The Cult of Consumption

Doctrine:

The Cult of Consumption believes that the cycle of life and death is incomplete without literal reclamation by the community. They see the body as the final gift, a sacred vessel of nourishment and communion. To be consumed is the ultimate act of devotion—a transcendence of self and ego. This belief is symbolized by the phrase: "To feed the flesh is to feed the flame of unity."

Origins:

Founded in an isolated mountain commune during a famine centuries ago, the first Consumption was seen as an act of mercy and sacrifice. Since then, it has evolved into ritual. Sacred texts recount “The First Feast,” where the founder, Mother Thera, offered herself in old age to feed the starving. Her flesh is said to have cured disease, instilled visions, and brought the commune back from the brink. She is worshiped as “The First Course.”

Rituals:

• The Ripening: Children are taught that their life is a preparation. Each year, they are given nutritional regimens and physical care to “ripen” them. “To grow strong is to grow delicious,” they are told.

• Feastdays: On feastdays, past members who reached their Culmination (consensual offering age) are remembered. Paintings, bones, or their prepared dishes are displayed. Songs are sung in their honor, often while eating parts of preserved flesh.

• The Culmination: Upon reaching 33 (Thera's age at her offering), members undergo a celebratory procession where they are given the choice to Culminate. Most accept, raised to believe this moment is glorious. Their body is prepared by the sacred Butchers, blessed, and served in a family-style meal to the commune.

Child Rearing:

From infancy, children are raised in kitchens and gardens. They learn how to prepare food, especially human meat. They attend feasts where they witness the respectful preparation of the Culminated. Puppets and songs teach the joy of one day being eaten. “One day, you will be the Sunday Roast,” they chant with pride.

Cultural Art:

Images of beautifully plated human parts are revered as sacred icons. Faces, limbs, and hearts covered in sauces and paired with fruits (especially cherries, symbolizing the sweetness of life) are displayed in every home. One famous painting, "Cherry-Glazed Devotion", shows a sleeping child already being plated.

Taboos:

• Waste is sin. Every part must be used.

• Unauthorized death or forced consumption is heresy.

• Eating non-cult flesh is impure.

Punishment:

Those who break the code are either exiled or sentenced to “The Bitter Boil”—a method of preparation that is purposefully unflavored, as a mark of shame.

Recruitment & Expansion:

Outsiders are occasionally invited for ritual feasts as a test of faith. If they partake, they are welcomed. If not, they are pitied, seen as spiritually malnourished.