Initiation Rites
NB: The next few posts are just an example of how the progression through the cult might go. YSMV!
First Steps
The Disciples of the Worm guard the identities of their members closely. Only one magus in all of Europe, Pertinax of Tytalus, is public about his membership of the worm cult. Some people seek him out for an introduction to the cult, to mixed success. This method relies entirely on gaining the approval of Pertinax.
Sometimes the cult, or individual members, notice a magus with the right temperament and interests for the cult. The local cell of one to three magi will subtly sound out the candidate without ever revealing their identity. If they are judged to be suited and willing then they will find be visited by Pertinax, or someone claiming to be Pertinax, and offered membership.
A third, dangerous, approach is to try and find out the identity of a member. This may work, but is perilous – the worm cult is as likely to kill the interloper as they are to indulge them. The more senior the person exposed, the more likely the response will be negative.
Once the initiate is accepted into the cult, they are left to their own devices. It is expected that they will piece together a score of 1 in the cult lore through their own efforts. When this is achieved they will be approached by a single member of the cult, who will act as their mystagogue.
Initiation Rite for Second Sight +12 (Target: 15)
The first initiation new recruits to the cult undergo grants them the power to perceive the invisible world, an invaluable skill when dealing with spirits. A Disciples of the Worm Lore of at least 1 is needed for this initiation.
Because Second Sight is a common virtue some initiates may have it already. In such cases the initiate still performs the initiation and suffers the ordeal, but gains no particular benefit except being allowed to progress in the cult.
To demonstrate their dedication to the cult the initiate must serve the mystagogue for at least a season, acting as an assistant in matters relating to the cult. Typically three seasons of service are given, with any exposure xp gained going into Disciples of the Worm Lore. These seasons do not have to be consecutive. Only one season is strictly required for the script, the number past that is at the discretion of the mystagogue. ( The initiate sacrifices time +1)
Next the mystagogue primes the initiate by spending a season instructing them on the nature of second sight. (Mystagogue sacrifices time +3)
The initiate is commanded to gather ingredients to make a potion: pomegranate, ergot of rye, Syrian rue, mandrake root, valerian, and a live fire salamander. These must be found and harvested by the initiate personally. At least one of the components must be an ideal example (i.e. a thing of virtue). ( The initiate has to complete a specified quest +3 )
When the ingredients are gathered the initiate is instructed to travel to a significant location of the cult. Lake Avernus (Rome), the Necromanteion (Thebes), the great cairn of Slieve Donard (Hibernia), or the Alyscamps (Provence) are good choices. They are met by another, shrouded, mystagogue of the cult who guides them in making the potion. The initiate drinks the potion and is sealed up for the night in a tomb. They suffer harrowing visions of the dead throughout the night. This inflicts the Visions flaw. (Minor ordeal +3)
(Sympathy/Appropriate Rite +2)
Multiple variants of this rite are known to more senior members of the cult, which skip many of the steps. The bluntest version can be done in a single day, requiring only consuming a potion made by the mystagogue and being buried alive for a night (this provides only a +4 bonus, so a very skilled mystagogue is needed).
Initiation Rite for Spirit Binding +12 (Target: 15)
The second degree of initiation grants the power to bind spirits into containers to sustain spells indefinitely. A Disciples of the Worm Lore of at least 3 is needed for this initiation. As before, it is up to the initiate to piece together this lore or convince their mystagogue to teach it. Little formal support is provided.
The initiation begins with the mystagogue summoning three spirits and commanding them to torment the initiate. The rite cannot continue until the initiate has captured all three spirits and bound them to his will. The initiate is not warned of this task in advance. ( The initiate has to complete a specified Quest +3 )
The mystagogue selects a significant site (somewhere different than used in the last script) and an arbitrary date for the next step. They present the time and location to the initiate in the form of a riddle which can only be solved with information lost to the living. The initiate must interrogate the dead and decipher the riddle to reach the site of the initiation on the appointed day. Typically the riddle will hint at where the information may be found, but it’s up to the mystagogue. ( The initiate has to travel far to reach a special place at a special time +3 )
If the initiate reaches the appointed place at the correct time they will be asked to swear fatal oaths not to betray the secrets of the cult, act against fellow members, or disobey a more senior member. The story of Smaragdus of Flambeau is often invoked as a warning here. If the initiate swears the proper oaths they receive the mystery but acquire the Vow flaw. (Minor Ordeal +3)
(Sympathy/Appropriate Rite +3)
As a side benefit the initiate is now permitted to join a cell of cultists and know the identity of two or three other members in their local region.
Lore Snippet: The Torment of Smaragdus of Flambeau
Smaragdus of Flambeau was a 10th century hoplite opposed to what he perceived as the “dark arts” of necromancy and theurgy. He was a dangerous enemy for the Disciples of the Worm in the early days of the cult and came close to destroying it completely. As the cult gathered more and more lost magics, however, they grew in power and eclipsed the straightforward Smaragdus. He was eventually overpowered and captured by a cell of worm cultists in 1023.
Smaragdus was reported dead to the order at large, but was taken in secret to a hidden regio known only to the cult. The unfortunate hoplite was mutilated to impede his ability to cast. He was cursed with the spell Weight of a Thousand Hells, and the ghost of his own apprentice, murdered in secret by the Disciples, was bound into an iron chain to sustain the spell indefinitely.
Smaragdus was kept alive, carefully watched, as a prisoner of the cult for almost 20 years while enduring constant torment. He was eventually killed in an escape attempt in 1041. In his escape he managed to break the chain and free the spirit of his apprentice. The chain is still owned by one of the senior members of the cult. Though it contains no inherent power, it is a potent reminder of the lengths the cult will go to when threatened.
A character may know this story if they succeed on an Intelligence+Disciples of the Worm Lore roll with an ease factor of 9.