Church of Hope

Hope's Purpose is considered to be a Divine text written by the Prophet of the Makers. As such, they model their lives off of the moral advice that they find within it. Generally, this means that Zombies and Others are seen as Humans who need to be fixed. They are considered to be less than those humans that have not been mutated by the virus who are considered to be the pure ideal of humanity. This leads to discrimintanation within the church and Camp Hope as a whole. While Others are welcomed into the camp and into the church, this is with the expectation that they will submit to being a test subject. Others are also placed into working positions that are less desirable and generally involve physical labor. Others are expected to do their best to cover or hide their deformities and they are not allowed to use magic within the camp unless it is for the purpose of research.

God speaks and shapes unresisting dormant matter into effective existence and order. By the word of YHWH the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their hosts; he gathers up the waters like a mound, stores the Deep in vaults" -Psalm 33

It begins with darkness and the uncreated primordial ocean: God separates and restrains the waters, but he does not create them from nothing. God initiates each creative act with a spoken word ("God said, Let there be..."), and finalises it with the giving of a name. This is from Gensis. Things did not exist until they were named: The name of a living being or an object was ... the very essence of what was defined, and the pronouncing of a name was to create what was spoken.
Knowing and understanding things well enough to properly name them grants a person the power to manipulate and change the thing. Creative power begins with the understanding of what exists.

Diplomacy

The Church works within politics to reach their religiouis goals. Because of this, they will actively oppose organizations within camp that support agendas that they believe are against the teachings of the Maker.

Church of Hope Characters

• Alignment: Usually lawful, often good
• Suggested Races: Human
• Suggested Classes: Civilian, Face
• Suggested Archetypes: Authority, Diplomat, Field Medic, Sauve
• Suggested Ladders: Performer, Born Leader 

You might enjoy playing a character who belongs to the Church of Hope Combine if one or more of the following statements are true:

• You want to play a deeply religious character.
• You would like to explore the nature of good and evil.
• You want to make the world a better place through social works
• You want to play a priest or priestess who is driven to improve society and save the world.

Background: Church of Hope

If your character was born and raised in Camp Hope, you can choose this background instead of those listed in the Ultra Modern Redux rule book.
You have spent your life in the service of the Maker. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine. You spend most of your time contemplating the nature of humanity and how we can return to our previous glory.

• Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion
• Languages: Two of your choice
• Equipment: A butterfly pin, a cope of Hope's Purpose, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and 15 credits.

Feature: Shelter of the Faithful

As a member of the churhc, you will be supported by others who are within the church. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free medical care at the church. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle. You can call upon the church for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with the church.

Suggested Characteristics

The Hopeful are shaped by their experience in the church and religious communities. Their study of the history and tenets of their faith and their relationships to the church, shrines, and hierarchies affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden hypocrisy or heretical idea, or an ideal or bond taken to an extreme.

Contacts

Working within the church leads you to come into contact with many types of people. Giving them blessings and praying with them. Acts of goodwill and working along side them. There are plenty of oppurtunities for those within the church to engage with all walks of Camp Hope life.
Roll twice on the Simic Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Simic Contacts table.

Public Agenda

We must remake ourselves and claim the Divine. Let us declare ourselves equal to the Makers.

-Hope's Purpose 

The Church of Hope believes that humanity can only be saved if the Cure is found and humanity is restored to its Purity. Finding the Cure represents a Divine goal set by the Maker to test humanity for their fitness. If humanity can remake themselves into their ideal image, then they will be taken into the ranks of the Divine, they will become Makers.

Assets

The only thing that the church legally owns is the building that they gather in for their services. The church does not collect tithes. When needing to complete a task, they ask their members to comtribute their credits to the project so it can be acomplished.

Mythology & Lore

Much of the religious mythology of this church has been taken from the Christian faith. They believe that the Bible is Divine book, but that it no longer applies to the current times. They believe that the Fall is the apocolypse that was spoken of in Revelations and as such, that book has served its Divine purpose. However, it is still used as a source of reference for the purpose of understanding human history. Has such they believe that Eden, the great flood and other such Biblical events are historical events.

Divine Origins

The religion grew from the book Hope's Purpose written by Barrett Kory Averill. His daughter, Gloria Dina Averill, founded the church and spread the belief that her father was the Prophet of the Maker.

Tenets of Faith

The ten commandments apply for them:

1. You shall have no other God’s before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill other humans.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shall not bear false witness.
10. You shall not covet.

Ethics

Those humans that have not been changed by the virus are considered to be the Pure Form and are regarded as the most valuable humans. Because of this, they are given priority over those who have been changed. Others are considered to be above the Zombies because they have not completely lost themselves to it. They were able to hold on to the core of their humanity. Because of this, they are allowed into the camp. Generally, they are given the same basic rights as the Pure Form. However, whenever there is a conflict that requires chooosing between a Pure Form and an Other, the Pure Form will be favored in the dcision by default. The Zombies are considered the lowest cast of humans. They have lost their humanity to the virus and as such, they are treated like animals.

Worship

They gather on Sundays to worship the Maker. This involves singing, playing music and meditation. There are no sermons. Teaching of the faith is saved for the educational hours during the week. This day is consider the day of the Divine, when a person should contemplate the manner in which they fail to meet the Divine standards.

"Hope is a waking dream.” — Aristotle

Founding Date

50SE

Demonym

The Hopeful

Leader

Lisha Eryka Keys

Founders

• Gloria Dina Montu Averill

Deities

• The Maker

Divines

• The Maker

Location

Camp Hope

Related Traditions

• Festival of Lights

Controlled Territories

• Hope Academy

Manufactured Items

• Dual Ribbons of Faith
• Prayer Ribbons
• Ribbon of Faith
• Staff of Faith
• Triad Ribbons of Faith

Related Items

• Dual Ribbons of Faith
• Prayer Ribbons
• Ribbon of Faith
• Staff of Faith
• Triad Ribbons of Faith

Notable Members

• Aryana Pauline Dodge
• Bethany Keys
• Esmeralda Marleen Post
• Fredrick Keys
• George Kennard
• Gloria Dina Montu Averill
• Leah Kennard
• Lisha Eryka Keys
• Lorna Pollie Branson
• Marybelle Stockard
• Sylvester Curtis Kellogg

Related Species

• Human

Related Historical Events

• 50 SE
  Founding of the Church of Hope

The virus has become our new God, our Maker. The one true God for it shall unmake us if we fail to put it before all other things.

-Hope's Purpose

General Biases

These are the biases that members of this faction typical hold.

Positive Biases

Favors Humans over other races.

Negative Biases

Considers The Awakened and The Others to be lesser races.

Always unseen and hidden. It is unknowable. Reshaping the world as it sees fit.

-Hope's Purpose

Gather yourselves together and recall who you are. Sit together and gaze into each other's humanity. Remind youselves why the Cure matters on each Sabbath as you rest yourselves from the week's work.

-Hope's Purpose

Naming a thing is knowing a thing. Calling upon the true name allows you the power to command a thing. Thus, the Maker changes with world with the knowledge of how all things work. Unfolding us at our very core.

-Hope's Purpose

Allies

The Doctors

50

Church of Hope

50

They share in their religios views. Both factions are followers of The Maker. The Church of Hope worships the Maker while The Doctors strive to become its equal. Both factions consider Sonohoka Syndrome to be a test for humanity that must be endured to prove to the divine that humanity is worthy of ascending to godhood.

Neutral

Town Watch

0

Church of Hope

0

Neutral

The Scribes

0

Church of Hope

0

Neutral

The Farmers Guild

0

Church of Hope

0

Neutral

Church of Hope

0

Engineers

0

Enemies

The Solstice Syndicate

-100

Church of Hope

-100

These two organizatoins hold completely differing ideals. The Church of Hope believes that people should conform to strict behavioral codes. They do not value individualism, but rather the group which they believe should always be put first. The Solstice Syndicate believes that people should embrace and celebrate their unquiness. They value individualism and believe that an individual should put themselves before the group.

How Do I Fit In?

As a Hopeful your mission is to convert others to the church; which places a priority on being out in the camp talking to others. This means that regardless of what other tasks you are given by the church, you are still expected to perform teaching of the faith. That might mean that you stand outside the Solstice and attempt to sway others from going inside. It could also mean that you volunteer to perform task through out the camp so that you can speak with others about the Maker while you work together. It could also mean that you are serving as one of the teachers in Hope Academy.
Self-improvement is also an important part of your mission. Anything you can do to make yourself more capable — whether gaining a better understanding of the scripture or learning skills to perform tasks for the church — gives the Maker a better tool to use for their will. Humans must prove that they are worthy of godhood or they will become another creature on the extinction list.

Rank and Renown

The Churhc is a highly structured faction. They have divided their organization into tiers of responsibility and importance.

Rank 1: Student of Faith

• Prerequisite: Renown 1 with the Church of Hope.

As part of education and training, students of the faith work under supervision. They are expected to perform service for both the church and the camp as a whole. This usually means volunteering to complete work that others would generally not want to perform. Students of the faith study and work to memorize the scripture within Hope's Purpose. They also provide assistance to the Priests and Priestesses. In this way, they learn what that role involves. As they progress through their education, they are given tasks by the Priests and Preistesses who then supervise them while they work.

• You gain access to the Hope Academy and are given a Hope Insignia.

Rank 2: Priest or Priestess

• Prerequisite: Rank 1, Renown 3 with the church, Religion Skill +2 or more.

The priest or priestess is a recent graduate from the Doctorate of Faith program through the Hope Academy who in now work within the church. They are, in general, responsible for maintaining the grounds of the church. They are also responsible for attending to the physical needs of the people. This means organizing charity events to ensure that a member of the church is getting the things that they need. This can be collecting donated items for a member whose house burnt down. It can also mean organizing workers to help an elferly member with tending to their lawn or gathering fire wood.

• You gain access to Church of Hope Building. you gain access to the library within the church that contains scripture and religious writings.
• The church ensures that your needs are met. You can maintain a modest lifestyle.
• You are given a Prayer Ribbons

Special Rank: Religious Librarian

• Prerequisite: Rank 2, Renown 5 with the Church of hope, Religious Skill +2 or more. If you choose this rank, you cannot also be a missionary.

It is your job to take care of the small library in the church. This means checking in and out the books. Contacting scribes when books need to be repaired or replaced. Organizing the collection. Helping people find the materials that they are looking for. You assist other members of the church when they are researching within the religious documents. You can maintain your status as a librarian while taking on other ranks within the church (unless otherwise indicated in that rank's information).

• You can call upon 1d4 students to help you in your research projects or other assignments. Use the following stat block for the students: with a +1 to religion. They will not endanger themselves or break the law to assist you. When having them assist you, gain +1 to investigation checks for researching information within the church's documents.
• You gain one additional contact from either contact table listed under the background section.

Special Rank: Missionary

• Prerequisite: Rank 2, Renown 5 with the Church of hope, Religious Skill +2 or more. If you choose this rank, you cannot also be a librarian.

Missionaries are given the task of spreading the faith to those outside the church community. They move through out the camp and even to other camps to spread the faith to everyone who will hear them out. Missionaries oftem work with bounty hunters as this allows them to more easily travel to other camps. You can maintain your status as a missionary while taking on other ranks within the church (unless otherwise indicated in that rank's information).

• You earn 5 credits a month to cover your travelling expenses and equipment needs. This is in addition to the money that they provide to maintain your lifestyle between adventures.
• You gain one additional contact from either contact table listed under the background section.

Rank 3: High Priest or High Priestess

• Prerequisite: Rank 2, renown 10 with the Doctors, Religion Skill +4 or more.

A high priest or priestess is a priest or priestess that has served the church for three or more years and has accepted the calling to enter into a position of leadership within the church. It is their responsibility to organize the charity work being completed by the priests and priestesses. They decide which members of the community need charity and assign that charity task.

• You can call upon 1d4 priests / priestesses to help you in your charity projects or other assignments. Use the following stat block for the priest / priestess: with a +2 to religion. They will not perform tasks outside the camp and will not do anything to put themselves in danger.
• You gain one additional contact from either contact table listed under the background section.
• You are given Ribbon of Faith.
• The church ensures that your needs are met. You can maintain a comfortable lifestyle.

Rank 4: Bishop

• Prerequisite: Rank 3, renown 15 with the Church of Hope, Religion Skill +6 or more.

Bishops are resonsible for meeting the spiritual needs of the community. They are responsible for educating the students and performing the religious services. They perform all the rites and cermonies of the church.

• You are strongly connected to your community. You have advantage when rolling charisma based checks with anyone who is a believer in The Maker.
• You gain one additional contact from either contact table listed under the background section.
• The church ensures that your needs are met. You can maintain a comfortable lifestyle.
• You are given a Dual Ribbons of Faith

Rank 5: Elder

• Prerequisite: Rank 4, renown 25 with the Doctors, religion Skill +8 or more, must be human or passing as human, must be 40 years old or more.

In order to become an Elder, a person must be at least 40 years old. This is considered to be the age of wisdom. It is believed that before this age, a person has not gathered enough life expereinces to guide others. Additionally, they believe that the human brain does not fully mature and develop until about 30 years old. Thus, a person needs some life experience with their fully developed brain before they begin to act as a guide for others. Additionally, they must have completed all of the course work and education within the church. This will earn them their Theological Doctorate. This education includes course work in human history, theology and psychology.

• You can call upon 1d4 Bishops to assist you in completing religious tasks. Use the following stat block for the bishop: with a +6 to religion. They will not perform tasks outside the camp and will not do anything to put themselves in danger.
• You can assign 1d4 missionaries to go on a mission. This can be assisting another faction or going on a journey to seek converts. Use the following stat block for the missionaries: with +2 religion skill. They will perform tasks outside camp and will put their lives in danger to complete tasks for the church.
• You gain one additional contact from either contact table listed under the background section.
• The church ensures that your needs are met. You can maintain a wealthy lifestyle.
• You are given a Triad Ribbons of Faith

Rank 6: Revrend Mother or Father

• Prerequisite: Rank 5, renown 50 with the Church of Hope, Religion Skill +10 or more, must be human or passing as human, must be 40 years old or more. Chosen from the ranks of the Elders.

The Revrend Mother / Father is the highest level within the church. They hold the most power and responsibility within the church. They coordinate and direct religious services for the entire camp. They supervise staff and conduct hiring and performance reviews. They train and mentor staff and update and enforce religious policies, which include regulations and religious laws.
In this role, you are advised — and ordered around — by the Board of Hope. You are in regular communication with the board members, who places you in charge of all major faction initiatives. You might be tasked with improving recruitment, developing a plan for dealing with Other or Awakened infiltration, or collaborating with the Bounty Hunters to improve the spread of the faith.

• You gain one additional contact from either contact table listed under the background section.
• The church ensures that your needs are met. You can maintain a aristocratic lifestyle.
• You can call upon 2d4 Bishops to assist you in completing religious tasks. Use the following stat block for the bishop: with a +6 to religion. They will not perform tasks outside the camp and will not do anything to put themselves in danger.
• You can assign 2d4 missionaries to go on a mission. This can be assisting another faction or going on a journey to seek converts. Use the following stat block for the missionaries: with +2 religion skill. They will perform tasks outside camp and will put their lives in danger to complete tasks for the church.
• You are given the Staff of Faith.