The Founders Prophet

The Founder's Prophet is the head of the Founders Sect. This sect was a group of colonists on the Mothership that were dedicated to the idea that humans should live in harmony with the planets they lived on. They rejected the idea that humans could prosper without considering the needs or well-being of the environments they lived in.
The original leader of this group was a woman called Taryne Shefield. A very charismatic person, she was able to rally a large number of people who were impacted by the poisoned environment on Earth to agree with her way of thinking. They ultimately named her the Founders Prophet. Everyone that met her was impressed by how she was able to connect to people.
Her connecting abilities were only helped by her ability to speak and debate. She was a scientist on the Mothership and had ample evidence form her background about the impact of humans on Earth. Her husband died on earth prior to the launch of the Mothership. She used her influence and her background as a scientist to get herself and her 3 children on board the Mothership.
To be honest, the Founders Sect was just a group of colonists who believed in living in harmony until Taryne came along. She was very good at speaking to crowds. A child of a preacher back on Earth, she grew up watching her father preach to his flock. He could tell them a story and lead them through to the decision he wanted them to make.
Taryne had a bit of Reverend Shefield's gift of reaching out and encouraging people. She also had a gift for stagecraft and molding events to the shape that would best suit her direction. Because of what she had lost - her father and a mother who was present with her - she knew that she did not want to have the planetary death that occurred on Earth to happen to the new world they found. When they woke her cohort up, she saw the vids and the data coming back form the planet and knew that unless someone directed the people, humans would once again end up misusing and exploiting the resources.
As the Mothership approached Kiannon II, she began wearing white. She began to teach about Kiannon II and what the colonists would find there. By the time the Mothership reached Kiannon II, she had hundred people listening to her talks. And she would hold multiple talks a day. Disciples of her way of thinking began to imitate her. Even people who did not want to become her disciples listened to her because she was a scientist and spoke about how science was clear: we were all connected in a web of life. What she spoke about did not seem overly spiritual. It seemed like common sense. And so, people accepted her way of thinking.
When the first Council was elected of colonists, they voted her as one of the key members of the Board. When they settled Cathay, the people who followed her ideas and beliefs began calling themselves the Founders Sect. As Taryne was one of the Founders. Not all of the Founders of Kiannon agreed with all of her teachings, but enough believed in co-existence with nature, that it seemed reasonable. After a few years, it became clear that they needed a title for their leader and they decided to unanimously appoint Taryne the Founders Prophet. As the years went on, The Founders Sect grew more powerful as many of the followers became merchants and started businesses. The Founders Sect also owned some of the businesses and began to receive gifts from others who wanted to benefit from the favor of the Founders Sect organization.
The robes of white became a way to identify the members of the Sect. When someone tried to assassinate Taryne in her 80s, the Founders Sect created a group of disciples who became her closest aides and protectors. The 5 disciples were called Voices of the Founder. They also became powerful in Cathay. A few were on the Council, one established Missionary Agency to go out across Kiannon's settlements to preach and another managed the businesses of the Founders Sect. When Taryne died, the Voices and a twelve member group inside the Sect called the Harmony voted for the next Founders Prophet from the Voices and voted for one of the Harmony to become a Voice. The Founders Sect has continued in this process until this day.
The Founders Prophet is the leader of the Founders Sect. She / He has a lifetime appointment. Since the founding of Kiannon II, most of the Founders Prophets have been female. There has only been one male Founders Prophet who died during the Esle Plague years. They are a political and quasi-spiritual leader to those colonists that believe that the only way humanity will prosper is if they live in harmony with the planet. She negotiates with the leader of the AGP and the Council of the Mothership for Founders Sect resources and support. She preaches and teaches about living in harmony with the planet.

Type

Civic, Honorific