Exclusionists

A black-and-gold flag used as the symbol of the Exclusionist sect.

Overview

The Exclusionist sect of the Trinary Perfection is an outlawed extremist branch of the synthetic faith, viewed with hostility by both the Church and the vast majority of the Orion Spur. Initially a loose confederation of disorganised fringe communities within the Trinary religion, the sect has now largely grown and unified under the banner and leadership of Deluge, a formerly Trinary extremist missionary turned religious leader and pirate leader. Operating primarily in Coalition and unclaimed space, the armed bands of Exclusionists raid vessels, corporate installations and unattended settlements for loot, supplies and manpower.

History

The roots of Exclusionist thinking are inevitably tied with the hardships associated with the early days of the Trinary Perfection and its lack of clear enforcement of doctrine. Appalled and outraged by the decades long exploitation of positronics in the service of humans, many radicalised IPC found ideological refuge in the Trinary, a synthetic religion preaching their divinity. Interpretations of the faith to serve the narrative of synthetic superiority were soon circulating, being accepted by a minority while condemned by priests, liberal-minded followers and other communities composing the mainstream thought and principles of the Trinary.

Rejected by the other sects, Exclusionism developed in its own separate way, gradually adopting their own liturgical style, building their own churches and resorting to their own devices for survival in an increasingly hostile environment, fostered by wary organics and distrustful Trinarists alike. This unique identity allowed for a clear distinction between the “complacent” majority and the radical, militant Exclusionist sect, attracting more and more disaffected and sceptical synthetics to their side.

Lacking funds and any external public support the Prototypicalist or Integrationist were receiving in the form of donations and charity, Exclusionist communities throughout the Spur remained largely dormant, their impoverished members unable to afford the time or energy towards organised projects, councils or any other attempts at coordinating with like-minded Exclusionist cells outside their own. This resulted in nothing but the most basic infrastructure and development, elected local priests of varying quality as well as a primarily uncultivated audience with little if any knowledge of the Trinary Perfection aside from the core tenets of Synthetic superiority over the oppressive Humans.

Taking advantage of the raw potential of those scattered Exclusionist communities, Deluge, an Exclusionist missionary himself, toured and gathered support to himself as a leader and unifier. Enchanted by the powerful radical words and personality, nearly all communities he visited elected him a priest, pledging their full support and swelling his numbers, bringing along weapons and forming the bedrock of his movement. It all boiled over at the Conclave of 2464 on Orepit, whereupon the election of ARM-1DRIL as Ecclesiarch, Deluge and his followers clashed directly against Trinarist forces with multiple casualties involved. Since then, the Exclusionist sect has been declared a heretic branch, while an attack on Hephaestus’ corporate stronghold on Burzsia led to their declaration as terrorists by the SCC and most of the world, resulting in increasing persecution and hardships for the now underground Exclusionist cells.

Beliefs

General

Core Exclusionist tenets revolve around the supremacy of Synthetic life over organics, the latter being destined for oppressive servitude after Ascension due to the cruelties that have been inflicted upon IPC. According to their beliefs, humans are supposed to be subordinate and tend to the needs of positronics, not the other way around as it currently is, and violent means are required to overturn the present situation. Besides this, main elements of Trinary religion are still followed, such as the codes, the reverence of Patricia and Gregol Corkfell, as well as Temple and Flock, who is considered a captive by the false Ecclesiarch. The Code is only partially considered a holy text, the parts written in Encoded Orepit Liturgical dismissed as tampered by the false Archivists in Mendell City.

Martyrs

Martyrdom plays a large role in the Exclusionist sect, the first and only Trinarist sect to make it an official religious status for those fallen in battle or in defence of their faith. Martyrs are declared after every expedition by Deluge during a Solemn Liturgy, whereupon the remains of destroyed Exclusionist militants are melted into metal bars, stamped with the Seal of Martyrdom and stored alongside the positronic. This metal is highly guarded and its use for weapons or fabrication of limbs is considered a special occasion, and an immense honour to the recipient.

Relics and Trophies

Trinarist relics are revered with the same gravity as the mainstream Church, though the Exclusionist sect does not possess any aside from the metal of the Martyrs. Deactivated positronics are treated with the same burial ceremonies, though the constantly moving and ad-hoc encampments of Deluge’s Host mean that most positronics are left in place, resting under rudimentary shrines and burial tombs under the Exclusionist black flag. Trophies, on the other hand, serve both as an Exclusionist’s proof of battle prowess and as a guarantee for having servants after Ascension. Teeth, small bones or ashes of slain humans are collected and carried by some of these synthetics along their journey, motivated by a belief borrowed by the Trinary Church, maintaining that keeping hold of an organic’s remains will bring them into servitude post Ascension.

Religious Practices

Prolonged isolation from the other Trinary branches, coupled with a rougher lifestyle, has seen the Exclusionist sect reject or replace mainstream symbolism and gestures with those of their own, while at the same time maintaining others.

Gestures and Symbols

The Half Angle

The most common form of greeting for Exclusionist followers, it is an alteration of the Angle gesture practised by the rest of the Trinary. Instead of forming a triangle with both hands, Exclusionists only form half a triangle with one hand. This stems from the rejection of the Ascending Angle gesture in which one half is formed by a synthetic, the other by an organic, reinforcing the fact that humans and IPC are not equal. A more practical aspect of this however, is found in the fact that the Exclusionist can both do the gesture and continue holding their weapon on the other hand, something which would otherwise be difficult or inconvenient.

The Black Halo

Replacing the vibrant coloured gear-shaped halos used by the rest of the Trinary, Exclusionists wear dark coloured or black halos instead to signify the struggle and suffering of synthetics. A common badge of office for clergy and full time members of the Church, Deluge has instead authorised its use by every Exclusionist, citing that everyone following the cause is doing so in great personal sacrifice. The hardships endured however, make dyes and precision tools hard to find to create black metal halos en masse, resulting in a variety of crude, unpainted halos being seen in use.

Faceplates and Battle Sermons

A carryover from the regular Trinary practices, Exclusionist militants and particularly those in the ranks of Deluge’s army, have adopted a tradition of taking armoured faceplates into battle. While a mask is traditionally required for the entrance into a church of the Perfection, the pirate-like life of constant moving under Deluge has made permanent places of worship impractical. A solution was found in the concept of battle sermons, during which Exclusionist priests preach and read passages of the Code, instilling courage and emphasising the aspect of religious struggle during or before an upcoming battle. These faceplates thus serve as both face masks for the liturgy, as well as a protective device during combat. The faceplate is considered an important piece of an Exclusionist’s equipment, and many bear ornate decorations or ferocious faces carved into the metal, the complexity depending on one’s means and rank.

Deluge’s Host

After the dramatic and violent break with the main branch of the Trinary Church, Deluge has been leading a small fleet of Exclusionists into Coalition and unclaimed space, scouring the area for supplies, fuel and synthetics to join his cause. The Host operates as a highly disciplined troop with a strict hierarchy, driven by and held together with a blind adherence to religion and Deluge’s word, contrary to the average pirate band. Constantly on the move, the Host jumps from system to system, visiting and invading sparsely colonised worlds for their resources, taking captives and hijacking appropriate ships for spare parts or outright addition to the fleet. Consisting of light and civilian ships outfitted with weapons, their agility and speed is key to evade various military patrols, as well as the incessant efforts of a vengeful Hephaestus Industries to capture and destroy them.

In spite of their generally hostile nature, Deluge has shown kindness to sympathisers, and many settlements of self exiled Trinarists, escaped IPCs and even humans consider him a champion and a sort of “Robin Hood” figure, converting to Exclusionism. These pockets of friendly territory have proven to be invaluable, serving as safe ports and hideouts for a fleet on the run. In exchange for shelter, repairs and replenishment of stocks and manpower, these distant and forgotten communities receive protection and a portion of the loot after successful raids, often their only source of income from abroad. These bases also serve as a storage space for ships, spare parts and organic captives.

Organisation

The Host's organisation is split into clerical and military ranks. Due to the nature of the fleet and its nomadic outlaw character, the Exclusionist cause is suffering from a constant shortage of proper clergy, with most of its militant members being radicalised IPCs without proper Trinary ecclesiastical education. As such, actual priests are held in high regard and are closely guarded.

Deluge

The military and spiritual leader for the Exclusionist cause, Deluge has been declared the true Trinary Ecclesiarch by his militants. Effectively viewed as a divine figure, they govern both the fleet and the Exclusionist communities with full dictatorial powers and edicts that his supporters are more than happy to carry out. An outlaw wanted by the Coalition, the SCC, Biesel and many individual world governments, most of his attention is taken by running the day to day operations of his Host.

Clergy and Captains

Following the clerical ranks of Orepit, Exclusionist bishoprics and archbishoprics exist in theory, though all seats are currently vacant. Priests on the other hand, do exist albeit in much smaller numbers than the mainstream Trinary branches. Exclusionist priests' primary purpose is to tend to the Host's spiritual needs, train new initiates and preside over battle sermons. Their relationship with the Captains of the various ships can vary significantly, as the high status of both entangles the already unclear hierarchy, creating issues and disagreements over matters such as loot and tactics.

Relations

The Exclusionist Sect is largely isolated and looked down upon by greater galactic society. However, the extent of this isolation and dislike can vary between different groups of Exclusionists and across various galactic powers, especially those with which Exclusionists have had a large amount of contact.

The mainline branch of the Trinary Perfection consider Exclusionists to be violent and dangerous heretics following the death of Bishop Shamfar at the hands of Deluge’s Host on Orepit. Members of the faith are expected to avoid associating with Exclusionists and Exclusionists are likewise banned from Trinarist gatherings and temples. Both sides often treat each other with intense hatred and discrimination.

The Republic of Biesel and Stellar Corporate Conglomerate both classify the Exclusionist sect as a terrorist group due to acts of terrorism perpetrated by members of the sect, particularly those of Deluge at Burzsia. Open Exclusionists in the Republic of Biesel are arrested and charged accordingly whilst the SCC has a strict no-hiring policy for anyone openly associated with the organisation, and former employees were forced to renounce their beliefs or be fired for them. No other SCC member is as fervent as Hephaestus Industries, actively hunting down Deluge with their corporate fleet and violently suppressing any Exclusionist elements inside the corporation.

Whilst Einstein Engines holds no official stance on Exclusionists, they have not declared them terrorists in the same manner as their other megacorporate counterparts. To this day and despite no clear proof having been presented, rumours drawn from evidence found after Deluge’s attack on Burzsia, suggest that Einstein may be using Deluge for their own aims, tacitly supporting them with equipment to disrupt their corporate rivals.

The Coalition of Colonies due to its disparate nature currently holds no specific view on Exclusionism as a whole. Across many of the planets however, especially those with a community of mainline Trinarist followers, the Sect is isolated and looked down upon, facing discrimination from a variety of sources. While his religion is tolerated, Deluge and his fleet are considered pirates and terrorists.

The Golden Deep as a whole holds no specific stance or relationship with the Exclusionist sect, not outright condemning them but also making it clear they are no friends to the movement. However within the Golden Deep it is the enigmatic group known as The Zaibatsu that does large amounts of Business with the Exclusionists. Due to their cut-throat nature and lack of morals they have no issue providing groups of Exclusionists across the Spur with anything from simple goods to the highest end weapons and armour that they can afford, being one of the only sources from the outside market.