Mother of the Stars

The Mother of the Stars is a sect of a larger religious movement that worships an effective goddess (the Great Mother) who created the universe all life within it. This sect, often abbreviated as MotS, is noted for its support of psions and collectivist leanings. They also seem to amass powerful psi-tech artifacts from unknown sources, and keep certain rituals secret.

Origins

Mother of the Stars is a sect of the Church of the Great Mother, similar to Congregation of the Enlightened and numerous others. All sects of this church follow the Great Mother of the stars, often depicted as a woman clad in blue, who created the universe and all life within. The Mother is the only such being with these abilities.
By the time of The Scream, the Church had developed explanations for metadimensional extraversion syndrome -- the lethal illness that later came to be controlled as psionics. Some branches heavily feared psionics, often the same ones that warned against space travel in general. Mother of the Stars began to counter these fears and support those born with psionic abilities.
Following the Scream, many needed answers for why would the Mother allow such a catastrophe to befall her creations. The largest branch of MotS, based on Astronius, provided the answer that the Scream wasn't a punishment, but a warning to keep us from greater harm. It was up to us, they taught, to learn from the warning and continue growing along better paths.
As the Silence ended, this more hopeful message took hold, and the church of the Mother of the Stars spread. Nisora in particular became a stronghold of these beliefs, and as evacuations of Astronius completed, the church's headquarters moved there.

Core Teachings

Unlike many other religions, MotS is directly against determinism. They believe that though the Great Mother gave us life, She does not control us, just as our own human mothers do not. We choose the direction of our lives and societies, and it's up to us to choose in a way that would make Her proud. Though our individual actions matter, it's the direction of humanity as a whole that determines the mark we leave on the universe.

Psionics

Psionics is a blessing from the Great Mother. It's a gift She gave us all, and She judges us collectively on what we do with it. We must develop responsiblity and use Her gifts with care and consideration for all.

The Scream

The Scream was to stop us from causing ourselves harm, like a mother might stop a child from touching a flame. Though for us it was a catastrophe, centuries is but a second on the scale of the universe She created.

Prophets

Those who exemplify Her will and teachings through their word and deed are Prophets of the Great Mother, whether they follow Her or not. The Mother does not choose Her prophets, they choose to live in a way that earns them this title.

Aliens

All life is fleeting. Many of the Mother's creations eventually fall extinct, just as we will one day. We can learn from our predecessors, stand on their shoulders to learn lessons we may not otherwise, and improve ourselves.

Reputation

I asked him again today what his church is like. They're always talking about it, and get quiet when anyone else gets close. They say us "non-members" wouldn't "get it", but I think there's more to it. That they're forbidden or something. What are they doing that they can't tell other people about?

— Diary of a concerned friend

Many are drawn to the more hopeful tone of the Mother of the Stars' teachings. They seek these churches often when they can't find hope or direction in their own lives, and can benefit greatly from the community support provided. However, there are dark spots on this church's record, and there is reason why some call it a cult.

Friendly Neighbor?

Mother of the Stars members frequently extrapolate their defense of psions to defending other minority groups that endure discrimination.

Their churches house a variety of community services, from job boards to food and housing assistance, and any are allowed to use these services regardless of affiliation.

Their focus on collectivism leads to public works funded or aided by Mother of the Stars congregations.

Or Secretive Cult?

Some sects take psionic acceptance too far. They show preference to those with psionic abilities, or that preference becomes worship.

Larger churches have a surprising number of psi-tech artifacts, and they never state how they came to acquire these artifacts.

Despite their collectivism, there are topics and rituals they won't discuss with unaffiliated, breeding suspicion anywhere with a strong church presence.

Information

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

MotS

Location

Nisora

Key Tenets

1. The Great Mother judges us based humanity's collective impact on Her universe.
   
2. Psionics are a gift from the Mother, and we must use it with care and consideration for all.
   
3. The Scream was a warning to protect us from greater harm and we must grow from it.
   
4. Those who exemplify Her will through word and deed can earn the title of Prophet.
   
5. All life is fleeting. There are lessons to learn from those who came before us.
   

Related

Author Commentary

Inspiration

My fiance came up with the original idea for this religion. His reasoning was that a far-future Christianity may have forgotten about Jesus and instead fixated on Mary, a distortion centuries in the making. It's come a long way from that original thought.

Future Villain

One of the PCs in my current campaign is a MotS Prophet for her truth-seeking in journalism. She's let it go to her head and is now contributing to the cult-ish-ness.