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MIRTHFUL CHURCH NOTES
Dec. 31st, 2014 05:32 pmWHAT'S THIS:
Once upon a time, before the adults all got banished into space, an imperial paingineer sat down and thought: hey, wouldn't it be awesome if we could start installing pilots younger and younger, so we can maximise their use before they die? And wouldn't it be excellent if we didn't have to worry about high rates of psionic suicide, or burn-out, because they're so mentally devastated by conscription?
Hence the lowblood sect of the worship of the Mirthful Messiah was started!
This is basically a derivative form of the normal, 'mainstream' form of the normal obscure cult. Think, in terms of how much your character might know, in terms of LDS vs. Mormons, or Reform Judaism vs. Orthodox Sephardic Judaism: outsiders probably think it's all the same, insiders probably know the difference, devout religious members of either sect definitely do know the difference and will judge you heavily if you mix them up.
Being part of the church as an indigo is your hatchright. Being part of the church as a blueblood is a blessing. Everyone else is just shit out of luck - unless you're in a cluster with the lowblood sect and you're a psionic, in which case, they will tell you all about how you can overcome the inherent shittiness of your blood and caste by eschewing them in favor of MiRaClEs. And also by becoming a church ship upon conscription. CAN'T FORGET THAT PART. Psionics are allowed to wear partial paint, call themselves Mirthful, and they're given church housing - basically, blocks in old indigo hive stems. They're kept with food and medicine and kept healthy and fat until conscription, largely protected from the general consequences of lowblood allowances, but their life is generally still shitty. They're the lowest rung on a totem pole that says they're literally dirt and their only worth is in giving themselves entirely over, mind and body, to the church when they're 21.
In addition to that, being a Mirthful as a psionic means that you're giving your autonomy completely up. You don't get to live in your hive. You don't get to choose what you wear, what you eat, and your lifestyle is going to be fit around the fact you're having invasive surgeries until you're installed in a spaceship. Don't do anything that could damage your ports!
Also, you're surronded by people who can use mind powers on you at any point, and there is shit all you can do about it.
In the west coast's capitol, which is where Riccin is located, the Imperial Education Program is headed by Shepherd, and kids - after they pass their psionic tests, and are taken in - are basically forced into either following the Mirthful Messiahs, the Sweet Servants, or some other religion that will indoctrinate them into accepting their roles. Shit sucks. DON'T TAKE VOLUNTARY PSIONIC TESTING.
Riccin digs into the philosophies of the church here, here, and here. AND PROBABLY ELSEWHERE TOO but fuck that i'm not going through all their threads. ID was a member of the sect, Iphige was a member of it (and was placed on Sunstrider, an indigo-captained ship, upon conscription), OA is a member of it. Sipara attended Carnival regularly as ID's auspisticee and Iphige's clademate, but quickly realised as the only non-psionic, she was ten seconds from being culled and bailed.
Once upon a time, before the adults all got banished into space, an imperial paingineer sat down and thought: hey, wouldn't it be awesome if we could start installing pilots younger and younger, so we can maximise their use before they die? And wouldn't it be excellent if we didn't have to worry about high rates of psionic suicide, or burn-out, because they're so mentally devastated by conscription?
This is basically a derivative form of the normal, 'mainstream' form of the normal obscure cult. Think, in terms of how much your character might know, in terms of LDS vs. Mormons, or Reform Judaism vs. Orthodox Sephardic Judaism: outsiders probably think it's all the same, insiders probably know the difference, devout religious members of either sect definitely do know the difference and will judge you heavily if you mix them up.
Being part of the church as an indigo is your hatchright. Being part of the church as a blueblood is a blessing. Everyone else is just shit out of luck - unless you're in a cluster with the lowblood sect and you're a psionic, in which case, they will tell you all about how you can overcome the inherent shittiness of your blood and caste by eschewing them in favor of MiRaClEs. And also by becoming a church ship upon conscription. CAN'T FORGET THAT PART.
In addition to that, being a Mirthful as a psionic means that you're giving your autonomy completely up. You don't get to live in your hive. You don't get to choose what you wear, what you eat, and your lifestyle is going to be fit around the fact you're having invasive surgeries until you're installed in a spaceship. Don't do anything that could damage your ports!
Also, you're surronded by people who can use mind powers on you at any point, and there is shit all you can do about it.
Riccin digs into the philosophies of the church here, here, and here. AND PROBABLY ELSEWHERE TOO but fuck that i'm not going through all their threads. ID was a member of the sect, Iphige was a member of it (and was placed on Sunstrider, an indigo-captained ship, upon conscription), OA is a member of it. Sipara attended Carnival regularly as ID's auspisticee and Iphige's clademate, but quickly realised as the only non-psionic, she was ten seconds from being culled and bailed.
