Mother of the Stars
This article is focused on Nisora, the lawless black market planet.
The Mother of the Stars is a sect of a larger religious movement that worships an effective goddess (the Great Mother) who created the universe all life within it. This sect, often abbreviated as MotS, is noted for its support of psions and collectivist leanings. They also seem to amass powerful psitech artifacts from unknown sources, and keep certain rituals secret.
Origins
Mother of the Stars is a sect of the Church of the Great Mother, similar to Congregation of the Enlightened and numerous others. Like all such sects, they believe in a goddess-like figure who created the universe. MotS originally formalized as a sect around the idea that Psionics is a gift from the Great Mother, offering support for psions at a time when most were feared. Following the Scream, many needed answers for why would the Mother allow such a catastrophe to befall her creations. The largest branch of MotS, based on Astronius, concluded the Scream wasn't a punishment, but a warning to keep us from greater harm. It was up to us, they taught, to learn from the warning and continue growing along better paths. As the Silence ended, this more hopeful message took hold, and the church of the Mother of the Stars spread. Nisora in particular became a stronghold of these beliefs, and as evacuations of Astronius completed, the church's headquarters moved there.Core Teachings
Unlike many other religions, MotS is directly against determinism. They believe that though the Great Mother gave us life, She does not control us, just as our own human mothers do not. We choose the direction of our lives and societies, and it's up to us to choose in a way that would make Her proud. Though our individual actions matter, it's the direction of humanity as a whole that determines the mark we leave on the universe.Psionics
Psionics is a blessing from the Great Mother. It's a gift She gave us all, and She judges us collectively on what we do with it. We must develop responsiblity and use Her gifts with care and consideration for all.The Scream
The Scream was to stop us from causing ourselves harm, like a mother might stop a child from touching a flame. Though for us it was a catastrophe, centuries is but a second on the scale of the universe She created.Prophets
Those who exemplify Her teachings through word and deed are Prophets of the Great Mother, whether they follow Her or not. The Mother does not choose them, they choose to live in a way that earns this title.Aliens
All life is fleeting. The Mother's creations eventually fall extinct, just as we will one day. We can stand on the shoulders of our predecessors to learn lessons we may not otherwise and improve ourselves.Reputation
I asked him again today what his church is like. They're always talking about it, and get quiet when anyone else gets close. They say us "non-members" wouldn't "get it", but I think there's more to it. That they're forbidden or something. What are they doing that they can't tell other people about?Many are drawn to the more optimistic tone of the Mother of the Stars' teachings. They often seek these churches when they can't find hope or direction in their own lives, and can benefit greatly from the community support provided. However, there are dark spots on this church's record, and there is reason why some call it a cult.
Friendly Neighbor?
- Mother of the Stars members frequently extrapolate their defense of psions to defending other minority groups that endure discrimination.
- Their churches house a variety of community services, from job boards to food and housing assistance, available to all regardless of affiliation.
- Their focus on collectivism leads to public works funded or aided by Mother of the Stars congregations.
Or Secretive Cult?
- Some sects take psionic acceptance too far. They show preference to those with psionic abilities, or that preference becomes worship.
- Larger churches have a surprising number of psitech artifacts, and they never state how they came to acquire them.
- There are topics and rituals they won't discuss with unaffiliated, breeding suspicion anywhere with a strong church presence.
Timeline
2248
Official founding of Mother of the Stars sect
3068
Astronius chapter deemed official headquarters
3218
Headquarters moved to Nisora
Information
Key Tenets
Author Commentary
InspirationMy husband came up with the original idea for this religion. His reasoning was that a far-future Christianity may have forgotten about Jesus and instead fixated on Mary, a distortion centuries in the making. It's come a long way from that original thought.
Jorie Grey of the Gal Pals campaign became a MotS Prophet for her truth-seeking in journalism. She let it go to her head and now has a cult of followers outside Galendra.
I love the way you've made this maternal figure of a goddess! The blessings she provides, her harsh warnings, and her cult following made this super interesting to me! Also, I'm eyeing that "future villain" tag you have there... ohohoho!
Ferality spreads in the Owlworks!
Seek a new dawn, in Malkora!
Craft a bright new world, in Ayun Sovos!
Thank you! Tomorrow is the last session in the campaign and I can't wait to see how she completes her transition to the dark side :D
✏️ Take a WA unofficial survey
⛱️ Vacation with ghosts in Su-mehr Qiamp