Emblems of the Society of the White Camellia, also known simply as the Society from my story
Butcher Hollow.
The Society of the White Camellia was a cult which played an important, though brief, part in the history of the town of Butcher Hollow, Maryland. Founded by a man named Samuel Pryor, many of the town's residents quickly became adherents to it's doctrine, letting Society beliefs infiltrate nearly all levels of Butcher Hollow life.
Unlike other religious institutions, like Pastor Mark Reeves' Dunkard Church, the Society had no real concrete theology. Instead, it's doctrines were the dictats of it's leader and prophet, Samuel Pryor. Although Pryor constantly altered the Society's religious sermons as he attempted to manipulate the town's residents and climb to power, there were a few elements that remained consistent throughout his rise. Pryor claimed that he had received a vision from "god" to go to Butcher Hollow and "save" the town from "destruction." Pryor likewise stressed the need for Society adherents to live by "god's virtues" in order to obtain (and later maintain) their salvation. Although these virtues changed person to person, two components remained consistent; unceasing obedience and sacrifice. Pryor claimed that he had sacrificed everything while obeying god's message to come to Butcher Hollow, and he demanded that the members of the Society likewise obey and sacrifice not just for god, but for god's prophet as well. Over time, Pryor's role in the Society began to slowly change. The distinction between god and god's prophet became increasingly blurred, and Pryor's rhetoric became increasingly over the top and apocalyptic. His, and thus the Society's, views on what constituted the vague "destruction" or "evil" became markedly radicalized as he poised himself to assume total control over Butcher Hollow and squash out the last remnants of resistance to his tyranny.
Although the Society incorporated many Christian symbols into it's iconography, and Biblical verses in it's sermons, Pryor's doctrine ultimately rejected many of Christianity's core tenants. The Society focused heavily on achieving salvation and deliverance from the town's earthly problems during a human's life on earth, and Pryor never mentioned the existence of a heaven, hell, or after life. The Society preached the need for total obedience to god and Pryor, and did not believe that believers were automatically saved just by holding faith in god or Pryor. When questioned by Pastor Reeves, Pryor seemed to not know the meaning or purpose of common Christian practices, like baptism. Pryor also openly mocked Jack Bolton's and Reeves' faith, questioning why their God could not deliver riches for His followers on earth while he (Pryor) could.
Pryor demonstrated a seemingly remarkable ability to fix people's problems, though this was arguably because of his close connections with figures like local mogul Patrick Fenton and town mayor Greg Dahlgren. Pryor himself presumably came from some wealth, given his background as an employee in a federal law enforcement agency (where he claimed to monitor and deal with suspicious cult-like leaders), and he had a notable charisma which he used to manipulate and exploit town residents into joining his Society. As such he quickly gained influence over many people in Butcher Hollow, and thus an indirect influence over many of the town's important functions, such as the school, the police office, the civic building, and the grocery store. As his rhetoric radicalized his followers remained steadfast in their obedience to him, ostracizing those in Butcher Hollow who were not known members of the Society. Many homes and business (including the grocery store and civic center) hung Society emblems or portraits of Pryor up, and people began wearing similar looking clothing to identify themselves as "Redeemed," or being a follower of Pryor. Those who did not wear this "uniform" (bought from stores owned by Pryor's confidant, Fenton) were severely discriminated against, as in the case of a girl named Hannah, who was attacked by her peers during school, and a woman shopping at the grocery store, who was run out of the store while being beaten and chastised by Society devotees.
Although many of the Society's early symbols were largely based off of existing religious emblems, it began to develop sigils of it's own. Particularly radicalized members abandoned the Gregorian calendar in favor of a new one based around the date of Pryor's appearance in town, which was deemed as the first day of the first year. Six was a prominent number, as Saturday, the day the Society held it's religious sessions, was the sixth day of the week on the new calendar.
The White Camellia was the name given to the cult by Pryor. He claimed that the name was symbolic; the camellia flower, which bloomed in the dark winter, was representative of the town's own "blooming" as it adhered unceasingly to god's (and Pryor's) virtues, and white was meant to convey the image of purity within man if he obeyed and sacrificed for god and Pryor. The Society's emblem is heavily derived from the Luther rose, albeit the Christian cross and heart are removed and replaced by a different cross and sunrise. A later sigil, adopted in roughly the same span of time as the new calendar, more closely imitates the camellia shape. It contains multiple symbols; at the center the rune for Tyr and sacrifice, one of the central virtues of god; around it the numbers 1, 6, and 1, representing important dates in the Society calendar, and several other runes, all reversed.
The Society did not have a proper "Bible" or any other holy book. Instead it derived it's doctrines from Pryor's sermons and dictats, although several Bibles from the Dunkard church were found with the Gospel and most other New Testament books torn out, and Society emblems carved on them. Given Pryor's incorporation of apocalyptic, millennialism-esque rhetoric and references to Biblical events (especially in Revelation), and the similarity between god's "virtues" and Mosaic Law, it is possible that these represented some form of Society scripture, possibly similar to the Islamic Hadith.
[The true meaning, as far as I'm aware, of the reversed runes are, clockwise from top to bottom; conflict, obligation (greed), and false hope. Indeed everything but the sacrifice rune are reversed on the sigil (including the numbers, which spell out "161" while read left to right) ] .