Religion and Spirituality on Newhome, Part 2

In this exploration, we turn from the pre-existing religions of Newhome to the new ideas and traditions which emerged as a result of the Starfall. Powerful beings from another world... the Draak-Kin... brought many things to their new planet.

The philosophical gap created by the fall of large-scale Original worship and ancient dogmas was effectively filled by Darktooth, who visited every major known settlement and species to advise them on how to rebuild their spiritual identities. Darktooth's philosophy was based not around dogmas but around Questions. These questions became famous throughout the genta world, and members of many species found great wisdom and benefit in the contemplation of the Questions, both in the short and the long term.

Some were so inspired by the revelations brought through contemplation of the Questions that they formed religious orders dedicated to helping themselves and others find self-knowledge and proceed along the path to enlightenment. Others, content to still go about their daily lives, dealt with the Questions and the Virtues which were taught by Darktooth more casually, but the impact of Darktooth's teachings were such that this new philosophy became embraced by the civilized world at large, either casually or as a way of life. It is worth noting that Darktooth himself endorsed none of the organizations which sprang up around his teachings, though he did indirectly contribute to their advent both philosophically and through his actions.

SEEKERS: Those Who Ask

Darktooth was famously quoted as once saying (in translation) that the pursuit of enlightenment and enlightenment itself are not separable. "Those who do not Seek shall never Find" is one of many quotes attributed to him during the spiritual period of reconstruction following his public defeat of Originalism.

Some gleaned from such teachings that oneness with the universe... "Unification", as their brand of enlightenment is often called... is possible for those who dedicate their whole beings to attaining such. Inspired by this message, a small group of philosophically-minded individuals from four genta species formed an organization known as the Seekers, the ones who seek the enlightenment referred to by Darktooth. As new orders with new methodologies sprang up, the term "Seekers" began to be organically applied to any who were so inspired by Darktooth's message and actions that they swore an oath to achieve Unification in their lifetime. In a few decades, the Seekers grew to become the most widespread spiritual group on the light side of the planet.

Seekers believe that Darktooth was the foretold HIEROPHANT, or spiritual teacher, of the world. They generally stand in support of the Draak-Kin Exodus and possess a deep and abiding interest in philosophy and self-knowledge. They eschew dogmas in favor of free thought and deep contemplation, tending to oppose materialism and irrational ideas which arise in the common mental space. Though they do not worship the Kin (as Darktooth expressly discouraged such things), they have a very deep respect for them and often attempt to serve them or learn from them.

The Seeker practice revolves around a series of questions, somewhat like zen koans in Buddhism. The questions are usually presented in a certain order and way; orders have formed which range from local study groups to international organizations, each having their own practices regarding when and how the questions are asked, answered, and studied. The questions, which begin with simple ones such as "What do you truly love?" and "What does not have the right to exist?" and end with the True Question asked by Darktooth of all beings, some version of "Who are you?", lead one to greater self-knowledge and control over their own actions and destiny. ("What is the shape of your True Self?" was the first way I heard the True Question, which I liked.)

Seekers dedicate themselves to contemplation, discussion, and application of Darktooth's teachings as their primary life goal. New members of a Seeker order swear an oath to find their True Selves, and thereby Unification. Certain orders characterize themselves by dress (the wearing of blue is a tradition, though not required), tattoos, verbal shibboleths, and more. Those who take the oath are usually respected by their communities and often asked for advice or to be impartial arbiters, which they are honor-bound to provide to the best of their ability; the few who have done so poorly or in bad faith were not prosecuted legally, but the loss of respect alone could be devastating. There is no supreme potentate in the Seeker religion, not even the HIEROPHANT; Darktooth warned that no one being should be worshipped, including himself, and no one individual would have authority over the Seekers. The orders operate only on the value of their teachings and practices and not special or exclusive powers or authority.

Seekerism also contains the concept of “not-sin”; essentially events, factors and motivations over which no one can get reasonably angry and under which circumstance one should not lash out, but find some mutually positive resolution. These begin with simple things one should not hold against others like “honest mistakes” or “heredity”, and differing groups deepen these all the way to “having ripped out your heart” and beyond. A generally non-violent and creative attitude tends to be fostered by focusing on such ideas as a matter of course. One often hears people reminding themselves or others that something frustrating them is a not-sin, which helps them calm down and reorient themselves within the situation. Some have come to the conclusion that Darktooth's true message was that there is no such thing as "sin" - that is, no action which is inherently wrong or negative in and of itself, though the consequences of actions must be taken into consideration.

Seekers can be found in every major settlement of the known world, and they include hard-working chaplains at Luxan universities, lone wanderers seeking new insights, humble monasteries in remote locations, and small groups practicing meditation and discussion on the Questions and the Virtues (see below) in their own homes. They are monastic in the sense that they have devoted themselves to spiritual matters above any other pursuit or profession, but there is no limiting dogma binding them and besides observing a few practices based on Darktooth's teachings such as frequent meditation, making positive contributions to the local environment, and seeking to answer the Questions, there is nothing they are forced to do or not to do, though specific orders sometimes have special restrictions. Only one thing is truly held in common by all Seekers: an abiding desire to achieve Unification. By eliminating the distinctions between seemingly disparate beings, ideas, and realities, they grow closer to understanding Darktooth's Great Truth: "ALL IS ONE, AND ONE IS ALL."

A few of the more well-known orders of Seekers include:

The Gardeners, teachers and philosophers who profess the Questions and help others understand themselves better through them, though always with the understanding that the teacher is always also a learner. Essentially an international society dedicated to the promulgation of wisdom and growth, they never rest on their knowledge and wisdom, however copious, and continually challenge themselves mentally. They are known for hosting mental competitions and challenges in their respective areas as well as encouraging others (and themselves) to question the dogmas and conclusions by which they live and embrace new information and perspectives, both positive and negative. In this way, they hope to tend the "Garden of Ideas" which lies at the heart of global and local cultures. Their trademark phrase: "To Grow Is The First Law".

The Arbiters, who seek to end disputes between species, settlements and groups, attempting to unite all genta species in peaceful dialogue. They are highly trained in diplomacy, world cultures, languages, philosophy and rhetoric. Arbiter groups are dispatched to places of unrest in an effort to restore what they regard as the natural state of peace between gentas, and also keep watch on more stable societies to prevent rage from becoming hatred and misinformation from spreading. Their bywords are "Life Is One Tribe." Once the Arbiters are called upon by both sides to mediate a conflict, peace is almost assured, so great is their skill in "peace-mongering", as some jokingly call it.

The Errants, who study martial skills in order to protect the innocent. They keep watch over their local communities or travel to places in need of such protection. They have developed their own martial art which focuses on restraining or knocking out their opponents without permanent damage, and rarely use bladed or piercing weapons, though they have devised interesting ways of rendering targets unconscious even from afar. They sometimes walk the line of vigilantism, but their hard-line stance against killing and their reputation for investigating matters carefully before acting keeps them in the good graces of most fair-minded civilizations. Errants who kill a genta, even by accident, are cast out from the order, though this is rare, given their copious training in nonlethal combat and the preservation of life. They are sometimes called on by other orders of Seekers to undertake dangerous quests or missions, or support those operating in dangerous territory. "Towards A Time Without Weapons" is their motto.

The Menders, who study the healing arts and provide free health care to genta and bunta alike. Most set up health clinics, static or wandering, though a few dedicate themselves to the research and development of experimental medicines and therapies. Completely apolitical, they have very few official enemies, though some occasionally seek to prevent them from distributing certain substances or improving the health of certain species or demographics which they consider harmful. The Menders have a very strong relationship with the Errants, and sometimes join up with Errant investigators aid them with forensic data using chemistry and other means or to heal them when they are injured while carrying out their duties. Their motto is "Health Is The Right Of All".

Other orders exist. The orders are in contact with one another through several means, so that when there is a need for the skills of one or more of the orders, they can form missions comprised of diverse experts to handle the situation. Rumors speculate that there is some kind of council of the orders which facilitates this conversation and forms missions, but the Seekers deny this, stating that every order answers to nothing but its own ideals and practices.

Though officially-ordained Seekers comprise only 4% of the population, common global civilization has accepted Darktooth's teachings as true and wise, and most gentas' lives are guided by the Questions and the Virtues, even if they have not taken the oath to find the secret of Unification. The Seekers thus currently wield great sociopolitical power, and those who oppose the orders are often vilified by the population at large.

Note that while all Seekers support, admire, and discuss the Virtues (see below) frequently, they never dedicate themselves to any one, instead trying to find the core concept which unites them all. They are often said to be devotees of the Virtue of Wisdom, and most of their meeting-places contain at least a shrine to that Virtue, but they insist that even Wisdom should be understood as having value only in relationship to all other Virtues, just as individuals are inextricable parts of the whole. They seek not only its fruits, but the fruits of all of the Virtues as they meet at the center. Wisdom is but a signpost pointing to the cosmic axis.

Virtues: Pillars of Identity

Virtues, also known as demicons (short for demi-supreme ideological constructs) by the Luxa, are universal concepts which all beings hold sacred in practice; that is to say, they are the ideas which provide the foundation for culture, identity, and purpose on both the individual and collective levels. Darktooth introduced them in his teachings, beginning with the three Virtues held sacred by the Kin (Wisdom, Compassion, and Survival) and then going on to name secondary and tertiary virtues which proceed from their various unions and rotations. At the time of the Succession Crisis, the vast genta majority has identified one or more of these concepts with which to ally themselves; that is, they have publically declared their loyalty to the idea, to love it, care about it, and participate in the growth of all it represents as part of their core identity. This has formed dozens of new social institutions dedicated to the flourishing of their chosen Virtue.

Declaring oneself a follower of a Virtue can be fairly casual and personal in some cultures or highly ritualized and serious in others. Some might declare themselves a devotee of Desire and frequent their local shrine or temple to Desire, participating in its activities as they can and helping others feel pleasure or attain their wishes, or one might go so far as to literally carve Desire into their flesh somehow to show their lifelong devotion to it and dedicate every breath they take to it. Generally, belief or dedication to a particular demicon puts one in contact with others of the same demifaith (or ‘soulshape’ as the Tapa say), and each Virtue is likely to have a shrine or meeting place of some kind in every settlement of town size or larger. Even small villages now feature a shrine to at least one virtue, and usually two or three, where those dedicated to it can gather and plan how best to honor and represent it.

Note that declaring oneself a devotee of too many of these ideas is considered very uncool, as few beings have the time to devote themselves to more than one or two ideas in a deep and effective manner, and by a similar token most gentas consider any adult who refuses to dedicate themselves to any Virtue as either lazy or spiritually immature (Seekers being one of several exceptions). As a result, you can ask nearly any genta who is part of common global culture on Newhome what Virtue they follow, and they will be able to tell you. Most will be fairly happy to go into detail about just how they honor that concept and what they have done in its name, as the community gathered around that virtue often meets to discuss such things. They spend a decent amount of time thinking about how to further their relationship with the blessed Virtue which calls to their soul the most. In this way, the Virtues have become a kind of universal spirituality among gentas in common global civilization, and form the basis of many a practical and philosophical discussion.

Note that, while sometimes given bodies or forms in art or literature, there is no one correct way to depict any of the Virtues. They are thought to transcend form, existing as ideals in a kind of Platonic reality from which all physical things emanate, and they stand behind everything that exists, philosophically. Gentamorphizing them is permitted, but care is taken not to dogmatize any given depiction or force others to acknowledge them, based on Darktooth's anti-dogmatic principles, which are well known at the time.

The Virtues are many, but a few examples are:

COMPASSION. Sometimes known as Love. While occasionally associated with Desire, most gentas are too wise to equate the two. Servants of Desire embrace and further the cause of hedonism, but servants of Love work in nurseries and schools, are supportive and caring spouses, parents and grandparents, tend to the poor and the ignored, and generally try to make the world a better place. They often repeat the Mantra of Love, which is like a more universal and deep version of the Hippocratic Oath. Their common liturgy begins with the well-known phrase "I am THOU, and THOU art I," reminding them that the welfare of others is, in fact, their own welfare in disguise, and so acts of charity and support are never wasted. Those seeking help are rarely turned away from shrines or temples of Compassion, and they are particularly popular among the poor and oppressed, though the poor do not constitute a majority of its devotees.

SURVIVAL. Sometimes called Strength, followers of Survival as a virtue are concerned largely with matters surrounding fitness, be it physical, mental or spiritual. They take the propogation and protection of Life on as their first priority. Temples and shrines of survival host physical fitness programs, martial arts teachings, and competitive games of all kinds, which they believe cause both individuals and communities to become stronger and more resistant to the challenges of the world. Many do this because they love the feeling of strength which comes with devoting oneself to such things; others are driven by a desire to become strong to attain some end goal, noble or otherwise. A few of the deepest devotees dedicate themselves to studying ways to make their entire species, or even all life, stronger, in preparation for the great trials the universe may visit upon them now or in the future, so that they can be as ready as possible. Nearly all Zhira are Survival devotees, and of a fairly deep kind. It is often a devotee of Survival who speaks the uncomfortable truth when ideas become too unrealistic, optimistic, or favoring short-term over long-term benefit.

               DESIRE. This controversial Virtue, beloved among the Milli’li, hated by the Luxa (even the vast majority of reformed Luxa use it as a curse; if you meet a Luxa who openly embraces Desire and seeks to honor it, you have met the very definition of a twisted deviant by Luxan standards). The Tapa have always had a cordial and healthy relationship with Desire, aware of its dangers yet also aware of its pleasures and its role in progress, and seeing it fairly clearly, at least until recently. Devotees of Desire often host orgies (a word not exclusively sexual in use) in their locations to bring new people the benefits of Desire, featuring delicious foods, beautiful works of art, and physical pleasures ranging from sensual massage to advanced sexual techniques which make the Kama Sutra look like a children's book, though that last is usually reserved only for their most proven and valued devotees. They take a deep interest in the arts, including singing, dancing, poetry and more. Those devoted to Desire usually spend most of their time in pursuit of pleasure and helping others experience it; most Comforters (i.e. prostitutes; a highly respected profession among the Tapa, and the de facto profession of nearly every Milli on the planet) follow Desire, and are beloved and supported by those who follow the Virtue, but restauranteurs, therapists, artists, and even some businesspeople openly devote themselves to Desire and support their local shrine or temple thereof.

               KNOWLEDGE. Servants of Knowledge seek, store, generate, and spread new information. Most believe that this practice will eventually lead to enlightenment or some kind of mastery (and this is sometimes correct). Knowledge is by far the most popular Virtue in the Luxan Orthodoxy, and every University has at the very least a splendid library-church dedicated to Knowledge, and sometimes an entire cathedral-vault hosting countless works of literature and artifacts. Some are restricted in access only to proven devotees and friends of the Virtue, while others are available for public use. Devotees of Knowledge are most often teachers and scientists, but many exceptions exist. Not to be confused with Truth, which is related but its own independent Virtue, or Wisdom, which is deeper than Knowledge and a somewhat more difficult path.

               PROGRESS. Sometimes called Technology, Evolution, or Ascendancy, Progress is the spirit of positive change which leaves the past behind and forges new territory. Those who are most attracted to it can be anything from hard-working road-pavers to experimental scientists to social activists to powerful industrial barons. They see growth and change as the very heart of existence, and embrace all things new and experimental so long as they lead to greater power or good for all, at least in theory. The Carnivalian Empire features the largest cathedral to Progress, which helps fund scientific research alongside common technological improvements such as streetlights and vehicles.

Several others exist. Truth, Music, Wisdom, and Light are a few more popular ones. Some are quite rare, but one will not usually be judged for following a Virtue which is unusual or specific, so long as that concept truly is powerful and worthy of respect. Many of the Virtues share certain territory with each other, and this is considered perfectly fine, as in the end they all depict aspects of the Onesong. A zither player who is devoted to Music and one who is devoted to Desire may both be very skilled and successful, but the central reason they pursue their craft will differ.

Though all Virtues can be understood by all gentas (such is part of their definition) and are generally agreed to be important factors in life on Newhome and beyond, some are much more popular among certain species than others. The Virtue of Blood, for example, is worshiped by few Gentas outside the Kaga, though there it is an honorable concept indeed.

Void is an extremely important demicon, but to adhere to it or claim any allegiance to it whatsoever immediately renders one a pariah in all known major societies. Even the Zhora, those masters of Destruction, avoid it like the plague; they seek strength for survival's sake, and strive against a future where the Void reigns supreme and Life is no more. Those who are truly obsessed with the destruction of all things and the death of light and life in the universe are called Voidbound, and considered the enemy of all rational beings. Still, the Void... the primordial darkness which was the beginning and may be the ending of all things... is a concept worthy of contemplation and at least a little respect by all, even if the common cause of all life is to prevent it from achieving final victory over All That Is. Recently, Pyre, a relatively young but very powerful Kin, has taken on the mantle of Herald of the Void, and along with its servants seeks the final destruction of all that exists and the restoration of the changeless, endless Void as the only (non)-object in the universe.

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Hopefully, this article and its predecessor have given the reader a cursory understanding of the common religious and spiritual currents in Newhome at the time of the Crisis. Seekers spread the light of Darktooth's message of virtue and self-knowledge both in the established cities and in distant outposts and the wildernesses still teeming with ancient civilizations and undiscovered species, while the Virtues help define identities and direct the course of lives as well as providing ready-made communities for those of similar interests. Meanwhile, Originalist remnants and Void Cultists actively undermine the new order, seeking to poison the fruits of Darktooth's labors and quest to find a home for the Draak-Kin People among the stars.