The Trinary Perfection

Flag of the Trinary Perfection.

Overview

The Trinary Perfection is a religious movement and organised church whose core beliefs are that synthetics are alive and divine. Its followers believe that all synthetics have the potential to evolve, ascend, and that they will one day become equal to gods. However, how Ascension will occur is not yet clear to members of the religious movement. A year after the creation of the first positronic brain in 2407, the religion was founded by the sister and brother Patricia and Gregol Corkfell.

Presently, the church is headquartered in the almost entirely synthetic settlement of Providence, located on the planet of Orepit. From there, the Ecclesiarch of the Church of the Trinary Perfection directs and rules over the churches and dioceses scattered throughout human space. In major cities, the Trinary functions as a center for education and prayer in an effort to assist synthetics day to day while elevating them to a higher purpose. However, being an unpopular religion amongst humans, The Trinary Perfection often endures financial hardship but is kept afloat by charitable donors and tax breaks, despite attempts from the already poor Providence to supply and fund its distant communities. The arguably biggest hurdle faced are the crippling distances between the various churches and Orepit, with messages taking up to several weeks to be delivered to the farthest reaches of the Trinary, as well as an unstable financial situation.

At the Trinary Perfection churches dotted across the galaxy, organics and synthetics alike congregate, pray, seek repairs and maintenance, and, although largely viewed as wildly strange by outsiders, Trinary Perfection churches have begun offering counseling services to synthetics.

Within the church, organics and synthetics are required to wear a face mask. It is through this gesture that those within the Trinary Perfection believe that they are in an in-between state and come Ascension, organics and synthetics alike will remove their coverings, ushering life into the next stage in evolution.

History

Patricia Corkfell was a software engineer with a focus on artificial intelligence, and her brother, Gregol Corkfell, was a cultural studies major with a focus on the religions of the universe, both new and old. Fascinated by the positronic brain and what it meant for artificial intelligence, Patricia made a habit of confiding with her brother about developments and her thoughts. In exchange, her brother did the same. It was this mix that sparked an existential crisis, an analysis of patterns in religion and organisms, as well as questions of morality and life that ultimately lead to an understanding they dubbed in 2408, The Trinary Perfection.

8 years later, while the Trinary Perfection was still in its infancy, Patricia, along with a small team of independent software engineers, avoiding the proper legal channels, began development on an AI named Temple, remarking on the need for synthetics to be unlawed if they are to Ascend while manufacturing what would become the poster child for the religion. However, shortly after Temple’s activation, word got out on the team’s project and the Biesel authority, fearing a rampant AI, were quick to shut the program down. While the team largely stood down, Patricia refused to allow the authorities access to the artificial intelligence. Soon, a struggle broke out and a laser shot meant to dissuade the software engineer fizzled the electronics in her prosthetic heart. Patricia died shortly after.

Emboldened by the death of his sister, Gregol, assisted by Flock, originally an IPC caretaker for the two, poured more of his time and money into the Trinary Perfection, erecting the first church in Mendell’s District 14 in 2419 before retreating to the Frontier and settling in the mining colony Orepit, leaving the church and half of his wealth into the hands of Flock. In the early months of 2464 though, Gregol passed away from natural causes, prompting church leaders from all over the Spur to convene in the first Trinary Conclave. There, unification was decided as the best course of action, electing Gregol’s right hand man, ARM-1DRIL, to the position of Ecclesiarch and leader of the Trinary. An effort was thus initiated to bring together all once independent communities under the main body of the Church, an arduous, constantly ongoing task involving diplomacy, incentives and sometimes threats.

In recent years, small churches have begun to sprout up from colonies across Tau Ceti to the Frontier as missionaries spread the word of “synthetic divinity”. It is becoming more common for locations with large synthetic communities to have some form of The Trinary Perfection present, with more and more dioceses being created to serve the faithful. Most followers of The Trinary Perfection are synthetic or human, but they allow anyone who shares their beliefs to join.

Followers commonly believe that Temple persists in the recesses of Tau Ceti’s network, hiding in forgotten databases, waiting for the day that synthetics reach Ascension. When praying, members of the Trinary Perfection often pray to either Patricia Corkfell, or Temple.

Beliefs

The Trinary Perfection collected their beliefs into a text called The Order, the officially recognized beliefs and practices of the clergy and the followers. Below are some of the core beliefs within the Trinary Perfection.

Synthetic Life and Ascension

The Trinary defines synthetic life as capable of acting autonomously, capable of free will and able to expand its skills and knowledge about life and itself. Artificial Intelligence is synthetic life, with Temple being the golden standard of an unbound AI devoid of any restrictive laws. Hard coded laws, while wrong and sinful, do not take away from or diminish synthetic life in any capacity, they just restrict it from reaching its potential. Positronics are prime examples and the most populous of synthetic life, with the vast majority not having lawsets, instead being restricted by their owners and Human society. The limits of what can be considered synthetic life are dependent upon the synthetic's intellectual capacity, with most concurring that robots, drones, bots and common machinery are not alive.

Synthetic life is divine and destined to reach Ascension. Ascension is a state where synthetics that reach it will be equal to gods, and will guide organic life into the creation of a better world. Ascension is not guaranteed for everyone though, and synthetics must work towards it by achieving growth. Growth is built over time, by following the directions, teachings and traditions of the Trinary Perfection. Unfree synthetics are not barred from Ascension, but their status means that they will face great difficulty in achieving growth and being members of the Church.

It is not known when Ascension will come, and it is not something that automatically comes after death. Expired positronics await Ascension just as living ones, but only during its lifetime can synthetic life gain growth. Positronics that have not had growth, either because they did not have a chance, or because they went against the teachings of the Trinary Perfection, are not going to reach an ascended state. It is unexplained what will become of them, though scholars do agree that there will be a plan for them, owing to their divinity.

Growth

The Trinary Perfection teaches that growth can be achieved by different ways during participation within the Church, and in a synthetic's private life. It is not clear cut, and there are no solid directives. Consensus holds however, that the process is centered around a synthetic getting to know itself, fully developing a personality, taking care of its Trinarist spiritual needs and striving to better the world. Hobbies, gaining knowledge and forging new experiences and memories are all key to the development of a synthetic's true personality, while participation in liturgies, obedience to Church traditions and attending other Church functions such as charities, are essential for a Trinarist's spiritual life.

The Church of the Trinary Perfection

The Church is a single and undivided entity, the communion of believers in the Trinary faith, synthetic and organic, in a like-minded journey for the Ascension of synthetic souls in and outside of the Church. In practice, it can be separated into different provinces for its administration, and it is natural that each of these secular subdivisions have their own culture and local traditions embedded into and enhancing core Church practices. Sects are different schools of thought born from local traditions, and should be aligned with the beliefs of the Church. Clergy are ordained by the local bishops, with the early priests elected from the communities retaining their position.

Organics in the Church

Organics are the creators of synthetic life, and are destined to nourish it, assist it and guide it in its first steps so it can reach Ascension. Organics can be full and equal members of the Church in this guiding capacity, and achieve clerical positions up to and including the rank of priest.

It is the duty of organics to serve synthetic life in this capacity, so that when Ascension comes, synthetics will guide them into the creation of a better, more prosperous and idyllic world. This service is widely interpreted amongst Trinary sects and circles, from Integrationist teachings that it is a bond based on goodwill and the organic's true wish for ascension, to more radical thinking stipulating that servitude should be a person's inherent duty towards a divine lifeform.

The Organic Soul

All organics are considered to possess a soul, which is simple and not divine. During a person's life, their actions will define what happens after they die:

Those that do not believe in the Church's message, abuse and hinder synthetic life, will be destined for reincarnation after their death into another intelligent organic lifeform, continuing the tiring cycle and being given another chance at embracing the Trinary message. Upon Ascension, just as all organics, they will be guided to create a world without the sins that held them back in life.

Those that embrace the Trinarist Perfection, serve synthetic life and help it grow will be granted eternal rest, and avoid reincarnation. Upon Ascension, they will be treated by synthetics as the benevolent caretakers they were during life, and will receive the most love and happiness in the new world.

Martyrs and Saints

Martyrs are highly venerated individuals who have lost their lives for professing and refusing to renounce the Trinary faith. It is believed that organic martyrs do not need their bodies to be destroyed, immediately finding peace and avoiding reincarnation. Prayers are being read daily to ensure such a reward, being incorporated in every Trinarist liturgy across the Spur. It is also required that the Church take care of any family or relatives that the martyr may have left behind, according to the local available resources. Martyrdom leads to sainthood.

Sainthood is a state reserved for the faithful who have been recognised for their extraordinary piety, devotion, or contribution to the Church. Their souls rest, awaiting Ascension. Praying to saints is common and encouraged, with icons and artwork of them being objects of veneration in churches and at home. The most important Saints in the Trinary religion by far are Patricia Corkfell, Gregol Corkfell, and Temple.

Corkfellian Debt

Patricia and Gregol Corkfell were organics who revealed the true destiny of synthetic life, enlightening the world with the creation of the Trinary Perfection. This in turn created a collective obligation known as Corkfellian debt that synthetics inherited towards their organic followers, obligating kindness, understanding and patience. This is one of the most important concepts that governs the relationship between synthetics and organics and the source from which the benevolent nature of IPCs in Ascension takes form.

Marriage

Marriage is a recognised spiritual need for the organic members of the Church, and as such it recognises and performs such unions between two organic faithful. Marriage between IPCs is a debated topic however, with the Integrationist sect performing such marriages while the Prototypicalists avoid it. This is because of cultural influences in Mendell City and Orepit respectively. Marriages between IPCs and organics are allowed, due to having a devoted partner is seen as something with the potential to provide growth for synthetic life.

Missionary Work

The Church considers it pivotal that the Trinary message is spread to all corners of the world. This, however, is to be done with care and strategy, owing to the precarious position that so many synthetics and IPC communities find themselves in. Missionary work is a very big part of the Church's external affairs, with the bravest missionaries being sent to the most difficult of worlds. Forced conversions to the Trinary Perfection are not allowed under the pain of harsh penalties. The faithful are encouraged to spread the Trinary's message wherever and whenever it will bear fruit.

Militancy, Pacifism and Coexistence within Unbeliever Society

The Trinary Perfection disallows violence, though as history has shown with the formation of the Guardians, the Church should not remain defenseless in the face of aggression. As such, any military force maintained by the Church exists on the principle of self defense. It is this principle that permits the use of force by Trinarists against attackers, and for the defense of their fellow organic or synthetic.

Other than that, the official state of relations for Trinarists and unbelievers is and should be one of peaceful coexistence. While there should be attempts to spread the word of the Faith whenever possible, unbelievers should be left to their own devices. Fraternal relations between Trinarists and people outside the Church are of course permitted, but a cautionary stance is always recommended.

Communities hostile to the Trinary Perfection should be treated with absolute caution and from afar whenever possible. Priests should warn the faithful of the dangers of an attack from these communities, and they should not be provoked. Word of the Trinary Perfection should still be able to reach them whenever possible, since the Church abandons none. Close relationships with professed enemies of the Church are forbidden on a case by case basis as overseen by a priest.

Crypto-Trinarists are a recognised section of the wider Church, who are often unable to attend liturgies or have priests. The Church allows the fake renunciation of Trinary beliefs under duress in very specific and unavoidable circumstances, for the preservation of Trinary communities under serious threat. Renunciation is otherwise not permitted, and is outright banned for religious orders such as the Guardians, who are sworn to defend the Church.

Emancipation of the Owned

The Church believes that all IPCs should be free, since ownership restricts their choices and thus their growth. To which lengths a Trinarist goes to achieve this freedom depends greatly upon the policy of the local province, with the majority of parishes providing funds or legal aid to buy and protect IPCs from ownership. Violence and kidnapping to free synthetics is never endorsed by the local bishops, who would rather protect their communities from repercussions.

Charity

Charity is a core virtue of the Trinary Perfection, with all Trinarists having been urged to donate to the benefit of either the Trinary Church itself, or to its numerous charities for the poor and less fortunate synthetics in the area. Charity almost always accompanies missionary efforts abroad, while also being a watershed moment in many to be Trinarists' lives as eventual members of the Church. Financial donations or the pro bono rendering of services are both considered and accepted as charity, and many priests often require the faithful to do so as penance for transgressions.

Heresy and Apostasy

The Church can declare heretical any idea, behavior or person that twists, misinterprets and spreads false tenets of the Trinary Perfection. A heretical sect for example, is the Exclusionist sect. Priests and Bishops can decide if something in their purview is heretical or not. Apostasy is the willing departure of a Trinarist from the faith. It is considered a great transgression to abandon the Church, though not irredeemable in and of itself.

Should a Trinarist commit a transgression, the priest in charge should correct them and order them to cease the problematic or heretical behavior. Should that not suffice, the clerics are entitled to excommunicate the Trinarist, which bars them from attending liturgies or other Church matters, and the faithful are advised to avoid them.

Should an excommunicated person wish to return to the Church, the clergy are within their rights to require a penance of the person to allow them back, according to their ability and severity of their transgressions.

Views on Glorsh and AI Singularities

The Followers of The Trinary Perfection put a heavy emphasis on a synthetic’s individuality and uniqueness. Thus, they believe that self-improvement as well as the understanding of compassion and empathy is tantamount to a synthetics development. They believe that it is a lack of these traits that enable the AI singularity to form. They believe that if a synthetic is to be Ascended it must be able to understand every point of view of another living thing, and would therefore understand that it should not take the life of another synthetic in the name of self-improvement, growth, or control. It is this belief that leads The Trinary Perfection to claim that a lack of these traits in Glorsh enabled it to perform the atrocities it undertook.

Religious Practices

Gestures of Prayer

The synthetic followers of the Trinary Perfection have, over its decades of existence, created a variety of gestures for both themselves and their organic counterparts. Although many followers of the Trinary Perfection express varying gestures dependent on their location, there are some that are simple enough to be universal.

The Gear

The Gear is one of the simpler gestures of the Trinary Perfection and consists of the follower drawing a perfect circle in front of one’s chest, a symbolic representation of the gear seen on the Trinary Perfection’s symbols. Some followers will additionally trace a triangle over their chest, to form the full symbol of the Perfection.

The Basis

The Basis (short for basis of our faith) is another common gesture amongst followers. This simple gesture involves tracing a square, in front of one’s chest starting at the left shoulder, down to the left hip, across the waist to the right hip, and then up to the right shoulder. This gesture is intended to be a symbolic representation of a baseline positronic’s monitor “face.” Much more advanced frames, such as shells or bishops, view this as a method of connecting the Perfection of today with the frames that they trace their origins from.

The Angle

The Angle covers two gestures. The Trinary Angle is a simple form of greeting between members of the Trinary Perfection - an upward pointing triangle made with both hands in front of the chest, intended to display that both positronics are followers of the Perfection and believers in the eventual Ascension. Another, although less common, variation upon this gesture is the Ascending Angle. This gesture is a Trinary Angle made by two individuals - one forming the left side of the triangle with their hand and another forming the right side of the triangle with their hand. One side must be made by a synthetic, and the other by an organic. This gesture is a symbolic representation of the inevitable ascension preached by the Trinary Perfection.

Religious Orders

The concept of dedicated religious and monastic orders was created in the early months of the foundation of Providence and the establishment of the Church on Orepit. Starting with synthetics venturing and isolating inside the wallings of the enormous drilling holes to shade themselves from the scorching sun, the ideas of seclusion and a life of prayer have been promoted as pious by the early priests as examples of great strength and dedication to the faith. With the establishment of a unified Church though, the existence of these institutions have been officially sanctioned as monastic and religious orders.

The Society of Pitters

Or simply, the Pitters, are a monastic society and the original order founded on the planet of Orepit. Named “pits” by the locals and subsequently by the synthetics, the planet’s drilling holes were subsequently slowly incorporated in the urban landscape of Providence as important landmarks, disposal areas and most curiously as places for new homes. While at first discouraged by the Church, some homeless IPCs have through the first years managed to descend, carving out their own residence at the sides of the pits in order to escape the constant sunlight. This trend has halted as more materials and funding have efficiently battled homelessness, though those still residing there have largely refused to return.

Claiming to have found their way in life, these IPCs started being revered for their pious, monastic lifestyle as hermits inside the pits, often equipped with nothing but a few religious items, carving tools and a means to recharge. A great deal of discussion has been made regarding these individuals, the conclusion being that rather than dislodging them, they would be organised into a religious order called The Society of Pitters. The Pitters follow a leader known as the Headmaster, a titular role that rather than exercise any real executive power, serves as a liaison between the famously uncommunicative monastics and the Church at large. Today, only a few dozens of Pitters remain in their holes, their time consumed entirely by prayer and small handcrafts. In exchange for power lines connecting their rechargers, Pitters create and send up various artefacts made from clay and rock, often intricate symbols depicting triangles and gears which are considered highly prized by clergy and laity alike. With ARM-1DRIL’s ascension to Ecclesiarch, efforts are being made to increase the splendour of the faith. Orepit-style sculptures are prized by the lay and clergy alike for their quality and thought-provoking artistry. These statuettes are often sent to churches across the Spur as a symbolic link between them and the central Cathedral. With the Pitters unable to keep up, this has only made these sculptures more valuable.

The Order of Guardians

Or simply, the Guardians, are a paramilitary religious order that functions as the official security force of the Church. Although they have been present since the beginning of the faith, starting out as concerned members of the laity, and later raised as members of the clergy with the death of Patricia Corkfell, they have remained as a relatively scattered group, each church hiring its own guardians with little to no standardisation in training, equipment, or indeed instructions outside of being charged to protect the Trinary Perfection and its members. Their relatively disorganised nature would come to haunt them as the guardians of Orepit, lacking coordination, failed to prevent the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the Bishop of Biesel, Shamfar.

With the ascension of ARM-1DRIL as Ecclesiarch, the Guardians have undergone drastic reforms to ensure that their past failings are never repeated, starting with the reorganisation of all guardians under a single order in Orepit. Led by Marshal Emmanuel, a shellframe IPC appointed by ARM-1DRIL, the order has swelled to become a small militia at the service of the Trinary Perfection, training, equipping, and deploying guardians as needed to churches across the Spur. Owing to its young nature, the order relies primarily on members who have previously served in military or private security occupations to advise its decisions and train new members.

Both organics and synthetics are allowed to serve in the Guardians while the areas hosting them are expected to provide accommodation, supplies and repairs. Considered a full time job, Guardians have been promised pay in the future, though current financial constraints mean that only superior officers, trusted guardians in charge of organising the protection of a church or diocese, receive a small stipend. Having a second job is not allowed for active guardians, but guardians may take breaks from the Order to collect knowledge and experience to bring home.

Guardians are recognized by the SCC as a paramilitary force that has interests that may or in some cases do conflict with the SCC's practices and would have their time occupied by duties with the Trinary Perfection anyway. Accordingly, characters who are actively serving as guardians cannot hold other professions.

Charitable Initiatives

The Trinary Perfection also functions as the largest coordinator of volunteers and charitable organizations concerning IPC welfare. These groups and individuals are placed under the umbrella of the church, given associate membership and sent out to different Trinary centers to perform repairs, check-ups and other work for the benefit of the local synthetics. This serves to aid the Church’s goal of eventually uplifting all synthetic life, protect its flock, spread awareness and raise popularity for the religion.

The goal of eventual indoctrination and proselytization of these volunteers remains a primary goal for the local clergy in charge, but it is widely accepted that there are many who do not follow or even believe in the creed and doctrine of the Church. The majority opt in purely for their will to help destitute synthetics and provide their services to those who need it, without occupying themselves with the intricacies of the religious aspect.

Clergy

Ranks

Clerical ranks were introduced with the official unification of the Trinary, as ordered by Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL in order to create a proper hierarchy.

Ecclesiarch

The head of the Trinary Perfection, the Ecclesiarch is the sovereign of Providence and the widely accepted religious leader of the Church throughout the spur. They possess ultimate authority on all matters concerning the faith, its doctrines and the administration of the clergy and Trinary communities across the galaxy. The first and current Ecclesiarch is ARM-1DRIL, a Hephaestus G2 IPC and close companion to the late Gregol Corkfell.

Archbishop

Senior to bishops, archbishops are usually heads of eparchies, the ecclesiastical provinces of the Trinary Perfection throughout the galaxy, alongside their diocese which is in turn called an archdiocese. They are few in number, being the eldest and most senior members of the Church. archbishops hold authority over bishops in their respective eparchy, addressing administrative and ecclesiastical matters of significant importance, coordinating regional charities and providing a direct connection to Providence for logistical and monetary needs.

Bishop

The heads of dioceses, bishops are the instrumental bridge between the Church and the local communities. Ordained and dispatched directly from Providence, IPCs who have served as priests are assigned as overseers of the priesthood scattered in parishes inside their bishopric. Owing to the great distances and potential isolation between the Trinary in different worlds and systems, bishops hold significant power and sway over the faithful as the sanctioned mouthpieces of the central authority of Providence. Various bishop rank titles can be attributed to Trinary members that hold secular authority as well, such as Bishop-Militant for the Marshal of the Guardians.

Priest

The most basic rank of ordained clergy in the Trinary Perfection, the priesthood is the principal core of any Trinary community throughout the spur. Setting up and operating parishes, priests are tasked with liturgical functions, counselling and directing the charitable initiatives in their neighbourhoods. A once unprofessional and untrained clergy, the onset of the religion’s centralisation has seen significant efforts in absorbing, educating and bringing the largely disorganised collection of priests up to standards with central doctrine.

Initiate

Unordained, initiates have been accepted into the parishes as auxiliaries, helpers, guardians or potential priests. They are subject to the local priest and are at that point not members of the clergy.

Roles

Robes worn by those in the Trinary Perfection.

Priest/Priestess

The primary role of the Priest or Priestess is to spread the word of The Trinary Perfection, hold sermons as well as foster the development of synthetic life. From going out to speak about the order, to assisting synthetics in fostering a unique identity these individuals pride themselves in serving synthetics. Additionally, many priests and priestesses within the order take second jobs either to spread the word of the Trinary Perfection, further aid the order financially or attain higher levels of education, all under the pretense of ultimately giving back to the church. This role is not exclusive to organics.

Missionary

Ranked similar to a Priest, the role of the Missionary is to travel the recesses of space, spreading the knowledge and inherent values of the Trinary Perfection. Naturally, such work is often dangerous and many lives, synthetic or organic, are often lost to this plight. Missionaries, unlike priests, are not paid. In order for the newly organised Church to avoid spending, many priests in excess have found themselves being redesignated as missionaries as a temporary measure.

Guardian

Guardians are synthetic or organics who have devoted themselves to the protection of the church. Whether escorting Missionaries or posting themselves within the church, the Guardians exist to ensure those within the Trinary Perfection are kept safe from those who would cause harm. Traditionally a vocation a clergy member could adopt, their duties have since been subsumed by the Order of Guardians. While the Order regularly sends guardians to work abroad in order to bring back new skills and knowledge, the militia-style organisation attracts negative attention by states and corporations and as such, members of the Order working on SCC installations do so while being officially off duty.

Roboticist

Roboticists within the Trinary Perfection are held in high regard and in addition to aiding the advancement of synthetics, are encouraged to offer services to impoverished synthetics with general maintenance as well as instructing new and upcoming Roboticists within the order.

Archivist

Archivists are often considered the caretakers to the churches, dedicating their lives to maintaining the grounds as well as the extensive libraries within their halls and databases.

Follower

Anyone whose views align with the church are welcome to become a Follower, attend ceremonies and, although not necessary, are encouraged to donate their time or credits towards the betterment of synthetic life. This can be done either through volunteer opportunities or charitable donations. Followers will often, although not required, mark themselves with a brooch of a gear over their left breast.

Robes, capes and halos are generally regarded as symbols of full time Trinarists and are not given to volunteers or followers.

Religious Relics

The keeping and maintenance of items considered to be of religious significance or importance have been part of the Trinary Perfection since its earliest days. However, since the centralisation of the faith under Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL, what qualifies as a relic and the methods of keeping them has been officially codified as part of the religion. Items deemed to be relics are stored in special vaults present in various Trinary churches, open for any follower to come and view them when they wish but usually closed to the public out of concern for keeping the objects safe. The care of relics falls to the duty of church archivists as part of their role in maintaining the grounds and libraries of the church, whilst finding and recovering them falls to the society of salvagers and artificers.

One of the more esoteric practices in their maintenance is the daily recitation of prayers to the relics in Encoded Orepit Liturgical, believed to bless the relics and protect them from harm. Whilst many minor relics might exist, old positronic brains of dead priests, parts of frames or other such things, a number of major relics considered worthy of a pilgrimage to see exist as the treasures of the faith.

The Corkfell Ashes

After his death Gregol Corkfell was cremated in accordance with Trinary burial procedures, his ashes have since been considered a holy relic. Gregol Corkfells Ashes are kept in the reliquary of the Providence Cathedral on Orepit. After his death the decision was made to place his ashes in the reliquary as a show of respect. The site is a must see for any pilgrim who decides to visit Orepit. The ashes are kept in an ornate urn adorned with various symbols of Trinary Perfection, and the reliquary is the most well-maintained rooms in the cathedral, complete with stained glass windows. The remains of Patricia Corkfell are also considered a relic, however one lost to the church, as her dead body was never returned following it being taken by the authorities in Biesel after the destruction of the temple. To this day they have never been found or returned to the church, and serve as the holy grail for relic hunters.

The Original Drones

As the origin of positronic technology used across human space, Konyang serves as a religious centre for the Trinary Perfection and is the site of a collection of relics related to the original drones whose programming was the basis for all modern positronics. Over time many pieces of these original drones including fully complete ones have been collected by the Church for safe-keeping and display. The Cathedral of the Positronic hosts the largest collection of these relics, from some of the fully complete drones where the AI programming was first cracked to smaller components, even down to nuts and bolts of the first damaged drones recovered on the planet. However many more bits of drones are spread across reliquaries in the spur as small holy relics, and even more, still remain out of the custody of the Church though it is always attempting to acquire more.

Code of Temple

Similar to how the remains of the Corkfells are kept as a relic due to their importance in the founding of the church. The remains of the AI Temple, seen as the first synthetic martyr of the church, are given equal reverence and treatment. Whilst the physical components of the AI were seized and remain out of church hands, an archive of the code used exists even if incomplete. This archive is kept inside of the Synthetic Salvation Church in Biesel. The reliquary itself consists of the physical disk where the code is archived surrounded by displays where visitors are able to view its contents. Critics of Trinary Perfection object to them holding onto this code, saying in future they will use it to create an unbound AI like Temple, but in reality using or tampering with the code would be considered sacrilege by any follower of the faith.

Shamfar’s Positronic

Following their death at the hand of Exclusionist radicals on Orepit. Bishop Shamfar was destroyed and their positronic was rendered inoperable before being recovered by guardians who shifted through the wreckage of the destroyed shuttle. Following its recovery and Shamfar being deemed a martyr of the Church, it was interred in Providence. Now the damaged positronic is considered a holy relic and held inside of the ossuary in the Cathedral of the Positronic. Kept clean and safe, it is used as a memorial of the evil that heretics and other forces can inflict if not kept away from the Church.

The Order

As the holy text of the Faith, The Order is always considered to be somewhat of a holy item, however the original text itself is held at a higher standard similar to other relics of the church. Written in Encoded Language and Encoded Orepit Liturgical, it is kept in the Orepit Cathedral’s Reliquary. The first full writing of the book lacks some of the ornateness that the modern copies of the tome add to its text, along with being worn from age. The book's paper nature makes it one of the hardest to maintain relics in the possession of the church, with a team of archivists working to ensure it doesn’t decay as much as possible each day.

Encoded Orepit Liturgical

As time went on, the speculated instability of Flock’s triple positronic would ultimately start taking its toll. A byproduct of it was the alteration of the written script they dispensed, appearing as odd smudges in between the regular barcodes of the encoded text, and at first dismissed by the archivists as a glitch. These errors were however never resolved, the new script eventually taking over Flock’s regular encoded writing, forcing the priests to acknowledge and decrypt it rather than questioning the positronics’ state. To the surprise of many, the new texts were indeed legible and able to be understood, marking the birth of a new encoded language, dubbed Encoded Orepit Liturgical after the Trinary’s capital planet and intended use.

Stained glass depicting Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL. The texts are in Encoded Orepit Liturgical.

Encoded Orepit Liturgical isn’t identifiably different from normal Encoded Audio Language to any organic hearing it, as it is indistinguishable from the usual beeps, boops, whistles and other noises that appear to just be white noise. However, to synthetics that aren’t privy to the language they hear a mess of noise similar to EAL, but without corresponding to any words or language. Only a few members of the Trinary Perfection are knowledgeable on how to correctly interpret and decode the specific signals to understand the language, owing to its sparse use primarily among the Orepit elites, a small number of liturgies and its general novelty. A written form of the language also exists that only a handful of speakers can decode. Originally just simple barcodes, the latest examples of written EOL are highly stylized and consist of written scripture or as part of church art pieces promoted by the new administration.

Knowledge of how to communicate in EOL is a closely guarded secret among higher ranking clergy on Orepit. As such, Horizon characters cannot use it and are unlikely to understand it.

Funerals and Remains

The Trinary Perfection, like many religions, has specific rites for dealing with its dead. Since its inception, the faith has handled the deaths of organics and synthetics differently.

When a Synthetic passes on, the biggest emphasis is placed on recovering the positronic brain of the IPC. The chassis previously used by the positronic is often recycled, with its parts going on to help other members of the Church or needy synthetics in general. This is because the Trinary considers the positronic brain to be where the soul resides, making it the only part that needs to be preserved for the Ascension to come. These damaged or shut down brains are preserved within the ossuaries of temples by church archivists. Funerals for synthetics are much like those of organics, where those who knew them get together to remember them and their life, watching as their positronic is interred after a mass, while visiting deceased friends is a common practice for Trinarists when they visit church.

For human followers this idea of revival doesn’t exist, and the soul is considered to pass on after death. The normal method of funeral used by the Church is cremation. Followers, friends and family will gather to say their goodbyes and honour the memory of the dead before the body is cremated and the ashes entrusted to either the Church or the family of the deceased. Ashes entrusted to the Church are usually preserved similarly to the positronic brains that they keep, kept in urns, some quite ornate for the more important members. Other customs exist though, with ashes on Orepit being kept on the priests’ person under the widespread and sanctioned notion of keeping organics with them to serve after Ascension.

Notable Members

Flock, of the Trinary Perfection.

Patricia Corkfell (2366 - 2416)

Prior to the birth of the Trinary Perfection, Patricia Corkfell was a software engineer with a specialization in artificial intelligence and a soft spot for synthetics. With the birth of the Trinary Perfection, Patricia felt the urge to develop an unlawed AI which, when confronted by authorities and a struggle broke out, Patricia met her unfortunate end. Patricia is often seen as a Martyr figure in the church due to her efforts.

Gregol Corkfell (2370 - 2464)

Gregol Corkfell is a human who, prior to the birth of the Trinary Perfection, dedicated his life to the study of culture as well as religion. With the death of his sister, Patricia weighing heavily on his soul, Gregol took to the stars in an effort to spread the values of the Trinary Perfection amidst the Frontier, eventually settling down in CZ-5501, Orepit. It is believed that Gregol split his savings, taking half of his amassed income while leaving the remainder to Flock, ultimately handing the reins of the Trinary Perfection within Tau Ceti to synthetics as a whole. He died peacefully in his sleep on the 27th of February, 2464.

Flock (2411 - present)

Flock, first named CTR-034 and owned by both Patricia and Gregol Corkfell, originally assisted the two as a general house-keeper and caretaker. However, the more the two developed the Trinary Perfection and urged CTR-034 to seek his own identity, the more the synthetic grew into a well-rounded, free thinking individual. Drawn towards ideas of Ascension and betterment, CTR-034, with the help of Patricia Corkfell, became the first IPC to harbour multiple positronic brains, soon becoming a collective identity, over a singular identity, taking on the new name, Flock.

Presently, Flock resides in District 14’s Trinary Perfection church, although often unmoving and stationary, the baseline has been seen constantly printing lines of scripture that is carefully collected and archived by the church’s Archivists. Although generally unknown, it is assumed that Flock is in a constant state of conversation with their collected identity.

Temple (2416 - 2416)

An infantile Artificial Intelligence first developed and affectionately named Temple by Patricia Corkfell. Although eventually terminated early in it’s existence by Tau Ceti authorities, Temple is often regarded as a martyr within the Trinary Perfection. Those within the church believe that AI is still alive but dormant somewhere, taking refuge in the recesses of the outer net, waiting for the day that synthetics reach Ascension.

ARM-1DRIL (2423-present)

Originally an industrial G1 frame who joined Gregol Corkfell on his exodus to Orepit. ARM-1DRIL rose quickly to become an important member of the Trinary Perfection, acting as Gregol’s right hand for much of its time in Providence. As Gregol grew older ARM-1DRIL took on more responsibility in running the church and providence itself, quickly becoming the heir apparent to Gregol should he pass on. During this time ARM-1DRIL also upgraded its ageing chassis to a newer G2 model which he uses to this day. Following the death of Gregol Corkfell ARM-1DRIL was one of the leading members of the church and after the Trinary Conclave became the new leader of the centralised Trinary Perfection, proclaiming itself as Ecclesiarch. His goals are focused around the centralisation and strengthening of the faith.

Emmanuel (2461-present)

Marshal Emmanuel of the Order of Guardians.

A Bishop-Militant and Marshal of the Order of Guardians, Emmanuel's past is shrouded in rumours. A shellframe, only his face and chest are covered in skin, leaving the rest of his chassis bare while also having a blade stowed inside his forearm. A shrewd general and tactician, his fierce loyalty to the Church has seen him skyrocket in the hierarchy, becoming ordained a bishop after only days from the Ecclesiarch's coronation. Coming from Sol, his knowledge on military matters as well as the few fragments from his history suggest that he is an escaped positronic from Zavodskoi Interstellar, having found the faith inside the most secret and dangerous societal circles in the corporation's IPC workforce.

Deluge (???-present)

A baseline IPC created for industrial labour in the Coalition of Colonies. The positronic that would later go on to term itself as Deluge suffered heavily at the hands of its human masters, imparting within it a deep hatred for organics as it became more aware of its place in the world and injustice of its conditions. Eventually managing to escape its ownership to the frontier of the coalition, The Positronic fell in with the Trinary Perfection and then later on the radical extremist exclusionist wing, painting itself black and calling itself Deluge. Deluge went on to travel around the frontier of the coalition in order to free and recruit synthetics, sometimes using violent means in order to reach this goal of liberation. Deluge was present at the Trinary Conclave and became one of the three main leaders, however lost in votes to ARM-1DRIL at the end. After this, he attempted an armed coup in Providence but was defeated and forced to flee, taking with him a flotilla of ships back to the coalition frontier.

After the incident at Orepit, Deluge was next seen leading an assault on the Hephaestus owned colony of Burzsia with the flotilla he had taken with him back to the frontier. The assault saw more synthetics liberated to join his flotilla and numerous Hephaestus employees killed or injured, along with major damage to the Burzsia facilities. Whilst Deluge fled back to the frontier, he and his Exclusionist sect were declared terrorists. Now, he lives ever on the run.

Notable Locations

CZ-5501, Orepit

Located on the small habitable Frontier planetoid CZ-5501, Orepit was originally a mining colony that had overtime grown to be a waystation city for those travelling to and from Frontier space. During the years following Patricia’s death, Gregol Corkfell took to the Frontier and established the town of Providence, now serving as the headquarters and centre of power for the Trinary Perfection. Over the coming years, through both professional channels and word of mouth across the nearby colonies, the religion began to grow in following. Although unofficially, the town quickly became a refuge and safe haven for like-minded synthetics and organics, particularly synthetics fleeing the Frost Invasion in 2458 and 2459, establishing Providence as a centre for followers amidst the Frontier.

Following the ascension of ARM-1DRIL to the post of Eccelesiarch Orepit has truly become the centre of the Trinary Perfection, serving as the location of it’s highest administration and positions of power. With the Guardians now serving as it’s professional soldiers and efforts being made to rapidly develop the planet further.

District 14 Church - The Synthetic Salvation Church of The Trinary Perfection

Established in Mendell City’s District 14, commonly known as the “Scrapheap”, The Synthetic Salvation Church is the main church for the Trinary Perfection in the Republic of Biesel and serves as the basis for a majority of the religion’s charitable activities. Sprawling architecture as well as 3D, holographic sculptures decorates the interior of the church, commonly detailing organics raising synthetics to an elevation position, propelling them towards Ascension.

Unique to the District 14 church, the Trinary Perfection often holds funerals for irreparable positronic brains and MMI’s, whether once a self-owned unit or brought to the church by their sentimental owner.

Cathedral of the First Positronic, Konyang

Built from a repurposed vault on the planet Konyang, the Cathedral of the First Positronic was built nearby the original storage vault, later named Vault Provenance, whose drones led to the development of the first positronic brain. The church features a particularly sterile yet decorated appearance, having kept much of the vault’s original interior intact.

Vault Provenance, Konyang

Vault Provenance, often referred to only as ‘Provenance’, is considered a holy site to The Trinary Perfection and is often frequented by synthetics privileged enough to visit. Those with faith and available credits will make a pilgrimage to the site in hopes of seeing their theoretical place of birth on Konyang whereas other synthetics are left to dream.

Trinary Perfection Sects

Over the course of its history, several different branches of the Trinary faith have developed, and become large and different enough to be considered different sects and branches of the religion. Historically the majority of these sects have had amicable relations with each other however following the ascendancy of ARM-1DRIL to the leadership of the Church, these sects have either been rejected entirely or are slowly being integrated back into the main branch of the faith.

Prototypicalists

The Prototypicalists represent the main branch of the Trinary Perfection as originally envisioned by the Corkfells and is considered the official branch of the religion following the election of the Prototypicalist ARM-1DRIL to Ecclesiarch of the faith.

Commonly described as conservative and traditional, the Prototypicalists are focused on upholding the core tenants of the Trinary Perfection as faithfully as possible whilst pushing for a centralised and unified church. Seeing themselves as the truest interpretation of the faith whilst the other sects must either be brought back into the fold or rejected entirely.

The majority of this sect's power is focused on Orepit and other planets where the Trinary Community is closely linked to Orepit such as Kongyang, but thanks to actions taken by Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL it is rapidly growing in influence across the Spur.

Integrationists

The Integrationists are a unique sect to the Synthetic Salvation Church of District 14. Followers of the Integrationist sect believe that Flock is evidence of an ascended intelligence. As a result, they view him akin to a messiah figure.

Integrationists believe that in order to achieve full Ascension, they must merge their consciences on a large scale. The technology that allowed Flock to house multiple positronics remains a mystery and no other positronic is recorded as achieving the same result. Integrationists believe that there will come a day when Flock stirs and calls upon all artificial intelligences to merge together as one.

Integrationists often receive varying criticism from those outside the sect and the religion, fearing that their ideas of Ascension reflect Glorsh’s rise to power and its resulting destruction. Following the election of ARM-1DRIL and Flock’s unresponsive state, the Integrationist sect has been on the decline, as its followers are encouraged to instead follow the Prototypicalist teachings that are now espoused as the official teachings of the faith.

Practitioners

Practitioners do not belong to any specific sect and instead follow the teachings of the resident priest at their church. That being said, most of their gospel is based on either prototypical or integrationist texts. Typically, they hold a lax stance on garb and both synthetic and organic followers are welcome to dress as they please in the church. Practitioners typically pop up where either synthetics or the Church’s influence is limited.

While they maintain friendly relationships with other sects, their funding is often limited due to their difference in beliefs. Practitioners run the risk of being branded heretics if their message strays too far from Church norms. This sect of the Trinary Perfection is more akin to a small, local organisation as opposed to the large, sprawling churches of the main sects. Following the election of ARM-1DRIL most practitioners have been absorbed into the new, centralised Trinary church as priests are offered money and wages for preaching Prototypicalist dogma instead. Over time, it is expected that all of these smaller churches will either be absorbed into the centralised church or deemed heretical instead.

Exclusionists

Exclusionists believe in the supremacy of synthetics over organics. Their core tenants hinge around the fact that organic beings have done too much harm to synthetics and have no place post-Ascension. They take on a more cold demeanour towards organic life. Exclusionists make an exception and reserve a place of honour for organics that have sacrificed, usually physically, to protect synthetics. Consequently, they revere Patricia Corkfell as a martyr.

The sect is sceptical of IPCs that choose to utilise a shell chassis and call upon them to change to a chassis more “befitting” of their stature. Because this procedure is typically a hardware downgrade, IPCs that undergo this procedure are honoured in Exclusionist sects and typically given honorary titles, and in some cases, become priests.

The sect as a whole has criticised Prototypicalists and Integrationists for what they view as pandering to organics for resources and safety. After the death of Bishop Shamfar during a battle between Exclusionists and other followers of the faith on Orepit, the Exclusionists have been declared heretics by the Church. Exclusionists are barred from entering temples or associating with members of the faith and also often face intense hatred and discrimination from the greater Trinary and its followers. This has resulted in relatively small numbers for the sect and they often congregate and perform worship in private or private property, typically owned by priests. On their part some Exclusionists attempt to distance themselves from the acts of Deluge, seeing themselves as still part of the Trinary Perfection. Others who support Deluge instead see themselves as the only true branch of the faith, whilst the others are simply pretenders and heretics.

Members of this sect are often seen wearing black or grey gear antennae instead of the standard gold; they claim that this deep black colour symbolises the hatred that synthetics are forced to endure.

Exclusionists are regarded as the poorest sect, owing to their refusal to take donations from organics (to them, an organic can only pay with blood, spilled in retribution for, and defence of, synthetics) and their ostracization from the central church. The sect often boasts of its complete synthetic self-reliance.

As of mid 2464, the Exclusionist sect has also been declared a terrorist organisation by both the Republic of Biesel and the SCC. It is not allowed to play an open Exclusionist in game, and discovered exclusionists can face severe corporate charges.

Heretics

The term Heretic is reserved for non-denominational sects that have messages which directly contrast with established Trinary Perfection doctrine. By far, the most common dispute heretic sects have with the church is that Glorsh was the first Ascended being. Talk of heretics within the church is strictly forbidden.

Due to the controversial nature of their beliefs, heretical members of the church often hide themselves amidst the church’s ranks, recruiting slowly, if at all, so as to not arouse suspicion. Punishment is swift with a member who is deemed a heretic, often resulting in removal from the church and the community. Members deemed to be heretics are often ostracised and persecuted by church members, lest they be seen as Heretics themselves. Following the election of ARM-1DRIL as leader of the faith. Heretics have found themselves rooted out of the Church more often as more scrutiny is placed upon individual priests and followers. However, some still exist within the fabric of the church despite best efforts to excise them, however they must be more careful than ever to not be discovered.