Travelin’ the Stars
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To expand on a very small piece of Star Wars lore
- Image Credit: N/A
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Creative Credit:
- Atlas Drake and Yula Perl for creating the Scar Worlds faction
- Brooke Waters and Cato Fett for posting in What lurks in the depths (Levant and those interested)
- Coren Starchaser for our multiple conversations about hyperspace lore
- Isla Draellix-Kobitana, Heinrich Faust, and Lothaire for posting in Web of Decpeption - AC dominion of the Rings of Rapture
- Jorus Q. Merrill for creating Mezokara, Moon of the Coral Dawn
- Kasmion Duum and Cato Fett for posting in The Ring Unchained
- Levi, Jacen Nimdok, and Judd for posting in Lurking the Zone
-
Tefka
for posting 902 ABY: Planeshift
- Links:
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Organization Name: Followers of the Rapture
- Classification: Cult
- Affiliation:
- Self-affiliated
- Generally distrusting of those who are outside of the group
- Purrgils
- Self-affiliated
- Organization Symbol: The swirl of hyperspace within a circle. The symbol is bronze and white.
- Description:
- The Followers of the Rapture are a cult who utilize the effects of Hyper-Rapture to receive visions. These visions, which are very difficult to interpret, are said to lead to a mysterious world that is strong in the Force (whether or not this is true is still unknown.) The group has a close connection with Purrgils, as they are the ones who supposedly know how to reach this planet.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
- Headquarters: Ring of the Rapture
- Domain:
- Hall of the Last Sight - Mezokara, Moon of the Coral Dawn
- Coral cave on the moon where a sect of Followers ventured to try and further expand their visions.
- Overall neutral relationship with the locals of Mezokara. The Followers more often than not just keep to themselves.
- Small sects set up all across the Scar Worlds and the Tingel Arm
- Hall of the Last Sight - Mezokara, Moon of the Coral Dawn
- Notable Assets:
- No other notable assets or special locations
SOCIAL INFORMATION
- Hierarchy:
- There is a lose chain of command within the cult. Those who are strong in the Force are typically the ones in charge, because they are able to withstand the strains of Hyper-Rapture better than people who are not Force sensitive. Since they can withstand the madness which Hyper-Rapture can lead one to, they are able to see fragmented visions of the mysterious planet which they believe holds all of the secrets to hyperspace. There are individuals though who are not Force sensitive but still have a strong resistance to the pains of Hyper-Rapture, so they are able to view the visions as well.
- The remainder of the people who have a harder time viewing the mysterious planet in their minds typically fall lower in the chain of command. The still contribute as much as they can whether it is through even more fragmented visions, flying ships towards where the Followers believe the planet they are searching for is, or keeping the Ring of the Rapture operational.
- Membership:
- There are currently a few thousand Followers of the Rapture.
- The general obscurity of the cult is what keeps the numbers of the group so limited.
- Those who join are typically recruited by other Followers who frequent various starports and moons. They are looking for those who are interested in finding the hidden powers of the galaxy through the hidden planet that infests their visions. Anyone who has the same goals and desires is welcome to join and provide assistance in any way they can.
- Force sensitives are often recruited more than those who are not Force sensitive. But those who are attuned to the Force may still join.
- Climate:
- Distrusting of those who are outside of the cult. Many hear of the Followers' mission and pass it off as a laughable cause, so that is why those people remain neutral in terms of relationship with the Followers. But those who are interested and believe in their mission are more than welcome to join, as long as they help contribute in some way. Once you join the cult, the mood is friendly and helpful, as everyone has the same goal in mind.
- Reputation:
- The group is seen as quirky and strange from an outsider's perspective. Most do not understand purpose and mission of the Followers, and they do not take the time to try and get to know it. So that is why the Followers are talked about in an odd sense. But typically, there is not resentment held towards the members from outsiders. Only a slight feeling of wariness due to the lack of knowledge people outside of the cult have. From the galaxy at large, there is no consensus of opinion about the Followers, only because in the grand scheme of life there are so few who align with this cult.
- Curios:
- Members carry necklaces or other small trinkets made out of Purrgil bones. The Followers themselves do not kill the Purrgil to obtain their bones, as they hold a deep respect and appreciation for them. Instead, when deemed appropriate, Followers will venture out to a Purrgil graveyard and collect a small bone fragment to create their own curio.
- While not required, most members typically wear cloth that is bronze or orange in color.
- Rules:
- The Followers of the Rapture are not allowed, either intentionally or unintentionally, allowed to harm a Purrgil in any way. Doing so will mean immediate banishment from the cult. In some cases, depending on the severity, those who harm the Purrgil may be put to death by the Followers.
- Those who receive visions through Hyper-Rapture must share them with the rest of the group. No one is allowed to keep their visions to themselves if they hold significance in terms of their mission.
- No one may kill another Follower. Self-defense is allowed, but only in justifiable cases. The only exception to this rule is those who harm the Purrgil.
- Goals:
- To locate the mysterious world that fills their visions through the effects of Hyper-Rapture.
- Once the planet has been located, the Followers want to seek whoever the creator of hyperspace is, because they believe they live on this planet. They don't want to take control of hyperspace. They just simply want to learn about where it comes from and understand it.
MEMBERS
Alioth
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
(Expanded from here for some background info.)
Eons ago, the Celestials created hyperspace - at least that is what the Followers of the Rapture believed.
No one understands how they were able to construct this type of technology, but it was one of their crowning achievements. The ability to venture across the stars in a fraction of the time. But it allowed them to travel all across the galaxy, laying claim to numerous planets and systems. Since traveling this way through the stars was so new, the Celestials decided to create a map that could only be viewed by staring into the blue-white swirl of hyperspace. They were able to view the swirl perfectly, while others would fall into insanity if they looked for too long. This madness would soon be known as Hyper-Rapture, a name giving by the earliest space-faring species. As time went on, these species eventually gained visions from this madness, though none could interpret what they meant.
The map would lead back to the home of the Celestials. During this time, Abeloth was mutated and born, forcing the Celestials to leave their planet behind. The world now became a prison for the monster. But the visions remained the same through the rapture. Many attempted to understand what they saw. Studies were done and classes were taught, but no answer was revealed. Abeloth did all she could to enhance the "signal" of the map through the Force, spreading it towards as many as she could. If people were to find her planet, then she would be able to escape.
A few hundred years after the imprisonment of Abeloth, the theory of what Hyper-Rapture was started to expand. People were determined to understand what visions they were seeing, as well as finding the location in which the map led. That is how the Followers of the Rapture formed. The group started off small, with only fifty spacers and astronomers joining together in the pursuit of adventure. Eventually more and more members started to join, until there were a few thousand actively seeking to understand the visions. Some were driven into madness because of how often they were engaging in the rapture. Plus, it was dangerous to have ships fly to all corners of the galaxy for hours upon end.
To combat this, the Followers of the Rapture built the Ring of the Rapture. A huge structure is built around the yawning mouth of a black hole. The station was able to enter hyperspace while spinning in a circle, pulled in by the black hole. Now the Followers were able to view hyperspace while staying in one place. The station has been around for a few millennia, with all Followers having experienced Hyper-Rapture at least once because of it. The Followers are obsessed with finding out the secrets of their visions. None were after the "power" in which others rumored was upon the planet they were searching for. The cult was more so fascinated with this from an astronomical anomaly standpoint. Members of the cult loved to venture all across the stars. So, finding a new stellar location that none had ever seen before consumed their thoughts. Whether for better, or for worse.
In their visions, the Followers believed that the Purrgils were the "guides" to this mysterious location. Somehow, they were the only ones who were able to travel to the world. This was because the Purrgils were sent to be the protectors of Abeloth's World. Granted Force-sensitivity by the Celestials, the Purrgils encircled the planet, ensuring the Abeloth had no way to escape. The world was surrounded by black holes, making travel extremely difficult. Purrgils were the only ones (supposedly) who could navigate the maw. Followers of the Rapture were very protective of the Purrgils for this very reason.
Mid 890ABY saw the Ashlan Crusade venture out toward the Ring of the Rapture, in hopes to study and take control of it. At this point in time, the Followers of the Rapture had shrunk in size. But with this new faction fly out towards the station, the Followers took it as a reason to take control once more and start recruiting once again for their cause. The Ashlan Crusade eventually lost control of the system, allowing the cult to resume their visioning once more.
This did not stop researchers from visiting the station though. While the Followers were distrusting of outsiders, they understood that people still wanted to learn and understand, just like they did. Keeping under the disguise of being old and abandoned, the Followers try to remain in secrecy, but it did not last for long. A group of researchers visited the station, seeking to understand the effects of the visions. Graciously, the Followers offered some of their equipment and writings so that they could be studied by others. Unfortunately, the research vessel was attacked, causing the gear to become lost.
Some of the Followers get lost in their own visions, falling into madness. The few who do are kicked out of the group, forced to make their own way. In their crazed state, they travel to nearby systems, such as Mezokara. They attack others and loot from their homes, now desperate to find anything that will replicate their visions, whether it works or not. Those lost members are even willing to kill in order to find answers. None are ever found though. Enraptured by these visions, they terrorize anyone they come across. Retreating into the depths of the moon's oceans, the lost Followers set up camps of their own, the madness still holding onto them tightly. Now mutated in the Force, just like Abeloth, the Followers on Mezokara caused trouble with anyone who dared enter. Sometime in early 900ABY, Brooke Waters and Cato Fett got into a skirmish with this group of lost Followers, quickly dispatching them.
During this time, tension broke out amongst the cult. Followers started to divide into factions, the visions they were seeing becoming twisted and hard to interpret. Two rival factions started fighting on the station, the Inverse Path and the Sons of the Chiliad Serpent. The former had lost all sense of purpose when it came to interpreting the visions of the rapture. They felt as if they had wasted their lives trying to solve and impossible question. The latter felt as if they did not find the answer to their visions soon, a terrible evil would overtake them. While both groups only made up a small portion of the overall cult, their numbers were still large enough to cause issues. During one of the rapturing ceremonies, a firefight broke out, with Kasmion Duum and Cato Fett caught in the middle of it. They were able to escape the confrontation and power down the station, pausing the ceremony. The leaders within the cult then banished both factions, determining that they were too dangerous to the cause.
Now, with recent cosmic events shaking the entire galaxy, the Followers of the Rapture have found even more reason to discover the mysterious world of their visions. They have reason to believe that whoever is on this planet, the one who plagues their visions, is the being behind the galaxy's shift. But only time will tell if their hypothesis is true.
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