Cult of Ecstasy

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: Ecstacy 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'. 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. --pg 57, Mage: the Ascension (Revised)

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.

Philosophy
A cultist employs their methods in pursuit of Passion(emotion), often the Nine Sacred Passions, knowing that only passion can take them high enough to surpass human boundaries and reach the eternal moment. Some are more enlightened than others as to the true purpose and source of emotion, but the pursuit is the same.

There are guidelines that have been passed down from the founder known as the Code of Anada. Their purpose is the topic of some debate, but they act to protect Cultists and others from their passions. Central to the Code are rules forbidding the forcing of your passion on another (such as spiking your friend's pasta with peyote), as the Cult believes each person must want to find their own paths to enlightenment.

Dark Ages
They were previously known as the Seers of Chronos until the head of the tradition announced they would change their name.

Factions

 * Aghoris
 * Acharne
 * Dissonance Society
 * Fellowship of Pan
 * Hagalaz
 * K'an Lu
 * Klubwerks

Sects

 * Confrérie de Chango
 * Dervish
 * Erzuli Jingo
 * Fifth World Tribe
 * Kiss of Astarte
 * Maenads
 * roda do jogo
 * los sangradores
 * Studiosi
 * umilyenye

Culture
The view from outside the Cult is that life is one never-ending party. For some younger Cultists, 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.

The Code of Ananda is upheld by most Cultists. These laws act to protect Cultists from their passions and each other. Central to the Code are rules forbidding the forcing of your passion on another (such as spiking your friend's pasta with peyote), as the Cult believes each person must want to find their own paths to enlightenment. However, there are 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.