Slow up cowboy. Post-collapse Vegasites are certainly influential, but they were far more influential when they had the city. It was among the most important cities in the Southwest. They controlled a lot of trade and even conquered New Mexico for a time. They probably controlled Bajo Colarodo for a time too. Now they're gypsies, likely subject to oppression and pogroms wherever they set foot.
But I agree that the diaspora angle is very interesting.
Posession isn't the right way of looking at it, I don't think.
I like this.
Precisely.
I think Order Halls are seldom going to be huge even in the cities; it's always going to be frowned upon to some extent especially by the Americans.
Maybe some of them but I think for the most part the inland peasantry is basically uninitiated aside from superstitions. Rich inland towns will have them, as will formerly rich inland towns. Perhaps inland towns that underwent Quebecois occupation formed a stronger tradition to coordinate resistance. But mostly in the backwoods (again, with some exceptions) the best you can hope for is folk superstitions and the occasional ritual, with Whatley esque figures largely feared and disliked as witches.
Remember, the cult is far from a New England universal. Its ideas have filtered down but active Order members/initiates are a small minority, and mist poorfolk don't take kindly to rich folk practicing what they see as devil worship (nevermind that in reality they take it far more seriously then the average order member).
Yeah, the nautical theme is extremely prevalent. I'll be borrowing heavily for theology from @DValdron 's excellent write up of the Cthulhu cult. I can link it if you're interested.
Sure
Sorry. I guess I got too exited. Maybe Vegasite architecture is still influential in the lands they once ruled over. Like how Greco-Roman architecture inspired later architectural styles.
The irony of the overlords becoming the oppressed is too good not to use.
They’re at least one party in the complicated mess of connections that is American-controlled New England.
They’re then second only to the Non-Denom churches in town.
I guess it’s appropriate that only the wealthy towns have actual Esoteric Order Halls. Maybe most backwoods followers are trying to make themselves believe that they’re still Christian despite ironically following Esoteric doctrine more stringently than those rich “devil worshipers”. I do like the Esoteric faith being used as a symbol of resistance against the Québécois invaders. The areas where they occupied have stronger Esoteric presences than non-occupied lands.
Most Esoteric missionaries would act like early Christians and cloak their faith in elements of the pre-existing local faith to make it more appealing to the natives.
I’d love to see it. One of the symbols used by Esotericism-practicing sailors would be the stylized eye symbol of Dagon since he’s an ocean deity. Nautical themes are strongest in the coast, naturally.
The state along that small branch off the Frasier River would be named Chilliwack after the river it’s clearly centred on.