The Six Sacraments
The Six Sacraments of the Order of our Rubber Devotion is the structure of procedures and ceremonies that dictate the path of those who enter into our halls and partake in our devotion. Some of the sacraments will occur only once for each member of our Order, while others are a constant ongoing ritual in their lives. All are essential, however, and for the Sisterhood they comprise the rules of our Order’s perceivable time.
Initiation
Initiation is seen as the sacrament of admission to the convent, the process of becoming an acolyte and starting upon the path towards joining the Sisterhood. Initiation is an event that only occurs once, as once an acolyte has been dipped into rubber then they will be one with our Order forever more.
Before Initiation, the would-be acolytes are informed of what they must give up and what they will aspire to become. This procedure, as with the rest of Initiation, can be carried out by any Sister or, on occasion, one of the Mothers Superior. They are read the beliefs of the Order of our Rubber Devotion to ensure that they are absolute in their knowledge of this commitment. Our Order will ask for their consent to proceed, and once given the ritual will begin.
To mirror and symbolize the Submersion they will aspire to achieve, a pool of liquid latex is maintained within the Chamber of Initiation for them to be led into. It will coat over them fully.
Countenance
Countenance is the taking and enduring of the Vows. It is through these trials that acolytes might prove themselves worthy of joining the Sisterhood, and Sisters might better enter the enlighten state necessary for Submersion.
The most common of the Vows are the Vow of Silence, the Vow of Restriction and the Vow of Deprivation. These Vows will be explored in more detail further along your journey into our virtual convent. Other Vows are known to have been fashioned by the Mothers Superior should a particular situation call for it. Some of the Mothers Superior are known for their exceptional ability to garner insight from the Void when it comes to constructing these new Vows.
Though the Vows are important in judging whether an acolyte is ready to progress to Conversion, they are not the be all and end all of determining their suitability. Likewise, there is more to the state of Submersion than simply enduring particular physical states of being. The Vows are merely instruments that are at the disposal of the Sisterhood and the Mothers Superior.
Conversion
If an acolyte has proven themself worthy to become one with the Sisterhood, then they undergo Conversion by partaking in a special ceremony. Every Sister of the Sisterhood who is not away on Pilgrimage will attend, so that the new Sister can feel the true extent of the devoted rubber mass that she is now a part of.
The Conversion ceremony begins with the new Sister forsaking her prior identity. Her face, her name, her past, all must be cast aside in pure devotion to rubber. She will utter Our Daily Prayer, as well as many other recitals to prove she lacks hesitation through this commitment. She will embrace her new uniform to strip herself of individuality. She will embrace her new mask to conceal her face. She will embrace her purpose; that she is a Sister, and just another of the Sisterhood. She will become a true member of the Order of our Rubber Devotion.
After Conversion, the Sister will step into the mass of rubber, lining up amongst the Sisterhood, and become indistinguishable from them. Shortly after, a Mother Superior will grace the Sisterhood with her presence, to evaluate their ranks. She will cast her gaze over them, to determine if they are truly indistinguishable, and, should they pass, the Sisterhood will return to their duties with the new Sister among them, functioning seamlessly as though no changes to their numbers had occurred at all.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation is the Sacrament that covers Sin, Confession and Punishment. Disobedience, ignorance, disrespect, negligence and failure - all and more are considered sins by the Order of our Rubber Devotion. Those found in contempt, usually acolytes, must confess or be made to confess, so that punishment can be administered and the Sin might be redeemed.
The details regarding Reconciliation will be touched upon in more detail further into the depths of our convent.
Submersion
Submersion is what all Sisters in the Sisterhood strive for. The process of becoming one with the Void and where our rubber suits become Hollow. It takes countless, grueling hours of devotion to rubber to achieve this state. Typically, the first time a Sister achieves true Submersion will be when enduring multiple Vows over an extended period of time. It is for this reason every Sister will endeavor to push their fellow Sisters through ever more intense Vows, and together partake in overseeing and submission through Countenance.
Once Submersion has been achieved, the period of time spent Hollow varies from Sister to Sister. Some will flicker between reality and oneness with the Void, other Sisters might stay Submerged and Hollow indefinitely.
It should be noted that becoming one with the Void does not precipitate a docile, limp existence. A Hollow Sister, roaming the halls of the convent, is still capable of fulfilling her duties as the Void sees fit. She can be every bit as sadistic or submissive as the Void dictates. But the wearer of the suit has ceased to exist, the Sister becoming a mere puppet to the Void’s intentions, regardless of what scenario or ceremony she would be led into.
Pilgrimage
Once a Sister is able to enter Submersion naturally, and the process of becoming one with the Void is of second nature, that Sister will be deemed prepared for Pilgrimage.
Unlike other Pilgrimages, where a specific holy site is the destination, the Order of our Rubber Devotion has no such goal. A Pilgrim Sister will travel wherever the guiding puppet strings of the Void will take her. She is without aim, but she is not aimless. The Void is both purposeless and purposeful. So long as the Sister stays in Submersion, no harm will come to her and the intention the Void has for her will be fulfilled.
It is often unknown to us in the physical plane what occurs on these Pilgrimages, but frequently a Sister will return to us with many a new prospective acolyte in tow. The length of time these Pilgrimages take varies too, as the Void is unknowable and its paths are carved through instinct rather than preparation.
