Legacies

Legacies are what determine the starting conditions of the player when restarting Cultist Simulator after a completed game, whether that game ended in victory or defeat. Only three Legacies are available at any given time, and the available selection can change depending on how the preceding game ended. The only Legacy that is always available is the Aspirant Legacy.

Standard Legacies
The Legacies listed below are included by default in all versions of Cultist Simulator.

Aspirant
"June the 28th, once again."

The Aspirant Legacy is the default Legacy and the equivalent of a fresh game, providing only the most basic resources at start, including a job as a source of, reliable access to Morland's Shop, and early or  lore. It is always available regardless of circumstances.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: Menial Employment

Bright Young Thing
"Endowed from birth with wealth and talent. A life of ease, comfort and delight stretches ahead like an amber carpet."

The Bright Young Thing Legacy is available after most games, and is always available after a "No More" ending. It provides a substantial yet limited amount of at start, as well as early access to The Ecdysis Club and  lore, plus a A Ciphered Diary and the last book acquired by the previous Legacy. It, however, does not grant access to Morland's Shop and as such, the player will have to Explore to address that.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: This and That, Health

Detective
"I am an Inspector in the capital's police, charged with the investigation of the most vile and wretched things that one human does to another."

The Detective Legacy becomes available if the previous game ended with the "Bars across the sun" or the "Ambition's Tide" ending. It provides a job investigating the occult for the Suppression Bureau but the investigation targets are also potential followers, so capturing them makes it difficult for the cult later. The Detective Legacy also does not provide any free lore, and its starting desire is always the same as the previous Legacy.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: Reason, Health, Inspector's Position

Physician
"As the patient descended into the final delirium, I made copious notes. In the buzzing heat of the night, I re-read those notes, and they began, at last, to make a kind of sense."

The Physician Legacy becomes available if the previous game ended in the "My Body Is Dead" ending, in which case it will usurp either the Bright Young Thing or Detective Legacies. It provides a steady job for and additional Reason at start, along with reliable access to Morland's Shop.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: A Position at the Institute

Advanced Legacies
The three Apostle Legacies were added to Cultist Simulator in a free update. They are substantially more difficult to obtain and win with, and can only be accessed after achieving the corresponding standard victory via one of the Standard or DLC Legacies. The Apostle Legacies have increased difficulty in the form of more complex victory conditions combined with An Immortal Enemy that will try to block the player's progress, but allow the player to achieve a major victory in the given discipline.

Apostle Aestuant
"The one who shaped us has ascended to a higher state... in one history, at least. The past is uncertain. But I will tend the crucible for their next ascension."

The Apostle Aestuant Legacy is always available after a standard victory. If pursued, it essentially starts a "New Game+" mode as an apostle of the previous ascended character, referred to as The Shaper, who has gone into hiding. The apostle is charged with assembling and conducting a powerful ritual to allow The Shaper to ascend from a Long to a Name. The Legacy provides additional starting Health, and some of the items, lore, and followers from the previous game are inherited.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: Health (x2), A Favoured Place

Apostle Entheate
"The Illuminated One waits in the House of the Sun - waits to rise higher. I am their hand."

The Apostle Entheate Legacy is always available after a standard victory. If pursued, it essentially starts a "New Game+" mode as an apostle of the previous ascended character, referred to as The Illuminated One, who has gone into hiding. The apostle is charged with assembling and conducting a powerful ritual to allow The Illuminated One to ascend from a Long to a Name. The Legacy provides additional starting Reason, and some of the items, lore, and followers from the previous game are inherited.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: Health, Reason, The First Dream

Apostle Obsonate
"The one who nourished us has ascended to a higher state... in one history, at least. The past is uncertain. But I will prepare the feast for their next ascension."

The Apostle Obsonate Legacy is always available after a standard victory. If pursued, it essentially starts a "New Game+" mode as an apostle of the previous ascended character, referred to as The Delight, who has gone into hiding. The apostle is charged with assembling and conducting a powerful ritual to allow The Delight to ascend from a Long to a Name. The Legacy provides additional starting Passion, and some of the items, lore, and followers from the previous game are inherited.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: Health, Passion, Duty and Delight

DLC Legacies
The Legacies listed below are included in the Perpetual Edition and Anthology Edition of Cultist Simulator. Owners of the standard version of the game can purchase these Legacies separately.

Dancer
"I am young and I am strong and for a time yet I will be beautiful."

The Dancer Legacy is included in The Dancer add-on that released on October 16, 2018. It becomes available if the previous game ended in the "Evening Falls" ending, in which case it will usurp either the Bright Young Thing or Detective Legacies. It provides additional Health at start and an early, guaranteed path to The Ecdysis Club and Sulochana Amavasya, but accessing Morland's Shop will require exploring.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: A Contract at the Gaiety, Health (x2), Passion

Priest
"In visions have I seen St Agnes. I have learnt not to speak of the form she takes."

The Priest Legacy is included in The Priest add-on that released on May 30, 2019. The Priest Legacy may randomly become available upon beginning a new game, but it is guaranteed to become available if the previous game ended due to succumbing to Fascination. It grants additional starting Passion and, as well as a form of steady employment, and early access to lore. Two unique endings are only available by choosing this Legacy.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: Passion, An Appointment to a Quiet Parish,

Medium?
"Everyone knows that I speak with the dead. I have been called a prophet, and a ghoul. I have no reason to disabuse them of their illusions."

The Medium? Legacy is included in The Ghoul add-on that released on May 30, 2019. The Medium? Legacy may randomly become available upon beginning a new game, but it is guaranteed to become available if the previous game ended due to succumbing to Dread. Two unique endings are only available by choosing this Legacy. The Medium? can also establish a variant Society called the Towers of the Dove.


 * Starting Actions: Work
 * Starting Cards: A Convincing Spiritualist Routine, Something Shameful, Something Profitable, Something Joyful

Exile
"No-one steals from a reckoner lord. And yet, I did. I had my reasons."

The Exile Legacy is included in The Exile add-on that released on May 27, 2020. The Exile Legacy may randomly become available upon beginning a new game, but it is guaranteed to become available if the previous game also used the Exile Legacy and ended in any victory or defeat exclusive to that Legacy; alternately, there is an option on the main menu to play The Exile directly without selecting it as a Legacy. Exile features substantial changes to the fundamental gameplay loop involving traveling across Europe and eastern Asia to elude pursuers and eventually defeat them, amass enough resources to live a comfortable life in hiding, or a combination of both.


 * Starting Actions: Employ
 * Starting Cards: Trace (x7), Stolen Decade (x7), Stolen Year (x7), An Escape Plan

Unreleased Legacies
The Legacies listed below were announced in the July 2018 roadmap as planned paid content for Cultist Simulator in 2019, but were ultimately not developed or released. As the Exile DLC was stated in March 2020 to be the last content Weather Factory had planned to implement in Cultist Simulator before pivoting to Book of Hours, it is presumed that these two unreleased Legacies were canceled.


 * Familiar - Less than Human, and More.
 * Survivor - What Have Ye Done?

Game files also contained partial data for three incomplete Legacies which were likely also scrapped.


 * Auctioneer - No description, unlocked after achieving the "Evening Falls" minor victory. Would have featured a job working at Oriflamme's Auction House.
 * Cousin - One morning, when the Sun is high and the mirrors all are sealed, there will come a knock on your door. "A benefactor", the gentleman in grey will say. "A bequest. Perhaps you hadn't known you were related."
 * Survivor - At times, in mirrors, in crowds, you see the face of one now lost.

L'héritage