A Cult for Every Monster: A-E

Everything has a Cult these days

Aboleth

Type: Octopus Worship, Mystery/Hive Mind/Parasite Cult (Servant of Madness/Sea)

Theology: Kill the usurper gods, Join the Eternal Clarity of the Mind Lords

Benefit: Secret Knowledge, Psionics, Plentiful Fish, oblivion, Mutation

Rarity: *

Angel

Type: Celestial/Saint Worship, Mystery/Catholic/Solar Cult (Servant of Good)

Theology: Immortal + Light = god / Hear the Words of the Lord's Messenger

Benefit: Blessing, Secret Knowledge, Afterlife

Rarity: *

Animated Armor

Type: Cargo Cult/Idolatry, War Cult (Servant of War)

Theology: Bring your offerings to the warrior god and his servants, and you will be protected.

Benefit: Powerful Warrior, A Deity at your Command

Rarity: ****

Ankheg

See Dire _____ but with more bugs and rocks

Rarity: *****

Awakened Plant

Type: Nature Worship, Fertility Cult (Servant of Nature)

Theology: The Ancient One dispenses their wisdom/He is lord of harvest

Benefit: Protection, Increase in Harvest, Wisdom

Rarity: **

Banshee

Type: Ancestor/Fairy Worship, Cthonic Cult (Servant of Death)

Theology: Propitiate the Herald of Death, Honor the shepherd of souls

Benefit: Ward off Death, Secret Knowledge, Curses, Katabasis, oblivion

Rarity: ***

Basilisk

Type: Beast/Ancestor Worship, Cthonic Cult (Servant of Stone/Death)

Theology: Venerate the Perfect Idols, Feel the Holy Gaze

Benefit: Katabasis, Ward off Death, Oblivion, Big Fuckoff Monster

Rarity: ****

Centaur

Type: Beast/Nature/Charisma Worship, Fertility Cult (Servant of Nature)

Theology: Children to the Barren (ew)/The messenger of Nature/The Perfect Horseman

Benefit: Fertility, Increase in Harvest, Animal Kinship, Powerful Warrior

Rarity: ***

Chimera

Type: Beast Worship, Mystery/War Cult (Servant of War/Monsters)

Theology: Holy Abomination, Give Us Strength

Benefit: Secret Knowledge, Mutation, Big Fuckoff Monster

Rarity: ***

Cloaker

Type: Beast Worship, Parasite/Thief/Cthonic Cult (Servant of Night/Monsters)

Theology: Hidden lord of night, king of bats, sneaks, and thieves

Benefit: Beneficial Parasite, Stealth, Protection from mimics

Rarity: *****

Cockatrice

See Basilisk, but with more Birds

Rarity: *****

Coatl

Type: Beast/Celestial Worship, Mystery/Fertility/Solar Cult (Servant of Good/Dragons/Blood)
Theology: Holy Egg which shall hatch into messiah/sacrifice blood to stop the end of the world
Benefit: Secret Knowledge, Increased Harvest, Kinship with Snakes, Afterlife, Avert Armageddon
Rarity: *

Cyclops

Type: Beast/Charisma/Cargo Worship, Cthonic/Fertility/War/Mystery Cult (Servant of War/Smiths)

Theology: Son of the titans, have mercy on us!

Benefit: Big Fuckoff Monster, Fertility

Rarity:***

Demons

Type: Beast/Devil Worship, Cthonic/Fertility/Parasite/War Cult (Servant of Evil/Fire/Blood)

Theology: Descend the pit, Rule with Blood, IÄ! IÄ!

Benefit: Pleasure, Fertility, Secret Knowledge, Strength, Summoning, Katabasis, Afterlife, etc.

Rarity: *

Devils

Type: Devil Worship, Cthonic/Civil/Mystery/War Cult (Servant of Evil/Law/Blood)

Theology: According to "The Compact of Power", bylaw 14, we are rightly slaves to MOLOCH

Benefit: Slaves, Strength, Secret Knowledge, Summoning, Ward Off Death, etc.

Rarity: *

Dire ____

Type: Beast/Nature Worship, Fertility/War Cult (Servant of Nature)

Theology: KING OF BEASTS KING OF BEASTS KING OF BEASTS

Benefit: Victory, Big Fuckoff Monster, Mutation

Rarity: **

Djinn

Type: Elemental/Fairy worship, Mystery/Civic/Cthonic Cult (Servant of Creation/Elements)

Theology: Behold the Splendor of their cities! Adore their Pure Spirits!

Benefit: Slaves, Secret Knowledge, Wealth

Rarity: **

 

Doppelganger

Type: Fairy/Octopus Worship, Mystery/Thief Cult (Servant of Trickery)

Theology: It will change endlessly, and Never be satisfied

Benefit: Shapechanging, anonymity, Secret Knowledge

Rarity: ***

Dragon Turtle

Type: Dragon/Beast/Octopus worship, Cthonic/Fertility cult (Servant of Sea/Dragons)

Theology: Turtles all the way down

Benefit: New piece of land, Katabasis (elemental water plane), Big Fuckoff Monster

Rarity: ***

Dragon

You probably already know what dragon cults are like

Rarity: *

Drider

Type: Devil/Ancestor/Saint worship, Cthonic/Thief cult (Servant of Lolth, duh)

Theology: Its a big spider lady, close enough to Lolth

Benefit: Big Fuckoff Monster, Spidery Blessings

Rarity: ***

Dryad

Type: Nature/Fairy Worship, Fertility Cult (Servant of Nature)

Theology: Something, something, Princess mononoke

Benefit: Improved crop yields, protection in woodlands, secret knowledge

Rarity: *

Elemental

Type: Elemental Worship, Mystery/Solar Cult (Servants of Chaos)

Theology: Before Everything, there was pure matter. We serve its emanations.

Benefit: Big Fuckoff Monster, Secret Knowledge, Elemental Blessings

Rarity: **

Ettercap

See Drider, but with more primordial giants

Ettin

See Cyclopes, but with more duality

Rarity: ****

 

What's Going on Here?

The above list is a general outline of possible cults where the central figure is a monster. 

Type is a classification meant to reflect the nature of the cult and the object of veneration. Split into three sections [X Worship, Y Cult, (servant of Z)]. The cult may be convinced to direct their veneration to a greater subject of the same type. As well, the cult may worship their venerated object as a servant of a higher power, as indicated in the parenthesis. 

Boring List

• Ancestor: Worship of great dead people
• Beast: Worship of Fuckoff Huge Monster (normally in vain to pacify them)
• Cargo: Worship of Works of the Past/Foreigners
• Celestial: Worship of Angels and Celestial Beings
• Charisma: Worship of Someone Who Should Really Know Better
• Devil: Worship of the Actual Devil
• Dragon: Worship of big fiery lizards
  
• Elemental: Worship the Elements, which comprise and order the world
• Fairy: Worship of Capricious Trickster spirits
• Idolatry: Worship of Something Wrought by your Hands
• Nature: Worship of an Embodiment of Nature
• Octopus: For some reason people worship this horrible octopus that hates them
• Saint: Worship of Someone in Paradise

Slightly more interesting list

• Catholic Cult: Approved by the Church, mostly servants
• Civic Cult: Centers around Law, Kingship, and Prosperity
• Cthonic Cult: Centers around Darkness, Stone, Wealth, Madness, Death
• Fertility Cult: Centers around Growing, Sex, Food, Sex, Wine, and Sex
• Mystery Cult: Centers around Secret Knowledge, Transcendence, and Enlightenment
• Parasite Cult: Centers around "Beneficial" Parasitism, Leeches and such
• Solar Cult: Centers around the Sun
• Thief Cult: Followed by thieves and Criminals
• War Cult: Followed by Warriors, Centers around Iron, Bloodshed, Courage, and Madness

Theology is the things that the congregation believes about the venerated. What it is, how to obtain blessings, the nature of those blessings, eschatology and afterlives, etc. Only brief snippets are given here, with alternative beliefs separated by slashes.

Benefit  is the things that the congregation believes their deity actively blesses them with. Items in Italics are blessings that may or may not actually come about, but are believed to be given out regardless.
(Katabasis is the idea of descending into the underworld to consult the dead. Most times this just results in death)

Rarity is a measure of commonality, reasonability, and response from the deity of a cult. 1 star means it is basically already a deity (or would set itself as one) and reasonable polytheists would probably worship it (e.g. Angel, Aboleth, Nymph). 3 stars means that it is reasonably awe-inspiring, but either doesn't care for, or can't benefit, worshipers (Banshee, Chimera, Centaur). 5 stars means that it is both ridiculous and harmful in a way that cannot be propitiated (Cockatrice, Cloaker).