The Pilot
Every quasi-religious culture needs a martyr. Someone who was willing to sacrifice themselves for their cause or their faith... someone who can be held up to the rest of the culture as a model of willingness to do whatever it takes to keep the culture alive. For the The Avramites of Caloran, this martyr is simply known as "The Pilot".
The Elders decided to fabricate the Tale of the Pilot initially to quell the questions arising from the people about their purity after even setting foot on their colony ship. To quell their concerns, they began weaving the tale even while the ship was still traveling to its destination. Over the years, as the first generation died out, the Tale was embellished and refined to its present form. Now that it is enshrined in Avramite culture, that culture has the martyr it needs to set an example to teach their morality to their youth.
The Tale of the Pilot
The elders of the Avramites begin reciting the story of the Pilot to their children at a very young age. And as they grow into their places in the culture, the morals of that tale are often reinforced. This is the Tale of the Pilot:Our people trace their heritage back to a far-distant world called Terra. For thousands of years, our people preserved a way of life that was not poisoned by the evils of technology, but when the people of Terra discovered others, technology advanced so rapidly that it overwhelmed everyone - including, sadly, many of our own. Our numbers dwindled dangerously, so our Wise Elders decided something must be done.
Unfortunately, they could not figure out what exactly they could do. And so it was that one young Avramite, whose name has been lost to the mists of time, decided that her people and her culture was far more important than her own conscience and morality. When she left the community, she was mourned just as we mourn other "lost souls", and when she returned sixteen years later, she was initially treated as an outsider - just as we would do today.
But she beseeched the Wise Elders to listen, for she had a plan to save the Avramite Culture. She explained that when she departed, she did so not to embrace the evils of technology, but to harness them for good. She departed so she could learn. And learn, she did. She learned how to pilot a starship. She learned how to read the charts and discover a new, safer world for the Avramites to live in - a world far from the constant bombardment of technology that threatened them on Terra. She had even acquired a ship of her own - a ship that would carry the Avramites to their new paradise.
Reluctantly, the Wise Elders agreed that this was the only viable course of action for them. And so the Avramites boarded the ship, carrying with them their meager belongings, their tools, and their livestock. Most importantly, though, they carried with them their culture - their heritage.
The journey was long and difficult. For six years, the ship traveled through the depths of space, avoiding threats both human and alien in origin. But eventually, they arrived at Caloran. There were humans there already, but not so many. Better still, the technology embraced by these humans was not nearly as pervasive as what they left behind. They were given a region to live in - a region devoid of any signs of civilization - a region that would remain isolated for them. Our people settled in and began to build the life we now enjoy.
But what of the Pilot? Sadly, despite the nobility of her motive, the Elders decided that she had been too tainted to every truly become one of the people again. With sadness, she agreed. She realized that her presence, with the knowledge of forbidden things she possessed, would ever be a danger to the people. And the continued existence of the ship itself would be further temptation to stray. Thus, wishing her people well, she returned to her ship, and flew it away - straight into the sun.
The Pilot felt that our way of life was so important, she was willing to sacrifice everything she ever was to preserve it. And this is how we remember her - not as one who fell away and tried to return, but one who gave her all - gave her very life - to preserve our culture.
Unfortunately, they could not figure out what exactly they could do. And so it was that one young Avramite, whose name has been lost to the mists of time, decided that her people and her culture was far more important than her own conscience and morality. When she left the community, she was mourned just as we mourn other "lost souls", and when she returned sixteen years later, she was initially treated as an outsider - just as we would do today.
But she beseeched the Wise Elders to listen, for she had a plan to save the Avramite Culture. She explained that when she departed, she did so not to embrace the evils of technology, but to harness them for good. She departed so she could learn. And learn, she did. She learned how to pilot a starship. She learned how to read the charts and discover a new, safer world for the Avramites to live in - a world far from the constant bombardment of technology that threatened them on Terra. She had even acquired a ship of her own - a ship that would carry the Avramites to their new paradise.
Reluctantly, the Wise Elders agreed that this was the only viable course of action for them. And so the Avramites boarded the ship, carrying with them their meager belongings, their tools, and their livestock. Most importantly, though, they carried with them their culture - their heritage.
The journey was long and difficult. For six years, the ship traveled through the depths of space, avoiding threats both human and alien in origin. But eventually, they arrived at Caloran. There were humans there already, but not so many. Better still, the technology embraced by these humans was not nearly as pervasive as what they left behind. They were given a region to live in - a region devoid of any signs of civilization - a region that would remain isolated for them. Our people settled in and began to build the life we now enjoy.
But what of the Pilot? Sadly, despite the nobility of her motive, the Elders decided that she had been too tainted to every truly become one of the people again. With sadness, she agreed. She realized that her presence, with the knowledge of forbidden things she possessed, would ever be a danger to the people. And the continued existence of the ship itself would be further temptation to stray. Thus, wishing her people well, she returned to her ship, and flew it away - straight into the sun.
The Pilot felt that our way of life was so important, she was willing to sacrifice everything she ever was to preserve it. And this is how we remember her - not as one who fell away and tried to return, but one who gave her all - gave her very life - to preserve our culture.
The Truth
There was, of course, a pilot of the ship that transported the Avramites from Terra to Caloran, but that is essentially where the truth of the tale told to Avramite children ends. In fact, the "Wise Elders" spent years saving up credits gleaned from the meager farm trade their people had been doing. They used those credits to hire a ship and crew - not just a pilot, but the full crew needed to handle the 1600 ton ship required to transport the Avramites and all their possessions to their "promised land". And once the Avramites disembarked, that pilot and crew flew off to continue their lives and livelihoods. Whether they returned to Terra, or decided to ply the space lanes in the Spinward Marches is unknown.The Elders decided to fabricate the Tale of the Pilot initially to quell the questions arising from the people about their purity after even setting foot on their colony ship. To quell their concerns, they began weaving the tale even while the ship was still traveling to its destination. Over the years, as the first generation died out, the Tale was embellished and refined to its present form. Now that it is enshrined in Avramite culture, that culture has the martyr it needs to set an example to teach their morality to their youth.
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