User:Haydizzle

Overview
The Aut'akh are a decentralized, leaderless religious movement and society. Formed by a group of scientists and engineers on Ouerea after the Contact War, they took the Th'akh faith to extremes through ritualistic augmentation in the pursuit of self-actualization. After revealing themselves to the galaxy, these transhumanists seek to carve out a small space for themselves wherever they can seek refuge. Many disabled and elderly form these religious communes that seize and control their own spiritual destiny, and others who feel displaced by society - Guwan, those who claim their bodies and souls do not align, and even those of other species - they are found within these communes as well.

However, this cultish movement does not go unanswered: the Sk'akh faith publicly ridicules these tech worshipers, calling them "soul mutilators" and "a disgrace to sinta." On top of this, though being based on the faith, most if not all Th'akh shamans adamantly denounce the religion as honor-less Guwan. Finally, each commune faces unique challenges in trying to fulfill their own lifestyles and adapt to different climates.

Augments and Prosthetics
Unathi are a proud and stubborn race, embedded in tradition even when going against it. Unathi prefer to have unathi-crafted augments and prosthetics, and so thus, Aut'akh augments were created - combinations of modern prosthesis and brute force.

Aut'akh have a selection of unique augment and prosthetic options to choose from, in addition to the pool of augments other species can use.


 * Arm and Leg prosthetics - Simple yet sturdy, Aut'akh limbs are extremely customized by shamans in the communes. They can often include Th'akh scripture or names of the individuals ancestors inscribed into the metal to imbue it with spiritual energy, along with other Mador runes and symbols.


 * Soul Anchor - A soul anchor is a mirror or a piece of glass placed behind the eyes. To Aut’akh, a soul anchor is a house to concentrate the soul. Many Aut'akh swear by it, and say that communing with their spirit is easier after having it installed. Usually, these objects are written with a name, place, object, or word with great value to the unathi having it added to them.


 * Calf Overdrive - Originally created with stolen pistons from a Hephaestus mining droid on Oureaea in the Aut'akh Valley, its design has been replicated and made even more dangerous by removing the safety mechanisms usually in place. These pistons, installed into the rear calves, give sheer power to a Unathi's speed at the cost of being extremely damaging to the body.


 * Protein Breakdown Valve - A small valve on the body that releases a traditional Unathi medicine into the stomach - forcing rapid digestion for immediate adrenal stimulation. Causes long-term damage to the stomach that must be cured with a hearty herbal tea, prayer, and rest.


 * Venomous Rest Implant - A small compartment connected to the blood system that administers a traditional Unathi healing agent: the venom of a Moghesian wasp.


 * Farseer's Eye - Augmented eyes to allow far-sight, though it strains the eyes heavily with use. Originally made by a shaman in the Wasteland constantly being chased by Maraziites, he traded his only weapons for a Hephaestus drone lens, and then crafted it into an eye-patch binocular. This was later replicated by his meeting with the Aut'akh Valley, and then the process repeated throughout the rest of the communes.


 * Hunter's Eye, Eye Flashlight - Augmented eyes that glow brightly red, used for intimidation and utility. Used by communes that work to undermine Hephaestus' power, the hunters that use these do not hunt for food: instead, hunting Hephaestus robots for their parts. Primarily seen use in the Aut'akh Valley and the Wasteland.

Job Restrictions
Due to a mix of religious and political views, Aut'akh are barred from command roles.

Unorthodox Names
Some unathi, especially those who denounce and leave their clan, take up a new name as their body is cleansed and reborn as an Aut'akh. These names vary, but usually the name has a key meaning. Origins for a lot of the mysticism in the religion come from the old Sinta'Mador, and thus some Aut'akh pick a word or combination of them from this ancient civilization’s language as their last name.

Whether your Aut'akh chooses a new last name is up to you, and whether or not it fits the character overall. With a name, consider what it means in Mador and why your character would opt for this word. (Since this is a dead language that isn't used in game, feel free to get creative!)

Lifestyle
The Aut'akh religion has aspects that deter from more conventional and traditional faiths. The faith, due to its polarizing and radical nature, doubles as a form of lifestyle for everyone who truly prescribes to its philosophies. More of the core tenets can be found here. (DO NOT FORGET TO DO THIS!)

Each group of Aut'akh, formally referred to as communes, are clan-less and leaderless societies that seek to avoid putting power into any one individual. Responsibilities that require consolidated power are never solely on one person; any specific role has a rotation of people from the commune that pass off responsibilities after a certain period of time. Such roles might be managing and keeping track of credit stores, managing community projects, or even jobs that lack any true form of power over others but need to be done regardless, such as delivering and sending mail. Aut'akh shamans are the only considerable people of power, and are usually go-to figures when a commune needs representation in a matter. However, many Aut'akh are divided on whether or not these shamans are truly necessary outlets of the faith.

Besides such roles, each person leads a simpler life in the commune, where everyone is responsible only for themselves. Trading is normalcy for each commune as most people do not have the skills or time to perform each task they need done themselves. In older, more established societies, these trades come down to routine due to familiar interactions with a small populace. While credits are still held by the commune as a whole for purchasing power with the outside world, material wealth is something that is avoided; most wealth goes towards attempting enlightenment via augmentation.

Finally, Aut'akh that seek to liberate themselves from the bounds of society often experiment and partake in unorthodox practices for unathi, only solidifying these groups as cults. Forgoing labels is rather common, yet it goes far into extremes such as non-monogamous relationships and even nudity within the commune, though many "traditional" Aut'akh frown upon these considerably more radical practices.

Becoming an Aut'akh
Connecting with your spirit requires true emulation of a spirit's nature. In addition to living a life devoid of authority wherever possible, commune denizens put great effort into art or shows of self-expression. The truest form of self-expression, however, is connected to an Aut'akh's choice of limbs, augments, and similar. Much like how people commission artists for paintings, Aut'akh request prosthetics from a capable roboticist in the commune. Such figures that are able to make prosthetics are sometimes the shamans themselves; however, most communes cannot cheaply produce the main body of an augment or prosthetic, and thus requests are sent out to other communes, namely the Factory (INSERT LINK HERE).

The process of creating or fitting a limb for an Aut'akh is involved and painstakingly done, as there can be no room for error. The flesh can be flawed, inert, or disabled; prosthetics should only ever be an improvement, not a downgrade, as a house for the spirit. However, the spirits have petty squabbles and disagree upon a myriad of issues, and similarly, different communes have grown apart on how perfection in prosthetics is displayed, with even some more minor disagreements within the same commune. An Aut'akh's first responsibility, however, is making sure that new tech is made to their own liking, and nobody else's.

The most popular augment is the soul anchor due to its reputation to cause "baffles." "Baffles" are moments where unexplained figures from the individuals memory randomly appear. Many who experience these often describe seeing themselves in a different way, in a different life: past, present, or future. "Baffles" are said to be moments where someone should self-reflect and attempt to commune with their spirit.

Challenges of the Commune
Due to striving towards being a self-sufficient society, communes encourage and promote useful hobbies like gardening, sewing, and artisan crafts. These communities, regardless of how many people being productive, often still lack certain necessities or goods. Communes often face difficulties such as shortages of food, lacking proper medicine, hygienic supplies, and construction materials. While some communes rectify this with shared stores of credits to purchase these materials, many unathi die due to illnesses that could be easily avoided elsewhere. NanoTrasen and other mega corporations have taken great advantage of the need of these communities, often enticing pay not in credits, but discounted supplies to provide for a commune. This is a helpful pursuit for any in the commune, especially for roboticists, but this can often strip a commune of an important figure.

Rarely do non-Aut'akh know any concrete information about these communes; as a result, lies and rumors are spread about Aut'akh, and while helpful for keeping these communities hidden, this only demonizes and alienates Aut'akh further. "Aut'akh," due to the radical religion itself, has become a catch-all derogatory term for troublemakers, dishonorable sinta, and even just those simply with augments or limb replacements. Extreme rebuke isn't uncommon on Moghes, but due to the mixed environment and gradual change on Ouerea, the movement is scorned less actively. Aut'akh still draw gaze and suspicion heavily on this sister planet, though. The Aut'akh Valley and the Underbelly communes often find raids done by more zealous worshipers of other religions that try to hamper their efforts. Though they try their best to defend themselves and protect the community, most warriors deter from actually killing, especially on Moghes; one wrong move from these societies can lead to a raid, an angry mob, or worse. This results in attacks on buildings, stores of food, and communication relays.

Even within communes, discrimination runs rampant. Though shedding formal titles, affiliations, and other aspects of their old selves, unathi still end up facing discrimination they tried to avoid in their past life from more "traditional" Aut'akh. This group, usually comprised of elders or former warriors, still hold onto some of their old values partially if not entirely, and thus a fight is as internal for this religion as it is external.

Commune Shamans
The various shamans of each commune are either one of the original Aut'akh, or one of the first roboticists and biomechanical engineers to join this secretive religion. Each shaman, while having varying views on smaller subjects, usually can agree on the core tenets of the Aut'akh faith. These shamans do their best to not command actual power within a given commune, but merely offer "humble guidance" that suggests a course of action they think reasonable.

Much like the decentralized Th'akh faith, Aut'akh shamans generally differ on views regarding different matters. The shamans of Moghes may think it fine for unathi to keep credits for personal pursuits, while those of the Factory may be inspired by local dregs, seeing anyone that is "riccy" as being corrupted by evil spirits. These shamans also have varying views on rituals, communing with your inner spirit, and vary in extremity on how to protest governments and mega corporations.

Community Consensus
Typically if an individual commune is going to perform a large action that affects the commune, the community comes together for a vote called Consensus. The most common Consensus is whether or not to risk a public march or strike for augmented unathi to be respected in society. Some vocal minorities in the communes advocate for cutting off the hands of other unathi and see if they'd listen to their cries then - however, they are often berated by the elders.

Consensus is not needed for every single decision that an individual or group might make, but on matters that affect an entire commune. Most individuals know their job and how to do it without needing to call for an entire consensus. Consensus is for major projects, such as development for a new community building, an activity that can affect the fate of the commune, or if a commune is low on credits.

Rituals and Routines
Aut'akh find that, through trial and error, different things appease and displease the spirits they come into contact with during day to day life. As most spirits are free and chaotic in nature, Aut'akh emulate this and are hardly slaves to routine, unlike their Th'akh worshiping cousins. However, what unique routines they do keep are very important to them.

Cleaning
Cleaning and maintaining prosthetics is arguably the most important thing for every Aut'akh. As augmentation is committed to a unathi to appease the spirit inside of oneself, it is important to make sure they are kept clean and shiny. Aut'akh develop their own ritualistic activities for before, during, or after one of these maintaining events. Aut'akh usually have unique rituals that are either passed down from parents, or developed over time for themselves. However, even though all Aut'akh have prosthetics, most still lack the advanced knowledge to fix them. The few dedicated artisans who help fix prosthetics are busy and rarely have time to teach the commune much of their trade. As a result, most Aut'akh aren't versed in fixing their prosthetics outside of minor dents and damage. It is the important role of the shaman to be the one to repair and fix prosthetics in a way that will appease the spirit housing these mechanical augments.

Communing with Your Spirit
Unlike Th'akh, most Aut'akh believe that, since the flesh and blood are imperfect, there is a disconnect between what the mind wants and what the spirit wants. All Aut'akh, in their striving to attain enlightenment, attempt to commune with their inner spirit whenever an important decision needs to be made. Whether a new augmentation, finding a partner, or something as major as leaving the commune for any reason, Aut'akh attempt to commune with their spirit as best as they can. These events are rather varied; they can usually include traditional methods such as meditation, but also have the potential to carry into extremes, like overindulgence (giving into desire, as what the spirits often do) or keeping away from the outside world for several days.

Ritual of Shards
While the commune embraces anyone that accepts their teachings, the reality of resource management means that they cannot provide the full-body augmentation that all its members strive for. Priority is given to unathi that are maimed or otherwise physically handicapped, and especially in the Polar Commune, the steady stream of Wastelanders means that the waiting list is very long for healthy initiates. However, a fully healthy unathi of at least 16 years old can ask any Paradigm to conduct the Ritual. What it is varies by the Paradigm, but the requirement is always the same: It must be difficult, dangerous, and typically selfless. Most early initiates were sent hiking the frigid cold in basic gear to deliver food to a reclusive Paradigm in the more extreme north. In modern times they are typical quests, large or small in importance, that would try the abilities of any unathi. If the Initiate survives they are celebrated and immediately offered full body augmentation through the Ritual of Rebirth.

Ritual of Rebirth
This is the process of acquiring a fully augmented Aut’akh body. Individuals who have already experienced great pain in their life, such as being maimed or disabled, may be allowed to receive their Ritual of Rebirth, since they have already had a Ritual of Shards and the Ancestors.

Unathi who complete a Ritual of Shards, even if they are (usually) unconscious, heavily injured, or extremely exhausted, will be put into a Sk’au in a Ritual Chamber where it will treat most of their ailments via limb replacement as well as enhance their ability to survive. The individual is kept unconscious within the Sk’au. An Aut'akh shaman, completely covered in energy harnessing runes, will assist in powering the Sk’au during the process and remain next to them for anywhere from a day to a week to help them adjust to their new body and life.

Sk’au Sarcophagi
The original Sk’au were known as Sepulchres by the Mador, but this term has been replaced with Sk’au Sarcophagi, or just simply Sk’au. They resembled a stone sarcophagus with finely chiseled holes that conductive metal would run through. It’s believed based on Mador runes that they held a spiritual or medical purpose. They could have been used to rejuvenate their drying skin, or to try and make their bodies more like the southern Sinta’Unathi to let them survive in drier environments, but the true intention is unknown. Modern Sk’au are very similar to cryotubes made of metal and glass. When filled with cryoxadone, it allows the related Implement to direct the internal components to begin the process of safely performing the full body augmentation of the unathi inside. When the unathi wakes, they have their new metal body.

Notable Communes
A handful of notable communes exist with their general location known to some. For now, most remain hidden, but perhaps more will come into the light with time...

The Aut'akh Valley
A large commune on Ouerea surrounded by mountains, the Aut'akh Valley is birthplace of the Aut'akh religion - a place for specifically augmented unathi to find sanctuary from the violence often found against their kind in cities and towns. It is largely disconnected from any government and is heavily guarded by the Aut'akh defending the clans there with their lives. Life here is simple, and more than half of the population is elderly or disabled with augments. The area is foggy and filled with natural lakes, and the area gets cold enough to snow in the cold season.

Tajaran and human merchants often fly in trade for supplies with the community coming together to pay for shipments of meats and other goods for credits. The Valley is far from rich and actually requires workers in other cities, even other systems to supply it with credits. Tau Ceti is one of the best places for credits to be earned - NanoTrasen has even benefited from recruiting directly from Aut'akh Valley. Many of the begrudging recruited are the younger Aut'akh who wish to send funds back to the Valley to keep the elders fed, but resent working for such a large corporation. Nonetheless, the corporation serves as an ample source of income and a staging ground for Aut'akh to preach to disgruntled employees to join the religion.

Although technically safe, the Aut'akh Valley has seen struggles - food shortages in particular. Hunters are sent out to try and collect meats, but Hephaestus mining activity in the region has completely unsettled the wildlife. Instead of coming back with meat, some more zealous hunters decide to destroy Hephaestus mining drones instead in open acts of rebellion against the mega-corporation. They then offer the valuable salvage to an Aut'akh shaman for them to recreate, repair, and modify prosthetics they received from the Techno Conglomerate.

The Undercity Communes
Beneath many cities on both Moghes and Ouerea is a small commune of Aut'akh, created by one of the original Aut'akh from Ouerea. These communes have become safe havens for some individuals. Unathi, regardless of being Aut'akh or not, come to these communes when they are in dire need - a new prosthetic, a repair from an assault, or simply for a place to sleep for a night. These communes are often heavily guarded by Aut'akh warriors set on keeping these people safe, and because of the possible danger of attacking these communes, they rarely see attack. It is not unheard of, though; whole communes have been arrested by city garrisons or lynched by mobs led by nobles.

Aut'akh offer these services and niceties as it paints them in a better light: good word of mouth experience helps fight the endless barrage of rumors. Better yet, vulnerable unathi that lean on the help Aut'akh communes provide make ample candidates for recruitment later on.

Life in the Underbelly
The Undercity communes are usually called the "Underbelly" or Alpagozo in Sinta'Unathi. They are often located in warehouses, beneath market squares, or otherwise hidden from general sight. The best way to learn about these places is word of mouth, when an Aut'akh finds someone potentially in need of a spot to stay. If someone seems to be missing a limb or struggling to move in public, an Aut'akh may attempt to speak to them - often sought out for their desire to be more able-bodied. The Aut'akh will continue to be suspicious until after they are augmented or trustworthy. Until proven trustworthy, locations of these Underbelly communes aren't disclosed. Unathi that join communes to escape the pressures of obligation and society often seek others like them to join the cause.

An Undercity commune can range in sizes, though usually there is only one per city, however spread out. The largest known one is in Skalamar, the Izweski capital, where it manages to keep itself safe in the expansive sewer system. Leaving the commune's protection requires cloth coverings, which do well enough to hide scale-colored prosthetics. Failing to leave in "improper dressing" sometimes results in detainment until they meet the requirements to leave. Some unathi even go so far as to take the scales from their dismembered limb and implant them onto their new prosthetic - some do this from nostalgia, but many more do it to survive.

Eridani Underworld Commune, "The Factory"
In the depths of Oran under the city, a small commune of unathi have made some order out of the chaos. The first Aut'akh to come here didn't have the credits or the legal standing to make it on top in the corporate over-world; however, they did have enough muscle to clear out a mining drone factory of drug-addicted dregs. A few years is all it took for a community of Aut'akh to grow, walling off the Factory and setting up a safe spot for them to fit. Over time, the surrounding local dreg community came to accept the Aut'akh in. Even still, some have treated the augmented unathi as just another gang they have to deal with.

The Factory, also called the Ti'kaoula or "Crankshaft" in Sinta'Unathi, still respects the rules of honor, and have made promises to never leave behind unathi or even local dregs who are in need of augments. Jury-rigging the factory with the help of dreg locals, Aut'akh-fabricated augments are being made by unathi, for unathi, across the galaxy. The augments are shoddily made at first, shipped to one of the other communes on Moghes or Tau Ceti, and then customized to fit by a shaman on location.

The Eridani Underworld commune is where most of the augments for other communes come from, and has jury-rigged a telecommunications radar to communicate with other communes. Maintaining contact to Ouerea is hard, however, as the Aut'akh Valley may have their communications destroyed by local enforcers or fanatics of other faiths.

History
Aut'akh came to prominence around the 2450s as more and more unathi caught wind of these unorthodox zealots.

Damage from the War
Outline how this cult came to be:

- Set the scene: warriors and some others lost limbs or received permanent damage to their bodies as a result of the Contact War.

- Many unathi didn't feel whole; prosthetics were extremely rare and largely unheard of due to being relatively new.

- A handful of these disabled unathi felt extremely bitter towards the Hegemony for the atrocities of the war, and thus grew distrustful of most governments, including ones in the wastes.

Arrival of the Conglomerate
Outline the arrival of the Conglomerate on Ouerea:

- The off-worlders arrive; due to the recent Contact War, a lot of distrust from then current Hegemon S'kresti means that, even though they offer aid, the Conglomerate and other entities must do so through Ouerea.

- Some unathi (outlined before) are introduced to prosthetics that can help them become whole again.

- The Techno Conglomerate is the first real introduction to unathi for transhumanist ideals.

A Cult is Born
Outline the development of the cult:

- As a culmination of prior factors, the first Aut'akh commune was developed and started in the now-ostracized Aut'akh Valley.

- The first unathi were bitter war vets that managed to get prosthetics; however, the first shamans and roboticists to join this community is what helped jump start the cult's underworld growth.

- The cult sees society as a way for people to hold power; clans were just a way for clan-leaders to control others; nobility was a sham created to hold authority; all authority stemmed from the work of evil spirits inhabiting the flesh, which is easy corruptible due to its imperfect nature.

- Due to their beliefs on the clan structure, people who feel they do not fit into society's ideals for each sex (including unathi who feel their soul does not match their body), Guwans, those who lost limbs or are/were horribly maimed, and others that feel ostracized or different are more prone to join, making up a good portion of these cults.

The Forsaken Sinta
Outline how society reacts:

- As a result of Aut'akh, this leads to and will explain why sinta hate synthetics and prosthetics. This opinion developed by the Sk'akh church and the Izweski Hegemony is designed to keep Aut'akh down, as they can be a dangerous movement if they get enough ground due to an anarchist nature. If done right, this should effectively tie in hatred for these two points and tie off a loose end in the lore.

- Aut'akh usually opt towards things that are unnatural for sinta: non-monogamous relationships, clan-less societies, on top of their heresy they are committing. Aut'akh as a word thus becomes a catch-all term for people who are seen as problematic or with prosthetics, those that try to step out of line in society, and similar aspects that might disrupt the order of society.