Welcome to a personal project of mine, a website documenting the reconstruction of the Cult of Mithras as it appears in my AU of the World of Darkness. For those unfamiliar with the World of Darkness, learning about it (particularly Vampire: the Masquerade) may be a good piece of context for you, as many of the basics about how supernaturals work and the concepts of the world remain true; at minimum, the glossary page on this website will probably be useful to you. However, be aware that where I come from is a very different place - different clans, different sects, different politics entirely. None of the "canon" clans or sects exist in my world - I wouldn't know what a Tremere was if I didn't currently live with one. Instead of Tremere, Gangrel, and Toreador, I'm familiar with Atlanteans, Felix, Hagazussa, and, of course, Mithraics; instead of Camarilla, Sabbat, and Anarchs, I know the Commonwealth of Tenochtitlan, the Shepherds of Man, and the Court of Transylvania.
Some of you may be wondering why I speak as if this is more than just a game; for those of you who don't already know, I am a fictive, a member of a plural system "based on" a fictional character, though I don't like thinking of it in those terms and prefer to just say I originally came from another world, one that happens to be very well-represented by a piece of fiction (in my case, the homebrew AU of the World of Darkness I briefly described above). If you're completely unfamiliar with the concept of fictives and plurality, I'm very curious how you found this site, and I recommend you do a little research on that elsewhere; I won't be getting into the details further than I just have here. The glossary on this website may also be useful to you.
You'll also find sidebars throughout the site making notes about certain things - discrepancies between this timeline's Mithras and mine, uncertainties of mine, points of disagreement within the Cult that I feel are worth mentioning, and maybe some fun facts here and there. Keep an eye out for them, especially if you know anything about Mithras and you're reading something and thinking, "Well, that's not right" - it's probably a difference between my world and this one.
Context given, let's begin:
Mithraism is the worship of the god Mithras (also called Mithra or sometimes Mitra), who is best known as a god of the Sun, but also of the Waters, justice, truth, covenants, and the pastures, not necessarily in that order. Mithraism has its birthplace in Persia, and flourished in Rome, where many of the practices that carry forward into modern Mithraism originated. Mithraism is a religion and a way of life; it provides a code to live by, to create a better world, a better society, and a better life. Mithras is a god of justice and truth, and he demands just and honest behavior from his followers, especially with each other. Some sects of Mithraism are monotheistic, but it's far more often henotheistic - focused on one god, but acknowledging the existence of others (or at least being open to the possibility that they exist). The most common god to be worshiped secondarily to Mithras is Luna, the Moon, but sometimes other deities are also acknowledged by individual Mithraics, most often Roman or Zoroastrian (but there's nothing stopping someone from worshiping gods from other pantheons). As long as Mithras is first and foremost in your dedication, and you follow his teachings, you qualify as a Mithraic.
The Mithraic code of conduct can more or less be boiled down to three main tenets: honesty, the responsibility to be truthful with each other and to not intentionally deceive anyone who's treated you and yours fairly, as well as to never break a solemn oath; justice, to always act with fairness, to mete out reward and punishment as is just, and to obey the laws of temple and teaching; and guardianship, to protect those within your care and defend those weaker than yourself. There are, of course, always complications and details - especially when two or more of these end up at odds with each other, or people have differing opinions on what qualifies as "just." But for the purposes of 101 information, it can be simplified to that - be honest, be just, and protect others where you can.
The Cult of Mithras isn't just a religion; it's also a clan - a group of vampires descended from the same progenitor, who share the same powers inherent to their blood. As the Mithraics tell it, Mithras was the first vampire, and all Kindred ultimately descend from him. However, most Kindred chose to turn their backs on Mithras and his teachings, rejecting honesty for deception and honor for politics and betrayal. So the Kindred became as they are tonight, infamous for manipulation, deceit, and backstabbing, and Mithras in his rage at the misbehavior of his childer cursed the Kindred so they would burn in his light. Only a scarce few remained loyal to our forefather, and they were blessed with the knowledge of his mysteries and magic and the power to protect ourselves from the curse he had called down on our brethren, to face the sun's light at least briefly. From them descend the Cult of Mithras, his loyal childer, who uphold his teachings and hope that one day vampire society will return to the practices of honor, honesty, and justice and thus be allowed to return to Mithras's light. While clans are typically blood-only, the Cult of Mithras is open to any who wish to join provided they are truly dedicated to it - it's not a light decision, if you'll pardon the pun, but once it's made the convert has a community for eternity. A Mithraic is a Mithraic, whatever their blood may say - whether they are a vampire descended from a traitor Antediluvian, a ghoul, or even a mortal who's chosen to dedicate themself to Mithras, they are equal to a Mithraic who was Embraced into the clan.
Mithraics are usually pretty easy to identify if you know what to look for. Sun symbols are of course popular, and Mithraics often wear a lot of gold (or brass/faux gold) jewelry - gold is lucky to carry, especially gold that's been sanctified and blessed. Many Mithraics try to wear or carry at least one item of blessed gold with them at all times, though not everyone does. Vampires Embraced into the clan have faintly glowing golden eyes, which makes them easy to identify, but obviously that's not going to be true in this world. (Sadly, my eyes do not change to gold when I front.) Other symbols of Mithras include the bull and sometimes the lion, though those are less likely to be worn or carried as clothing or jewelry. (Some Mithraics do carry around a miniature tauroctony, though - see the Stories & Myths page for details on that.)