Another story from a TaleWorld's user, SXIII, made this very nice tale about the rise of the Snake Cult.
I'll post the first part today and the other 2 parts i'll post untill the end of the week.
"Little is known about the The Serpent Cult and even this is more than often shrouded in myths and legends.According to what little we know the cult was founded by Laorea, a daughter of a wealthy merchant noble in one of the many costal cities of the Baccus Empire, in the year 718 of the Baccusain calendar (182 after the founding of Pendor).
At the age of 17 Laorea was married to a promising young officer of the Baccusian navy. At first this marriage was everything she had dreamed of and they were regarded by many as one of the happiest couples in the city. Her happiness quickly ceased after his ship sank in a storm only 2 miles from the city harbour. She remarried at the age of 18 but as she soon discovered her new husband was far from gallant and loving as her first husband was.
He was a regular at the brothels and rarely missed a party, while she remained alone at home.Disgusted by her new husband and still mourning the loss of the first, she became increasingly obssesed with strange rituals she belived would give her strenght to regain the attention of her husband or at least let her forget the shame and sorrow she was feeling.
As months passed by so did the rumors of her behaviour spread. There were stories of young men and women slaves found naked and mutilated outside the city limits as well as smaller body parts carried around the district, where her houses was, by dogs.
As the number of these events increased so did the attention Laorea was getting from the people and though most of it was disgust and fear there was also a small number of those who saw it as an oppurtunity to satisfy their darkest secrets. With a small group of followers she founded The Serpent Cult (their first ''official'' sacrifice was her bohemian husband) . The central part of the rituals was the sacrificial ceremonies to the unnamed goddess in the form of a snake (which is where the cult's name comes from).
The cult spread rapidly by promising power and success to its followers and it was not long until Laorea and her cult become the most powerful group in the city.
Since by now she was very influencial she managed to presuade/force of the city council to build The Snake temple and ban all other religions within the city limits. Under her leadership the cult solidified its power and status and in 721 of the Baccusain calendar (185 since the founding of Pendor) they started to spread their belief through the entire Empire. Laorea now found herself a new goal in life to bring everyone under the rule of the snake goddess. In the next 16 years cult worship has spread to every corner of the Empire and in all of the society. In the year 737 (201 since the founding of Pendor) Laorea now aged 38 requested the Emperor to declare a law saying that The Serpent Cult is the only true religion and all the other are baned under the punishment of death.
The Emperor outraged by such a bold demand rejected her request and issued a law preventing any Serpent Cult worshiper to work in the military or any public service, effectivly taking away their power to influence the politics of the Empire.
The Cult went silent and it seemed that the Emperor succeded in reducing their power.
In the next year 738 (202 since the founding of Pendor) the greatest Baccusian general Oasar and a large expeditionary army set sail for Pendor. With the best of the Empires military away, Laorea and her cult came out of the dark. The exact details are unknown, but apparently Laoera used the time when the known members of the cult weren't allowed hold to be in public or military positions to secretly infiltrate her people to the highest ranks and build an army.
What followed was a total disaster. The Emperor along with his familly and several of the highest officialls and advisors were assasinate and in the issueing chaos The Serpent Cult armies swept the Empire killing and destroying any trace of other religions and using the captured in sacrificial offerings to the goddess for the success she gave them.
By the end of 738 (202 s.t.f. of Pendor) the Empire was no more and since then The Serpent Cult has been firmly in its place instead of it.
Gaius the librarian of the Janus military academy"
Thank you SXIII, for allowing me to put this story.
Cheers.
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