#wb.

[emersonmire]

THE HUNGERING MOTHER

the hungering mother is a divine figure whispered about in the private teachings of silas jackson. she is said to be the goddess of appetite, suffering, and reclamation; a spirit or deity that demands emptiness, pain, and flesh to be made holy. she is the giver of hunger, the bringer of famine, and the devourer of souls. her love is not warm; it is sharp and gnawing. to be near her is to be starved of safety, stripped bare of comfort.

her followers believe she is the force that watches over the bayous, the forests, the dead earth under eden. the voice in the dark that whispers: “empty yourself … and i will fill you.”

beliefs about the hungering mother:

hunger is divine. hunger cleans the body and the soul. to starve is to speak her language.

suffering is a gift. pain is not to be escaped but embraced. it pleases the mother and brings one closer to her endless belly.

violence is only sacred when blessed. only silas, or emerson, as his successor, can declare a killing “sanctified” in her name. random cruelty is forbidden; ritual cruelty is salvation.

flesh feeds her. cannibalism is not just survival, it is worship. the flesh of the dead is a holy offering.

she is everywhere decay touches. the group believes the rotting trees, the stagnant water, and the bones beneath eden are signs of her presence. the more the land withers, the stronger she grows.

symbols connected to the hungering mother:

the open mouth of a snake: a carved mouth belonging to a snake, with jagged teeth, always open wide. this symbol is carved into wood, bone, or stone and hung from trees or placed beneath houses.

the broken circle: a ring with a gap at the top, symbolising hunger that can never be filled.

the hollow woman: smetimes depicted in drawings and carvings as a gaunt woman clothed in silk with her face and head covered to conceal her sharp bones.

[lokicalloway]

𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 ... eden police department – case file update / subject: emerson léon myers / age at time of lpdate: 25 / location at time of update: unknown / date of update: november 4, 1986 / original file opened: july 2, 1970 / updated by: detective l. calloway / file no.: 80-233-MYERS

UPDATE SUMMARY:

this entry reflects behavioural changes and increased surveillance surrounding emerson myers, now 25 years old. though no new charges have been formally filed, multiple reports and witness statements over the past year have drawn attention to emerson’s activities and associations.

REPORTED INCIDENTS (may 1985 – june 1986):

may 18, 1985 – trespassing complaint filed by tom kessler, property owner near black hollow road. emerson was seen near the abandoned mill with two unidentified individuals. no confrontation occurred. emerson left before deputies arrived.

september 4, 1985 – anonymous tip reported strange nighttime gatherings near the woods behind the jackson family farm. emerson was allegedly present, possibly leading the gatherings. no follow-up was conducted due to a lack of evidence.

february 11, 1986 – disturbance call at gracie’s diner. emerson was seen arguing with another young man, believed to be a former associate, who later recanted statements made to officers. incident closed without charges.

OFFICER NOTES:

“the subject’s behaviour has grown increasingly erratic and insular. multiple sources, some known, some anonymous, claim emerson is involved in something larger, potentially organised. while these claims can’t be substantiated at this time, patterns are emerging: influence over vulnerable individuals, frequenting known cult-affiliated locations, and showing signs of emotional instability. rcommend continued observation.” — detective l. calloway

PHYSICAL NOTES (from surveillance):

appears leaner, more gaunt than in prior years.

tattoo noted on left arm, details not previously documented.

right arm shows evidence of older scarring, possibly branding or burn.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS:

no known employment.

resides intermittently on jackson family farm property.

known associate of silas jackson.

considered charismatic but volatile.

RECOMMENDATION:

due to emerson myers’ growing involvement with suspected cult members and repeated mention in community concerns, it is advised that his file remain open for continued monitoring. while insufficient evidence exists to pursue charges at this time, his potential role in influencing or leading unlawful gatherings warrants caution. — filed and signed by detective l. calloway update marked: confidential/internal use only

[emmgone]

𝐍𝐏𝐂 ... indentification : silas jackson ( age: 56 / occupation: leader & founder of the circle of ravenous hearts / status: alive )

silas jackson is the charismatic leader of the circle of ravenous hearts, a cult that thrives in the shadows of eden. his presence is magnetic, and his influence runs deep as if he were casting a spell over the downtrodden and the restless souls who seek solace, or power, beyond the bounds of traditional faith. silas is both a preacher and a predator, a man of contradictions whose charm conceals his true nature as a manipulative and dangerous figure.

additionally, silas jackson is a man who commands attention without raising his voice. he’s tall and wiry, with a sharp face that seems both weathered and timeless. his deep-set eyes are piercing grey, glinting like polished silver. his smile is warm but predatory, like a wolf disguised as a shepherd. he dresses simply but deliberately, in an old, worn leather jacket, always impeccably clean, paired with a button-down shirt to give a more fatherly look to his appearance.

whenever silas speaks, his movements are deliberate and hypnotic, his voice laced with an intensity that makes it impossible not to listen. even when he’s standing still, there’s a coiled energy about him, as if he could spring into action at any moment.

furthermore, silas views himself as both saviour and ruler of the cult. he preaches liberation from the town’s suffocating morality, offering his followers a way to reclaim their power. in truth, silas is as much a tyrant as the system he claims to oppose, demanding absolute loyalty and obedience from those under his sway.

ultimately, silas sees emerson as one of his most promising followers, a young man with the cunning and resolve to rise through the cult’s ranks. but silas also knows how to manipulate emerson, using the boy’s loyalty to his mother and his hunger for a sense of purpose to keep him tethered. silas views emerson as both a tool and a potential heir, though he tests him mercilessly, pushing him to prove his worth.

[emersongone]

THE FOUNDING ERA (1930s - 1950s)

FINN JACKSON (b. 1909, d. 1956)

finn jackson was a former traveling preacher turned spiritual recluse during the great depression who found his way to eden, louisiana, sometime in the 1920s.

he began preaching in the swamps near eden, louisiana, where he claimed god had shown him a “gnawing truth”. that salvation came through suffering, and that the flesh was not to be wasted.

he introduced “ritual fasting” to his small congregation and believed eating the body of a willing martyr was divine reclamation, not sin.

GRACEEJO JACKSON (b. 1913, d. 1962)

finn’s wife and the true mind behind the doctrine’s theology.

she was quiet, meticulous, and believed that women carried the hunger deeper than men.

graceejo kept elaborate handwritten journals blending old testament scripture, folk medicine, and latin scripture, forming the first circle book.

some say she was the first to actually kill in the name of the circle. a young woman, she claimed, was “chosen” after fasting to death.

THE ERA OF THE PROPHET (1960s - 1990s)

SILAS JACKSON (b. 1930, d. 1998)

silas took over leadership in the 1960s after a seven-day self-imposed fast where he claimed he heard “the mother speak in the bayou.”

more public-facing than his parents. he built the church (later called the church of the returning hunger) and recruited dozens through spiritual retreats in eden.

he introduced the doctrine of “divine hunger”, where followers believed fasting purged unclean spirits and prepared the body for holy consumption.

he was first to be called devil man after an outsider accused him of ritual murder. he adopted the name to disarm fear with devotion.

NORA WILKES (b. 1922, d. unknown)

nora was one of the earliest converts to silas’ vision of the circle of ravenous hearts.

she joined the circle in her early 30s (which was while the circle was still in the early stages) after losing her entire family in a house fire.

nora is viewed as a matriarchal figure. to many followers, nora is seen as a spiritual mother. she offers guidance, comfort, and wisdom to new recruits while reinforcing their loyalty to silas and the circle's teachings.

she is a keeper of rituals and this means that nora oversees many of the group’s most sacred and secretive ceremonies, including the branding of loyal members and the cannibalistic rites. she views these practices as essential to the circle's spiritual journey.

LUKE ROANOKE (b. 1950, d. unknown)

luke was originally silas’s handpicked successor, known for his commanding voice, hunting skills, and theatrical preaching.

luke is charismatic but prideful. some say he wanted to replace silas, not inherit from him.

he fell out of favour when he questioned silas's increasing control over fasting practices and the introduction of blood rites.

emerson's quiet, obedient nature deeply threatened luke, who saw himself as the natural heir.

it is widely believed that luke vanished from the compound one night. silas claimed luke “fled from his hunger,” but some believe he was buried beneath the church, or left alive to rot somewhere deep in the woods.

DEAN SHAW (b. 1940, d. unknown)

unknown to the locals of eden, dean has been living a double life for the past 6 years as a member of eden’s community and the circle of ravenous hearts.

dean is the recruiter and public face: as a charismatic restaurant owner, dean uses his charm to draw people into the circle.

he’s particularly effective at targeting vulnerable individuals and those who need a softer father-like figure, which he embodies quite well.

THE ERA OF THE KEEPER (1988 - 1996)

EMERSON MYERS (b. 1962, d. 1996)

emerson was recruited by silas at age 14 after running from a broken home.

emerson became the keeper at the age of 21. he was also known as the guardian of doctrine, and the enforcer of fasting and punishment.

he quickly became known for extreme endurance, starvation trials, and leading “the narrowing”. where chosen initiates were hunted in the woods after being starved for 4 days.

CALEB WILLIAMS (b. 1868, d. unknown)

from the moment caleb started to consider joining the circle he found himself drawn to emerson.

unlike silas, the way emerson spoke to him seemed to pull at his deeper desires and made him feel like he was someone important and like he belonged with the circle.

sometime after emerson was arrested, caleb broke from emerson's example and founded “the red hunger”. it was a more violent splinter sect of the circle with fewer rules and more executions.

LETTIE JACKSON (b. 1962, d. 1998)

loretta jackson, called lettie by those who knew her before the circle swallowed her whole, grew up under silas’s shadow.

her mother, one of silas’s younger sisters, tried to keep her away from eden, but blood loyalty runs deeper than fear in families like the jacksons.

eventually, she is married to emerson as a gift to him from silas and a means of keeping the circle alive for generations to come.

AMOS REED (b. 1971, d. unknown)

amos is young, mute, and deeply faithful. he joined at 15 after his family died in a house fire.

he was chosen by emerson for several private rites and became one of the last inner-circle members before the compound fractured.

some say he tried to run after silas returned. others believe he became a vessel of silence, buried alive in the fasting vault.

[kasandratoress]

𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 : new world changes ( currency accepted around the new world )

car keys, house keys, safe keys, bicycle keys, padlock keys, and any other sort of key you can think of. since cars are no longer usable and people don't live in traditional housing, keys have found a new purpose in the world. people often assign values to keys based on their rarity.

for example, expensive home security systems and locks have a completely different and complicated lock and key system and you won't find these everywhere in the world. these keys are harder to find but have a higher value compared to car keys and house keys which are more common. padlock keys are smaller and not as common as house key keys, but more common than home security keys; they fall in the middle ground in terms of rarity.

so, now that we know about the currency, let's break down the value of the key types.

home security systems and locks are going to hold more value, as i said, they are harder to find and not common. when making exchanges, you only need one or two of these key types to pay for more expensive and/or rare items.

car and house keys are extremely common, they have a lower value compared to home security-based keys, but because they are more common they are easier to find and widely accepted. a traditional exchange with these key types will vary from location to location. the lowest amount of these keys accepted for an exchange is between five and eight keys.

as i stated, padlock lock keys are middle of the road with their rarity, which makes their value harder to pinpoint. almost every exchange with these keys will be situational-based.

now the issue with keys as a currency system is the simple fact that smugglers can easily make counterfeit keys. in fact, some groups do this often and sell them off as the real thing. but keen eyes will be able to tell the difference between a pre-outbreak key and a post-outbreak key. however, if you can't tell the difference, you are likely to end up with counterfeit keys, which can still be used in exchanges but some might not accept them if they can spot the difference.

[abdielpadilla]

———      i  cannot  wait  to  meet  him  again.

[weretective-a]

headcanon. / world-building.

werewolves have an average body temperature of 109°F. so, they are a very good heat source. (unless you’re allergic to the heat.)

[icehelm-blog]

How does Sejuani feel about the disabled? Does she still see value in people who persist despite being unable to walk, see, hear, etc? Does she allow special compensations for those who're unable to fully care for themselves? Or is her motto more "survival of the fittest"?

I would say it's situational, given extreme cases such as an inability to walk any longer it would depend on what that person was. But, one would be correct in assuming she'd prefer to find some use that benefits the Winter's Claw. 

Deafness or blindness even the loss of an arm or hand wouldn't inhibit them too badly if they could adapt or find a use for them. As for the elderly, it's to their direct family to take care of them. Sejuani isn't one to ignore the wisdom of those who've lived far longer than she. She holds a deep respect especially for seers and the like. 

But the tribe itself is more of a physical machine than anything else. Having survived in the harsh climates, there are those who perish due to weaknesses some they can't control themselves. If they cannot overcome them, they either die or are sent away. She does not execute those that might seek to settle elsewhere. 

There's a difference between someone who's of no more use and one who blatantly disagrees and defects. All in all, disabled both physically and mentally people are dealt with on a case by case basis. Most likely the decision is left to their direct family, unless they'd prefer a decision be made by Sejuani herself. Despite such, her mentality of only the strongest survive still stands but she isn’t without her reasoning.