[Lodge No. 9]
D.G.D.S.V.N.
Mission Statement:
The Gore-Hound Society (G.H.S.) is a secret writers' fraternal lodge dedicated to spreading the gospel of the Gods of Horror within the confined spaces of North American literature on the whole.
The G.H.S. seeks to unite all writers and authors who share an interest in disturbing, occultic/satanic, evil Horror-fiction, and who share a united vision in disseminating the propaganda given to us by the Gods of Gore, and passed down through the ages by the Master Morticians of antiquity both recent and remote, our predecessors in the Fold.
A. Rudimentary Laws:
A.1- Deny membership, deny existence, deny everything.
A.2- An Abbatoir (Local Chapter)may have its own laws in addition to those of the Lodge, however Abbatoir laws must at all times comply with Lodge laws.
A.3- All members, upon initiation to the first degree will have a new name bestowed upon them whereby they shall henceforth be known unto the Lodge. Prior to this, the Maggot (pre-Initiate) is nameless, crawling through a sea of Meat, searching for the light.
A.4- Betrayal of the Lodge in any wise will result in a demotion to the level of Meat. The traitor will be excommunicated from the Society with extreme prejudice, and other members will be encouraged to shun and curse such an one.
A.5- There shall be, at all times, an eternal Brotherhood and Sisterhood between all Gorehounds; a Gorehound holds prevalence among the masses of Meat.
A.6- Upon initiation to the first degree, a member of the Society will copy this document into an anthology of horror stories in red ink exclusively.
A.7- G.H.S. meetings will be conducted in as formal a setting as possible. This includes all Abbatoir and Morgue functions. Formal attire only.
B. Hierarchy and Organization:
B.1- Master Mortician: Third-Degree member of the G.H.S. inner-cirle; In charge of the formulation of Gorehound rhetoric, crucial to the formulation of Gorehound propaganda, regarding the manner in which it is to be disseminated.
B.2- Mortician: Second-Degree member of the G.H.S. inner-circle; In charge of the formulation of Gorehound propaganda based upon Gorehound rhetoric with regards to the manner of dissemination.
B.3- Butcher: First-Degree member of the G.H.S. inner-circle; In charge of the dissemination of Gorehound propaganda, and espousal of Gorehound rhetoric.
B.4- Maggot: A pre-Initiate; one who seeks entry into the Fold.
B.5- Meat: A non-member of the G.H.S.
B.6- Abbatoir (Local Chapter)- An Abbatoir shall be established whenever there are two or more G.H.S. members in any given area, however, an Abbatoir may only be established by a Mortician, one who has attained the Second-Degree of the G.H.S. inner-circle.
B.7- Morgue (gorehound Church)- A Morgue is a local congregation of Gorehounds in any given area who have decided to gather for meetings despite the abscence of a Mortician. In such an event as this, one Gorehound must be chosen to act as Inter-Mortician.
B.8- Ghost House (Spirit Chapel)- A Ghost House, as its name might suggest, is an internet web-prescence that is continually maintained by a G.H.S. member in order to disseminate propaganda and rhetoric, and to provide a beacon of black light for all Maggots to see. Ghost Houses are strictly internet-only Gorehound gathering spots.
B.9- Undercroft (Correspondence Coven)- An Undercroft is a term used to describe a collective unit of Gorehounds who maintain contact with one another, and participate in G.H.S. functions, through formal letter-writing circles.
C. Requirements for Membership:
C.1- Intelligence, etiquette, and an elite air of sophistication (pseudo- intellecualism; but there is, of course, no substitute for the real thing).
C.2- Trustworthiness and Honesty, both to oneself, as well to fellow Gorehounds.
C.3- Obedience to all Lodge laws, subsequent Abbatoir laws, and Master Morticians as it pertains to the affaires of the Lodge, or any function thereof.
C.4- Aspiring members must be upheld by no less than two Butchers holding the first degree, or one Mortician holding the second degree.
C.5- Aspiring members must take the Oath of Absolute Silence and Secrecy prior to initiation into the Fold.
D. Society Motto:
The Motto of the Gore-Hound Society [Lodge No. 9] is "Der Geist Der Stets Ver Neint," a German phrase meaning "The Spirit Who Ever Denies." Originally applied to the demon Mephistopheles, this slogan is used by the Fold as a first oath of secrecy. It is the binding covenant of the Gorehounds, and the eternal oath of the Society.
