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關於the enemies,參見Cultist (Fallout 76)


The Cult of the Mothman (or simply the Mothman Cult) is a religious faction in Appalachia that worships the Mothman.

Background[]

Pre-War history[]

Prior to the Great War, the "Mothman" was a mythical creature in local Appalachian folklore that was described as a terrifying half-man, half-moth hybrid that stalked the area around the town of Point Pleasant.[1] The story of the Mothman was sensational enough to create a wide following, ranging from cryptid hobbyists to aggressive conspiracy theorists hellbent on uncovering the deeper mystery of the creature. The Mothman's legend led to a number of tourist attractions, such as the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant. Stories and other popular fiction were sold as novelty holotape recordings.

Despite its local fame, interest in the Mothman was generally insignificant and it was not seen as worthy of genuine inquiry by the scientific community.[2] However, while the legend of the Mothman was seen by most as a simple folktale, a serious clandestine following of the creature eventually began to emerge: the mysterious Cult of the Mothman. Its followers, fervent in their worship of the Mothman as a divine being, practiced numerous rituals and established many hidden shrines that can still be found all over post-War Appalachia.

The cult itself has existed in secret since long before the Great War, viewing the Mothman as a way to predict the future, and frequently attempted to summon him to do as such.[3][4][5] They also sought out the creature in order to obtain blessings, as well as immortality and divinity.[6]

On October 22, 2077, only a day before nuclear Armageddon was unleashed across the world, the cult conducted a ritual to summon the Mothman. One member identified as Brother Charles claimed that the ritual succeeded and that the Mothman had warned him of a terrible flood that would occur the next day, which could only be survived by reaching high ground. The cult took this warning seriously and informed its other members.[3][7]

Splitting of the church and the Enlightened[]

However, Charles alone received a vision from the purple-eyed Wise Mothman, and guided his followers to the safety of the Lucky Hole Mine instead.[8] After Charles shared his experience with the other cultists, this apparently splintered the cult, with some choosing to stand upon the rooftops of Point Pleasant the following morning, while others followed Charles to the mine. In the end, the followers who went with Charles to the mine survived the apocalypse. It was prophesied that the group would be denied a new home by the faithless three times,[9] and they believe this prophecy was fulfilled when their presence caused the security crew of the mine to abandon the location entirely, explicitly surrendering it to them.[10]

After entering the mine, the group constructed numerous shanty housings and shrines throughout. It appears that the group had deviated from worshiping the original deity of the Mothman, as evident from the numerous holotapes of Jeff Lane that can be found in Point Pleasant and Lucky Hole Mine. He described the Mothman as a "creature" but expressed a desire to seek out the hidden horrors of his mind.[11] This came to fruition with "the Interloper," who contacted Lane and others in the Lucky Hole Mine through some sort of telepathy, luring them deeper into the mine to find him. At this time, Lane expressed himself as a "vessel" for the Interloper.[12] Those who refused to worship the Interloper became a splinter sect called the Enlightened and they would eventually leave West Virginia and settle at a church known as the Lantern, leaving the "Dim Ones," worshippers of the red-eyed "Holy" Mothman, in the mine.

The "Dim Ones"[]

For years, the cultists explored post-War Appalachia, building shrines in all regions except for the Cranberry Bog. The cult was not only comprised of lone members, but included family units.[13] They refer to each other as "brothers of the Wood"[14] and commit ritual suicide by imbibing poisoned drinks.[14][15] In their cosmology, they believe they are in direct contact with an entity they call "the Wood" or "the Woods," always capitalized, which they believe to have multiple voices[16] and which brings them gifts[17][18] in exchange for sacrificial offerings.[16][19] They also invoke this entity as "The Eyes of the Forest."[14] They worship him at holy springs.[20] They assign great spiritual significance to the entity's blood,[9][21] and the blood of the Firstborn of the Wood.[22] They fear Mothman as a god.[23][24] They intend to "Grow out to Him."[18]

The cultists were guided in their worship of this deity by a figure known as the First Priestess of the Wood.[25] They believe their beliefs to be observable truth.[18] In turn, the Enlightened look down on them as believers in the supernatural,[26][27] and claim to study "the physical reality of the mothman."[26] The Enlightened refer to the idol of the Dim Ones as "the Deceiver" and "the Pretender Mothman."[8]

The "Dim Ones" eventually left Appalachia or died there with their remains as evidence.

Current history[]

However, by 2103, the "Dim Ones" returned en masse and thrived in Appalachia, their self-proclaimed holy ground, driving out or otherwise destroying those that would oppose them or their beliefs.[28] Settling around the region, including Point Pleasant, Clancy Manor and Kanawha County Cemetery, the Cult of the Mothman grew once more. One cultist mentioned that their return was partially motivated by the search for a deceased entomologist by the name of Dr. Wallace, who had written their doctoral thesis on the moths of the Appalachian region.[29][30]

During the seasonal Equinox, members of the Enlightened return to Point Pleasant in honor of the purple-eyed Wise Mothman, while the Dim Ones try to interfere.

Technology[]

FO76WL Cultists

Differing perspectives of an average Cultist

The Cult of the Mothman is very primitive in nature, using a combination of wood, bones, wire, leather, vines, and cloth to construct their armor and shrines. For weaponry, the cultists prefer melee weaponry, using scraps of metal and black titanium to construct blades and crudely fasten them to different parts of a deer bone and/or antlers as handles.[31]

Their base construction consists of utilizing pre-existing structures and modifying them with bones, vines, wood, and otherwise to create shelters and altars. Cultist structures can also include the bones/ribcages of large creatures, similar to the bones found underneath the waters in the Big Maw.[32]

Locations[]

The cult maintains shrines and resides or used to reside in various locations throughout and beyond Appalachia, including:

Named members[]

Cult of the Mothman[]

  • Brother Moncrief Dead
  • Bronx
  • Roland Mentioned
  • Sage (formerly)

The Enlightened[]

主页面: The Enlightened

A friendly splinter faction, which worships the purple-eyed Wise Mothman. For a list of members, see their page.

Unnamed[]

A group that worships the Interloper, or the Firstborn of the Wood. Following visions received by Jeff Lane, they were led by the high priestess to the Lucky Hole Mine. As the First Priestess of the Wood, she led the group's religious prayers in the short-lived sanctuary.[35]

  • First Priestess of the Wood
  • Jeff Lane Mentioned

Variants[]

主页面: Cultist (Fallout 76)

Interactions with the player character[]

Sites of the cult's influence can be found across Appalachia, especially in regions such as the Forest and the Mire. The sites themselves can be as small as unmarked thickets with ritual totems and corpses, to as large as the labyrinthine depths of the Lucky Hole Mine.

The ritual bindings and ritual mask are clothing items of the cult's make, and can commonly be found in areas of their influence. The cultist dagger and cultist blade are weapons of similar origin.

The cult makes a return in the Wastelanders update. The cult can be found in Point Pleasant but also wandering around Appalachia and will attack the player character on sight. There is no known way to join the cult.

When killed, the cultists speak their last words, asking the Mothman to take them to his paradise, saying things like "I go to the divine light," "The divine light...I can see it," and "I regret nothing." If able to eavesdrop on cultists while they are praying, they can be heard asking the Mothman to give them its strength, punish the non-believers, and come to save them when the day of reckoning comes.

Appearances[]

The Cult of the Mothman appears only in Fallout 76. In the launch version of the game, they were only mentioned or appeared as corpses. In Wastelanders, they were expanded to become human enemies. The lore of the cult was expanded on in the Night of the Moth update.

Gallery[]

Artwork[]

Screenshots[]

References[]

  1. Fallout 76 loading screens: "According to local folklore - as well as a statue and museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia - the Mothman is a terrifying half-man, half-moth hybrid. Pray you never encounter it and learn the truth."
  2. KMAX Transmission terminal entries; KMAX Talk Radio show notes, The Conspiracy
  3. 3.0 3.1 Sermon: Summoning the Mothman
  4. The Path to Enlightenment
  5. Fallout 76 loading screens: "The Cult of the Mothman is made up of fanatics who seek the blessings of the enigmatic creature known as the Mothman, which they believe is a divine being."
  6. Fallout 76 loading screens: "The Mothman cultists seek to become one with the divine light, and they believe the Mothman will guide the worthy to this sacred source of everlasting life."
  7. Sermon: Impending doom
  8. 8.0 8.1 Exodus
  9. 9.0 9.1 His home
  10. Lucky Hole Mine terminal entries
  11. Interloper
  12. The Chosen
  13. Cultist's reply
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Cultist's final pleas
  15. Ongoing suicide rituals at Kanawha County Cemetery and Quarry X3.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Cultist's scrawlings: "Let the voices of the Woods join us with pomp in the festivities."
    "Now we must busy ourselves in preparation for tonight's offering."
  17. Cultist's scrawlings: "Just today with his whispering and beckoning we came across this camp, another gift from the Woods, deepening our gratitude and solidifying our bond."
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Sermon notes
  19. He agrees
  20. His springs
  21. His blood
  22. His birth
  23. False Gods of Appalachia
  24. Sayings of Alicia
  25. His Priestess
  26. 26.0 26.1 On the Thesis of Wallace
  27. Catechism of Hilary
  28. Fallout 76 loading screens: "To the cultists who worship the Mothman, Appalachia is holy ground, and all non-believers must be driven out... or destroyed."
  29. Letter (Wastelanders)
  30. On the Thesis of Wallace
  31. As seen in the Cultist dagger and Cultist blade
  32. As seen at Moth-Home
  33. Creed: "Bunch of psychos in robes. They think our turf is some kind of holy land, and they'll risk death to protect it."
    (Creed's dialogue)
  34. The church has a giant Mothman effigy
  35. His Priestess

Template:Navbox Wastelanders Template:Navbox Cult of the Mothman

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