Worldbuilding 101 - Part 13b: You Gotta have Faith (2)
Variants
Superstitions of the Colonists
General Beliefs: There are many stories that form the
wide range of cosmologies believed by the colonists. Some believe the old
stories, some talk of a conquering spirit that destroys others with its gaze
(gradually transforming the world into its own image through its observances).
Some talk of spiritual cycles in the universe, others speak of a single
creation and an all-consuming battle at the end of time. Most have infused an
interpretation of the churchās belief structure into their own, and many would
prefer to get on with their own physical lives rather than deal with spirits
and things that donāt affect them.
Regular Rituals: Generations of superstition have instilled
a collective superstition into many colonists and those they associate with.
There are dozens of common everyday rituals (such as saying ābless youā in
response to a sneeze, or throwing salt over a shoulder when some is spilt), few
remember the reasons for such ritual elements and generally include them in the
category of āwarding off bad luckā.
Holy Observances: Since the Church has claimed the
seventh day as a day of rest, the colonists have an informal ritual of visiting
the markets on the sixth day to stock up supplies. Other formal rituals include
feasts at the turn of each season (summer to autumn, autumn to winter, winter
to spring, spring to summer).
Places of Worship: The superstitious donāt have formal
places of worship, but they typically respect the holy sites of others.
Views on Others
Holy Order of the Prophet (Empire and
Church): They are
powerful and their knowledge of spiritual matters is impressive, but they have
forgotten the little things that make life important.
The Old Elemental Gods (Pirates): There may be something to their
worship, linking it back to the origins of our own waysā¦but they have taken a
different path.
The Spiritās Path (Native Shamanism): They are different to us, their ways
make no sense. The Holy Order says that they are misguided and worship demons,
we have no evidence of this, but weāll avoid them and their heathen ways
anyway.
Superstitions of the Privateers: They seem to follow similar paths to
us, but while we use the holy order as an anchor to our rituals, they seem cast
adrift on the open seas.
Esoteric Mysticism of the Order of the
Moon (Cult): Some say
the cult donāt really exist, others say they are devil worshippers and
heretics. Can anyone really be sure?
Superstitions of the Privateers
General Beliefs: In every religion there is an element
of truth, every pattern of belief sees a fragment of the whole. By taking
elements from every religion encountered, an individual can create the belief
system that is right for them. No one should force their beliefs onto anyone
else, nor should anyone blindly accept the beliefs thrust upon them.
Regular Rituals: By the nature of their beliefs, the
spirituality of the privateers has no prescribed rituals. All privateers are
permitted to engage in the ritual beliefs that mean something to them, as long
as those rituals do not interfere with the running of ships or other privateer
activities.
Holy Observances: As above.
Places of Worship: Privateers often seek out the holy
sites of other religions, and use these to worship, regardless of their
beliefs, or the beliefs of those whose holy sites they pray in. In a life on
the sea, you take what you can get, and use it to best advantage.
Views on Others
Holy Order of the Prophet (Empire and
Church): They are
always trying to convert us or kill us as heretics. For people claiming to seek
knowledge, they are very single minded and narrow minded.
The Old Elemental Gods (Pirates): They accept a variety of gods, but
focus on the struggles in the universe, rather than the potential for harmony
and justice.
The Spiritās Path (Native Shamanism): Their ways are old, and there is much
that can be learned from them to add to our collective spirituality.
Superstitions of the Colonists: They are willing to experiment with
their ways and spirituality, but remain anchored to the Holy Order of the
Prophet, if only they could let go.
Esoteric Mysticism of the Order of the
Moon (Cult): If they
truly exist, they are a mystery to us.
Esoteric Mysticism of the Order of the
Moon (Cult)
General Beliefs: In the beginning, there was the One
and all was the One. When the One realised its own existence, it also
understood that there must be something that was separate from its existence.
The one became two, and all was either a part of the perceiver, or a part of
the perceived. That which was a part of the perceiver one was governed by
stasis and understood, and that which was perceived was governed by flux and
not understood. As a static entity, the perceiver could not learn about the
flux; to grow, adapt, and learn, the perceiver had to accept elements of flux
into itself. To stabilise the flux long enough to learn about it, the perceived
needed to be infused with stasis. Breaking the barrier between stasis and flux,
the perceiver and the perceived, myriad combinations spiralled out in all
directions through time and space, and thus the world was formed. The essence
of the perceiver struggled to learn about each of these combinations,
eventually fracturing itself into countless beings each dedicated to a small
part of the world. The most powerful of these beings observed vast regions of
the partially stabilised flux, but with such size they were unable to observe
the smaller elements of the world, in turn they fractured their essence to form
smaller avatars. And thus the fractal pattern of life continued, time and
again. In all sentient beings is a fragment of the perceiver, a hint of the
divine. All must come to the understanding that this divinity is within them,
but there are powerful beings in the world (and observing the world) who have
vastly more divine energy in their veins, such beings are to be respected.
There are also those who have mastered the divine essence in their own patterns
of being, such people are to be learnt from.
Regular Rituals: If the Sun is the manifestation of
the greatest perceiving essence in this realm, it sees all during the cloudless
day. These are times when it doesnāt need us to be alert, at sunrise and sunset
we should commune with the Sun; at sunset to determine what it needs us to
watch, and at sunrise to tell it what we saw. The moon, in a state of flux
between light and dark, perceiver and perceived is like us, a wanderer through
the sky realms. We should greet it when we first see it each day.
Holy Observances: The full and new moons are the times
when the āsky wandererā is most and least perceived, sunset on these days is
marked by a more elaborate ritual gathering those cult members who are able to
meet. Solar and Lunar eclipses are the most holy times to the cult. During a
solar eclipse, the āsky wandererā meets with the greatest perceiving essence to
share its knowledge, this is a time for trading books and scrolls among the
cult. During a lunar eclipse, the āsky wandererā meets a dark essence, the ultimate
embodiment of the perceived chaotic flux, this is a time for calling on mystic
effects and making resolutions.
Places of Worship: There are two types of place where
cult worship occurs. One is the informal site that an individual uses for
prayers at sunrise and sunset, typically surrounded by books of occult lore and
theological knowledge. The other is a formal meeting place where cult members
gather, conduct rituals and trade, such formal meeting places are typically
observatories or locations where the motion of celestial bodies may be marked.
An ancient underground planetarium serves as a central place of worship here on
the island, no one knows who built it or why.
Views on Others
Holy Order of the Prophet (Empire and
Church): They obsess
over the light of reason, but miss half of the truth when true wisdom lies at
the interface of light and of darkness.
The Old Elemental Gods (Pirates): They offer worship to some of the
most powerful fractured essences of the perceiver, but do not strive to learn
from them.
The Spiritās Path (Native Shamanism): They are open to learning from the
spirits, but do so in a crude and basic manner. So much potential.
Superstitions of the Colonists: They focus on the effects, and not
the causes. They fail to understand why their superstitions work, and are just
content that they usually do work.
Superstitions of the Privateers: Even worse than the colonists, they
indulge in the ritual of superstition without actually realising what theyāre
doing.
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