Mythos and History

There is considerable debate as to whether Lem is a real god or demigod. None of the (admittedly scanty and piecemeal) records of Godstime mention him, the cult does not appear in historical records before the 39^th century, and even those are unreliable; the first reliable citations date from the 41^st century. If he does indeed exist, as such, he could have been summoned to Celduin (á la the "Death God" Nyarlathotep) or have appeared through the Void.

Some reports claim that Lem is a spirit of retribution sent to Celduin to chastise the strong and to give the poor the strength to destroy the moneyed classes and take their wealth for themselves.

Lem is depicted in idolatry as a silver leem. He is alternately described as the "Silver Wonder." In some instances, he is referred to indirectly: "By Flem" or "By Glem" have been heard, and is believed to be misdirection rather than references to subservient cults or spirits; none such are known.

Known outbreaks of the cult in recent years include Indris (4462); Vallia and Warwik (4471); Chaeronia and Oricha (4472); Valon, Vallia and Sharangil (4477); the Ebony Coast (4480), Thrinakia (4493) and Warwik City (4499). The cult is believed to exist in ongoing isolation in the Talendi backcountry, on the Kataki isles, in northern Thrinakia, in Avanar, and in Menahem.

Nature of the Cult

Concrete information on doctrine is sparse at best. A universal aspect of the cult is the torture and sacrifice of young girls, between the ages of seven and fourteen; sacrifices after puberty are very rarely recorded. However, the cult is not otherwise known to preach misogyny. The cult preaches to the poor and underclasses about a better life to be had, with a distinct theme of rebellion against the nobility and moneyed classes, and that they should stand shoulder to shoulder with their own against all comers. Marriage and funeral rites are known to have been performed, but few themes seem standard.

Sacred times coincide at nighttime on new phases of any of the three moons and always are celebrated with sacrifice; sacrifices are very rare in meetings or ceremonials outside such times. Speculations that devotees of Varuna, Vasha and/or Mitra thereby have especial power against Lem are unproven.

Lem is one of the most hated of the Pariah Cults; all eight major religions, as well as the Valar and the troll cults, have pronounced anathema upon it.

Organization

The Lem cult is a classic secret society; wandering priests, attended by one or more acolytes, gather congregations in locales with underclasses or out of the way villages. There are plainly higher echelons in the cult; references to "High-Barons," "High-Earls" and "High-Princes" suggest a chain of command that has not been rooted out and about which there is no knowledge. The large outbreaks in recent years in Vallia (4471) and on Thrinakia (4493) had at their cores a "High-Prince" and a "High-Earl" respectively; the High-Prince in Drakanium suicided before capture and the High-Earl in Freetown escaped. In locales where the cult has taken strong root - Thrinakia being the best example in the past century - it has exercised power with great subtlety and behind the scenes.

Plainly the cult is well-financed, and has little difficulty acquiring the things it wants. Bribery of venal officials is a documented element, and priests invariably travel with skilled mercenaries.

There is no known center of power, and temples to Lem are almost always hidden in out-of-the way or outright secret locations, often borrowing derelict and abandoned temple sites for their rituals; however, large, life-sized idols of Lem (usually silver-plated wood, for those which have been captured) often appear at their temples behind the altar. The cult colors are brown and silver; priests wear simple homespun robes in nothing but, and adherents often bear brown and silver cockades.

Lay Membership

The cult will almost never accept lay members outside of the underclass, and those of the artisan or noble classes who are found to have joined under false pretenses are historically announced as spies and ruthlessly killed. Cultists are inducted in ceremonies in which they receive a mystical mark of a striking silver leem. (1)

Benefits vary widely in reports. The cult is typically well-financed, and provides ample food for the hungry of its flock in post-gathering feasts.

Initiate Membership

Day-to-day business, street preaching and recruitment are handled by acolytes (the temple's priest is only known to appear at ceremonies); a temple will have as many as six. They exhibit some small abilities at magic, including healing, combat and mind control powers. There is no record of these being recruited locally.

The cult makes ample use of mercenaries. Priests will arrive in an area with as many as eight skilled mercenaries, and hires local muscle to fill out the ranks. Surprisingly enough, even such gutter scum have not been known to sell out the cult, and it is presumed that geases of some sort are used to secure their silence.

Priesthood

Nothing is known as to what is required to become a priest and how they are trained; they never appear outside of ceremonials. They are certainly skilled practitioners of combat, mind and body control magics, and are noted orators. Some priests have exhibited power of darkest magic, and all are talented with anti-divinatory powers. Plainly they are trained at a central location; however, they do not appear to be foreign to the lands in which they preach - the "High-Prince" in the Drakanium outbreak of 4471 was revealed to be a Vallian lord from the duchy of Bakan.

Perhaps the strongest evidence of the divinity of Lem is the strong healing powers cult priests evince; they have also been seen to cast binding curses and to summon dreadful spirits to harry known cult enemies.

Conclusion

Some commentators assert that the true goal of the cult is subversion to a political end, and nothing known contradicts this view. However, given the lack of widespread success combined with the evident skill and resources of the cult leaders, it is hard to credit that they would keep trying and failing. Plainly there are many secrets remaining to be uncovered; the rebuttal is that there is another Pariah God behind the cult, using it as a lever by which to weaken society, and that too is plausible given the evidence.

Footnote:

(1) A leem is a large eight-legged weasel-like predator, weighing a couple hundred pounds and with a wedge-shaped head. They are forest dwellers, and commonly have mottled chocolate brown fur. They are extraordinarily hard to kill (among other things, they have two hearts) and are considered apex predators; professional "leemhunters" are widely viewed as crazy.

From a cult depicted in the Scorpio series, by Kenneth Bulmer.

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