As I have mentioned in my previous, the Cult of the Starsisters is a bizarre mix of customs and ideas.  When it comes to epistemology (how they know what they know about the world), the Cult seems to embrace more contradictory premises.  On the one hand, it holds to a harsh form of naturalism–only ideas and truths pursued and “proven” through the magical and alchemical studies of its matriarchs and patriarchs (their terms for scholars) are found to be worth believing.  On the other, they arbitrarily (or are directed by said matriarchs and patriarchs) close themselves off to entire lines of reasoning that are found to be unpopular.  What results is a very effective system of practical, political epistemology–true followers believe what they are told by the “authorities” with blind, absolute certainty, while reacting violently to the mere suggestion of truly contrary points of view.

It of course is made all the more effective by the fact that any scholars who attempt to pursue unsponsored lines of reasoning are severely “disciplined” for doing so.  Asking the wrong questions or coming up with answers that might lead to someone else discovering the wrong questions* at the very least will result in a scholar being cast from his profession into a lower professional class.  (The logic seems to be that the mere existence of some questions in a person’s mind is enough to “prove” they are no scholar at all.)  At the very worst, I have heard of entire family lines being simply extinguished, either quietly in the darkness of the twilight** or publicly via some of the Cult’s murderous rituals.

Three things (at least) have resulted from this approach.  First, the Cult has succeeded in imposing a very successful system of self-censorship.  Second, they have succeeded in eliminating almost all original, contrary thought–all “scholarship” is really little more than variations on a sponsored theme.  Finally, they have extinguished all practical hope of discovering something True or Real in the matriarchs and patriarchs.  Even the most radical worshiper has, in reality, fallen below this line of despair.  With nothing to cling to but the Cult and the sisters themselves, they do so with maniacal fervency; they will to anything to please them.

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*Interestingly they are more focused on squelching questions than answers.  Questions, after all, can lead in all sorts of directions and are far less predictable in their effects than answers.

**I have heard that as many as two hundred souls have gone missing in Nightfall from a single family, almost simultaneously.  I do not know how the Cult coordinates such massive covert operations, but their effect on the population is evident.