Temple of the Chosen

While most religions are strictly tied to the planets from which their gods originate, there is at least one church gaining a foothold throughout the ‘verse. The Temple of the Chosen venerates a diverse pantheon of spacefarers, who each, it is said, ascended from their mortal forms and attained godhood, granting them dominion over the entire galaxy. This pantheon, known as the Chosen, contains no names, only titles corresponding to their god’s position aboard their celestial spacecraft, the Ark: 

• The Captain. Usually depicted as a human male, the Captain gives orders to his celestial crew, and is in turn supported by them.
• The First Mate. Often depicted as an elven female, the First Mate advises the Captain and critiques his decisions, but also enforces them should they be deemed proper and good.
• The Pilot. A female gnome, the Pilot flies the Ark through the Black, deftly avoiding all obstacles.
• The Astrogator. The Astrogator is typically a male avia-ra and guides the Pilot through the stars, ensuring she always knows the correct path to fly.
• The Cook. A male halfling, the Cook provides celestial sustenance to the crew, and fatherly advice to all who desire it.
• The Doc. The Doc, depicted as a female half-orc, tends to the wounds and fatigue of the crew, and keeps her charges healthy and fit.
• The Engineer. The Engineer, a dwarven male, keeps the engines of the Ark running at all times, and ensures stability of all of the Ark’s myriad celestial systems.
• The Stowaway. Hidden away within the Ark’s vast hangars, the Stowaway, a skathári female, remembers the old ways of nature and survival
• The Gunner. A tiefling of ambiguous gender, the Gunner manages the powerful weapons attached to the Ark and brings them to bear against those who seek to challenge it.

It is difficult, however, to parse religion in absolutes. Some people believe the Chosen and their Ark are merely a metaphor, a guideline by which to live a more perfect life. Others, however, believe the Chosen to be real, immortal beings traveling the universe in an omnipotent ship. Historians, meanwhile, suggest that the story of the Chosen and the Ark might be loosely derived from some ancient tale of a real ship that underwent a fateful journey past the edge of the galaxy and never returned.  
Whatever the truth is, the Temple adheres strictly to the belief that the Chosen are divinity, whose celestial ship grants them dominion over all worlds in the 'verse. According to Temple doctrine, the faithful are guided to the Ark after death, where they might join the Chosen on their celestial journey

Theme

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Neighboring Nations

• The Chosen