Chapter 25: Preparation Before Engagement
“Of the three most major cults, there are none more deranged than those of the Rattle Bone cult. Believed to be the most mentally unstable of all the cults, they are an organization made up of mad necromancers that delight in collecting the bones of people to use in their macabre idols. Of the many necrotic orders that have existed throughout recorded history, the Rattle Bone cult is believed to be the most powerful and knowledgeable in the black arts of necromancy.
“In the past, many saw necromancers as wizards who tried to understand the nature of death through cruel, and now illegal methods. All usually done in the pursuit of immortality. But, this is not a standard that can be applied to the Rattle Bone cult. Even so, people have commonly mistaken this cult as an organization that operates like the stereotypical necromancers from old stories. Its members have not shown any interest in studying necromancy for those conventional reasons. It seems that their obsession with necromancy is simply a tool for them to help collect bones.
“This cult mainly makes up its membership from aspiring, but failed artists. As such, It is sometimes also referred to as the ‘Cult of the Mad Artist’. It is not entirely understood how or why so many of its members are made up of current and former artists.
“Interrogations from members of this cult have revealed something they refer to simply as the ‘Rattle’. It has been described as: purpose, inspiration, a sound, and a feeling. The ‘Rattle’ is often used as an unintelligible reasoning as to why they engage in such unbelievable acts of inhuman cruelty.
“This cult has been observed and written about for centuries, but the goals and actions of this cult remain unintelligible and relatively unknown even today.“
—Writings of Light Scholar Lukka on “The Machinations of the Nameless Cults”
On the west side of the Graheel, Joe was sitting in a small teahouse called Sunny’s. He was sipping a really dark tea while snacking on a few baked goods the tea-house sold, all while reading a local newspaper. He was currently waiting for Mike and Dan.
It had been a week since Dan joined and they talked with Jack.