Tchortists

The Tchortists are a joinable faction that can first be encountered through their missionaries in Core City, they are headquartered in the Upper Underrail, and play a large role in the later events of Underrail.

Description

At a first glance, the Tchortists appear to be a cult who worship an entity they refer to as Tchort, whom they insist is an entirely physical and real being. Described as an Esoteric Sciento-Religious community, they have, despite outward appearances, made a number of strides in the sciences, and are the only group (besides Coretech) that been shown to do in South Underrail. Thus they appear to be more than just a cult in worship of a fictitious being.

Tchortist members can be easily identified through the hoods that they wear, it appears as though all Tchortists don hoods outside their Institute, but members inside the Institute may choose to forgo them. In addition, one may recognize a Tchortist by rank or position simply by the appearance of their uniform.

Tchortists employ other cultish mannerisms through their usage of special greetings. Tchortists expect to be greeted by "Tchort is evolution" the response to which is "Evolution is Tchort". They express farewell by saying "Tchort guide you". Tchortists are expected to refer to their senior ranking members very graciously; primarily Eidein which is referred to as "His Illustriousness". Newer members are often forgiven for accidentally neglecting such formalities.

Eidein is the founder and prophet of the Tchortist religion, since he is the first and one of few to claim to have personally interacted with Tchort, he is viewed with the utmost respect by all of the Institute's members, and is revered as only second to Tchort in their religion. Perhaps this reverence is in place, as the Tchortists and Eidein himself both claim that he has been alive for hundreds of years.

It appears as though the true goal of Tchortism is genetic evolution, Tchortists believe that by following their religion and by advancing their scientific capabilities they can ascend to the apex of what a Human being can be, and walk the surface again, Tchortists already have genetically modified humans within their ranks, so this goal may not entirely be out of reach. Tchortists make great use of biological terminology and view themselves as being genetically superior to their enemies; both Faceless or otherwise.

History of Tchortism

See also Original Report.

Important Dates from Eidein's library terminal

Year 1	Eidein discovers Tchort, formation of Institute of Tchort
Year 5	Biocorp Armed Forces renamed to Preservation Education and Science merged into Investigation
Year 8	Great east wing fire
Year 9	Principal Investigator (Monsignor) Giacomo, Institute of Tchort's first monsignor dies from a sudden cardiac arrest
Year 21	Principal Investigator Evdok attempts a coup Rassophore (Monsignor) Torin dies protecting Eidein
Year 24	A strong earthquake demolishes the Institute library as well as the large part of west wing and main hall; damages repaired within the same year
Year 39	Principal Investigator (Monsignor) Antheia becomes Episkopos Investigation prosperity period starts
Year 42	A series of major conflicts with the Faceless, culminating with the Battle of Nucleus, won by Harmost (Monsignor) Marcial's Preservation Forces; last major conflict with the Faceless
Year 58	Prosperity period for Investigation ends with death of Episkopos (Monsignor) Antheia
Year 67	The great mourning over the loss of west wing expedition which perished due to unknown causes Investigator (Monsignor) Peter dies
Year 69	Investigator (Monsignor) Hristofor dies from cancer
Year 70	Investigator (Monsignor) Minty's death
Year 77	Formation of Propagation division from Education department of Investigation and several other smaller departments
Year 78	Harmost (Monsignor) Marcial dies of old age
Year 81	Investigator (Monsignor) Lenora dies two days after publishing her seventy-eighth paper
Year 85	Biocorp's final dissolution Institute courtyard riots
Year 90	(Monsignor) Bradock, Institute's historian dies
Year 92	Medication Export for Core City started
Year 96	Success of Investigator (Monsignor) Gustav's recombinant project revealed at the annual Investigation symposium First recombinant in action
Year 98	Investigator (Monsignor) Gustav choked to death
Year 99	Neural Pacification project revealed at the annual Investigation symposium

Tchortism came to an abrupt end just before its 100th anniversary celebration.

• Faceless invade the Institute, killing everyone inside
• Tchort is destroyed in Deep Caverns
• Harmost Stavros abandons Cytosine Outpost and leads the remaining rassophores back into Underrail
• Eidein's corpse disappears along with the faceless

Ranks

These are the main Tchortist ranks, as encountered in Underrail.

	Preservation section	Investigation section	Propagation section
Founder	Eidein
Section leader	Harmost	Episkopos	Provost
Higher section ranks	Mediant	Principal Investigators (biology, chemistry, physics)	Curator, Praepostor
Middle section ranks	Efreitors	Investigators	Ministers
Lower section ranks	Rassophores (Ekrixphores, Pirophores, Skopeftophores, Recombinants)	Assistant Investigators	Acolytes, Missionaries
Trainees	Novitiates
Candidates	Postulants

Additionally, ministers are split into assistant ministers, associate ministers and (full) ministers, but this distinction is not clear in Underrail. Judicator is a rank of the judicatory section which does not have significant role or presence in Underrail. Monsignor is a honorary title that can be granted regardless of rank.

Notable characters

At the Institute

• Eidein
• Mediant Samuel
• Curator Nenna
• Episkopos Lydia
• Provost Vladan
• Judicator Azarias
• Praepostor Amelia
• Efreitor Hanna
• Efreitor Denzil
• Efreitor Mateo
• Principal Investigator Rista
• Principal Investigator Schteff
• Principal Investigator Georgis
• Rassophore Payam
• Investigator Kiro
• Investigator Vuk
• Octavia
• Theodore
• Jerre Franz

Outside Institute

• Crazy man in Foundry
• Percival in Core City
• Tchortist Missionaries in Core City
• Harmost Stavros in Cytosine Outpost
• Rassophore Prevlic in Cytosine Outpost

Locations

• Small church in Core City Upper Level
• Institute of Tchort in Upper Underrail
• Cytosine Outpost in Deep Caverns
• Nucleus in Deep Caverns

Quests

• Return the Reaching Man and Praepostor interview: Required to gain entrance to the Institute
• Strange tremors: Eventually strange tremors start shaking the Institute

While at the Institute, you may work for both the preservation and investigation departments.

Preservation

Mediant Samuel's jobs

• Secure Utility Station 7
• Find missing combat unit in west wing
• Track down Rassophore Nevil

Completing all of Mediant Samuel's tasks allows you to join the preservation section as a Rassophore.

Investigation

Physics lab (Principal Investigator Schteff)

• Find Rassophore Pavel
• Deploy first T-ray emitter
• Deploy second T-ray emitter

Chemistry lab (Principal Investigator Georgis)

• Field test XAL-001
• HRO protein research
• Drink sampling

Genetics lab (Principal Investigator Rista)

• Pacify Psycho
• Disease-resistant DNA
• Forsaken Island Behemoth

Completing six tasks for the investigation section allows you to join the investigation section.

Random events

• Tchortist Patrol
• Tchortist Patrol vs Lunatics