Roleplay Bleeds Into Cults

A Burning Man camp (Black Lotus) turned a tabletop RPG’s metaphysics (Mage: The Ascension) into a lived belief system. Fictional frameworks can scaffold real-world authority, rituals, and moral claims when paired with charismatic leaders and intense group housing/retreats. — It warns that fandom and gaming architectures can be repurposed for governance of people, not just play, complicating debates over online subcultures and harm.