8
Chaositech
and with people who fancy similar pursuits. They are erratic in their behavior, often prone to quick fits of rage or sudden changes of heart. They place no value on family, friendship, romantic love, or even racial ties. Their fellow priests and cultists are never more than a means to an end. The psychology of chaos encourages them not to covet wealth or even power for their own sakes, but only as a way to achieve their greater goals. They adore bright, garish colors or—alternatively— cling to the color of the ultimate, endless void. Some chaos priests keep their identities secret with masks or hoods. Others hide their allegiance to chaos by avoiding open displays of symbols. Still others cover their bodies in ritual scarring and piercings in order to better exemplify the force they revere. These priests like very sharp knives, heavy hammers and maces, scythes and sickles, and other weapons that have a dramatic appearance as well as combat effectiveness. Clerics of chaos gain access to the following domains: chaos, destruction, and evil. Chaos priests are often as different from one another as the ever-changing nature of the force they worship. Most are insane, at least to some degree. Megalomania, schizophrenia, extreme masochism or sadism, manic depression, and delusions are not uncommon. Some priests become terribly compulsive and irrational. Many are real gluttons, while others are addicted to drugs, alcohol, or other substances. Addiction seems to manifest itself frequently as part of their makeup. By their very nature, priests of chaos are disorganized. Their temples usually remain in a state of disarray and confusion, although some churches possess a stark, bleak quality, as though everything in them has been scoured by fire. Chaos priests prefer to establish themselves in ruins, to symbolize the ultimate destruction of all things, or in secret hideaways right under the noses of others, to demonstrate that those who do not understand chaos remain ignorant of even the most obvious facts.
Cultists Recruited from the slums and gutters as well as the upper echelons of nobility, chaos cultists are everywhere. Some hide away in unseen temples, while others continue to walk the streets with everyone else, concealing their true nature and beliefs—for now.
Chaos cultists are drawn to the beliefs of deep chaos because they feel powerless and forgotten. They revel in the idea of knowing the “truth” that others do not know. Some are contemptuous and spiteful of others and find comfort in a philosophy that embraces the hateful urges they feel. A few are already mad and find that the religion’s dogma fits their delusions. It should come as no surprise that the followers of chaos are a mass of contradictions. For example, they value secrecy, yet a captured cultist may eagerly boast of his group’s plans to annihilate all who oppose them. For this reason, cult leaders usually tell their followers only just enough to get by— general ideas but not specific plans— unless absolutely necessary. Symbology is important to followers of true chaos. Each cult usually has its own chaos symbol, plus there are more general symbols such as the many-pointed arrow, the green spiral, and the broken square. Even when it would be prudent to avoid use of any kind of symbol, cultists feel they gain strength and power from them. Many say that even while in a crowd of “ignorants” (their term for noncultists), pretending to be one of them, they can concentrate on their secret tattoo, hidden signet, or other sign of their devotion to chaos and know they are superior to those they must tolerate—for the time being. Even the wildest, most murderous cultist looks on her work with the pleasure of a satisfied artist. She knows there is method to her madness. She sees a purpose behind what often look like senseless acts. In the chaos cultist’s mind, she is a misunderstood genius. Although they must work together, almost all chaos cultists are truly loners. Cultists of chaos rarely work well together in a group or make use of brilliant tactics unless they have an intelligent and forceful leader. Even then, few of the individual cultists actually think in terms of working together and instead simply “do their part.” A leader who understands that, however, can get the cultists to carry out elaborate schemes as a group, with each individual performing only a small but necessary part of the plan. Chaos cultists enter battle with a blood frenzy but quickly lose their morale unless they are clearly winning. In a fight with cultists, about half of them flee after the initial engagement, and the other half fight like madmen with no regard for personal safety. Chaos cultists always prefer an unfair fight (in their favor) and never harbor such concepts as personal honor or dignity in battle. Many would rather poison their enemies when they were not expecting it than actually get into a melee.
