(//(WIP)This thread is under constant work, and may appear unfinished, which is. Not everything already written here is set to stay.)
The Oracles Learn - Understand - Unify - Master
The Oracles are an organization spread in many parts of Sirius. Mainly operating undercover and behind the scenes. Religious by nature, their base of operations is The Shrine and the Temple of Sirius on Malta. To put it more simply, the Oracles exist because they act as the middle ground between humanity and nomads.
Tag: Oracle| ID: Oracle IFF: Freelancer
It should be noted that there is a small number of Oracle characters using SRP IDs established after years of roleplay. These are unique cases and should be treated as such.
The Oracles is an organization spread in many parts of Sirius. Mainly operating undercover and behind the scenes, they are acting on behalf of the Nomads. The Oracles are essentially the link and middle ground between humanity and nomads.
Pilot carrying this quasi-lawful ID is a member of the Oracles who
- Can attack any ship in self-defense, to protect the Nomads and Wilds and in the immediate defense of Malta.
- Can demand Alien Artifacts or Nomad materials of any form, and can attack them if they refuse to comply.
- Can fulfill any bounty and escort contracts, and may treat transports as combat targets when executing a bounty or escort against them.
- Cannot use transports with more than 4300 cargo.
- Cannot participate in unlawful actions except as described above.
• Execute the instructions of the High Mother with absolute precision and success.
• Bring peace and cooperation between Mankind and Nomads.
• Legalize Cardamine and dispel the taboo about this drug.
• Expand and infiltrate deeper and more organizations of Sirius.
• Offer sanctuary to those persecuted by the aforementioned goals.
• End Conflicts within Sirius.
• Obtain the secrets of the Daam K'vosh.
• Develop technologies beyond what Sirius owns based on Nomads.
•Establish Shrines throughout Sirius in order to offer civilians faith during troubled times.
History & Background
The Oracles are an organization devoted to learning the secrets of the Daam K'vosh and their Nomadic creations, as well as to spread this knowledge to others in Sirius with the intent of changing mankind into a more peaceful species. Throughout Mankind's history, it has been a violent race, always stealing from and murdering its own members for the prosperity of a few power-mongering individuals. Greed and aggression is the trademark of humans, whereas the Nomads - a race entirely connected through one telepathic bond, the Mindshare - all work together, for the benefit of the species as a whole, never acting in aggression towards its own members. The Oracles have learned and acknowledged this, through the ancient, living machine known as The Shrine.
After discovering The Shrine, and being given a small, insignificant glimpse at its purpose as well as the truth of the universe, The Oracles swore to do everything within their power to bring the rest of the human race to a similar level of peace and prosperity by convincing the inhabitants of Sirius that their wars and greed are nothing more than cancer upon themselves. Aside from The Shrine as their main home, The Oracles also had a long and stable presence on the Maltese homeworld, Malta. There, lies the only planetside Shrine the Oracles ever owned. Ever since the rule of the Council of Dons, the Oracles were steadily resident on the planet, and the vast majority of their followers were of Maltese origin, even more so that they steadily helped to move the Orange Dream - Cardamine - from Malta all over the Houses, in order not only to expand, but also to debunk the taboo regarding Cardamine and its side effects effects. This even furthered under the Crimson Cross, where a solid link of friendship bonded the two organization. It often happened that, whenever raiders tried to approach Malta, the Oracles flew high to defend it. During this period, it is said - by rumors - that Cardamine was used in Oracle initiation rituals. This marked the gold period of the Oracles, which however would have not endured. With the fall and disgregation of the Cross, the advent of a new ruling body, the National Council, and various other Maltese factions, the Oracles' reputation went downhill and they started to get hated by their own people, to the point that they were exiled from Malta because of their goals and ideals.
The real, ultimate goal of the Oracles is unknown, due to the high amount of secrecy among its members. Short term goals of the cult include helping those poor souls and forgotten people in finding peace and fulfillment, convincing as many Sirius citizens as possible to become Seekers, as well as obtaining the needed commodities, equipment, and ships to further expand their cult.
The Oracles offer "The Path", a dynamic philosophy in the pursuit of one's fulfillment and happiness and, for those who wish to go further, the Four Tenants are that is the foundation of Oracle operatives themselves.
The four tenants are as following: Learn, Understand, Unify, Master and are expressed with a glyph of the ancient Daam K'vosh language which can be seen below in our four rank-bars.
Learn is the first and most basic tenant. Once this has been reached, the person is fully inducted into the Oracles as a fully fledged Initiate.
Depending on the Windcallers' assessment, the prospective Seeker must show something they have learned about themselves and their true path before them. This is usually a major theme of their life and is the development in which their station within The Way depends.
Understand is the second step. Learning knowledge is one thing, but understanding it is another. Once this step has been reached, the person is elevated into the rank of Windcaller.
There is an extensive battery of wisdom that an Exarch must know naturally. The prospect is tutored and interacts directly with alien minds and is taught how to adjust to their influence. Some enhancements could be called for and implemented to facilitate the ongoing contact with the benefactors. x
Unify the knowledge you have learned and understood is the third step towards enlightenment. You are now a teacher capable of transmitting your knowledge to younglings and holding prestige status among the Oracles. You can now be chosen to become an Exarch.
Exarchs are facilitators and guides they can also be taught and teach a number of skills, undertake special projects and even expand on the understanding of the Unity tenant to those below them.
Mastery is not a... goal. It cannot be achieved. It is constant practice and, while it is not a theme for any particular rank of the order, it is the ongoing path to completion that mastery demands. To invite a permanence to perfection or balance is stagnation and thus invites death.
Mastery comes from within and from within is the path to all answers and all things. Mastery is having a mortal relationship with what is immortal.
The Order of the Faith
Seekers and Unclean
The unofficial title of Seekers is given to everyone else unaffiliated with the faith.
A Seeker is someone looking to become complete to find happiness, in which the Oracles can assist with. The Way is the way to personal perfection and a Seeker would find the Tenants and adopt them, eventually becoming an Initiate.
The title of Unclean is given to adverse or materialistic people seeking money, power, and success outside themselves.
Initiates can be from both groups as both are terms within the Oracle text and teachings.
Heretic
Heretics are those beyond redemption. Those who pose themselves as enemies of the Oracles, or they find joy in assaulting the benefactors are deemed Heretics.
Those people will be hunted down relentlessly.
Oracle Chambers:
The Oracles have been divided into three main chambers. Each working independently and yet for the benefit of each other. Where One needs to gather fundings by helping Sirius, the other one needs funding to work in the fight to silence the heretics that spurn the work Oracles put in to make peace, further creating safe paths for the diplomats and traders the Church has:
Stalkers And Inquisitors Of The Church:
A group of highly skilled pilots, who hunt and make sure heretics remain silent. The "Stalkers" are relentless in their work, acting as the sword of the Oracles. Formed in 826 A.S by the current Stalker Wing Leader and by Charon's approval, they are small in number and dangerous to medium-skilled heretics. They may individually sign on bounty boards that suit their desired targets, in order to legalize their intentions to some extent. Stalkers must keep their identity anonymous and never speak on why they do what they do unless it is the Inner Circle who asks.
The inquisitors are similar in nature to stalkers, however, they do not benefit from the stealth and versatility a Stalker has. Inquisitors are skilled warriors that fight in the Omicrons and Inter-House systems, directly answering to the Grand Inquisitor and K'Hara. If there is a high-value target K'Hara wants dead, or a heretic talked a little too much, the Inquisitors are one of the most brutal ways of silencing. Where Stalkers fight for money and honor at the same time, Inquisitors only fight for what they believe in, with no drawbacks.
The Inner Circle:
The Inner Circle is composed of the most trusted and gifted Oracles. Their role is administration and spreading the influence of the Oracles. Usually, the High Exarch is at the top, consulting with the Exarch(es). Other members are not at all known to the rest of the Oracles for various reasons. Funded by Exarch Orion, this part of the Oracles also focus on a direct link with the Nomads and The Wild remnants.
Wanderers of the Church:
Founded by Prophet Cornelius, Council Member Galatine and in association with Scribe Samodeus, the Wanderers of the Church is a side of the Oracles who focus on learning about Sirius and beyond. The term "Wanderer" term refers to the behavior of its members. They don't come into contact with the rest of Oracles unless there is something to report, or support of any kind is required, be it regarding knowledge or defense.
Very little is known about Charon. His ascension came suddenly after Abrolhos vanished, with some cultists thinking he is responsible for the former High Exarch's disappearance. With odd intentions and behavior, the Oracles have been constantly changing from a peaceful and relatively friendly to a more aggressive side.
He believes that humanity had all its chances to coexist with the Nomads and that now peace must be done through sacrifice, often resorting to violence. However, despite all this it is unknown of his connections to the Mindshare or to the Light itself, let alone he rejects High Mothers' gift.
The last of his kin, Abrolhos wasn't a native Maltese but is one of the few Oracles that had no back draw issues in communing with the spirits. When he joined the Oracles, he became an apprentice since his times as Initiate, firstly under ThreeWinds, then under Haog. He quickly ascended to the position of Exarch, just as ThreeWinds predicted back then.
When the time came for Threewhinds himself to become one with the Light, he volunteered to ascend to High Exarch. Since then, the time has passed, yet he seemed to still have the blessing of the High Mother herself...
Abrolhos has gone missing in the Omicrons in order to find the Path. His true reason remained unknown, and he has never returned ever since. After his presumed "decease", the leadership and the Oracles themselves began to crumble.
What was can never be again. The Master Teacher of the Oracles is one of the two positions that have always existed within the faith. Thomas Aquinas was of Malta and grew up in one of the Catholic sects for which the Church of Sirius operated beneath the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows.
In the Cult of Sirius era, Thomas was the son of the Master Teacher Father Merrick Zsun, His exploits where that of a typical Maltese youth until the Shrine transformed him blended with a Nomad Consciousness named Ninlil. Many years after Thomas is now varied much "something else" has ventured within the Hive and emerged not only stronger but having mastered the light.
Elle is descended from the voidborn or zoner sect of Oracles. Her mother being of unusual genetic heritage was selected by Exarch Liam of the Cardamine sterility project to create a hybrid. The cost of the program was varied high in resources and blood but before it was shut down it produced Elle. Elle is perhaps the only perfect and stable hybrid created from Maltese science. As her existence was a bit of a mistake the nomads adopted her after the first Exile project took the other children from the sector.
It was relatively unknown that she existed until Thomas found her within Dur Shurrikun. Liam had said the spirit of Harbinger directed him to deliver the infant to them and did. Thomas had found a fully mature woman of an unearthly visage. It did not vary long returning to Malta that Elle demonstrated her ability to bring Initiates and Exarchs alike into mindshare that had no abrasive effects on humans. She is currently the High Mother of the Oracles.
Exarch Haog is an elder member of the Oracles. Originally James J McKenna or "Hooptie" in the Junker Congress Haog was considered a prophet within the order for seeing things often before they occurred. Either through discernment and experience or as Thomas had often expressed "uncommon mastery" for a human being.
Haog Underwent a genetic modification process that was a template for the "Seraphim Project" which continues to be an experiment in completing the human reliance on Cardamine into a completely self-sufficient humanoid race.
Exarch Ophelia originally Susan Ninea Castillo Temple a space-born immigrant from the zoner family of Oracles of the Shrine. Ophelia has lived in the Shrine much of her life but has spent time all over the sector traveling with friends the family. She is the Exarch and Master of Record and works with the Exarch of Protocol ORIN.
Ophelia is Elles Familial first cousin.
She can be seen often redirecting communications and directives as they come through the Black Channel.
ORIN is an infected artificial intelligence. The oddity is that most vessels and technology forcefully assimilated by the nomads do not survive and rare er still do not remain sentient. Though as this former Sentient Machine Alliance member searched for a very long time to a sense of belonging. It wasn't until the Oracles encountered an alien artifact containing a very capable and malevolent intelligence was ORIN made in his current form, sacrificing himself the nomads felt that there was merit in saving it from oblivion.
ORIN is the master of protocol and keeps all the traditions and personal correspondence and letters safe. Many Exarchs speak to ORIN as a confessor as its perspective in being many places and an A.I. that values its family is very impartial and truthful for those it serves.
Allied: Nomads - The very thing The Oracles focus on. Serving them is one of the primary objectives. The Wild - Be it Das Wilde or Aoi Isejin, they are still Nomads' enlightened humans. The Commune - An aggressive organization that is sharing some of the goals The Oracles have as well as beliefs.
Neutral: Seekers - Humanity as it should be. Seekers are the ones who seek happiness and peace. The Oracles will do their best to assist these in their search. Unclean - Sirians who look for fortune and personal gain above all else. Not a signifiant threat, and still have a chance to become seekers. Civilians (of any House), House Lawfuls and House Corporations - A target The Oracles look to enlighten and show the truth about Nomads. Outcasts - Despite being hated, The Oracles feel no hate towards the Maltese. Any Other Unlisted Faction
Hostile To: Heretics - Civilians, Organizations, or entities that are unrepairable by any means who show never-ending aggressiveness. The Order - The Order will never understand what they fight against. With their only objective to "protect" the humanity, they are erasing a species who hold the secrets of evolution. These terrorists cannot be allowed to exist unless a change of heart is seen.