Chelonia

“	It is a religion of safety... a religion made by a god who understood what life is.	„
	—Anders Helgerson

Chelonia is a fictitious religion and religious cult featured in Red Dead Redemption 2.

History[]

Background[]

The religion was founded in the late 1700s and came to be led by Anders Helgerson at some point prior to 1899. While headquartered in Boston, they soon became established in the northern New Hanover region, where they actively recruited young and able men, something which made them extremely unpopular amongst the local populace.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2[]

Mary Linton writes to Arthur and asks him to meet her at a farm near Valentine where she is staying. After arriving, she tells Arthur that her brother Jamie has joined the cult, and begs Arthur to convince him to leave, saying Arthur is the only one Jamie would listen to. Arthur can decide to help her, and if he does, he will ride to their camp near the Cumberland Forest area. He finds the camp atop a mountain, where five Chelonians including Jamie live. The cult members quickly surround Jamie, and tell Arthur to leave and that Jamie has made his choice. Arthur can talk to the cult leader peacefully or aggressively. If spoken to peacefully, the Chelonian Master allows Arthur to speak with Jamie. If spoken to aggressively, he refuses to let Arthur speak with Jamie. After growing frustrated with Jamie for not leaving with him, he knocks the leader unconscious. Jamie flees, and Arthur leaps on his horse and chases after Jamie. After stopping on the other side of a train track to Arthur, Jamie's horse abandons him, and he chooses to attempt to kill himself rather than go with Arthur. Arthur shoots his gun out of his hand, after which Jamie realizes how foolish he has been. Arthur then takes Jamie back to his sister.

Furthermore, the player is able to encounter Anders Helgerson, the leader of the cult, in Saint Denis, where he can be seen handing out pamphlets and sharing information about Chelonianism to passers-by. Upon returning to the cult leader during the Epilogue, the player will be informed that a new Chelonian master will initiate a rite within the near future, on the very same hilltop where Arthur confronted Jamie. The Chelonians who have gathered on the hilltop will start to chant when the player approaches them and the Chelonian Master will eventually request the inducted members to follow him on his journey to Chelonia, before jumping off the cliff to their deaths.

Beliefs[]

The Chelonians believe in a utopian society which they call Chelonia, and believe that the only way to be truly safe from the evils of current-day America is to dedicate everything to the cult. They also hold the turtle in very high regard and consider it to be sacred, believing it to be an ancient holy animal that should never be harmed.^[1] Members wear robes embroidered with turtles, carry satchels sewn to resemble turtles, and when confronted with potential danger, members of the cult tend to band together to form a "shell of safety", likely inspired by the turtle's shell and its ability to protect the turtle.

The Chelonians' beliefs are a reference to Turtle Island, which is a common creation story among the indigenous peoples of North America.

Additionally, the Chelonians are a possible reference to the many new religious movements which existed in the 19th-century United States; many of these new movements were frequently persecuted and denounced.

Mission appearances[]

Red Dead Redemption 2

Trivia[]

The Chelonians' act of binding together to form a "shell of safety" is likely inspired by the Testudo formation used by the Roman Army. In addition to them having the same structure and general purpose, "Testudo" in Latin translates to "Tortoise", which is itself a type of turtle – the animal considered sacred by the cult.
The word "Chelonia" is the other name of the taxonomic order Testudines, which encompasses all 14 families of 356 known species of extant turtles.
The player can find dead Chelonians dressed as Jesuits in camp at Cholla Springs; on their tunics dominate a light blue color, similar to the Epsilon Program Robes.
In "Polite Society, Valentine Style", the player can encounter a man affiliated with the cult and is seen praying at the Saints Hotel. This NPC is wearing a baby blue shirt, the color worn by Epsilon members.
When encountering the Chelonian rite during the Epilogue, if the player chooses to follow the members of the cult on their "journey" by jumping off the same cliff, John will enthusiastically cry out "Chelonia!" in the same manner as the members that jumped before him^[2]. Nothing unique follows this, as the player simply falls to their death and respawns as usual. John's dialogue can also be triggered by walking very close to the edge of the cliff, without needing to jump.
The player can encounter a friendly camper who mentions that he used to be a follower of Chelonia. He mentions that he almost followed them off a cliff which foreshadows the fate of Anders and the Chelonian Master.