Cult of the Sacred Detonation
The Cult of the Sacred Detonation (informally referred to as Boomism) is a branch of Cedrism which focuses, to the point of monomania, on explosions and their natural beauty. Originated in the Audentior Independent Nation under the auspices of Lukedu and was subsequently absorbed into the mythos of the Imperial Republic. One consequence of this is that one of the more prominent religious festivals is known, prosaically, as La Fiesta de la Boom. The Temple of Ryvenna near the southern Dalmacijan border remains one of its oldest and important holy sites, as it is fabled to house the infamous Boomist Stone, a holy object which inspired many believers and non-believers to attempt to reach its destructiveness.
Antiquarians have previously claimed that Cedrism was an offshoot religion of Boomism. In 1643, Kaiser Dominus informed all concerned that they are quite in error regarding this assumption and that, most importantly, they are never to repeat it, on pain of his marked disapproval towards them.
During the 1703 Council of Negrixnaht, it was agreed that four bailiwicks and three cities, devastated by the Scouring, would be given over to the jurisdiction of the cult's scattered ecclesiarchy as a quasi-Governorate in return for their commitment upholding certain customs endemic to their new lands. These sites have since begun to see a coalescence of Boomist pilgrims and opportunistic cult priests into what has been collectively dubbed the See of the Radiant Revelation under the guidance of the titular body which has come to be recognized as the de facto governing authority in the ruined lands assigned to them.
Spiritualism
The Cult of the Sacred Detonation believes in a pantheon of powerful aspects of Agni within who control the forces of nature and hold sway over the fate of humanity. The most prominent deities include:
- The Great Detonator, the supreme god of destruction and chaos, who is said to have created the universe through the power of his own explosion.
- The Mother of Flame, the goddess of fire and destruction, who is said to have birthed the Great Detonator and is the source of all fiery destruction in the world.
- The Keeper of the Flame, the god of fire and light, who is said to guard the eternal flame that burns at the heart of the universe.
- The Lord of Thunder, the god of storms and lightning, who is said to wield the power of the skies and control the weather.
- The Lady of the Wind, the goddess of air and change, who is said to control the winds and guide the movements of the air.
Together, these deities form the unique sub-pantheon of the Cult of the Sacred Detonation, and are worshiped and venerated by its followers. Through their devotion and sacrifice, the followers of the Cult hope to gain the favor of these powerful deities and receive their blessings.
Hierarchy
The cult is led by a council of high priests and priestesses, who are responsible for making decisions and guiding the direction of the cult.
The council operates by majority vote, with each member having one vote and the presiding Grand Priest having the additional power of casting five votes in cases where the council is unable to reach a decision. In order to reach a decision, the council members engage in discussion and debate, and they try to come to an agreement that is in the best interests of the cult and its followers.
Below the council are the regular priests and priestesses, who serve in the cult's temples and conduct religious ceremonies and rituals. These individuals are responsible for providing spiritual guidance and support to the cult's followers, and for ensuring that the cult's teachings and practices are upheld.
The Cult also has a special group of priests who serve as observers in the Mithui, the union-state's commission for the Panopticon. These priests are responsible for monitoring and analyzing the sensitive materials that are sent to the Mithui, and for determining whether they contain information that could be harmful to the Cult or its beliefs.
Below the regular priests and priestesses are the acolytes, who are in training to become full-fledged members of the clergy. These individuals assist the priests and priestesses in their duties, and receive instruction and guidance from them.
Finally, at the bottom of the hierarchy are the lay followers of the cult, who are not members of the clergy but who still follow the cult's beliefs and practices. These individuals are the majority of the cult's members, and they are responsible for supporting the cult through their offerings and sacrifices.
Booming Justice
In the decade following the Cult's ascent to power, it saw a marked increase in popularity in the area surrounding the Sovereign Confederation, where the Mithui was courting Cult leadership in hopes of a political alliance with them and their growing flock. One symptom of this popularity was the admission of three Cult priests as observers in the Mithui during it's tenure as the body commissioned for the Panopticon of the union-state. As they do not believe in bureaucracy, the access the elected priests suddenly had to potentially sensitive materials regarding all subjects of the Union gave them pause. Ultimately it was decided that Panopticon Reports sent to the would be burned en-mass and combed through later to allow the combustive will to be known; this led to later reports being printed on paper containing a high dosage of asbestos fiber. Those whose files remain intact are deemed suspect and are investigated further. Those not vindicated in these investigations are all invariably sentenced to community service in the radiant pool at the mouth of the Kingsweep, where teams in mobile extraction rigs process the polluted radioactive wastewater. A rather unique but effective interrogation practice the cult employs in these investigations involved the inquisitor threatening to explode themselves if the defending party refused to confess. The success of these methods is owed to their fanatical consistency in honoring such threats.
Booming Commerce
Following the Fifth Congress formally recognizing the Cult's right to govern the bailiwicks most immediately impacted by the Scouring, it was decided that a 99-year loan of 99% of the land within the bailiwicks containing Smoksberht and Hurtsdal would be negotiated with the Honourable Company.
