Cult of Ecstasy

Tradition Sphere: Time

Paradigm
Many see the Cultists as little more than wanton hedonists, but the truth is more sophisticated. While it is true that many of them employ sex, drugs, music and dance in their magic, their true goal is indicatd in their name: Ecstasy comes from the latin ex stasis which actually means 'out of stasis'. The Ecstatics seek to transcend the illusions of reality and see the world without boundaries where their conciousness spans all space and time. This is known as the Eternal Moment. Sometimes also referred to as touching Lakashim, the heartbeat of the world.

Other tools employed by them can be equally potent - ritualised self-mutilation, fasting and extreme physical activities are less used, but equally a part of the cult. The best description in the book is as follows:

The Cult thrives in the eternal second at the height of an elegant dance, the shuddering sensitivity of total exhaustion, and the lateral thoughts of an opened mind.

There are a million ways to reach this, so trying to define their paradigm without explaining the basic philosophy behind it is all but impossible.

Culture
The view from outside the Cult is that life is one never-ending party. For some younger Ecstatics, this might be true, as they drunkenly lurch from one debauchery to the next, trying to find enlightenment. Most of the Ecstatics know that most things are best sampled in moderation, lest their passions become blunted and thus ruined for them - although a Cultist's idea of "moderation" might be quite different to the average person's.

If you look beneath the stereotyping, the Cult itself is filled with contradictions and controversy even among it's members. Most of whom seem to quite enjoy the lively and passionate debate. Even things passed down through the ages are often debated. One such is the Code of Ananda, upheld by some and outright rejected by others. These guidelines act to protect Cultists from their passions and each other, but are not accepted by all Ecstatics. A second is a book written by Tali Eos called the Nine Sacred Passions, which is less in itself debated, but more the approach to persuing passions.

It truly is that the only constant there lies within the Cult is the constant of Change. Although there is a persisting belief that Lakashim (Synonomous with Life) is holy. There are, however, some individuals who care little for the lives of Sleepers and quite happily sate their lust for perversion, rape, murder or worse on those around them. Such individuals are severely punished by the Cult - if they can be caught. William Ethrac is one such notorious individual who has so far eluded all attempts at capture.