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| “ | WE'LL MEET AGAIN. | „ |
| ~ The Ciphertologists' last cry during their stand-off. |
| “ | Embrace today as if your town is going to be hit by a tornado in exactly 3 and a half years! | „ |
| ~ Silas' charismatic motto. |
The Cult of Ciphertology are minor antagonists in Disney's Gravity Falls franchise.
They were a cult founded in 1952 by the small-time conman, Silas Birchtree, who had in actuality died by asphyxiation before being used as a vessel by Cipher himself. Thanks to Bill's supernatural charisma, (almost) all of Orchard Lake, Kansas, was under his command. However, his plans would be foiled by the one townsfolk to not have been brainwashed, Emmaline Butternubbins.
Currently, while without proper leadership, the Cult continues to amass new members through internet "irony" and historians seeking for the unexplainable.
Biography[]
Foundation[]
In June 1952, conman Silas Birchtree's life would abruptly come to an end as he was flipping a coin while hiding from creditors. The coin had been lodged in Birchtree's throat, apparently killing him from the asphyxiation. Though pronounced dead, the man would be spotted just the day after, having suffered a complete change in demeanor, posture, and even suffered physical changes; now having a shrill voice, pale dead skin, and a wide and creepy smile with accompanying wide eyes. While Silas had indeed died from the incident, his body was actually possessed by Bill Cipher, who uses him as a guise to amass a cult following.
Using his mesmerizing presence, Silas' new self would go to Orchard Lake's town square, proclaiming that he had been granted "otherwordly insight into the nature of reality" by an omniscient being named Bill Cipher, and that every human has an unsatiable need for chaos and entropy that had been going suppressed by their oppressors, offering them a chance at anarchy. He would also ask them to let him marry all of their wives.
In the days following, on June 18th, the Orchard Lake Cornhusk would make a report on the Cult, asking the locals about their feelings towards it. While most of them sounded indifferent and/or were in denial of being charmed by Silas, one of them dissented completely, having an outwardly negative look at the ordeal: Emmaline Butternubbins, who claimed that Silas was a dead body puppeteered by a space triangle looking to build a portal to a realm beyond human comprehension, and that the town should resist him and hunt him down when they still had the chance.
The Orchard Lake Cornhusk's lead reporter, Welton Danforth, conducted an interview with the Ciphertologist's leader to have a little more insight on his plans, only to quickly fall victim to his words and charisma, while also learning that Silas indeed had the ability to predict the future and know things he had no way of knowing of. Welton converted to Ciphertology and vowed his life to Bill moments later.
It's implied that in this moment's time, Ciphertology took over everyone in the town.
BillVille[]
Just a month after the foundation of the Cult, they had amassed such a number that they succesfully overthrew the Town Hall. With the entire town under his command, Silas' first action was to rename it to "BillVille." The Cult would being stockpiling useful resources, such as weapons, human teeth, and balls from local burger restaurant's ball pits. All access in or out of BillVille was now banned, including medical emergencies, as Bill found pain hilarious. However, Silas' coup also came with the end of all crime - though he only did so by declaring that everything was now legal.
Cultists were now obliged to shave their heads bald, paint a third eye in their forehead, constantly take in Helium to replicate Bill's voice and would be branded on an unspecified body part. They would also partake in "Dream-ins," where Bill would possess up to 30 at the same time and laugh in unison.
Pamphlets promoting Ciphertology were handed out at those that still hadn't been converted, now inviting them to embrace (not) their individuality by conforming to imitate Silas' style, or otherwise being punished by being sent to "The Hole." Ciphertology-themed merchandise, such as "Brain Seismographs" or "BS" for short, also struck the local markets.
The Ciphertologists would begin the construction of a portal in the desert surrounding the area at around this time, using used car parts to build it whilst assuring the public it was nothing to worry about.
All of this would make Emmaline realize that there was something particularly wrong with Silas, and she would counterattack by sending homemade anti-Bill pamphlets to children, much to their annoyance.
Fighting the Law (and the law won)[]
"I know we'll meet again, some sunny day."
After the Cult hijacked a local TV signal to a recording of Silas reading a geometric erotica novel, the Federal Communications Commission would be notified of their activity. In retaliation, the Billievers tainted their drinking water with 600 gallons of a bubble water solution, prompting Kansas Law Enforcement to get involved. The cultists were demanded to give up the Town Hall and dismantle their makeshift portal, otherwise they would be all shot dead.
For 13 whole days, the Cult of Ciphertology, who locked themselves inside a Waffle House, would be in a standoff against the Kansas State Troopers. The cultists, possibly in an attempt to shatter the troopers' skulls, chanted "Teeth!" endlessly. Silas, now becoming increasingly manic in behavior and with his body rotting more and more by the second, would take drastic actions such as blocking every single TV and radio signal from entering the town, as well as begging the cult to finish the portal project faster.
Meanwhile, Emmaline, who had grown tired that her pamphlets were being ignored by the young folks in the town, would throw a torch into their headquarters, coincidentally landing in their helium tank storage, causing an immense explosion that would destroy the portal. With all hopes lost, the cultists simply held hands and started to sing We'll Meet Again as the gunfire of the troopers set in. Bill, now clinging on to Silas' bullet-wounded husk of a body, would attempt to issue a last message to the world using a megaphone, but would ultimately fail to deliver it as Silas' body collapsed on itself, decapitating it. Maggots and flies emerging from his body as he became a grey husk.
Emmaline was granted a golden medal for her honor, while the law took care of covering up the entire story of the town in fear.
Legacy[]
Though the cult's leadership and most of its membership were almost wiped out, it's implied that there's still active members who managed to escape and still hope for Bill's return. "Ironic" shirts started selling online, as well as bits of history that were left to those who know how to search. One such bit was a message from Bill to Donna Rutherford, a historian writing a book about the lesser known cults of America. Donna, realizing that Ciphertology was rooted in a twisted truth, converts to them. It’s also possible that the remaining Ciphertologists may be responsible for reviving Bill sometime in the near future if they ever come across his book.
Trivia[]
- Based on its name, cult-like demeanour, belief in an extraterrestrial entity, and dubious views towards therapy and healthcare, it’s likely that the Cult of Ciphertology is a spoof of the controversial new-age religion Scientology, which has been criticised as being exploitative and pseudo-scientific in nature by critics, with some claiming that its claims can even be harmful to some.
- This is ironic as Alex Hirsch revealed in a Twitter post that he intended to make an episode where Grunkle Stan creates a “religion” called Stanetology to get tax breaks, though this was denied by executives presumably to avoid lawsuits from the Church of Scientology.
- Thanks to the officially licensed merch crossover between Gravity Falls, The Owl House and Amphibia, it's implied from the description of Stanford's figurine that the Cult of Ciphertology might be trying to resurrect Bill. However, seeing as the crossover was done without input from the creators of the respective shows, it's unlikely that this is canon.
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 Villains
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