OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Shadow Knights.
Image Credit: Here. Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: N/A.
Links: Court of the Shadows, Shadow Knights (lore submission), Naesala Faethyra, Eldorai, Citizens' Council, Qadiri, Vashyada, Eldorai Exodus, Twin Exiles, Xioquo, Twin Exiles, Yohara Taenasi, Kar'zun, Shadow Knights, Citizens' Council, Exodite Asurans, Sciiac Guardian, Traveller of the Fivefold Paths, Ardent Duty, Ashiranism, Eldorai Spirit Gem, HRD, Firemane, Kaeshana, Yseult Faerin, Supreme Justice Tribunal of the Exodite Collective.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Religion Name: Congregation of the Holy Barrier
Religion Type: Monolatery, Mechanist.
Influence: Minor
Influence Area: They do not have much of a planetary presence. Essentially their influence area is identical with the Shadow Knight nomad fleet. As such they have a presence on Exodite ships such as the Defiance.
Symbol: A gem surrounded by a dark circle.
Description: Do we have souls? Is there are a life after death? These are questions countless sentient beings have asked themselves throughout history. Even today, in a highly secularised galaxy, anxiety over what lies beyond the mortal realm has not vanished. Not the least because not so long ago the barriers between the material realm and the Netherworld were broken down by a mad goddess, and trillions of beings were raptured. Some were forever lost in the Netherworld.
For the followers of the Congregation of the Holy Barrier these questions are especially pertinent because, in a way, they are proof that there is a soul. This is born out of the fact that the life essence inhabits a spirit gem rather than a body of flesh and blood. One of the morally questionable aspects of the Shadow Knights is the use of these gems to preserve citizens too valuable to lose.
These tend to be soldiers and pilots, but also doctors, researchers and technicians. By having their spirit trapped inside a soul stone, they can continue to serve beyond death, pass on their skills and serve the community. However, it is a matter of controversy whether these beings still possess souls and could be considered citizens.
The Congregationof the Holy Barrier seeks to minister to the spiritual and mental health needs of these beings and their dependents, as well as serve as an advocacy group to ensure they are treated with dignity and not denied their sapient rights. Being in a spirit gem is not immortality. It takes a long while, but eventually the life essence fades away, which opens up the question of what comes after.
Compared to say the Church of Ashira, the Congregation takes a more non-denominational view of the afterlife as you say. Their big thing is the 'Threshold' between life and death and how the existing in a spirit gem is that middle balance between the two. It is their belief that upon death, the virtuous among them will be reunited with the spirits of their ancestors and ascend to become angelic beings. Because the followers of the Congregation are more than just Eldorai, they do not take a definite stance on who or what the Goddess is. Rather they venerate a Universal Mother, who according to them has appeared to her children in many guises and under many names. She is the engine of creation. Some call her Ashira, others Kashara or Gaia. All are just as valid because ultimately the Universal Mother is unknowable. The Congregation considers it ignorant and harmful to make a definite image of the Universal Mother.
It is their belief that the Universal Mother judges everyone by their own worth. An individual cannot be forced into belief, but must seek it out themselves and of their own free will for it to be genuine. This means that forced conversion is not just inefficient, it is actually a heretical act that leaves a stain upon the soul of both the proselyte and the missionary. It is not enough for a follower to merely believe though. They must continuously express this belief through their actions, or else it is hollow.
The followers of the Congregation feel their time in the soulstones is a time for them to prove their worth so their final passing over into the true afterlife will be more complete. And welcome them to a new paradise. For those who committed grave sins in life, it is a purgatory meant to cleanse them of their dark deeds, make amends and allow them to reflect on their actions.
Within the faith there is a strong emphasis on duty, diligence and service. Their flesh and blood bodies may have expired, but they continue to serve, delaying their eternal reward out of a sense of duty. It goes without saying that the Congregation is a strong advocate for spirit gem beings being treated as full citizens and their dependents receiving full pensions. An Asuran whose soul inhabited a spirit gem is not a machine; they merely use a mechanical body to interact with the world.
The Congregation is highly obscure and does not have many followers, but those who join it are devoted and loyal. Far from scorning science and technological development, the Congregation is supportive of it, though it approaches things from a mystical angle and stresses that progress must serve the people. As such engineers, machinists and other technologists are valued by the faith, provided they do not violate its code of ethics. It should come as no surprise that the Congregation has a close relationship with guilds of skilled craftswomen, droidmakers and machinists.
The sect will help members provide for the upkeep and maintenance of their droid bodies, since that can get expensive and not everyone has the technical skills to do it themselves without help. One of their projects consist of digitalising the memories of the elders of the sect, so that their knowledge will not be lost to future generations when their bearers have passed away into the eternal void. Some members of the sect want to go a step further and directly transfer the memories of a deceased Witnesser to their successor so that the memory of the past endures.
While the Shadow Knights are a regimented society by design and necessity, they give constituent groups a good deal of autonomy within the overall framework. They are very much a patchwork society, and various groups within it have a history of rivalry. The Congregation has at times served as a mediator between them. It helps that while spirit gem beings still feel emotion, they tend to be more logical and objective than organics because they have been stripped of many organic needs.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Founder: The old Eldorai used to condemn some people to the gems as a punishment, especially for devout Ashirans it could be a really horrible purgatory. The founder of the Congreation was an Ashiran abbess called Alia Venari. She was a respected cleric known for her piousness, and a loyal supporter of the Evora royal family. Saria Evora, a junior member of the noble house, was her lover. Unfortunately, this meant she ran afoul of her own family when Tirathana V seized power. She was 'traitorous' member of the Venari family who argued against the usurpation. As punishment, she was sentenced to the 'neverdeath'.
Tirathana was known to be vindictive and had a twisted sense of 'poetic justice'. Since her 'traitorous' relative had chosen to forsake her family for the sake of her lover, the two of them would be together...forever. Thus the two of them were sentenced to the neverdeath and kept in the same vault, able to perceive each other but never able to communicate, destined to be gems hanging on threads in Voidstone cages....forever. Trapped in the gem for literally centuries, Alia created a reality where her faith could be reconciled. During one of Kaeshana's many tragedies she and others were rescued from a vault and came to the Shadow Knights. Alia is the main author of the Congregation's holy book.
Membership: The Congreation is open to any spirit gem being who wants to follow its tenets. The believers will go recruit people but don't try and pressure the spirits into it. The initiation rite is as simple as reciting a mantra before a certain number of witnesses. The name of a convert is then entered into a digital ledger. The same applies to the names of their dependents, should they wish, since the Congregation believes it also has an obligation to watch out for them and help them adapt to the new circumstances their loved one finds themselves in.
All followers of the Congregation pay into a common fund that helps provide for the upkeep of their droid bodies, but can also be used to fund common projects as well as be used to help the dependents of a deceased sect member. Each contribution is carefully recorded to prevent misuse. Rank and wealth are taken into account, so a sect member who's more affluent than the rest will pay more. Here it is pertinent to note that the Shadow Knights give soldiers who are in spirit gems a tax-free salary. They barely need any of it, but it's helpful for their dependents. The common fund is also used to fund research and social projects the Congregation wishes to support. The Congregation can also help a new believer acquire a suitable mechanical host. Conveniently, there are several machinists among the believers.
One's position among the flock is determined by age, service and experience. As mentioned, existence in a spirit gem does not constitute immortality. Over time a process of diffusion will eventually cause the spirit inside to evaporate after several centuries. The Congregation is governed by a gerontocracy where the eldest surviving assumes leadership of the faith. Understandably, there are 'young spirits' that chafe under the reign of the 'elders'. In an nutshell, older Congregationalists are expected to possess a greater degree of knowledge and comprehension and thus seniority than more junior ones. Their elders are given the humble title of Rememberer because they remember the distant past, which no one else does. The leader is called the Witnesser.
Sacred: The Testament of the Sacred Threshold is their holy tome, containing their precepts and the story of the faith as well as of spirit gems in general. Spirit gems themselves are treated as sacred. To harm the spirit gem of another believer is a grave sin. The Congregation's followers will go to great lengths to recover the spirit gem of a still 'alive' comrade whose droid shell has been destroyed or otherwise compromised. The gem houses the soul, and the soul is holy.
The droid vessel a spirit gem is typically housed in is not considered sacred itself, but scrupulously maintained. The Congregation does not necessarily view it as sacrilegious to reuse the droid shell of a fellow believer whose soul has passed on into the afterlife, though this requires written consent. However, the new inhabitant is expected to educate themselves about the deeds of the previous one, and honour them. They will generally be given a token of some form that will remind them of the 'donor'. Moreover, this practice is meant to symbolically establish a bond with the donor's family because the new inhabitant will be obligated to look out for them. The members of the congregation regularly have a ceremony of 'communion' where the gems telepathically bond with each other. That helps add to the 'oneness' and community they feel.
As mentioned, existing in a spirit gem is not immortality. Eventually the life force will fade away. The Congregation presumes this means their comrade has crossed the threshold. When this happens, they will hold a memorial ceremony to honour their departed comrade. The comrade's spirit gem will be preserved.
Dogma: The question of the soul as well as the afterlife are central to the tenets of the Congregation. The soul itself is viewed as immortal. In the eyes of the founders of the Congregation of the Holy Barrier and their followers, there exists a threshold between the mortal realm and the afterlife. Those whose consciousness has been transferred into a spirit gem occupy this middle realm.
They have begun their transformation into luminous beings that transcend the world of crude matter. But while they have departed their corpus of flesh and blood, they have delayed their eternal rest to continue to serve their people. The followers of the Congregation feel their time in the soulstones is a time for them to prove their worth so their final passing over into the true afterlife will be more complete. And welcome them to a new paradise. For those who committed grave sins in life, it is a purgatory meant to cleanse them of their dark deeds, make amends and allow them to reflect on their actions.
Due to their Eldorai roots, they believe in a Creator Goddess, who is regarded as having dominion over the afterlife and is believed to have created the Asuran races. Because the followers of the Congregation are more than just Eldorai, they do not take a definite stance on who or what the Goddess is. Rather they venerate a Universal Mother, who according to them has appeared to her children in many guises and under many names. All are valid, and she loves her children equally. She is the engine of creation, the hub of life. Some call her Ashira, others Kashara, Gaia or a myriad other names. Each reflect a different aspect of the Universal Mother. The members of the Congregation must strive to preserve her enlightened teachings, and the memory of the past, pooling the collective knowledge of the Asuran races for the betterment of all.
The Congregation is strongly opposed to discrimination of fellow Asurans. The faith's tenets emphasise duty, solidarity, mutual aid and mutual respect. As they put it, duty does not end when one reaches the threshold. Whoever they may have been in life, spirit gem beings are now sisters and brothers. They have a duty to aide their still living sistren and brethren...but also to guide them away from destructive actions.
The Congregation treats the spirit as a spark of life. As long as a being has a spirit, it is sentient and alive, no matter what shell houses the spirit. Sentience is defined as the ability to understand and learn the value of knowledge. Understanding leads to comprehension, which is the key to progress. The Universal Mother comprehends all things. Contrary to some inaccurate stereotypes perpetuated by conservative critics, the Congregation does not worship technology itself, but nor does it reject it. Technology allows them to continue a life of service, and allows them to overcome limitations of the flesh. But it is not sacred; only the spirit is sacred.
Reputation: Poorly understood outside of the orbit of the Exodite Asurans, Shadow Knights and Tygara. Use of spirit gems is controversial because it is also regarded as a form of necromancy, though they have nonetheless been utilised by the Eldorai for centuries. More conservative Ashirans may view the Congregation as blasphemous. Even other Shadow Knights can be uneasy about it, though there is also a lot of respect for the spirit gem beings' dutifulness and dedication, for they serve even beyond death.
Within the nomad fleet, the Congregation is known to be an advocacy group that promotes civic rights for the spirit gem beings. They have had success in this instance, as the Supreme Tribunal ruled that those who are housed in spirit gems cannot be denied citizenship. Congregation members who serve in the military or police force have a reputation for legalism and being by-the-book. Yohara Taenasi thinks the 'old spirits' are quaint and amusing.
Religion is often unfairly stereotyped as being antithetical to learning. This is not the case with the Congregation, which sponsors many academic ventures, especially those related to the hard sciences. It also encourages its believers to educate themselves, as it makes them more self-reliant and able to aid their community. Moreover, engaging in pursuits beyond their assigned roles means they can express themselves as people with souls rather than automatons. Freed from organic needs, spirit gem beings can work and study for hours without end, allowing them to learn at a faster pace than an organic being that needs to sleep, eat and drink would. The Congregation has worked with historians and archivists from academic associations to preserve the memory of the past.
MEMBERS
Alia Venari (NPC) - The Witnesser of the Congregation and the oldest member of the sect. The old Eldorai used to condemn some people to the gems as a punishment, especially for devout Ashirans it could be a really horrible purgatory. The founder of the Congreation was an Ashiran abbess called Alia Venari. She was a respected cleric known for her piousness and charitable works. Furthermore, she was a loyal supporter of the Evora royal family. Saria Evora, a junior member of the noble house, was her lover. Unfortunately, this meant she ran afoul of her own family when Tirathana V seized power. In the eyes of the new queen, Alia had committed treason because she had argued against the usurpation. As punishment, she was sentenced to the 'neverdeath'. Trapped in the gem for literally centuries, Alia created a reality where her faith could be reconciled.
During one of Kaeshana's many tragedies she and others were rescued from a vault and came to the Shadow Knights. Saria's gem was damaged, but they managed to transplant her spirit to a new one before it was dragged into the nether realm. Thus after centuries imprisoned, the two are at least able to share their unlife together. Alia is the main author of the Congregation's holy book. In life, Alia was a Force-User or Sciian, as the Eldoria call it. However, the long time she spent in confinement in a cage lined with Voidstone has weakened her Force connection. She retains precognitive and extrasensory abilities. Her position comes from her wisdom, and the fact that she leads by example, not her might. She and Saria have a division of labour. Alia is the theologian and spiritual guide, while Saria often acts as a spokeswoman and performs outreach to other groups.
Her spirit gem resides in an HRD body. Alia's gem is Force enchanted, but her long confinement has taken a toll on her. But she dedicates the time she has left to serve as a spiritual guide for spirit gem beings. She has a reputation for fairness and even-handedness. As an advocate for prisoner rights, she has pressured the Citizens' Council to improve conditions for felons and focus more on rehabilitation rather than punishment. Her followers are a fringe sect, so she is a voice for ecumenical cooperation. Meanwhile, her distant relative Anya Venari sits upon a shaky throne as Star Queen Tirathana VII of the Eldorai Matriarchy. Aliah has never met her relative, but watches from afar.
Saria Evora - one of the few surviving members of the deposed royal house Evora and Alia's wife. Like her lover, Saria was sentenced to the 'neverdeath' by the tyrannical Queen Tirathana V. Her gem was damaged by the Shadow Knights found her, but fortunately they were able to capture her spirit before it was pulled into the nether realm. However, her time in confinement has taken a toll on Saria. Having been deprived of her flesh and blood body, she feels a desperate need to be as 'Eldorai' as possible.
So she is always in her HRD body, which has been built in her likeness, never wants to leave it, and seeks out methods of trying to return somewhat to an organic form. This does not mean she denies her current reality, or even the faith, but she doesn't want to be reminded of her state all the time. Spirit gem beings have a reputation for stoicism, but Saria is rather emotional and expressive instead of speaking in a dull monotone. Much to her disappointment, it is a waste of resources for her to eat and drink, though her HRD body allows her to. Saria does, however, simulate the taste of drinks and food she used to enjoy when she was a flesh and blood being. At her request, her electronic eyes have been designed to flash blue rather than the more threatening red.
She doesn't get on with Zasq'Narna, who she believes has become far too enamoured with the power of her new mechanical form. Ironically, the fact that she goes out of her way to act as organic as possible makes her a good spokeswoman and ambassador to other groups. This also makes her someone the loved ones of spirit gem beings approach so they can better understand their kin's new nature. She's also written a history of her family to counter Venari slander. The book has a clear bias, but is actually well-researched. Incidentally, the Shadow Knight Strategos Yseult Faerin is an Evora bastard. The Strategos is known to be blunt and abrasive, but has an unusually polite relationship with Saria, who treats her like a daughter. She'd really like Yseult to take the family name and have some kids.
Kytara Valon - Kytara is a former smuggler, privateer and fighter pilot. Born on Kaeshana as the daughter of two pilots who served a family of pompous nobles, she experienced the oppressive nature of the ancien régime first-hand and was radicalised at an early age. Her mother died when her mistress forced her to pilot her craft during a storm. The noblewoman's eldest daughter blamed Kytara's mother for the accident and had her father flogged, while Kytara was punished for uppity behaviour.
Then the two were banished. To make a living, they turned to smuggling, working for Varisanthra Lycaeni, an exile with a serious grudge against the Matriarchy. However, her father was later captured and murdered in prison. A rescue operation led by Kytara failed. After avenging the death of her parents by killing her former mistress, Kytara became an independent smuggler. Thus she got to see the stars. At this stage, many Eldorai still believed space was an endless void filled with ghost and demons, but she learned differently. Looking for a purpose, she affiliated with the Shadow Knights, but retained her independence.
This lasted until she suffered near-fatal injuries after a daring trench run against an Archangel warship. Now she serves the Eldorai renegades in unlife. She has a strong sense gallows' humour, which makes her come across as irreverent, but has also made her popular among her team members. Having been robbed of her life at an early age, she is determined to make her unlife count. Daring though not reckless in battle, she leads by example.
Kytara had some loot stashed away from past missions, but she is not rich. She has access to the resources she needs to fulfil her duties. Her transmutation has largely freed her of organic needs. Kytara possesses an HRD body. She can be installed into it in a similar manner to a Shard. This allows her to move and interact with others outside of a cockpit. The HRD was originally built by Archangel, the machine cult that is responsible for killing Kytara in the first place. It was stolen by the Shadow Knights.
Kytara has prodigious skill as a pilot and irregular fighter. In terms of personality, Kytara is a bit of a jokester and prone to sarcasm, even in death. She has retained her original persona, but is now on board with the cause of the Shadow Knights. Kytara is by no means a mindless, brainwashed drone who must obey without question. She is still capable of feeling emotions, and retains free will. Her life has been extended, but her time is still finite. One day her essence will fade away, assuming she is not destroyed in battle before. She has been robbed of true sensation. Perhaps humour is one way for her to deal with her rather grim existence. Kytara commands Banshee Squadron, a squadron composed solely of elf pilots whose souls have been transferred into spirit gems. This has given them a strong bond, but also made them outcasts in Eldorai society. Currently she works with Kaida Taldir.
While not an atheist, Kytara was never pious in life. However, she has cought out the Congregation because it means she is among people who share her struggles and trials. Moreover, they can help her address her fears about the new nature of her existence and the trauma she has suffered. The faith has given her a sense of community, and solidarity that mainstream Shadow Knight society cannot. As a result, she is loyal to it, though prone to irreverence.
Var'Ranasa (NPC) - A female Xioquo engineer in life. Before the conquest of the Underealm by Firemane and Eldorai forces, Ranasa was heavily involved in building her people's steam-powered trains and tanks. However, she was a deviant among her people and got little credit for her work due to being of low birth. Her patron happened to be a mistress and thus got all the credit. Ranasa was offered a job by Firemane, but found her people's new human overlords patronising and was drawn to the Shadow Knights instead.
She was already very old when she came aboard and put herself in great peril to solve a critical error aboard the worldship. The procedure saved her life - or unlife, as the case may be. She has her spirit gem implanted into a droid body so that she can communicate with people and interact with the world. While her new form is unsettling for some, Ranasa is friendlier, more approachable and a lot more modest than Yohara.
She has taken an understandable interest in the technology used to create her and those like her, applying her prodigious intellect. Yohara finds this a bit annoying sometimes since Ranasa doesn't always agree with her, but respects her formidable mind. One of the research centres of the Institute of Enlightenment aboard the Defiance has been named after her. Rasana finds this a bit morbid since she is not really dead, but she sometimes teaches courses on engineering there. In addition, she serves as a consult on many government projects.
Lialana Qilar (NPC) - an Eldorai and the Marshal of the Citizens' Council, the lower house of the Shadow Knights' parliament. This makes her the presiding officer of the Council. She is responsible for chairing debates, organising the business of the Council and keeping order. She takes her duties very seriously. Lialana has history with Archon Naesala Faethyra. When Naesala was court-martialled by the Matriarchy for breaking the willow pallisade of isolation, Lialana served as her lawyer.
It was clear to everyone involved that it would be a show trial, but she still made an effort to actually defend her client. The trial was held behind closed doors by a special tribunal. The proceedings were incredibly opaque and Lialana faced harassment for providing Naesala and her family with legal advice. After Naesala escaped in order to avoid almost certain execution, Lialana was put under house arrest and barred from practicing law. Naesala didn't forget this. Liliana was arrested in Tirathana VI's final years. Government agents blindfolded her, placed her in stress positions, and deprived her of food and water during interrogation. She was eventually released after the Star Queen's death. The deliberately unhygienic and cruel conditions of her detention had left her in ill health, though she was eventually allowed to practice law again.
Illness, age and a desire to continue being of service motivated Lialana to volunteer for the spirit gem project. When Alia led a campaign to attain legal recognition for the Congregation as a proper faith, Liliana provided legal advice and acted as her lawyer. Moreover, she helped Alia and Saria get into contact with the Archon. She uses a variety of droid bodies to move about and interact with the world. One is an HRD body in the shape of her former self, another a protocol droid with a big speaker for when she needs to be heard in the assembly. As some people change clothes she changes shells. Lialana is not given to public displays of emotion, which may be a side-effect of her consciousness being stuck in the device, as she is quite disconnected from many organic needs.
She also has a reputation for being big on enforcing the rules and penalising Councillors for being disruptive. She coldly defied rioters who tried to storm the Council building to force it to comply with their demands. Lialana has established a convention - commonly referred to as Marshal Qilar's Law - as to how and when the Marshal is supposed to make a casting vote in the event of a tie. In a nutshell, the Marshal should always vote in support of further debate or if it has already been decided to have no further debate, to exercise her vote in support of the status quo.
Lialana is a rather private person, but has been drawn to the faith due to its stance on duty and service. She volunteered for the spirit gem project, but was anxious about the spiritual implications of her new form of existence. The Congregation cannot answer all questions, but it provides her with tenets that appeal to her and a sense of community. She's regarded as one of their elders, known to be a proponent of consensus-building and democratic centralism.
Tinata Lisura - Tinatsa is a member of the Eidolons, an elite combat unit composed of Sciiac Guardians. Thus her soulstone is typically encased in her heavy war droid shell. She is a passionate Illyrian, yet also a member of the Congregation due to its ecumenical nature. She is a career insurgent. She and Raekana, the leader of the Sicarii, have history, as both suffered from persecution during the reign of Tirathana VI. However unlike the knife-bearer, Tinata did not lapse.
She has welcomed the soul stone as it allows her to preach the creed of the Night Queen 'forever'. Well, not quite forever, but for a lot longer than her flesh and blood corpus would have allowed to her. This has annoyed Yohara a good deal, as the scientist is a card-carrying Rationalist who has outgrown such 'silly superstitions'. Tinata is the martial type of priestess who fights alongside the troops. It helps that neither Illyrianism nor Ashiranism are pacifist faiths. She is also good with demolitions.
Zasq'Narna - Narna is not an Eldorai, but a Xioquo. Prior to the coming of the sky people, the Xioquo were the technologically most advanced race of Tygara, having built ironclads, golems, steam-powered tanks, and even primitive gyrocopters. Back in the way she was indentured to a Xioquo alchemist and used to work with machines. Now she is a metal golem of sorts. She is a big technophile. Her new nature makes her family uncomfortable, but she finds it fascinating. Like Tinatsa she is a member of the Eidolons, an elite Shadow Knight unit.
When she attends family gatherings, she has her spirit gem removed from her Sciiac Guardian body and placed in a protocol droid since it is less intimidating. She differs from spirit gem beings like Var'Ranasa because she embraces her new nature instead of treating it as a simple necessity to preserve her existence.
Narna takes her interest in spirit gems and advanced technology a bit further than most members of the Congregation. While she is no process all organics type, she does believe that spirit gem beings are kind of better. She worships technology as insight from the Great Mother. To her, it has freed her spirit from being confined by matter, making her more of a luminous being. Narna respects Yohara's scientific accomplishments, but looks down on her a bit for taking the next step and transplating her soul into a spirit gem. She regularly tinkers with her mechanical shells, and takes pride in maintaining them.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Eldorai have always been a spiritual people, and the strength of their religious beliefs set them apart from most other societies in the galaxy. For them the universe was very much divided into those who followed the light of the Great Goddess and those who did not. Those who worshipped Ashira and the other lesser deities were promised paradise if they lived a virtuous life when they died. Those in contrast who disobeyed Her dictates would be condemned to an eternity of torment in the black pits of Illyria.
In other words, to the Eldorai death is a part of life. Someone who seeks to prolong their life for longer than natural has defied the natural order of things. However…there were cases when it could be useful. Those with skills or arcane knowledge might find it hard to pass on their mastery to new generations, and so some means of preserving them would be advantageous. Therefore, some fifteen centuries before the present day Eldorai crafters devised a way of using the Force (or Sciia as they called it) to place the essence of a dying Eldorai into a gem. This gem could then be used give advice or pilot craft. These were never used much due to the difficulty of manufacturing and the views on the purgatory like existence of those contained within. This was always a controversial practice, for it was viewed as straddling the line towards necromancy. Though it was ostensibly meant to serve benevolent ends, it was also utilised as a punishment.
The toxic politics of the Eldorai Matriarchy have produced their share of tyrants who could teach lessons in cruelty. It was a horrible purgatory for devout Ashirans. One Eldorai who was forcibly confined to a spirit gem as a punishment was Alia Venari. Born into the noble house of Venari, she was chosen for a life in the clergy. Rising to the position of abbess, she was known for her piety, compassion and profound understanding of Ashiran theology. Unfortunately, politics were her undoing. She happened to be in a relationship with Saria Evora, a junior member of the royal family. However, the Evoras were overthrown in a bloody coup when Tirathana V of the House of Venari seized power. In the eyes of the new queen, Alia had committed treason.
Thus Alia and Saria them were both sentenced to the 'neverdeath'. Trapped in the gem for literally centuries, Alia created a reality where her faith could be reconciled with her new state of being. She was not damned; she stood upon the threshold between the material realm and the Goddess' queendom. The Queen was not the Goddess' viceroy, for her own actions transgressed against the very virtues she was supposed to embody.
Time passed, and Kaeshana underwent many upheavals and tragedies. The Eldorai found themselves thrust onto an infinitely greater stage than they could imagine possible. They were forcibly opened up by human corporations and empires that promised protection and advanced technology, yet only coveted Kaeshana's resources. First Kaeshana joined the Omega Protectorate, then the Matriarchy increasingly fell under the sway of Firemane Industries.
Then Kaeshana was devastated by a massive asteroid. The planet's cataclysmic destruction and the Exodus that preceded it left a gnawing wound that never healed. Many natives were able to flee aboard the vast exodus fleet, but not all of them. Though they found a new home on Tygara, the Eldorai became a divided, fractured race, and the Matriarchy was reduced to a vassal state of its human backers. Post-apocalyptic Kaeshana went through numerous tragedies, among them a First Order occupation and Netherworld aftershocks that left the planet a cursed wasteland that was abandoned by the few survivors of the cataclysm.
During one of Kaeshana's many tragedies she and others were rescued from a vault and came to the Shadow Knights. Saria's gem was damaged, but they managed to transplant her spirit to a new one before it was dragged into the nether realm. In the meantime, much had changed. The Eldorai were fractured, and divided, but they had also reunited with their distant cousins on Tygara. At the same time the means to create the spirit gems had been refined by technology scavenged from Archangel that allowed the Eldorai to use a modified entechment process to preserve their mortally wounded heroes. Yohara Taenasi, a talented if arrogant rogue Eldorai scientist, was responsible for this innovation. But the morality thereof was a matter of intense debate, as was the question as to whether spirit gem beings could or should be given full civic rights.
The two 'elders' Alia and Saria were thus thrust into a new and unfamiliar world. While their society was very regimented, the Shadow Knights did not follow the same autocratic policies as the Queens of old. Their charter guaranteed freedom of conscience and religion. Though the process was flawed and the franchise limited, there were elections. Civic associations and new religious movements shot out of the ground like mushrooms. Many of the Exodites had lost loved ones, experienced or witnessed horrible things. Old certainties had been destroyed, leaving a spiritual vacuum in the hearts of many.
Alia and Saria started out gathering spirit gem beings. At first it was mainly meant to be a small association that helped them come to terms with their new form of existence and give them a means to advocate for their teach. But Alia's spirit message proved popular. It also gave their loved ones and next of kin a place to go to. It is to be observed that prototypes of this faith had already existed before the cataclysm, though they had faced repression from Church and State. Some of the Eldorai had continued to try and connect their faith with their current state.
The new movement started out scattered with the Shadow Knights. Yohara was a bit dismissive of the sect, but since it made 'her' experiments less unpredictable and helped them function in their new state, she did nothing to stop it. While not an Ashiran, Yohara was not an atheist either. So she came to encourage the congregation as an outlet, and helped them find places to meet. Aria was the spiritual guide of the fledgling, engaging in theological debates and penning the Testament of the Sacred Threshold. Meanwhile, Saria was the ambassador and the 'Eldorai' face of the group. Aria spoke to spirit gem beings, Saria to their organic kin.
However, not all were so accepting. When the faith group tried to apply for recognition as a real faith, they faced pusbacks from Ashirans and others, such as Kashari and Vashyada priestesses. While the Shadow Knights officially espoused freedom of religion, this didn't eliminate bigotry. Ecumenical dialogue was fraught with tension. Indeed, there were instances of believers facing discrimination or being targeted by the mob. Alia even received death threats. Things came to a head, with spirit gem beings threatening to cease working for the state unless they received recognition and legal protection. Though they were few in numbers, this was not an idle threat since they made important contributions to the upkeep of the fleet.
Alia gave citizens questions and answer sessions, with Saria coaching her. She also conducted dialogue with religious leaders. Despite her hesitation, she encouraged her followers to volunteer for dangerous roles, though this caused disquiet. Examples were fire and rescue, as well as expeditions to hazardous locations. After all, spirit gem beings could go to places that would be dangerous for organics due to toxic air or extreme temperatures.
When Alia and some of her followers toured a ship to speak with local priestesses they got a disinterested to negative reaction. But then there was a toxic leak, and they all headed into the corrosive danger to solve the problem and rescue several crew members. When they came out most hd their metal exteriors showing, which caused some fear, but Alia spoke: "Though our bodies may be iron, our Sciia is Eldorai!" One of her followers grumpily added their Zari was Qadiri. A little joke, but it helped break the tension.
The matter was reviewed by the Shadow Knights' constitutional court and put on the agenda of the Citizens' Council. Saria gave an impassioned speech to the people, while Yohara gave an incredibly self-congratulatory but ultimately supportive speech. Maybe the Flotilla Assembly, the upper house representing the individual ships, tried to block the motion. With some behind the scenes arm-twisting from the Archon, it ultimately ended up with the Supreme Justice Tribunal of the Exodite Collective. After a long, drawn-out debate that involved all manners of legal minutiae barely comprehensible to non-jurists, the Congregation was given official recognition, and was granted the same rights and duties as any other church. This also improved the status of spirit gem beings, as the Tribunal ruled that they had to be considered citizens.
