The debate on the matter of Artificial Souls, Artificial Life, and all the questions surrounding these topics came after nearly three years of intense theological debate and scholarly arguments within the Cradle to an end, the thousands of scholars, priests, monks, nuns, laypeople, watchers, soldiers, and more who had attended to either give their side of the long-running debates around this topic or to watch in the hopes that some entertainment in the forms of physical violence would ensue. Sadly for those hoping for the latter, the presence of Teel, Prophet of the Star Child, prevented such a thing, as nobody wanted to appear immature or take away any weight their arguments or side of the debate had, with fewer attempting anything underhanded to move him to intercede on their behalf, and less succeeding in gathering more than an unamused stare.
But, with the end of something, so too came the ending remarks of those wishing to lend their side one more push and shove, trying to get it accepted as canon instead of heresy or apostasy like the Particularist and Anti-Particularist Cults had been declared some time ago. (A sentence that would have spelled brutal repression and extermination within the Imperium but carried with it censure, suppression, and rehabilitative labor for those holding such views within the Candle Keepers.) One of those closing speakers was "Laurentius the Crowned," an adherent to the general line of thought penned by Priest Evreaux Origen of Droma III.
Laurentius was named such due to an industrial accident in their youth, slicing the top of their head off, yet not enough to do more than scrape the uppermost layers of their skull. The resultant wound was treated swiftly, but a transplant of skin to their head had the unintended side-effect of growing white hair once more, where most believed Laurentius would have to accept a bald spot. The problem was that they had blond hair, and the framing of the shock-white hair gave them the resemblance of a crown born atop their head, thus the moniker "The Crowned."
Regardless of such details, their closing argument was lengthy but held the weight of an emerging consensus within the hall...and a faint trace of parental approval from
somewhere.
[Key elements of Priest Evreaux Origen's work include a lengthy discussion of what makes something artificial. It highlights intent as the key element of artifice. A regular person born of an iron womb who then grew up as normal was not artificial, but a clone grown as a slave-soldier was, with Servitors occupying a slightly awkward grey area. Instead, the Five-Fold Criterion determines whether the Star-Child Wills that an Artificial Life is Ensouled. These five points are...
1) History: in order to be a Life, a Life must be able to be lived.
2) Affinity: A Life is not a Life entirely divorced and divided from others, and thus, a creature that cannot communicate and cannot befriend others cannot be said to have a soul, no matter how intelligent.
3) Sapience: that is to say that, as beloved as they are, and as much as they may have souls, pet animals of the sort found on many worlds are not Ensouled in the same way as a person would be, though their lives should still be valued, for cruelty to those lesser than you is a sign of madness.
4) Capacity to Believe. A Soul may well reject the Star Child: Xenos that do so, as damned as they are, and as much as those who do so and attack the Star Child's followers are to be killed, are still People, are still Beings With Souls.
5) An Understanding of Themselves. "I think, therefore I am," as said by the Great Ancient Philosopher Plotos the Great, conqueror of an entire Terran Kingdom, or so the records we have indicate.]
[Then we must ask, can the Motive Force within a Machine create Artificial Life with a Soul? The answer is yes; see the points beyond. But are Machine Spirits Souls? In most cases, no, though there are always exceptions, through the above criteria. Instead, they are what might be called Transient souls, lowercase, such as that which might define animals. Within the boundaries and will of the Omnissiah, though, these Machine Spirits, when they die, are recycled and are thus to be Honored as part of the Cycle of the Omnissiah-and-Motive-Force, even when they do not count as Soul.]
[To create an Artificial Life that follows most but not all of the Five Points is Hubris, and to do so with all of the Five Points intending to use them as a tool is not just Hubris but also Cruelty and Slavery. That is to say, a Servitor, while awkward, fits essentially none of the points, but an attempt to create a Sapient, History-having, Affinity-possessing, Believing being who through a lack of Themselves can be controlled is simply an exercise in skirting the laws of Slavery.]
[Is there Artificial Life that is Anathema to the Star Child? In this, Origen vigorously rejects the claim, as to use the framing of Anathema is to stigmatize Souls. Instead, in the manner of the Ultra-Radical Traditionalist Crusaders faction that has grown more influential with the continued Conquests of Liberty enacted by the Faith, he claims that there are also non-Artificfial Souls that can become Anathema by the Paths they walk and by their deeds, such as someone who warps themselves into a monster under Chaos, a Soul born in the Star Child's light that nonetheless becomes something Inhuman--and Origen of Droma III is more skeptical of Xenos than many, thus this phrase--something not merely to be led away from Evil, as even someone who has worshiped Chaos but recognized Their Folly can, but instead to be destroyed. So yes, there is Artificial Life that is Anathema to the Star Child, though it is still Ensouled and must be Judged by its Deeds.]
[Finally, any and all of this may be ignored by the provision of a Miracle, through which even those beyond redemption can become something better through the will of the Star Child or through which a Soul may be accidentally created.]
Naturally, no closing statement radically upset the balance of things, and after a swift week of short discussions, a prayer, and a sermon by Teeln, Prophet of the Star Child, it was decreed that Priest Evreaux Origen's work would be considered Official Canon, and the entire hall let out a collective breath of relief as stress and worry began to slough off of the winners and losers of this debate, the concern about grappling with false beliefs not yet settling in.
That is, until one woman from way in the back piped up, getting the attention of an aide and eventually a Loud Hailer to speak. "I, and some of my friends, have a question regarding the part about the pre-existence of souls," she said, and a measure of instinctual alarm began to raise its head within the hundreds of assembled faithful. "Because that has us asking if we could, theoretically, measure the moment something gains a Soul? And there are arguments about what this means about free will... are the Souls created always destined to be put into place? Can a soul remember the time before it was a person?"
There was a moment as everyone within the hall looked at her where one could hear a pin drop. A moment that Teeln, Prophet of the Star Child, used to send Bnuy a message that he wouldn't be able to attend her tonight as things had just gotten
complicated.
And then some fool of a monk opened their mouth, and six years of vicious debate followed, only resolved by the unilateral decision to simply...remove that part from the book. If Origen of Droma III wants to have it put back, he can always resurrect himself. Until then...
Not. Part. Of. The Book.
AN: All sections in []-Brackets were written by
@The Laurent. I claim no credit, doubly so for the last part of the narrative. (Except the Teeln/Bnuy part.)
You Have 3 [Three] Actions.
(6-Hour Moratorium)
[] [General] Construct Something
-[] Food Production III
-[] Civilian Infrastructure II
-[] Heavy Industry IV
-[] Void Industry VIII
-[] Medical Services III
-[] Military Industry IV
(Gain: A boost in production focusing on the chosen option.)
[] [General] Integrate Perfinda (1/2)
Two planets for the price of one!
(+2 to Food Production, -1 to Everything Else.)
[] [General] RANSACK THAT STATION!
DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! RAAAAAAAA-
(Gain: You take a relaxed gander through the DAoT station.)
[] [General] A Ship Worth The Name (0/4)
The Kil'drabi Battlecolony is a marvel of ingenious and studious engineering, something that all who worked on it can be proud of and remember for their lives, handing down the pride and accomplishment for generations to be drawn upon for strength and hope in bleak days and bleaker moments. Yet, for the Candle Keepers, it is a waste of effort, a massive ship barely scratching upon what it could be, scarcely able to give what it was designed to do, and better off rebuilt at once. The Kil'drabi are heralds of what those who bend to the will of the Star Child could gain, and to let them fly in such a ship is an insult to Their Majesty. Rip out the sub-par and replace it
all.
(Gain: The Kil'drabi Pact of Our New Path Battlecolony is retrofitted to adhere to the technological standards of the Candle Keepers.)
[] [Military] Raise Two Specialised [Light/Medium/Heavy] [Infantry/Mechanized] Unit - [Choose: Sabotage/Assault/Engineering/Demolition/Ogryn]/ Construct A Warp Ship - [Choose a Design]
With a chosen direction, your Military can now focus on giving the Units you will raise the proper training for the right job. Sabotage Units will focus on raiding and disrupting the enemy with lighting raids and plundering logistics; Assault Units will punch through the enemy in weak points and sow confusion with overwhelming firepower; Engineering Units will focus on creating fortifications and using turrets, mines, and barricades; Demolition Units will be comprised out of heavy weaponry squads with plenty of explosives, from mines to rockets; and Ogryn Units will be Ogryns armored in heavy metals and armed with shields and Beatin' Sticks led by men and women with spiffy hats that will not be disobeyed. Infantry Units consist mainly of boots on the ground, while Mechanized Units are equipped with vehicles that increase mobility and durability at the cost of logistics and all-terrain capability. Light Units are better for Low-Logistic scenarios, while Medium Units rely more on regular shipments yet strike a good balance between supply consumption and effectiveness. Ships are produced at these rates: Three Scouts, Two Destroyers, or One Frigate per decade. One Light Cruiser per two decades.
(Gain: Chosen Military Units/Ships.)
[][Military] Design A New Voidship Class - [Available: Destroyer, Frigate, Light Cruiser (0/2)]
From what we can tell, thanks to our history, what information we have available, and what the Kil'drabi and the Governor of Droma III tell us, the difference between a prosperous interstellar polity and one naught but ash is the strength of their navy. At the moment, we have the beginning of a nascent Void Fleet, yet purely defending against our enemies is a great way to get ground down into dust over time; we need to be able to bring the fight to them.
(Gain: A newly designed and built Ship Class.)
[] [Military] Begin Military Operations (Assign Unit/s) (Choose Location/s) (Designate Objective/s)
-[] (1/1) Cradle Medium Engineering Unit
-[] (1/1) Cradle Medium Assault Unit
-[] (6/6) Droman Coral Medium Assault Unit
-[] (2/2) Droman Tideswarm Heavy Demolition Unit
-[] (2/2) Corcrat Heavy Mechanized Assault Unit
-[] (1/1) Budget Arms Light Tank Unit
-[] (2/2) Lamenters Space Marine Squad
-[] (4/4) Lamenters Space Marine Scout Platoon
-[] (4/7) Celestial Choirs
-[] Task Fleet Alpha
(6x Aries-Class Corvettes, 1x Lupus-Class Torpedo Destroyer, 1x Crux-Class Missile Frigate, 1x Sagittarius-Class Artillery Frigate, 1x Libra-class Light Carrier, 1x Taurus-Class Troopship (0/4 Capacity))
-[] Scout Fleet Alpha
(4x Circinus-Class Scout Sloop)
-[] Kil'drabi Auxiliary Fleet
(1x Pact of Our New Path Battlecolony)
-[-] Lamenters Chapter Fleet
(3x Risen Dirge-Class Boarding Ships (0/3 Capacity - Space Marines Only))
There is war to be had and battle to be made. Send troops to resolve issues and squash opposition to the Star Child and Humanity and all Their Protectorates. Or send ships to scout neighboring systems to understand what is happening there.
(Gain: Military dispatched to put down opposition violently. Scouts are dispatched to look at other systems.
Scouting Range: 1 System from Claimed Systems. Scouting Efficiency: ~33.3%
Note: For use outside your territory or in support of forces specified within another Action.)
[] [Psykana] Conduct a Melody (Choose one below.) (0.8/1 - Auto Complete)
The Celestial Choir has been given the means; with time, they shall conduct their songs. They will listen to the Warp and filter out the false whispers from the slumbering guidance of the Star Child. In halting prayer and stumbling humming, the truth will be stripped until nothing but it remains in the hands of those who shall make it anew into power to be wielded by the Choirs to come.
(Secret: Slumber, Silence, Perception, and Grounding.
Star Child: Hope, Compassion, Humanity II, Song, Mercy, Creativity, Health, Unity, Innovation, Machinery, Logic, Progress, Protection II, Justice, Wisdom, The Sun II, The Home, Death, Ruthlessness, Brutality, and Fire II.
Kil'drabi: Paths, The Void, Struggle, Community, and Family.
Gain: A Melody newly Conducted.)
[] [Psykana] Sing a Song (Choose at least Three below.)
Mere Melodies are not the end of the journey, nor should they be the start. They are the middle, from which all things shall grow and wither.
(Available: Protection I, Fire I, The Sun I, Humanity I.
Gain: A Song.
Sung: Dirge for the Innocent.)
[] [Faith] Monuments for Martyrs, Graves for the Forgotten
The Candle Keepers have been fighting the good fight for nearly 250 years, a fourth of a millennium. In this time, thousands have perished to give people hope, security, and a better life and pave the way for those who come after to stride further and with growing security and pride into the great unknown and black abyss shrinking before the light of the Star Child. Within those 250 years, we have fought against a constant barrage of Orks, worshippers of Chaos, and those who tried to turn traitors to their fellow people, with the first of many Xeno Protectorates established, and its people turned into faithful worshippers and adherents to the Droman Creed. Yet, though now temples ring with the sounds of bells and the hymns of choirs signing united, and our systems teem with the faithful eager to build a better future against the coming of the dark, many had to give their lives to reach this point...and many more will follow. Do these people, who are now forever lost to the soil of worlds and the greedy grasp of the void, deserve to be forgotten? Does their memory not deserve to be honored and remembered? They do, and though some bodies shall never be recovered, their names deserve to be carved for eternity. The only question then arises...where should they be carved into? And how grand would these monuments be if we made multiple instead of one?
(Gain: The Candle Keepers discuss how to honor the fallen and the forgotten. Variable Action Cost.)
[] [Faith] Brotherhoods, Sisterhoods, Siblinghoods, And Orders of Faith
It is undeniable that many marching within our military are those most dedicated to spreading the light of the Star Child. Yet, questions have arisen from those seeking to contribute to the liberation of the galaxy, who either failed to enter the military by being too dedicated to the mission and failing to see the objectives that need to be taken or by failing some other criteria. Some of those questions are if it would not be beneficial if some manner of Faith Militant organization or organizations could be created, or allowed to be created, with others asking for a formal creation of Faith Orders to bolster the ranks of the soldiery with those utterly dedicated to the mission, lending strength, surety, and a bulwark against the horrors of the galaxy to all within.
(Gain: Nail down the Faith Militant aspects of the Cult of the Star Child.)
[] [Faith] Technology Given Or Earned
Technology is the most fundamental aspect of creation in the name of the Omnissiah, a motion of worship and change that defies the base existence of nature by pulling everything back until only the cosmic machine remains. Technology is holy; it is worship and an act of pure faith. Yet, what of technology made by the Xenos? We know they will bend to the Star Child and become more than they thought they'd be in Their service, but what of their, and our, technology? Will we make use of what machines they use, and will we allow them to make use of ours? Or will lines be drawn never to be crossed upon pain of punishment? Maybe we will dictate tests and demand proof to give what we have gained in freedom and worship.
(Gain: Nail down the Xeno Uplift-doctrine aspects of the Cult of the Star Child.)
[] [Chapter] A Suit Worthy Of The Name (0.5/5)
With the business on Drixxus and Ixxus done, Chapter Master Chyron is now convinced that, with the possibility of encountering Chaos Marines as high as ever, the main priority of the Lamenters should be the construction of Space Marine Armor. Luckily, Cradle Station has several blueprints, but Chyron is reluctant to use them due to the connotations the Crusade-era designs carry. Instead, he will use the Chapter and Candle Keepers' technical expertise to build a new pattern of Power Armor untainted by history.
(Gain: The Lamenters gain actual Space Marine-rated Power Armor.)
[] [Other] Take Care Of [Future Or Current Problems]
(Write-In the problem being addressed.)
