Religion

Lords & Ladies of Kobol

Overview

The faith of by far and away the majority of Colonials is that of the Lords and Ladies of Kobol, whose words of wisdom are set out in the ancient Sacred Scrolls. Mighty, all-powerful beings, the Lords and Ladies inspired awe in their people, and occasioanlly fear, but to most they are seen as guardians of humanity, whose devine power can be called upon by prayer, devotion, and sacrifice. Being as dominant a faith as it is, it is safe to assume that pretty much everyone you might meet is a follower to some degree, and a tiny minority of the population follow a monotheistic religion known as Mithraism, they number so few that they are quietly tolerated and not considered a threat to the spiritual well being of the many.

By common reckoning the Lords of Kobol are numbered twelve, though the canonical list changes now and again and may be tallied differently on one colony versus another. Just as the twelve may vary from planet to planet, their worship varies from city to city. Each colony has it's own Patron, with those without sometimes seen as lesser Lords or Ladies, but no distinction is made in theology. Their origins date back to the time when the Colonials were one, united on the planet Kobol, before some great disaster made them leave. The exact circumstances are shrouded in the mysts of time, and many a Priest or Priestess in many a Temple has put their mind to revealing this hidden truth, but so far it remains veiled.

Ceremonies

With more than a dozen deities, and worship spread over a dozen planets, the faithful show their devotion in many different ways. Some elements remain common throughout the colonies though, withthe main focus of ceremonies and services being communal, and bringing people together. 'So say we all' is an affermation said by all attendies, not just Priests and Priestesses. It is common for babys to be dedicated to a Lord or Lady shortly after birth, and doing so does not imply that the child will become a religious figure, but instead is a way of asking the chosen deity to look over the child, protect them, and act as a guide in their endeavours.

Big festivals, such as Saturnelia to mark the turning of the year, often include feasting, dancing, intoxicating substances, bonfires, offerings and other social activites. Each Lord may have their own feasts, with their own traditions, but the inclusiveness is a common theme for all but Dionysus, his followers being the only ones to tkae their practices behind closed doors and form a Mystery Cult. That is not to say though that quite, private ceremonies do not exist. Where ever food is cooked there is likely a small offering to Hestia, whenever a fight is to be hand then Ares would be invoked, and whenever a dispute needed settling it would Hermes receiving an offering.

History

Precisely when humanity began worshiping the Lords and Ladies is unclear, but it is largely assumed to have been on Kobol. Until recently, that world was thought to be the origin of the species, but in recent decades that understanding has changed, and some question if gods predate settlement there, or if they were there and humanity found and worshiped them. Either way, about 2,000 years prior to the Cylon Holocaust, the Twelve Tribes of Kobol left their home planet after conflicts with their gods led to some sort of calamity only hinted at in religious texts. Since the twelve tribes founded the twelve colonies, worship of each Lord and Ladies has been free to spread round all four star systems of the Helios cluster, and while each colony may have it's patron, priests of all can be found on any world.


Mithras

Overview

To the uninitiated, not much is known of the worship of Mithras, other than it takes the form of a mystery cult. Different temples (known as Mithraeums) take this secrecy to different levels depending on their membership, location, and other factors, but there are some things that are only known to the members themselves. For anyone paying attention though, it’s fairly easy to discern that while the followers of the Lords and Ladies gather on Sundays, Mithrians gather in numbers on the 16th of each month, and on the solstices and equinoxes. Given this, and that their symbol is a circle with a dot inside it, it is widely believed that their religion involves a heavy dose of Sun-worship, but this has never been officially confirmed or denied from within the faith.

Ceremonies

While the exact details of these gatherings is a secret held by those inside the faith, it is widely rumoured that they involve fasting and ritual purification, with trials of strength, courage, endurance and faith playing a key role. On days other than the 16th, the Mithraeums are also open to any of the faith and a communal meal is served each evening so that brothers and sisters may meet and talk. In these nightly, more social meetings, it's also very common to find visiting members from other Mithraeums who might be traveling through the area on business or such, and these guests are welcomed with the best hospitality available.

Even fewer details are known of the rituals involved in raising an initiate to the next degree of the faith, although most outside experts claim that this is when most of the trials, fasting and purification occurs. The Mithrians themselves though aren't talking, partly because it's such a key portion of their faith and partially because to the details are not widely known amongst them and an initiate only becomes aware of them when he or she is selected to be raised up. Perhaps the only detail that is widely known though, is that the Priests are all drawn from the seventh and highest level of initiation.

History

Mithras was once worshipped by many in the Colonial Military due to the strong emphasis on comradeship, honour, and faithfulness, but in more recent times the balance has shifted far more towards Ares and others of the Lords and Ladies. Some would say that that is due to persecution of the faithful by the followers of the Lords and Ladies, but it’s fair to say that opinions differ widely on the matter. There has never been a full on religious war between the faiths but over the years there have been numerous spats ranging from planning permission disagreements over sites of temples, to bloody brawls, public accusations of heresy (despite the recognition of the faith by the Colonial Government), and other such flashpoints. Needless to say, while both faiths have tried to always claim the moral high ground and point the finger at the other, neither is entirely blameless.


Other Faiths

Cylon Faith

Initially thought to be monotheistic calling on a 'One True God', but it now seems clear that this was a belief of the Lines only, or perhaps just One, and the confusion came about when it was thought they were of Cylon creation. Nothing is known about any faith they may, or may not have. No one has asked.

Erfriki and Ys'raeli Faith

Not perhaps a religion in the strictest sense, but a belief structure based on ideals. Crossover exists in elemets with the Mithrains leading some to believe the two are the same faith separated by 3000 years development. Either way, it stands on it's own as a cohesive system of belief. Quite how close some of the Mithrain symbology and stories match the Erfriki's is not widely known, in part at least as an attempt not to massively destabilise the remains of the colonial forces by giving them an eccumenical crisis in time of such a desparate fight for survival. This seems to be the basis of the Lines faith which was initially considere to be a Cylon faith.

Where the Ys'raeli throw other religions off is the bit where dead people manifest and do things as if they were still alive. Theological debate has been raging.

Arpay Faith

Religious beliefs fell out of social favor early on after settlement. Most of the Arpay hold The Charter up high and often cite that as their guide. They generally believe in an existence after death where they will be with their ancestors and bear witness, however there is no given 'path' one must follow to arrive there. For better or worse, everyone is in it together. However, the Arpay cite their long experience in the stars as justification for such beliefs. The Arpay openly cite examples of how things just happen to work out in their favor and how minor miracles can make the difference. As Doctor Becks Jimenez once said, "We believe there may be something out there. We cannot measure it, but facts form patterns. Perhaps there is. If there were something out there, who would we be to tell that thing what it is?"

However, the Colonial 'experience' of the Second War and what has been reported on Piraeus with stories of vanishing beings created a stir. The Colonials, ancient Erfriki descendants, had much more focused citations. Could they be in tune with something the Arpay had missed? Debates to this topic were still going on when Arpay was destroyed.

Skath Faith

Little to nothing is known of the thinking behind the Machines themselves, but where they rule, humans are expected to 'worship' and obey them over any previous religious loyalties. Clerics are found in most communities (Piraeus being the main exception) to enforce this, and these Clerics seem Lines that are still under the influence of One.

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