Church of Katho
Mythology & Lore
The kedeshi's religion is based on a divinity called Katho, which means 'the Great Traveler' in their language, this deity is said to reside in the center of the galaxy and is responsible for the creation of the stars that ultimately guided the Kedeshi people in their flight from their home planet. In addition, he would be responsible for destroying their home planet to force the kedeshi to go to Goz. Ultimately, it is he who brings the souls of the dead to his realm in the center of the galaxy for their journey to resurection.
Divine Origins
The Church of Katho is the result of the merger of several religious movements from their home planet present on the fleet which evacuated it. Indeed, the discovery of a comet rushing towards their planet will force them to evacuate it to avoid extinction. It is also in response to this event that an emergency world government was created to coordinate the evacuation efforts, it will later lead to the creation of the kedeshi government that we know today. The flight from their planet is a very important point of their religion and is nicknamed the "Great Exodus".
It is during this that the religious movement will quietly gain the upper hand over the civilian leadership which led the evacuation fleet. The kedeshis, of religious nature, will quickly join this movement which will advocate that the destruction of their planet is a divine test from a deity named Katho, which means '' the Great Traveler '' in their language, who wants to send them towards a divine world. The movement will finally take control shortly before the discovery of Goz where the kedeshis species will definitively establish itself. Today, this period is a pillar of their religion and serves as a basis for their belief in the resurrection of their soul, which will, according to them, join Katho in her heavenly paradise in the center of the galaxy.
Cosmological Views
The discovery of the supra-luminic travel and the encounter with other civilizations slightly changed the way of seeing the world of the Kedeshi. Indeed, the kedeshis believed that Katho had only created the kedeshis from the rock of the mountains of their original planet. However, after the discovery of other civilizations like humans, the kedeshi simply said that Katho also created other species from other elements like earth for humans or sand for Zelvans. The kedeshis also have a special vision of space, they believe that the stars are children of Katho and that the galactic center is Katho's palace.
Tenets of Faith
This religion places a lot of emphasis on hard work and harshness because the kedeshis think they are made of rock, meditation is extremely important to them because it allows them to clear their minds with a drink made from Katho flower. A native flower of their planet which is considered sacred by the kedeshis and is present on their flag. When drinking this mixture, the kedeshis believe that they are in direct communication with the god. The religion also prescribes total obedience to the members of the Church of Katho, especially the High Priest who is considered to be the representative of Katho.
Ethics
Mind, physical strength and hard work is at the center of this religion, the kedeshis consider that hardworking people both mentally and physically is a sign of merit. Meditation is an extremely act in their life as it allows them to clear their mind and guard against a corrupt mind. The signs of wealth are also very important, these signs help to show that the individual has worked hard to get what he has.
Priesthood
The supreme spiritual guide of the kedeshis is the High Priest who also acts as the unofficial head of the Holy Kingdom of Katho. Indeed, even if the President is the official head, it is the High Priest who approves the President and can remove him from these functions at any time, which means that the latter owes obedience to the High Priest. For the rest of the territory, each planet has a planetary priest who manages places of worship on all the planet. The planets also have priests who manage places of worship for a city.
Political Influence & Intrigue
The influence of this religion on kedeshi's politics is pervasive and in fact almost all members of the government are members of the Church of Katho who have been appointed by the Holy Council. The struggles for the succession to the title of High Priest are particularly fierce and can sometimes lead to assassination attempts between competitors.
Founding Date
unknown
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Parent Organization
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
Location
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