Cult Creator - The Pilgrims Journey

News From The Sunset War - The Tessen Speaker
After half a year of consolidation between the Loyalists and the New Sun, the first actual battles between the sides started with horrendous death tolls and monumental clashes. Estimates of agents, refugees, and deserters place the number of those killed in battle alone at almost 200.000 on the lowest count, with up to 300.000 being realistically on the upper end. Though most of those killed in action weren't regular soldiers, but militia and fanatics herded out of various towns, cities, and villages in frenzied mobs of zealot bands led by veterans or Inquisitors. Though their military has engaged in battles between each other and against those factions and groups of escaping slaves and Mutated currently popping up all over their lands, most military analysts agree that the current phase is one of careful maneuvering and jockeying for positions and resources required to win the war. The SBA, in particular, has announced that they managed to conquer the Fallen Angles Region, where an estimated 14% of the entire industry of the Eversun has once been located. A move that has seen them become the target of the loyalist's Saviour, Redemption, and Retribution Armies, all three starting their attacks just as we print these pages. News from the uprising that proclaimed their allegiance to Fractal Nova is, in equal measure, grim and hopeful, as she and her Cult managed to reach the Region and force local troops to retreat, but not before half the slaves had been killed. Our sources say those captured by the local forces were put to the flame during the retreat.
(Read more on pages 1-11)

House Dall Takes On The Awake Machine-Mind ^Ä^ As Knight - The Truthful Observers
During the last few days, curious but expected, news has begun to travel. House Dall, charged with the harvest of the crystals known as "Suspendium" within the Forest of Rust, has taken the Awakened Machine-Mind ^Ä^ as their first Retainer and Personal Guard of the family and village Norqod. This has been made official under the eyes of seven Elders of various Forge-Clans, all scrutinizing the terms of the oath ^Ä^ had given to them beforehand, deeming the satisfactorily achievable, and, most importantly, removable should future descendants prove unable, or too mutated in soul, to uphold their end of the oath. Though the physical shell of ^Ä^ is unnerving, familiarization and his calm and slow demeanor have rapidly endeared the Awake Machine-Mind to the villagers, especially the children who have taken to painting various segments of his arms in colors and pictures.
(Read more on page 7)

Free Food For All As Aid Is (Literally) Flown To Ju-Ji's Halls - Rags, Rumors, And Rants
As the Pilgrims finish the last bit of construction for their Great Kitchen, with the synonymous kitchens already hard at work producing food and rations for all that visit, another endeavor of theirs left its anchorage laden with equipment, food, medicine, clothes, and hundreds of other things. The Daughter of Dawn has, with the given aid of the people of Tessen, the Followers of Light, the Pilgrims, House Tessen, House Ulatarn, House Mirn, and various other organizations, set course to Ju-Ji's Halls, her cargo-bays loaden and stuffed with help in all forms. The Houses Ju-Ji, Ali-Na-Hammadi-Nasir, Lo Hou Mu, and Chy Chi have already radioed back their thanks and gratitude for the generous aid given to their people in this time of need, citing that "many thousands of lives were saved and tens of thousands helped by the prompt aid given by examples of Imperial Unity."
(Read more on pages 5-7)


We suffered an attack on our Bloodbark Fields; 19 people (7 were Pilgrims) died before the local militia beat them back. Their sigils and symbols do not match any known bandit clans, outfits, or tribal raiders. We failed to take any alive, with one woman taking her life after being subdued. Our material losses amount to 1.25 Materials.

[-3% Piety - Loss of Life, none were caught.]
[New Actions Unlocked]

Regarding The Iron Mine Attack
With the help of our Tech-Scouts, the Guard, and PD and Aria intercepting a scrambled radio transmission, we managed to catch the bandits unaware as they were setting up their camp for the night. In a surprise attack lasting only four minutes after a short bombardment by our mortars, the bandits were either killed or committed suicide via pills. Nevertheless, the news has restored a sense of grim justice to many, even if the loss of life at their hands still stings.

[+26% Piety]


The Military has taken notice of a recent uptick in banditry within the Region and how the bandits are taking advantage of their rotations and patrol schedules. As a result, knights of all Chapters roam the streets and highways in semi-random patterns to catch bandits and raiders.

The Lost continues to treat the incoming addicts to the best of their ability; however, an increased amount of narcotics and those that use them led to them having to turn away those seeking help multiple times within Jokvi.

Dirty Daggers have nothing big planned. Mostly just continuing consolidation of their territory and shaping of their organization.

Daughters Of Rashomon have consolidated their control over nearly all brothels within Ulatarn.

The Purified are conducting another recruitment drive in the local slums and the outlying Mutated Villages.

The Common People have some concerns about the rise of attacks on caravans and villages, but most have buckled down and armed up in response. The creation of your "Grand Kitchen" has attracted many (literal) pilgrims on their way through, as well as the poor, down-on-their-luck, thrifty merchants, and all manner of people.

The Mutated have been disproportionally hit by the bandit attacks despite not having enough material goods or money to warrant such in many cases.

Some Pilgrims have become somewhat restless and contemplative about their continued stay within Tessen and the Tree during the last few years. While many of them feel that they are helping people, they believe that they aren't doing what they could do if they went out into the wider Empire to establish a Pilgrim presence in other Regions. Among their arguments is the help that the Pilgrims provided to Tessen despite their short existence, and they wish to do so for different Regions. Free Food, Treatment for Illnesses, Providing a safe space and a way out for Prostitutes, Sheltering the Dispossessed, Disabled, and those afflicted by Mental Sickness should be done to more Regions.

Over time, those who wished to spread the Pilgrimage or merely help more people on a larger scale have found each other and petitioned for both resources and help in realizing their dream and hopes. Finally, after a month of discussion, the Council agreed to help them prepare materials, food, water, guards, money, further volunteers, and thousands of other things lost in the minutia. And after nearly a generation from their founding, a caravan of Pilgrims begins the last preparations to set out into the Empire, with recent converts brimming with faith standing watch over those born in the faith as they bounce around in excitement of the upcoming travel. At the same time, families wish farewell, and friends share one last bottle of booze or share a meal, while logisticians and hired adventurers go over manifests and guard duties one last final time before they do so again to be absolutely sure.

But what is the scale of the Expedition?
[] Satellite
Though the Expedition is laden with materials, not many have joined the call to venture outside Tessen, most feeling that their work here is not yet at the stage where they can expand. This has led to a more diminutive scale of ambition, the fervor of those leaving more than makes up for their smaller numbers.
(Size: 50 Pilgrims
Materials: 50 Materials
Piety Cohesion Loss: 10%
Chance of Heresy: Minor
Control: Holding-Level (Gain another action category)
Target Regions: 2 (Ju-Ji's Hall, Broken Crossroads, aka Tessens Immediate Neighbours))

[] Outpost
The Expedition is laden with materials, food, guards, and many that have joined the call to venture outside Tessen, most feeling that their work here is in good hands, capable of being done even while they are away. They are sure that they can create an outpost for the Pilgrimage without stumbling across any danger too great to overcome.
(Size: 100 Pilgrims
Materials: 100 Materials
Piety Cohesion Loss: 20%
Chance of Heresy: Small
Control: Directives Only (Focus on XYZ)
Target Regions: 6 (Ju-Ji's Hall, Broken Crossroads, The Green Dunes, Bone Valley, The Red Sea, Seven Silver Cathedrals))

[] Chapter
The Expedition is nearly crushing the work-lizards underneath the materials, food, guards, and knickknacks you provided them with. However, the animals bear the burden with admirable stoicism. The hundreds who have joined the call to venture outside Tessen feel that their work lies in faraway locations and feel pride in spreading the word and help you managed to provide to those living within Tessen.
(Size: 200 Pilgrims
Materials: 200 Materials
Piety Cohesion Loss: 35%
Chance of Heresy: Medium
Control: Additional Rumor Section: Chapter News
Target Regions: Empire Wide, Locations of Interest: Ju-Ji's Hall, Broken Crossroads, The Capital, The Green Dunes, Slatnans Womb, Bone Valley, Seven Silver Cathedrals, The Red Sea, Sunken Hollows (you can ask about more))

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AN: How the expansion will work:

1. You choose the size of your expansion, as shown above.
2. Upon choosing, you will get the list of Regions, what happened in them, what is happening, their challenges, and who is within the Region. If you choose Outpost or Chapter, you will select three Regions for in-depth scouting to reveal more of what is happening within before deciding where you'll expand.
3. You vote for the Region and send the Expedition off to their destiny!