Priests of the Shifting Flesh
A well-known religious order with a much deeper and darker underbelly than what most Legerians gathered. The Priests of Shifting Flesh were renowned for their bizarre public sermons on The Cyclops' apparent "gift to Legere". Migrating across the world with war picks in hand and skulls masking their faces, the Priests of the Shifting Flesh made it their duty to ensure the spread of Somatomancy.
Mantra of the Priests of the Shifting Flesh
WE EVOLVE.
Structure #
The Priests of the Shifting Flesh didn't have a true leader, instead following a set of guidelines established by their founding members. There are two categories of members in the priesthood: those who were somatomancers and those who weren't. Members who weren't somatomancers did not voluntarily reject the magical training--instead these members were born without the ability to wield magic. They woudln't be able to practice even the most mundane of magical arts. It was a hard and fast rule for the Priests that if you could wield magic, you must become a somatomancer. Both groups of individuals were still necessary for the Priests to prosper, as they had different roles. Both somatomancers and their nonmagical brethren urged each other onward in spreading somatomancy, following the founder's writings, and inducting/teaching initiates.
Somatomancers do hold more sway in the Priests due to their powers, and they usually take on more iniative than the others.
Chapters #
The cult would organize itself into local groups known as chapters, led by an elder chapter master who would lead their congregation in studying the Priest's mantras and doctrines.
Culture #
There is only one goal of the Priests of Shifting Flesh: further the spread of somatomancy so that the people of Legere may "evolve". Any activities that members chose to engage in--personal, business, criminal, etc--was irrelevant and permissible as long as it didn't actively deter the Priests' agenda. Priests of the Shifting Flesh often chose to engage in violent activities or jobs that required force. This enabled somatomancers to exercise their powers while earning upkeep.
Communal Necessities #
Money, food and lodging was shared between members, furthering the loyalty and bond between them.
Humming Hymns #
While taking long journeys, Priests of Shifting Flesh could be heard all humming beautiful yet unnerving hymns in uncanny sync with each other.
Uniforms #
Members of the Priests of Shifting Flesh all wore and carried similar equipment. This helped to make them indistinguishable from each other and protect the identity of actual somatomancers. The standard kit of a Priest were as follows:
- Cloak
- Somatomancers and mundane Priests of Shifting Flesh all donned the same rough, beige overcoat. This cloak was adorned with abstract splatters of red, which helped members of the priesthood in identifying each other from under their disguises. The red splotches also served to disguise bleeding induced by the practice of somatomancy.
- Skull mask
- The front half of a skull was worn overtop the face to hide facial features. When combined with their cloak's hood, the figure of a Priest became alike all the others. This skull was usually harvested from a Manikin of a human or a dun. Sometimes these skulls were personalized through mutations induced by the somatomancer in the body of the manikin it was harvested from.
- War pick "crow's beak"
- The weapon of choice for the Priests of Shifting Flesh to defend themselves with. Certain members who found themselves in combat-heavy environments (such as those who become assassins or mercenaries) could choose to fit their weapon with an axehead, turning it into a poleaxe. Often times these weapons were engraved with disturbing images and ornamentation. Combined with how the hammer represented how the Priests of Shifting Flesh were "but builders, working hard to evolve those who inhabit Legere", these became religious implements that most governments did not confiscate.
A small chapter of Priests gather under a city bridge for fellowship.
Public Agenda #
The only thing commoners were aware of was the Priests' belief that the Cyclops was an ancient, primordial entity that came to Legere to force its residents to evolve or die.
History #
Founding #
The Corgathian founders of the Priests learned of the power that the Cyclops had wielded, which was sufficient to destroy an entire kingdom. The founders read the legends of the Cyclops, and often travelled to sea just to gaze upon its Mouth. They worshipped this colossal creature as some type of deity that had fallen from the stars to enact judgement upon the Kingdom of Cuprum.
The founders then learned that the Cyclops' remains--the Festerplains--were capable of giving humans incredible powers albeit in an extremely dangerous way. They interpreted this as a gift from the cyclops to the people of Legere.
We, as dwellers of this barren, war-ravaged land, hath smote a mighty being from yond heavens. We wast strong enough to lay waste to such a thing, and in turn it deemed us worthy to reap its gifts. With its power given to us, we evolve.
-- The Founders of the Priests of the Shifting Flesh
Legality #
With the Arcane Hand, Bureau of Classified Arcana, and Righteous Order all cracking down on somatomancy, the Priests of Shifting Flesh toiled tirelessly to ensure its survival, stealing away the research and knowledge of Melvin Arcblant (who can be considered to be the first somatomancer) in order to propagate this deadly type of magic. While such organizations knew of the Priest's involvement in somatomancy, they couldn't effectively end the order since it was incredibly challenging to root out the actual somatomancers among their ranks. Combined with the secret lairs and hideouts that the Priests had across Legere, the Priests ensured that they would live on and pass on their forbidden techniques.
The Arcane Hand and BCA both deemed somatomancy illegal due to the potential destructive nature that could be unleashed as a result of a simple mistake in the initiation or transformation of a somatomancer. The creation of a manikin outbreak or carnite rampage were both likely possibilities when a somatomancer was at work. While the Priests of Shifting Flesh were confirmed to be associated with somatomancy, non-magical members of a religious organization couldn't be punished for a magic that they couldn't even use.
The presence of Priests of the Shifting Flesh within the ranks of lancers was something highly debated by The Lancer Guild. Certain individuals saw promising results for their contracts in the hands of a somatomancer, but pressure from the Arcane Hand and BCA moved many to shy away from employing such mages.
Involvement with the Dark Heroes #
During the time of the second generation of Archangel's Heroes, a prominent member of the Priests of Shifting Flesh, Ascarin, joined the Dark Heroes under the promise that their victory would pave the way for evolution as the Priests saw fit.
Mythology & Lore #
The Priests of Shifting Flesh were born out of zealots who read the tale of the Cyclops' Lavishment of Wretched Calamity and had a unique perspective on the true purpose of the creature. They believed that the Cyclops was sent as an alien emissary that would judge Legere's residents and determine whether or not they were worthy to survive.
The Cyclops wast no force of annihilation. 'Twas a divine pow'r, dictating yond man, dun, and naga to evolve to becameth something greater. Only by growing stronger, strong enough to slay it... then we could achieveth the goals set forth by its heavenly flesh.
-- The Founders of the Priests of the Shifting Flesh
In the Legend of the Cyclops, it is said that a celestial body called "the Vile Comet" crash landed in the middle of Dawn Isle. This would eventually lead to the Nether Fountain's creation. The Cyclops then emerged from the Vile Comet and set to work on attacking the kingdom, destroying everything in sight. Eventually, a group of mysterious figures appeared with a magical weapon that was powerful enough to obliterate the Cyclops, severing its head from its body. The true nature of these unknown people and their weapon was one of Legere's greatest mysteries.
The Clyclops' headless body would eventually form the Festerplains as it regenerated out of control, and the head became an entirely new monster known as the leviathan Mouth of the Cyclops.
The organization spent several years as nothing more than a harmless group of strange-minded fanatics, preaching to the streets about the Cyclops' role in the ascendancy of Legere. This changed dramatically after Melvin Arcblant's somatomancy studies were confiscated by Arcane Hand. The Priests secured the original copies of his work, working alongside several somatomancers who were unwilling to give up use of their powers.
"The High Saint", painted by Erthys Bielbane in 158 DHT.
From then on, the Priests changed their gospel from "the Cyclops forced us to become stronger" to "the Cyclops tested us, and gave us a reward in order to become stronger". Additionally, they reframed the historical figure of Arcblant into a heroic pioneer of somatomancy (the High Saint of the Shifting Flesh) who shared the same vision as the Priests.