Becoming the Nemesis in Rise of Moloch: Introducing The Cult

In 1818, many of the solid, well-established religious beliefs that were held to be fact were turned on their head. That was the year famed archeologist, Lord Petrie, discovered a living mummy, Anpoù, while excavating a burial site in Meidoun. All the extensive knowledge that Petrie had acquired through his years of studying ancient tribes was proven to be, at best, only half the story. Anpoù, the thousand-year-old man, revealed himself to be the former personal architect of Imhotep II, known as the Black Pharaoh.

It appears that the rise of cult activity in the times of the pharaohs caused the more enlightened of the people to go into a dormant state to await the coming of an illuminated age that would embrace the rule of Imhotep once more. This group was freed from moral considerations and performed a number of miracles through sacred ritual. Not the least of those miracles was the ability to raise the dead and force them into menial labor. Once that knowledge became widespread, the problem of the great works was resolved. No longer would dangerous, repetitive tasks be given to humans. An army of loyal, compliant workers was raised from the grave and put immediately to work.

Petrie, on his return to London, founded The Cult, an evangelical religious organization seeking to install the rule of Imhotep from beyond the grave and recreate the fantastic rituals of the past. With the rumored potential of offering immortality, many of the nobles of London found themselves drawn to The Cult, so its numbers swelled.

The parents of Sir Douglas Turnbull were among the first to join the ranks of The Cult. He grew up amongst its members and the ancient rituals that were performed on a regular basis. Turnbull, through his connections, was able to gain access to scrolls that spoke of a deity even older than the Black Pharaoh: Moloch, a being borne of fire that, Turnbull believed, offered power beyond imagination. He abandoned the goals The Cult had for bringing back the rule of Imhotep and started secretly working to summon an even more powerful deity as the High Priest of Moloch.