The Kindly Ones are a small sect in the Church of Humanity repentant. Their churches while small appear where ever the Church of Humanity Repentant are present. They worship prehuman idols which they found in Alien ruins. These idols are made up of crystals which are worn by the followers of the kindly ones. These Crystals are the Kindly Ones, who themselves are just a Biogenic Silica parasite. These structures are parasitic in nature, feeding of psionic life energy (emitted by all living things). These lifeforms can alter the mood and behavior of any creature that psionic abilities work on.
These lifeforms are instinctual rather than self-aware as we understand it. They are in the grey area between sentience and animal cunning. This is due to how they ‘think’ and experience the universe is so different from us as to make comparisons hard. As a result these creatures will have an are they/aren't they relationship with sentient intelligence, any clear human understandable plan with come from the humans in their thrall not the aliens.
These structures are parasitic in nature, feeding of psionic life energy (emitted by all living things). These lifeforms can alter the mood and behavior of any creature that psionic abilities work on. One of the previous dominant alien races, found these rocks and started using them to carve idols. Within 200 years of discovery the religion that had sprung up around these idols was the dominant religion of this race. In fact this race had been co-opted by these rocks, which had taken over and was running the race itself.
With the rapid change of the human invasion, the once bountiful food source which was this prey race vanished, forcing the living rocks to go into hibernation. The scream acted like an adrenaline shot, waking the rocks up. Finding these alien idols, the CHR started worshiping them as a way to respect and repent for humanities actions. The idol’s started to control something again. The CHR church members are not ignorant of the kindly ones, influence and control. Rather they see it as a partnership and a joint effort. The Kindly Ones power, euphoria, extended life, and control. While they do make demands of their worshipers, they never attempt to directly control the minds of their worshipers, in many ways their minds are so different to human minds that they cannot.
Due to the dominance of this race, every planet has at least some idols hidden somewhere, as planet that they didn’t control would have research stations, embassies, immigrants or similar who would bring the idols with them. These idol’s need worshipers to awaken. The Crystals slowly grow based on feeding.
If the crystals have been cut into a shape as they grow they will continue to hold that shape. A tiny jade buddha will eventually become a giant jade buddha.
Opportunistically cannibalistic. They enjoy and get the most out of consuming Crystals weaker than them. This is one of the motivators to spread, as this provides a food source. It is unclear if it is part of the crystals nature to manage a ‘flock’ of parishioners or the influence of the human mind. The crystals cunning or intelligence or thought becomes more powerful the bigger it is.
The crystals partially feed off the life-force of their worshipers, however their main source of food is the victims of their worshipers. The crystals get the most energy when it’s hosts victims, are emotionally attached to it’s host, the trust the host, and are connected in some way. This means it hunts by building up trust and ultimately betraying that trust.
Additionally the longer, more painful, more frightening the murder of the victim is, the better the energy the crystal gets. Better in the sense of ‘flavor’ rather than power. The difference between a fine wine and rotgut prison moonshine.
The larger the crystal gets the more intelligent it gets, but it is not a human style intelligence, it more focuses on hunting food sources a manipulating its flock. Any attempt to talk to a crystal would be impossible, due to the lack of common ground and complete difference is perspective of the universe.
For example the closest a humans understanding of a typical house gods thoughts would be:
<hunger> <protection> <pain> <hunger>
While a human's thoughts would seem like the sound of wind through the trees or the bleating of sheep. The worshipers are only loosely tied to creeds and values, they will preach the high church values if it provides a food source to their crystal.
Despite that the sect of the Kindly Ones holds the three tenants of the Church of Humanity Repentant sacred.
- Soul begets Consciousness, Consciousness begets the soul
- All conscious life must be valued. It has worth, and must be cherished. It must not be wasted or spent foolishly, rather tended to as a shepherd with their flock.
- We must atone for the mistakes of our past through Repentance, through Word and Deed. Only by sacrifice and penance is true Repentance achieved.
These three pillars define the relationship with the worshipers and the Kindly Ones. The valuing of all life is that which transforms the murder of their victims to 'holy communion' with their gods.
Notable members[]
Note on Aliens:[]
These Aliens have been run past Adam, when asked if this was acceptable was: "Nah, i think that's cool - those aliens are almost more like flora than fauna"