I think that is the most dangerous cult type, when they built their cult on top of something legitimate. They do not care anything but their own profit and they justify that on the foundation they have built their cult on.
I don't know Ceolag did that on purpose, though questioning them through MC suggests he did, they always show their ugly face to MC but their members including Kaija fail to see that.
When MC asks about innocent people who die over simply asking the right questions, Linnae simply brushes it off and avoid to answer. MC immediately sees what was wrong but neither Kaija nor Linnae does, even worse they justify it.
They simply position themselves over humans, they claim to protect them but they only do that as long as that serves to their profit.
MC questions Kaija, how far she is willing to go for the order and he was shocked when he noticed how deep the chasm was. She was, only in love path, willing to stop if and only if MC faces certain death. The other path is simply just disgusting.
When MC saves Medb's life, council members immediately think to use his right to their own benefit and they are even see themselves in right, up to the point that they got angry MC wasted his wish on trivial thing such as saving his father's life. They don't even see that MC was not part of Templars and does not serve them, hence he was not oblige to use his life debt right to their benefit. As they see it, everyone should serve them if they don't they are delusional enough to scold them.
Time and time they mentioned Elves, the bad guys according to the Templars, are always keep their promises. When MC earned the swords due to ancient rituals, one of the council member was ready to break the rule to keep the sword. Even tried to use petty way to misguide MC to downplay the worth of the sword. He should have been the pillar of the Templars but he was ready to cheat. So even Elves was better at keeping their words.
When Linnae ordered them solve their personal problems, which is created by them at the first place. Kaija literally blamed MC of Paul's death. Whole conversation was revolting but when she started giving a sermon how noble and righteous Templars are, she was ready to put the blame of wrongdoings on others easily. When MC reminded her about his position, she noticed how she was not even aware of it. How blind she was to MC and his suffering.
If we dive deeper, I am pretty sure we can find clues and facts about how horrible Templars are, how manipulative their ways are, how single minded they are etc. So they are just a textbook cult and one of the worst kind of it. They are dangerous not because what are they capable of but also the mindset of them. They think so highly of them, others dying for them nothing more than collateral damages.
I especially like when
Ceolag questions their path through MC though, he always asks the right questions. This game is nothing short of a perfect story. Thanks for that.
