Peter the Swede
SOC-8
I was wondering how a sun-worshiping, human sacrificing faith (like the Aztecs) might evolve over the centuries if it became the dominant religion.
IMPERIAL LIBRARY ENTRY
The MAXTEC faith
Maxtec followers worship a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. The supreme celestial being is the “Five eyed Librarian” who lives in the sun and brings life and death to the worlds of the faith.
A brief History
Blood was required to feed the Librarian and keep the world turning. This involved continuous raiding of neighbouring tribes to provide sufficient captives who would be ritually slaughtered atop high pyramid temples.
The Maxtec continually fought neighbouring tribes in a perpetual holy war. Tribes were either absorbed into the faith or sacrificed to the Librarian. After several centuries of conflict (the time of tears TL 1-4), the Maxtec emerged as the sole, dominant religion.
Over the following years (TL 5 +) the Maxtec faith has been shaped by technology, science, social movements, ecological issues etc. While still retaining the core tenements, the worshippers of today are far removed from the barbaric practices of the past. In fact, mass slaughter and the capturing of individuals for ritual sacrifice are illegal.
Only the extreme Maxtec fundamentalists believe that the sun is a god and needs regular blood sacrifice. These fanatics are hunted mercilessly by the Maxtec religious Police – the Purifiers.
The modern Maxtec faith
Human sacrifice remains part of Maxtec practices, however, these sacrifices are symbolic and significantly reduced to just the one hundred and ninety eight key religious festivals a year. The numbers of sacrifices are limited to one on each occasion, apart from the Summer solstice when five are sacrificed. To be sacrificed is considered to be a great honour and the international selection process gains international media coverage (the selection process is followed in the popular programme “The Axe Factor”).
The life of the person being sacrificed is being given up for the glory of the faith and the Great Librarian. The individuals being sacrificed are mainly volunteers. However, there are stringent psychological and medical examination of the volunteer with several interviews conducted with family members and various agencies. Only when a volunteer is deemed to be “sound of mind”, has the unanimous support of their family and that it isn’t some sort of insurance scam, for example, can they be sacrificed.
The second category are those who must be “purified.” Those who commit the most heinous crimes or have the most impure thoughts, can be sentenced to “a blessing on the altar,” thereby purifying their souls and atoning for their sins. Only those who are guilty of specific crimes in the secular courts and those convicted of heresy in ecclesiastical courts can have this sentence pronounced. It is seen as an act of mercy for the guilty party.
Sacrifices occur in the Temple of Ascension - which is based in the capital. It is a huge pyramid structure and is also the main Hospital – a centre of excellence for heart surgery. Hybrid pyramid Hospitals dedicated to the faith are found in every built up area. There are also the ancient temples in the Blue Hills which are of great archaeological significance.
The Hands of the Librarian
The High Priests of Maxtec (the Hands of the Librarian) carry out the sacrifices. These individuals are highly trained and experienced surgeons who can conduct the process quickly and painlessly. Maxtec surgeons are often sought out for their knowledge of the cardio-pulmonary system in a range of sophonts.
Plot ideas:
1. The characters are hired to rescue the son of a wealthy merchant who has been kidnapped by the Black Rose sect who intend to sacrifice him at an ancient temple in the jungle. The Purifiers won’t attempt a rescue as the merchant has been critical of the local High Priest in the press. It is in actual fact a trap as the characters themselves are to be sacrificed by the sect (think Wicker Man) – checking the dates will show that the plan coincides around the Summer solstice. The merchant is a member of the sect.
2. The characters are hired to rescue the five being sacrificed at the Summer Solstice. This year it is being held at a secondary temple due to health and hygiene issues at the main temple. They will be transported with much less security than is normally available in the capital – the health scare is causing huge ructions in Government and most security personnel are on standby to deal with the large scale protests that have been occurring. This group of 5 contain 3 political prisoners who have been sentenced to a “blessing on the altar” for their anti-government views - their friends and colleagues have raised the cash for the rescue and removal off planet. The group of five also contain a willing volunteer who is quite annoyed about being rescued and will make every attempt to alert the authorities. Plus Terence “chopper” Farquharson the, unfortunately not very well known, serial killer, cannibal and plausible impersonator of someone who is there for their political beliefs.
IMPERIAL LIBRARY ENTRY
The MAXTEC faith
Maxtec followers worship a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. The supreme celestial being is the “Five eyed Librarian” who lives in the sun and brings life and death to the worlds of the faith.
A brief History
Blood was required to feed the Librarian and keep the world turning. This involved continuous raiding of neighbouring tribes to provide sufficient captives who would be ritually slaughtered atop high pyramid temples.
The Maxtec continually fought neighbouring tribes in a perpetual holy war. Tribes were either absorbed into the faith or sacrificed to the Librarian. After several centuries of conflict (the time of tears TL 1-4), the Maxtec emerged as the sole, dominant religion.
Over the following years (TL 5 +) the Maxtec faith has been shaped by technology, science, social movements, ecological issues etc. While still retaining the core tenements, the worshippers of today are far removed from the barbaric practices of the past. In fact, mass slaughter and the capturing of individuals for ritual sacrifice are illegal.
Only the extreme Maxtec fundamentalists believe that the sun is a god and needs regular blood sacrifice. These fanatics are hunted mercilessly by the Maxtec religious Police – the Purifiers.
The modern Maxtec faith
Human sacrifice remains part of Maxtec practices, however, these sacrifices are symbolic and significantly reduced to just the one hundred and ninety eight key religious festivals a year. The numbers of sacrifices are limited to one on each occasion, apart from the Summer solstice when five are sacrificed. To be sacrificed is considered to be a great honour and the international selection process gains international media coverage (the selection process is followed in the popular programme “The Axe Factor”).
The life of the person being sacrificed is being given up for the glory of the faith and the Great Librarian. The individuals being sacrificed are mainly volunteers. However, there are stringent psychological and medical examination of the volunteer with several interviews conducted with family members and various agencies. Only when a volunteer is deemed to be “sound of mind”, has the unanimous support of their family and that it isn’t some sort of insurance scam, for example, can they be sacrificed.
The second category are those who must be “purified.” Those who commit the most heinous crimes or have the most impure thoughts, can be sentenced to “a blessing on the altar,” thereby purifying their souls and atoning for their sins. Only those who are guilty of specific crimes in the secular courts and those convicted of heresy in ecclesiastical courts can have this sentence pronounced. It is seen as an act of mercy for the guilty party.
Sacrifices occur in the Temple of Ascension - which is based in the capital. It is a huge pyramid structure and is also the main Hospital – a centre of excellence for heart surgery. Hybrid pyramid Hospitals dedicated to the faith are found in every built up area. There are also the ancient temples in the Blue Hills which are of great archaeological significance.
The Hands of the Librarian
The High Priests of Maxtec (the Hands of the Librarian) carry out the sacrifices. These individuals are highly trained and experienced surgeons who can conduct the process quickly and painlessly. Maxtec surgeons are often sought out for their knowledge of the cardio-pulmonary system in a range of sophonts.
Plot ideas:
1. The characters are hired to rescue the son of a wealthy merchant who has been kidnapped by the Black Rose sect who intend to sacrifice him at an ancient temple in the jungle. The Purifiers won’t attempt a rescue as the merchant has been critical of the local High Priest in the press. It is in actual fact a trap as the characters themselves are to be sacrificed by the sect (think Wicker Man) – checking the dates will show that the plan coincides around the Summer solstice. The merchant is a member of the sect.
2. The characters are hired to rescue the five being sacrificed at the Summer Solstice. This year it is being held at a secondary temple due to health and hygiene issues at the main temple. They will be transported with much less security than is normally available in the capital – the health scare is causing huge ructions in Government and most security personnel are on standby to deal with the large scale protests that have been occurring. This group of 5 contain 3 political prisoners who have been sentenced to a “blessing on the altar” for their anti-government views - their friends and colleagues have raised the cash for the rescue and removal off planet. The group of five also contain a willing volunteer who is quite annoyed about being rescued and will make every attempt to alert the authorities. Plus Terence “chopper” Farquharson the, unfortunately not very well known, serial killer, cannibal and plausible impersonator of someone who is there for their political beliefs.
