Cerulean
From Mizahar Lore
 A lost child of Wysar. | |
| Leader | None |
|---|---|
| Population | Several Hundred |
| Most common in | Riverfall |
| Reputation | The Lost |
| Faction gods | Wysar & Akajia |
| Stronghold | The Cerulean Tower |
Contents |
Abstract
The Cerulean cult is comprised of those Akalak individuals that have either consciously or unconsciously allowed the darker half of their dual personae to become the more dominant personality trait. They have perhaps even more veneration for Wysar than other Akalak which can be accredited to their great respect and awe of his self-control. These are the most dangerous Akalak and are obviously marked by their tattooed face which quickly announces their crude state to anyone familiar with its meaning. The Akalak in this cult are unworthy of maintaining their surnames, so they are dropped completely and in many cases forgotten forever.
Membership
The only members of the Cerulean are those Akalak deemed by the Council of Elders, or Wysar himself, to have completely lost the desire or ability to maintain control over their conflicting personalities. Often this decision is not completely black and white and in many instances an Akalak is put on a watch-list until further evidence can be gathered about their personality and actions in different situations. These members of the community are considered very dangerous and though they continue to socialize with others within Riverfall, they are sentenced to have their faces permanently marked in various colors so any citizen of Riverfall can recognize them immediately. Wysar has been known to personally convict some Akalak as having let their more dominant and sinister side run rampant and punishes them, or in some respects he helps them, by membership into the Cerulean cult.
Maintaining Membership
Cerulean Akalak have no hope of ever returning to the normal status of other Akalak from whence they came. They will never lose membership from the cult regardless of what they try to do to revert their membership and most of them simply lack any desire to go back. It is rumored that some cult members actively pursue exoneration by Wysar and that some have even been saved by the god and have realigned their personalities, but nobody has ever witnessed one of these rumored men. In order for the Council of Elders and the Akalak as a whole to continue to keep the Cerulean as part of their society, the cult must continue to be of some use to the race. Due to their darker thought processes, the Cerulean are not allowed to marry as they may be capable of brutalizing their wives. However, the cult is regularly tasked by Riverfall leadership to carry out those deeds that other Akalak are less inclined to be able to perform such as cleansing an area of an undesirable—albeit an innocent—intruder or inhabitant or doing anything that a more innocent and kind conscious may show objection to.
Hierarchy
Though Cerulean Akalak have no surnames, it is not rare to find they still belong with their family. Some have the sense that becoming a member of the Cerulean is a relegation to a lower caste within society. And though it is true that their personalities do not lend themselves well to taking over leadership roles within Riverfall, they are instead only tasked for the less desirable assignments other Akalak would not so easily be able to perform. A lack of staying constantly busy improving the city or developing other abilities frees time for the Cerulean to train on weapons and warrior tactics. Because of this extra time spent training, members are often some of the most skilled warriors of the Akalak. The cult is still keenly aware of the Akalak plight and does their part when they can. When the Council of Elders convicts a woman of a crime punishable by death, the Cerulean often receive the woman strictly for reproductive purposes. Her life is completely theirs to carry more Akalak children and those that are infertile or do not have successful births are relieved of their services and their lives. Some Cerulean have been known to have completely rid themselves of any remnant of their lighter half and these members have actually been banned from Riverfall proper after being tattooed further and pushed out of the community. There are two outposts on the outskirts of the top tier on the Cyphrus grasslands where these outcast members reside a perfect distance from the city.
Appearances
Being so ordered by the Council of Elders, members of the Cerulean immediately have their faces completely covered in bright designs contrasting from their natural blue skin. Their entire faces are covered in an effort by the Akalak to immediately quell any question of their personality and what these men are capable of. Another effect of this branding is that if a Cerulean ever wanders away from Riverfall, people will not automatically associate the sinister Cerulean with being a member of the Akalak race. This advantage, combined with the fact that Cerulean may obtain Gnosis Marks from other deities, allows members to become the spies and assassins of the Akalak and Riverfall. If not for their faces, somebody would be required to observe their behavior in many situations in order to distinguish the difference between them and their brethren. Many times, this lengthy observation period may prove to hurt a person before they realize their flaw.