Religion of the Alium

Taken from The Musings of a Wanderer by Bevel Dart

Amazing Origins

Central to Alium society is doctrine of the lost Alium sky ship. Yes, yes, some people say it is a myth, but a simple examination of Alium culture proves otherwise. You see, Alium family collectives boast lineage all the way back to the original officers, crew, and colonists of the long-lost ship. They are proud, or perhaps the right word is reverent, of their ancestry and of their ancestors’ roles in Alium society. For instance, families that trace back to ship engineers tend towards building trades. Families that trace back to the ship’s mess tend towards culinary and farming endeavors.

Beliefs

The Alium religion revolves around the mythos of the lost colony ship. Officially there is a government guild tasked with finding the ship, building a new ship, communicating with the home world, etc, however the organization has largely fallen into apathetic efforts and lip service. The greatest efforts are undertaken by private interests. Most Alium believe they are indeed from another planet, that their sky ship crashed upon our planet millenia ago, and that this world is not their home, nor their destination. As such, several sects have evolved into being to tackle the perceived problem.

• Builders - This sect believes Alium efforts should be focused on the research, development, and building of a new sky ship.
• Searchers - This sect believes the Alium ship still exists and that Alium efforts should be focused on the search.
• Communicators - This sect feels that the best solution is for communication with home for help.

In practice, the various sects do tend to blend efforts. For example, the Searchers have discovered fantastical gravity-manipulating plates, believed to have come from the lost ship. The Builders have investigated these artifacts and adapted their understanding into their development.

Regardless of the sect, the religion stays true to the lost sky ship, the reverence of ancestral family shipboard responsibilities, and the collective oneness of the Alium race. There is a general belief that a Divinity saved them in their crash landing and will return when it is time to come home.

Forced to Live in the Now

I should also note there is a minor movement turning its gaze on Besok and Kende as home. They generally reason that while they did not make it to their destined world, this world has proven itself worthy of being a home. Members of this group are more prone to splinter from familial ship-based responsibilities and forge a new path into the future.

All of this is fairly apparent, but what is commonly missed is what Venn taught me as I first stepped foot into Besok: when you can perceive everything, what is most important. Focus. Conscious attention. For all that you can hear, decide what you shouldn’t hear, so you can be present in what you WANT to hear. The influence of this mentality is evident in the intense focus of Alium ancestral ship-based familial duties. It is evident in an Alium’s preciseness of action and thought.

Ritual

Alium religious activities occur at night under clear skies. Large collectives of Alium come together in a ritual calling to the stars. Dozens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of Alium standing together in audible silence, gazing up at the stars, suddenly calling out mentally as one: “Home.” Then silence. Focused, purposeful, listening silence.