What would some grunts in a death cult know

[Thinyser]

I've got a group that has captured 2 death cultists and plans to interrogate them.

My question is how much or how little rather would a level 4 grunt in the cult for say 3 months know about the cult?

I assume they would not know the mass they perform every day is feeding and thus allowing control of the zombies.

I think they might suspect they were being used somehow to power the death priest because as the community's numbers increase so too does the size of the zombie hoard the compound has protecting it.

What are your thoughts?

What else would they know?

To give background they were 2 members of a 5 person patrol/gathering party for a large 300 person community living in a small city that had about 130,000 people. The party's sniper shot out their front tire to which the driver recovered without incident, then killed the dude with the radio with a called shot to the radio that missed and then hit the radioman's head. After that the sniper took out two of the remaining 4 leaving two to be captured as they surrendered to our backyard wrestler and hippy archer.

The cult community is known to be very militant and ever expanding thier claim to territory. So far they have staked claim to the entire city... and are broadcasting radio recruitments.

[Thinyser]

Well I guess the priest's plans pretty much follow the book in that they are gathering their flock and will eventually progress to human sacrifice once they have a sufficent number under them and have them convinced enought to get away with it.

Of course the flock does not know this. They are told that their worship of the The Dark Father is all that keeps them safe from his wrath and that they will be ultimatly rewarded for their belief and loyalty. "Father" Gordon Smith, their priest/leader, is very charismatic and convincing in his rhetoric and propaganda. He's convinced the followers that they must defend what is theirs at any cost while also accepting all who profess loyalty to the community as brothers and sisters.

Many followers have no problem with defending the community and truly accept their members but still have reservations about the worship of a "Dark God" to avoid his wrath but would rather "go along with it" since it obviously works and the community is a good one to be in than to face the world without the death Priest's protection.

The violent loss of 5 of its male members has further strengthened the bonds amongst the community and galvanized them for a fight, but the group was able to get their abductees without being ID'ed in any way or followed, so the cult cannot take the fight to them... yet.

[KillWatch]

1: if they know they are in a death cult then they probably would be excited about that
2: If it isn't a world cult, and it is a small local cult then they would probably be recruiting only very trustworthy people. everyone is playing a part, but if one person decides to go rogue, the entire operation could be in jeopardy, therefore they wouldn't just be pulling in people off the street. There might even be intelligent professionals serving as lackeys whoa re simply disillusioned with the whole life thing.
3: I recently worked with a doomsday cult. They were a small group basing themselves out of a local farm and were working toward a goal of 666 dead. Once a month (dark moon) for the last 50 or so years. These people were dedicated, obsessed. They thought that if they were to commit really really heinous sins in the eyes of the christian god, in the name of Satan, that they would bring about the rapture and that they would martyrs for the greater good of the world as that would bring about the second coming of jesus, though their immortals souls would be damned. Everyone in the small group knew exactly what they were doing and why they were doing it. Letting in new comers was a must, even keeping entire familial lineages in the cult. But the cult would not function if not everyone was involved. This would create distrust, unwanted questions, subversion. Unless everything was above board there would be schisms.
Of course they got the idea from a devel (personal creation) who has been toying with them for all these decades, and the final victim was a PCs father.
4: In larger cults it is completely plausible for low level nothings not to know everything as you have to work your way through the ranks. Small potatoes cults there isn't a whole lot to go through. Large cults can profess wisdoms the members are not ready for. Size = Perceived Importance. A "select few" should know everything. but an organization with thousands of members world wide, well they must prove themselves because no one is expected to really know or trust anyone else. A small cult is like a family lead by a psychotic father/mother. Once in the family, you are in.
Think Heaven's Gate vs Scientology.

[Thinyser]

Thanks for all the input. keep it coming.

[Spinachcat]

I wonder if the Death Cult is setting up a rescue mission to retreive their two little lost sheep...
5 out of 300 plus a vehicle is a noted loss.

Level 4 grunt isn't a newbie. They got some XP under their belts and have survived more than most. I wonder what the cultists can do while under lock and key...

[Thinyser]

I wonder if the Death Cult is setting up a rescue mission to retreive their two little lost sheep...
5 out of 300 plus a vehicle is a noted loss.

Level 4 grunt isn't a newbie. They got some XP under their belts and have survived more than most. I wonder what the cultists can do while under lock and key...

The group got away without a trail and without being seen by any other members of the cult.

All survivors that have lived to 5 months past the wave are level 3 or higher in my game. I figure that they probably already had some skillz if the survived the wave and to have survived the wave and the next 5 months they are somewhat seasoned... what I meant is that they are relative "newbies to the cult", only about a 3 weeks to a month in.

[Khanibal]

I've got a group that has captured 2 death cultists and plans to interrogate them.

Oooh. I hate interrogation scenes.

It's a death cult.
"Talk now, or I'll let the kitten rub against your legs and purr!"
"NO! Please, just kill me!" [whimpering

However, even though they probably wouldn't know any secrets, a skilled interrogator would be able to find something of value in just about anything they have to say.

Such as:
...Snip...
- scheduled events

Bakesales "Try the Cthulu cookies. They're to loose your mind for!"
Potlucks "Ooh, Mary made her 'Nosy Intruder Surpirse' again!"
Carwashes "With genuine hot lava!"