@dreadmorehq [ toby stevens, 52, cis man, he/him ] You should watch your back around here. That's JOHN WEAVER right there and the local papers like to call him one of the TRUE BELIEVERS because he's the CULT LEADER. If that's not enough reason to be wary, I've heard that even though he's LEVEL-HEADED, he's also DERANGED, so watch out if you go around THE BELIEVER'S RANCH because he's supposed to work there as a HOMESTEADER. Make sure to stay on your guard.
AT A GLANCE...
name: John Weaver
birthday: february 12
place of birth: dreadmore
zodiac: aquarius
mbti: estj (the executive)
moral alignment: neutral evil
occupation: cult leader and homesteader
place of work: self-employed
subplot affiliation: the true believers
languages: english
love language: unknown
positive traits: hard-working, charismatic, patient
negative traits: manipulative, deceitful, violent
ABOUT JOHN...
he started working for the government right out of school, and it was a match made in heaven: John was a staunch rule-follower and fit well into the structure of the hierarchy, proving time and time again that he was willing to do whatever his superiors told him without question. it wasn't long before he saw a series of promotions and was eventually sent to a high-clearance site in Dreadmore to oversee the mining of a valuable resource underground.
John and his team worked well together and tackled the project efficiently, but the nature of the operation meant constant secrecy and vigilance even among colleagues, and soon enough they fell into an environment of distrust and paranoia. as tensions began to come to a head, something like an earthquake ripped through their site: the ground beneath their feet tore apart, opening a jagged, black rift right down into the earth.
maybe it was a gas leak, or maybe the project's true purpose was never really the mining, but John peered down into that abyss and he swears it saw him back. they researched the phenomenon, but the first night its gaping maw haunted his dreams...the next night, it began whispering to him, scratched the inside of his skull and throat in a guttural ancestral tongue of soil and worms. he was given visions of the things dwelling in that abyss, ancient, god-like beings who possessed an incredible hunger for flesh and blood. John became obsessed with the entities, understood their need for sacrifice and, just a week after the earth had split open, shoved one of his fellow researchers down into it. her cries were swallowed up by the pitch black and John shook with terror and elation.
understandably, John was fired from the project, stripped of all of his clearance, and forced to take a vow of silence. the rift was filled in with cement, the project site condemned. the fact that he didn't do jail time is seemingly a Dreadmore blessing.
though the rift has long since been sealed, John knows the creatures live, hears them rumbling and writhing beneath his feet and commanding him to spread their sinister truth. he's aware that to preach their gospel openly will lead to certain failure and so he goes slowly, quietly, searching for those who will follow him as he seeks to appease the restless gods below. the Church of True Believers has fluctuated in members over the years, but John is sure that it's only a matter of time until the rest of Dreadmore is dragged down into the depths, willingly or otherwise.
"FUN" FACTS...
the cult is always recruiting, but the hierarchy is structured so that its secrets and innermost mechanisms remain protected by the select few in John's inner circle. fresh members are restricted to staying and operating inside the compound, unable to contact the outside for as long as john deems necessary; the more trustworthy you prove yourself, the more allowances you earn (living/working outside the commune, taking part in higher-profile rituals, etc). John ultimately trusts his inner circle with his life and regards them as family, but often he maintains some form of blackmail against them to keep them focused. John treats all cult members kindly and with respect, but defectors are seldom given second chances.
he feels great conviction for the things he sees and hears from below, but he also knows how he might sound to nonbelievers or fresh recruits - John adjusts the "gospel" accordingly to a softer, much more vague version in most conversation, and only his trusted inner circle bears witness to his full intensity.
John isn't a good guy. he's given up true morality, and any kindness or compassion he shows to nonbelievers is a carefully-crafted front to either ease them toward his truth or avoid detection. he preys on the weak and suffering and teaches his followers to do the same, turned off by strong wills that would be stubborn to his message.
there is a date for the supposed doomsday he's seen in his visions and dreams, but he won't tell anyone what it is.
CONNECTIONS...
Alan Weaver (oldest child. Alan defected from the cult a little over a year ago, and John has all but disowned him)
Ethan Weaver (middle child, and though his devotion to the cult is strong, John finds it increasingly difficult to bond with him, especially after Alan's departure)
Luci Weaver (adopted daughter, his youngest child, and the light of his life. Luci was the daughter of one of the cult's early human sacrifices and remains one of the only people who John loves unconditionally)
Daisy Weaver (deceased wife. they married fresh out of college and built their family's home together on what is now the Church of True Believers. they were together and had their sons before John's incident, and she died of unknown causes several years after the cult was founded)
Gim Blume (best friend, life coach, unofficial husband. they were roommates in college and, through everything, have remained very close ever since)
Gen Blume (unofficial niece, unofficial cousin to his kids, and the manipulative fae queen who will nip at John's heels for the rest of his life)
Jeff Blume (deceased unofficial nephew, unofficial cousin to his kids, and one of the victims of the Dreadmore Vampire killings)
WANTED CONNECTIONS...
coming soon
