Pirate Prince
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Flesh out an idea I've had for a while/worldbuild on Lao-mon.
- Image Credit: Klipartz | MuYoung Kim
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Shi'ido | "Spirit of Adoption" | Genesis 32:22-32 | Jonathan Pageau "The Fool in Scripture and Culture" |
- Religion Name: To'polism (Shi'idese: Int'tu Weit To'pol "Faith of the Force")
- Religion Type: Force based
- Influence: Planetary
- Influence Area: Lao-mon
- Symbol: The ouroboros is a depiction of a snake devouring its tail, meant to represent infinity or eternity.
- Description: This is the most prevalent of the ancient "pagan" religions of the Shi'ido, dating back many thousands of years to ancient times. While based on "To'pol", a Shi'idese-specific interpretation of what the rest of the galaxy calls the Force, it is more well-known for its concept of soul transmigration or reincarnation.
- Founder: While there is no specific individual credited with founding this faith, the theologian most commonly associated with it is Enkidu Duran, a Shi'ido mystic and Force User.
- Membership: Modern incarnations of the Faith simply require that adherents follow its tenets, but in previous centuries one had to be "baptized" in order to be counted among the faithful. I use the term "baptize" very loosely; the actual process of the ritual itself has been lost to time. The only surviving descriptions of the rite depict a heavily altered version of the original ritual. We do know, however, that it had something to do with anointing the neophyte with "blood and oil". It is thought that this "blood and oil" may have been a composite substance containing the crushed red berries of the zenobia tree as part of its makeup.
- Sacred: All life is held sacred to believers in the Faith. Adherents are taught that they should sacrifice something of themselves before sacrificing something of others, even if it is "for the greater good". Despite this, critics have accused the Faith of being too individualistic. A great deal of the religion's sacred texts focus on the self and its relation to the rest of the universe. This is perhaps the primary difference between the Faith and other Force-based religions and philosophies. In addition, certain elements of the conceptualization of the universe as emanating out from the self (see below) have been censured for categorizing anything truly different from the self as belonging to the farthest margins, a chaotic and dangerous realm of the strange and profane.
- Dogma:
- Depiction of the Force: The Faith has traditionally depicted the Force not as some nebulous energy field, but as a being unto itself with a nature and a will—in other words, a god, though a rather pantheistic one at that. To'pol (the Shi'idese word for the Force) is the sum of all experience in all of existence, but it acts of its own will and can influence the universe in various ways.
- The Struggle: The most famous metaphor or parable introduced by Duran is his description of the self ("nim'alu") wrestling with To'pol. The struggle takes place in an empty desert at night, when it is pitch black and the self cannot see To'pol's true nature. They fight until the self either gives up and yields, or if neither yield, they must make a truce, though in the latter case it is implied that the fight will resume the following night, again and again, until the self gives in or dies. This metaphor was used to explain the nature of existence as a struggle with something higher than ourselves in a battle we cannot win. The text does not imply that the self should give in, nor does it decry continuing to fight.
- Conceptualization of the Universe: Duran conceptualizes existence as emanating outward from a center, which is synonymous with the self. The further away from the center one is, the less familiar the world becomes. At the farthest reaches or margins of existence, the sense of self begins to disappear. It is a realm of heightened danger, and it is easier for one to lose themselves and their identity. This understanding of existence can apply to all aspects of life (in theory, anyway).
- Watch The Fools: Another famous metaphor written about by Duran is that of the fools ("kolinahr"), or jesters. Fools are not as they seem; they represent reality turned on its head. Fools will deliberately use their natural shapeshifting abilities to mimic others and disguise themselves as someone else. They are deceptive, but not necessarily malevolent, and while they dwell in the margins, Duran advises adherents to watch the fools closely and carefully. They are characters of humiliation and shame, yet by acting silly, humorous, lewd and obscene, they ironically turn the world right side up. This is because they are reactionary and always behave opposite to what is perceived as "normal" and acceptable. If the world has become a circus, the clown becomes the voice of reason.
- The Circle: As mentioned, the Faith includes a belief in reincarnation. Souls are said to be reborn into new bodies, though sentients are never reborn as non-sentients, and one's behavior in life does not affect what sort of situation one is reborn into. It is possible for this cycle of rebirth to cease and for the soul to become one with the Force by performing an act of self-sacrifice, though what actually constitutes such an act varies greatly.
- Reputation: The Faith is virtually unheard of outside of Lao-mon. Among secular Shi'ido culture, adherents to the Faith are considered old-fashioned and traditionalist, though these traits don't necessarily carry a totally negative connotation.
Tammuz Hoole (formerly and in secret)
Arimanes Bosch (to a certain degree)
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
“We were once a primitive, superstitious people. The Shi’ido believed in reincarnation, that the souls of the dead are reborn in new flesh and live again, making the same mistakes, committing the same evils, until eventually we learn better...” - Tammuz Hoole, "Spirit of Adoption"
To'pol was not always the Shi'idese term for what the rest of the galaxy calls "the Force". It actually originated as the name of an ancient deity among the Shi'ido of the Ku'sharna province. Not much is known about him except that he was associated with serpents. Somewhere along the line To'pol became associated with the Force, which the Shi'ido of old likened to a pantheistic god. To'pol was simply how the Force manifested to them.
Around three thousand years ago, a Shi'ido of the Mician clan, Enkidu Duran, was born. It is believed that he left Lao-mon in order to become a Jedi. Other traditions hold that he also spent time training among the Sith. What we do know for certain is that in his later life he returned to Lao-mon, where he retreated to a mountain monastery and wrote many books about his understanding of and experiences with To'pol. His teachings are derived from these writings, and they are more or less the sacred texts of To'polism as a religion.
It would seem at first glance that Duran takes a typical "Gray Jedi is best Jedi" view of the traditional dichotomy, or that his teachings share something in common with the Je'daii who seek balance in all things. This is not the case. Rather, Duran acknowledges that good (the Light Side of the Force) and evil (the Dark Side of the Force) do exist, that evil is a corruption of good, and that all sentient beings of sound mind ultimately want to pursue goodness, but that trying to apply our own sense of right and wrong results in our doing evil instead. Goodness would be to follow the will of To'pol and let it guide you; defying the will of To'pol is a path to ruin, but one cannot be faulted for taking this route because To'pol's nature is unknown and following it will inevitably exact a great price from the self. Self-sacrifice is something most people are incapable of doing, and indeed, to expect it of someone is folly... but it is a goal one should set for themselves anyway, as it will lead to the wandering spirit becoming one with the Force upon death rather than reincarnating.
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