Kraken/BitterFlowersCult

The Bitter Flowers Cult

The Bitter Flowers Cult is known by this name to only a scant handful of people outside of its members. The people and divinities of the Threshold instead know of it as The Excellent Flower School, if they know of it at all. The school has several sites around the threshold, generally in remote and inaccessiable places, the better the suit the cult's goals, though there are temple-manses in both Great Forks and Nexus dedicated to it and the few gods that are actually members.

The Excellent Flower School is known to raise and train children and then into adults in all manner of things pleasing to the divine. Its graduates, if they can be called such, are without exception excellent prayer artisans and skilled storytellers, capable of holding the attention of even the most jaded of spirit courts. It is well known that gods oftimes like more physical entertainment, and all of the Flowers can of course dance. Common gossip aongst the people of the threshold says that the Flowers also recieve training in fullfiling the most amorous desires of the gods and of the thousandfold ways of satisfying divine flesh. The School, of course, does not confirm or deny these rumours.

Something of the Truth

The Bitter Flowers Cult was founded some six hundred years ago, by a loose cabal consisting of at least three Sidereals, five Lunars and four Gods, though exact numbers are nigh impossible to come by, not least for the cult members. The Cult was founded to provide justice in Heaven and on Creation, when the divine justice system failed. It is in essence, a vigilante justice squad, striking down those who escape from their just punishments with a terrible fury and anger. This earns them few friends in Heaven, and it is only through quite diligent efforts of all the founders that the Cult is not removed, although its apparent 'neutrality', in that it hunts all Gods equally helps too. While Gods may have lost allies to the Cult, their position has also likely been helped by having rivals removed too. Ultimately, it is a thin line the Cult walks, but one they have walked for some time.

Induction, Indoctrination and Training

The Cult 'recruits' only the young and abandoned children of the Threshold. Babies left at temple doors, young children from the few orphanages in the cruel world and the occasional street children that run into the cult. Certainly no-one older than six. From six onwards, their education begins in earnest, though they do not realise it. The games are formulated to teach them the principles of martial arts, or nature of gods. Exercises chosen to encourage grade and strength. Stories and then lessons teach them yet more about Gods, Creation and merest beginnings of the true teachings of the cult.

At ten, there comes the First Shoot Selection. Those who cannot even show grace are removed from the training program, and instead become the myriad menial laborers that the cult needs. Those that succeed find the training more overt and much more demanding, trained further in the art of prayer and the ways of the martial arts, and in all the other skills they will need. Often training is done under the auspices of descending destinies, fate itself conspiring against the trainees, such that when it's influence is removed, they behave all the better.

At fourteen, there comes the much more important Plucking Of The Waiting Blooms. Those who can show only grace are training to become the teachers of the children and to tend to the temples, and generally make up the skilled people that the cult requires to function.

Those who show grace and beauty become Flowers That Tempt The Heavens, and they are taught to love gods. They are trained in all manner of pleasing gods. They are artisans of prayer, marvelous storytellers, exquiste dancers and knowledgeable of all the ways of satisfying divine flesh. In short, they are the graduates of the Excellent Flower School, and they are sent out into the world. The pinciple base of the Flowers is the Hibiscus Blossom, a Wood-Aspected temple-Manse in Great Forks.

Those who show grace and strength become The Bitter And Tenacious Defenders, and they are taught to hate gods. They are trained in all manner of fighting gods and men, skilled in numerous techniques of defence and offence. They guard the cults bases and protect its important members using these techniques. The Defenders are principly trained in the Iron Black Cloister, a Earth Aspected manse just outside Nexus' city limits.

Those who show grace and strength and beauty walk the hardest road and become The Spiders That Hide In Bitter Flowers, and they are taught to love gods and to hate them. Trained in all manner of pleasing gods and myriad ways to kill them, they combine the skills of both branches of the cult, and then extend them. They move with a beauty the Flowers will never master, strike with a force the Defenders will never match. And the best of them are taught the Vermillion Spider Style. They are the spiders that hide amongst the flowers to entrap the unwary.

Serenity's Circlet

The Flowers That Tempt are all individuals who may travel anywhere as the whim takes them, for rarely are they given explicit instruction by the cult and as they do they might encounter all manner of spirits and demi-gods who might wish to engage their services. The problem, of course, is how is a Flower to convey what he or she is willing to do when thier tastes might be entirely different to the last Flower to wander through this area. It was considerations such as these which lead to the creation of Serenity's Circlet.

The form of circlet is a ring of five small flowers, typically worn in the Flower's hair, or over their heart. Each of the blooms corresponds to one of the five constellations of Serenity, which is where it gets it's name. Traditionally, the blooms are dwarf orchids or cosmos flowers and the circlet that holds them is a minor talisman, designed to keep the blooms fresh, but it has been known for Gods to comission more permenant versions for long-term lovers, with flowers of enamel and jade. A relatively recent trend is for gods and demi-gods who wish for more visits from the Flowers to keep what have been called Courtesan's Gardens that house flowers appropriate for the visits they desire.

The language of the Circlet is a subtle one, but the essence of the message is captured by the colours of the flowers in each of the constellations, though when a Flower wishes to be expansive, there is meaning to be had in both the size and the types of bloom. While several shades have subtle tones, and the exact meaning can vary somewhat from Flower to Flower, one constant that is never ambiguous is that of a white bloom. Put simply, a white bloom means no in the area of that constellation.

• The Peacock's Bloom
  • Also known as alliance's bloom. This bloom sits at the top of the circlet. It is the bloom that indicates if the Flower is willing to work at all. It is the one bloom where the type of white flower suggests more than obvious "I am not open for offers of alliance at all." A white cosmos flower suggests this is a thing of the moment, a white orchid due to long term commitment to another.
• The Ewer's Bloom
  • Also known as the romantic bloom. This bloom sits at the top left of the circlet. It is the bloom that indicates the Flower's desire for a lasting relationship, but also one that indicates how long they are likely to spend in any one place. A white flower here suggests the Flower will be there merely until the next day.
• The Lover's Bloom
  • Also known as the private bloom. This bloom sits at the top right of the circlet. It is the bloom that indicates the Flower's desire or willingness to provide entertainment of one sort or another in private. A white flower here suggests that the Flower is merely to be looked at.
• The Pillar's Bloom
  • Also known as the companionship bloom. This bloom sits at the bottom left of the circlet. It is something of an odd bloom, but it indicates the willingness of the Flower to simply be a friend. A white flower here signifies a desire to keep the arrangement to that of business only, however long that might last.
• The Musician's Bloom
  • Also known as the courtly bloom. This bloom sits at the bottom left of the circlet. It is the bloom that is indicative of what the flower will do to entertain the God's court, or what he might do for the God in public. A white flower here suggests that Flower wishes for the relationship to be kept very much private.

The colour is the most significant aspect of the Blooms in the circlet, and for this reason almost all Flowers know a few simple alchemical proceedures with which to dye the flowers they will place in the circlet.

• Blue
  • Serenity's colour. This is the colour that most closely associates with the 'duties' of the Flowers, and many of them go for months with only blue flowers in the circlet. The Peacock's flower being blue indicates that the Flower is looking for a new patron. When the Ewer's Bloom is blue, it suggests they will stay for somewhere between a week or a month. A blue Lover's Bloom suggests they are willing to join the Gods bed on occasion. A blue Pillar is a desire to share in something of the God's life. A blue courtly bloom suggests a willingness to entertain a court with stories, song and dance from the God's side.
• Yellow
  • Journey's colour. Yellow flowers indicate that the flower is willing to negotiate more than they usually would, or that they are uncertain. Typically, a yellow flower will have a centre of some other colour, indicating how they sit at the moment.
• Red
  • Passion's colour. Red blooms indicate passion for the associated bloom. A red peacock indicates a certain urgency in a Flower's search for a God. The Ewer being red indicates a desire to stay for a significant period of time. The Lover's Bloom being red shows desire to spend considerable time catering to the Goddess' amorous desires. Those with red Pillars are willing to get quite involved in a Gods personal affairs. Those with a red musician are quite open to requests made of them in public.
• Green
  • Secret's colour. Often worn with a mysterious smile, especially for the Lover's bloom, a green bloom indicates that the Flower has decided what their limits are ... and invites the leader of the court he visits to find them out.
• Purple
  • Certainty's colour. Purple blooms indicate a dedication to what it represents. A purple peacock is sometimes considered a sign of desperation. It indicates the desire for a patron now, though if worn by a Flower who has been with the divinity for some time, it is instead seen as a declaration that they wish to be considered more closely. The Ewer being purple indicates a desire to stay and not leave. The Lover's Bloom being purple shows willingness to be the divinity's constant bedpartner. Those with purple Pillars are quite happy being taken into their patrons deepest confidences. Those with a purple musician will object to almost no requests made by their patron in public, within the limits of the other blooms.

Several other aspects of the circlet can have significance to the discerning eye.

• The Cardinal Bloom
  • The cardinal bloom is the name given to the largest bloom on the circlet, at least when it is significantly larger than the rest. The cardinal bloom, if present, is an indication of what the Flower wishes most of the relationship. It is considered a great putdown should a Flower leave a divinity with a white cosmos cardinal in the Peacock.
• A Thorny Bloom
  • The presence of a bloom from a flower that typically bears thorns suggests the Flower desires or is willing to experience the things associated with that bloom, but with a darker flavour.
• A Fragrant Bloom
  • A bloom from a very fragrant flower, especially if care as been taken to preserve the scent, is used to indicate a desire to be especially pampered in the aspects of the bloom.
• White Flecks
  • While the primary colour of the bloom is the most important, white flecks indicate that sometimes the Flower needs time off and to be left in private.

Comments

Flower-code, and just general.. coolness. I may hijack some of this for colour in some of my games... just because it would look cool. Qudos. - Molikai

Thanks! ^_^ I'm glad you feel you'd like to hijack it. The flower code was about the most fun thing to figure out about it all. - Kraken who only just noticed your comment ^^;