designated rally point, which is always defensible and stocked with weapons and supplies.