South House Games


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Cults Inside and Out

Book Notes

Cult- requires Clarissa to live with the Cult, contact w/ outside world discouraged.
Given a Mentor to keep an eye on her- recruited because of her connection with Tanya. They target only those who will have only the cult as connections.

Many cults have a doomsday or conspiracy scenario as part of their doctrine. The Servants believe the end times are near and they must prepare for elemental saturation (and, of course, nirvana). Davoust changes the tack of the cult, but doesn't change everything.

How is rank determined? These people have few assets, so deeds must take precedence. And oaths sworn on the Pool. The leader spends most of his time in "communion" with the Pool (elemental wrapped around face).

New members don't know the final goal- only vague hints and half truths until they have been molded and about to perform a mission/be inducted into the Cult.
 Cult doesn't tell them this, they think the communion with the Pool is final, but they do let them out one more time to "see the world through diffferent eyes."
"How will we breathe in a world of water?"
"You won't have to. You will be water."

Small group. Maybe around 100. Blind folded and led to the Pool. Directly beneath the Plant. Clarissa can hear the hum of machinery.

[Why Clarissa refuses infusion- Census Office becomes the cult. Uses the same tactics. Davoust saw it sooner and jumped ship for more freedom. Rylan denies it. Rylan tries to persuade her by pointing out that she'd slow the group down if unenhanced.

The cult leader? Who is he? Feels to me more like first among equals rather than a narcissist. Would be interesting to have her preconceived notions of narcissism broken. The cult is actually better in some ways than the Census Office.

Maybe the elemental uses animals to keep tabs on the cultists. That is why they do animal experiments? "Guard dogs" are there to allow the elemental to be mobile in secret?

Cult ideaology: not "shedding the human container," but merging and becoming one with "higher" beings (elementals). Write a pamphlet. We are all more one element than another. That is the path to salvation. Water dominant people are the leaders because of the elemental. Infusions of all kinds happen.

The cultists are not trying to destroy the Plant or even loot it, they protect it. Show this by capturing an Outsider Incursion team. They appear each to be drowned in the Pool, but the elemental is ravaging their minds to learn more and then suffocate them. Their struggles are resisting mental assault. When Davoust merges with the elemental, she gets knowledge of imbibing and of negative/positive energy.

The cult has less manipulation than normal. Do they? Fringe or potential members come and go and never see the real cult areas. Higher ups are calm and capable and do not have any desire to leave.

p133. The factors making up a cult. Very good. Appears on the outside to be anti-establishment, and they are, but they actually protect the Plant. The elemental knows what's coming and wants to wreck the world.

Clarissa proves herself and is subjected to a "baptism," but is rejected (though molded) for further infusion. Her air nature prevents her from moving forward in cult leadership. She is told not to worry though, the day of judgement is one containing all the elements and she will find salvation. No, she must cleanse herself through ritual and communion. Her elemental makeup begins to be manipulated by the elemental.

The leader and inner circle have literally been brainwashed. Infused with water (knowledge from the elemental is divine inspiration), they require periodic sessions (think of a term) to restore their faith or something. This is how they avoid Infusion addiction. Or at least the negative side effects. That is also how they are controlled- they are addicts.

Influence by Cialdini & 1984. The Three Languages of Politics.

With Davoust inside you, you can become the Cult Leader. I think I will get rid of this- I want Davoust outside.

Initiates change their names and speak in water and moisture-based terms. This is not mandated, it just happens. Clarissa goes from air terms to water terms after her baptism.

p156. look at the whole list and p158- the phases - especially No. 3 for non water dominant people. Thought terminating cliches. "All doubts go out with the tide" or something. Work on that. This is critical to Clarissa starting to believe the bullshit and make the reader think she is going to succumb.

When accused of being a cult, how do they respond? Laugh maybe? We all worship or everything is a cult. We just found what works for us. Or something about the peace found by knowing your true nature and submitting to it.

The cult keeps non water dominant people around by by saying they need more purification. The water elemental eventually molds (painfully) their nature into something more like itself. It doesn't actually work because the water elemental can't manipulate or conceive of the other elements, but it tries.

p162. The wisdom of our feelings is stilled. Is the elemental manipualting the initiates connection with emotions? Does this allow Davoust to become a master manipulator.

Interesting thought: fires are restricted and only allowed well away from the Pool. Don't they have electricity? Maybe they splice into the network directly because they are below it. Anything more than a candle, that is. Imbued weapons are forbidden and considered abominations, water fasts are required, Fight Club-like inititaion? Some dark corrolary to Outsider or Sweep Team initiations. Food is controlled, water based, soups, etc.

p165 Influence techniques 1961 Milgram study

p171 "Discipling." This is what I want to use for the cult. The elemental is trying to recreate their water natures to look like itself. Each new member is assigned a senior initiate.

Clarissa is encouraged to to be more water-like. She says, "I think" and her mentor stops her. "No wonder you are lost, to think is to drift unmoored. Sink back into yourself and be submerged in feeling. You will find clarity there."

Clarissa lets it be known (hints) that she recently lost her family (raid on an outlying farm, not from here) and dropped out of a STEM-type education. She's into DIs because she wants simultaneously to forget her past but also she doesn't do drugs because she wants to feel the emotion of it all. This dissonence makes her an ideal candidate for her friend to recruit. Her friend has changed- she appears different, talks different, walks different. Clarissa does not recognize her at first.

The mythology of the leader. He was chosen- there were several dead bodies around the Pool when he came to it. Down on his luck (make up some story). The truth is that the elemental accidentally killed the others, not being used to human biology. This guy was water dominant and this added to the elementals knowledge from its previous mistakes, he became the first follower.