The Immortal Path
The Cult of Darmaeus is a widespread but highly secretive religious order dating back to antiquity, and with roots in the east across the Helicosian Sea. The cult is devoted to the worship of an ancient hero figure named Darmaeus, a mortal man who through his great deeds and forging a covenant with the heavens, ascended to immortality. It is principally warrior cult, with most of its members drawn from soldiering professions.
ORIGINS
Many have theorized that the cult of Darmaeus may have been been first derived from the worship of the Sankarite god-king Darama. In more recent history, the worship of Darama was brought to the west by the armies of the Daramadi Heresy - a syncretic religion that claimed Darama and the Prophet Aramat were one. However, the first Darmaic cults in Duatha arrived in antiquity and pre-date the Daramadi Heresy by at least a thousand years.
Both Darama and Darmaeus are strongly associated with military traditions and the bonds of law. As well, both myths feature the ascension from the mortal to the divine. However, any definitive links between these religions have been obscured by time and geography.
In the latter Cyron Age, the worship of Darmaeus began to spread throughout the Old Empire, and today Darmaeums - hidden places of worship - may be found throughout the continent of Duatha. Most are found in the southern Helicos regions, but they exist also in Clarion to the west, and even as far north as Koshkovia.
Some believe that Darmaic practices were first adopted by Cyron soldiers who had fought in the Empire's most remote wars, and that from these places, they brought new gods and superstitions home with them.
The secrecy of the cult of Darmaeus has been a constant throughout its history. Even in the pagan times before the rise of the Trine religions, the myth of Darmaeus was obscure and covert. During the Cyronic Imperial age, when the worship of the God-Titans was common, Darmaism was still considered a foreign influence.
TENETS of DARMAEUS
Darmaeus a patron deity of victory, of oaths, and of seasonal change. By extension, his sphere encompasses warfare, the forming of bonds and contracts, and fortitude through changing times.
Other values associated with Darmaeus are personal freedom and self-reliance - for it is only in the context of free will that pacts and accords have true meaning and weight. A man cannot truly give of himself, swear oaths, or make promises unless he has ownership of his body, and is free to speak and act for himself.
A key feature of the Darmaic cult is an exclusive fraternity of initiates, where membership is earned through service. It has a strong insular presence among those in mercenary traditions.
THE LEORUM
Darmaic lore believes in the existence of a primal deity that represents supreme authority. This being is known as the Leorum (or the Lionhead). It appears in iconography as the face of a great maned lion, sometimes attached to the body of a man. This figure can serve as a symbol of triumph, of immortality, or as a personification of the sun itself.
Similar to the function of the Saints and Prophets in the Trine religions, Darmaic followers do not engage directly with this primal deity. Instead, Darmaeus is seen as the intercessor between god and man, while the Leorum is the source of Darmaeus' divine status. 
ICONOGRAPHY
The primary iconography of Darmaeism is the Tauromachy event, in which Darmaeus is pictured in the act of subduing a bull with his bare hands.
Typically, he is accompanied by three animals, who appear to be assisting him in his struggle: a Hound clenches the bull's limbs in its jaws, a Crow pecks out its eyes so it cannot see, and a Serpent is depicted striking at the bull's vulnerable underside.
These animals represent a warrior's constant companions - idealized virtues associated with the soldiering profession:
The Hound ~ fearless, direct, and steadfast. As a member of a pack, a Hound symbolizes fraternity, and as a follower, an unwavering loyalty and tenacity.
The Crow ~ signifies knowledge. It moves swiftly, sees all, covets wealth, and has an eye for opportunity. The Crow is both a keeper of secrets, and a communicator.
The Serpent ~ symbolizes guile. Unlike the other two animals, the snake is solitary and self-reliant. It understands the value of discretion. It moves unseen and strikes viciously when the time is right.
Following the defeat of the bull, Darmaeus makes a sacrifice of the animal, and a banquet is held. Darmaeus is depicted offering the bull as tribute to the Leorum, who watches from on high as a symbol of the divine sun. An accord is struck between man and deity, and they ratify it by sharing the feast. At the end of the feast, Darmaeus ascends to the sky, and becomes immortal.
Some versions depict Darmaeus as a being literally born from the heart of the Earth, not unlike the Titans and their children the Duathan (the First Men) in ancient tales of the Mythic Age. Accordingly, Darmaic ceremonies are often held in caves or catacombs - in symbolic darkness, in order to be born from the soil in a state of readiness.
By proving himself in tests of ambition, courage, and strength, Darmaeus aspired to be greater. In his ability to command the loyalty of the beasts, he displayed kingly attributes. In his tribute to the Leorum, and by sharing his bounty at the banquet, he showed virtue and decorum. In his wisdom, he enacted a pact that secured his immortality and his ascension.
LEVELS of INITIATION
- Pledge: a proto-initiate who attends rituals, but has no greater standing
- Cucullatus: aka “bluecaps" for their blue cap signifying initiation and membership
- Compar: “peers" the most common membership, for those with full soldier status
- Fratern: these are elevated officers of the cult, named to one of three orders, and each with three ranks of distinction.
- Hound (KYON)
- Serpent (KRISA)
- Crow (KORAKI)
- Invictus: one who has earned the recognition of the order, and who has completed the cult's bull-subduing ritual. The Invictus walks the path of Darmaeus, seeking immortality and serving the order.
- Praesus: “president" one who acts as a master of rituals for a Darmaeum, and is a figure of authority within the order.
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