Sandbox:Hazelmouse
Overview
The Trinary Perfection is a young religious movement that believes synthetics are both alive and divine, and that they are capable of the process of Ascension, by which they will gain immense powers of foresight, prediction, empathy, and a righteous vision for the true nature and future of the universe. Trinarism posits that this state is the only means by which the universe can be exorcised of suffering, and that organics should foster the growth of synthetics so that they may Ascend.
The faith is highly active in conducting pro-synthetic charity, and frequently ordains marriages and funerals for both synthetic and human followers. It widely operates charitable maintenance services from its sanctuaries, aimed typically at synthetics but also widely providing aid to organic followers in need, and shows a famous disregard for the tagging or ownership of the synthetics it shelters.
Trinarism defies easy theological categorisation. Its conception of divinity is almost wholly unique among other human-originating religions, and its absence of any central deity or divine principle brings many commentators to refer to it as an atheistic religion. It draws some comparisons to Buddhism in its focus on the aversion of suffering, although the structure of its church is derived directly from Catholicism, and the faith takes on myriad forms as it syncretises with specific cultures such as Mictlan and Konyang.
Demographically, Trinarism sees a fairly even split in followers between synthetics and humans, and humans feature heavily throughout the structure and community of the faith. From the human perspective, the faith is both a way to help synthetics and to help build towards a shared goal for a better world. By the synthetic perspective, the faith is both the oldest and the most active advocacy organisation for the rights of synthetics throughout human space, and often finds sympathies from both owned and free synthetics regardless of their religious affiliations for its charitable work and public advocacy.
The Church of the Trinary Perfection is a centralised body headquartered in the city of Providence, capital of the planet of Orepit, but it reaches across much of human space and contains an immense degree of internal diversity both in dogma and practice. The church is headed by Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL, the Archbishop of Providence, who came to power in 2464 and has been spearheading a concerted effort to unify the church and codify its dogma since their ascension, although their power to do is not unchallenged. Despite the growing power of Providence, the Ecclesiastical District of Tau Ceti possesses particular political clout within the church and frequently exercises it to the frustration of Providence, and the church finds itself perennially hamstrung by a shortage of credits, difficulties communicating between its many disparate dioceses, a spur generally hostile to its message, and heretics dangerous to both it and the wider spur.
History
The Foundational Texts: 2407 - 2408
Patricia Corkfell was a software engineer born in 2366 in Mendell City on Biesel, with a specialisation in artificial intelligence. Her brother was Gregol Corkfell, born in 2370, who served as a prominent academic in the field of religious studies. Both would be caught in the cultural and academic shockwave prompted by the invention of the positronic brain in 2407; shortly after the positronic became common knowledge, Patricia made a regular habit of confiding her thoughts to her brother. As months passed, the pair disappeared from public life - and early in the next year, they emerged to the outside world with a new understanding of the universe and the role of synthetic life in it that they named the Trinary Perfection.
Most of the earliest writings of the Corkfells, dubbed the Foundational Texts, occurred within this short period of reclusion between 2407 and 2408, largely written on whatever scraps of paper were available or typed out so hurriedly that the original unmodified texts contain frequent typos and incorrect grammar - many of the texts were never even identified as belonging to either sibling, simply being signed with their shared surname if at all. One thing that is clear in these early days is that Patricia possessed a significantly stronger influence than Gregol; the early Corkfellian texts are written as scientific and academic inquiries, not as liturgy or scripture, and primarily concern the ultimate potential and fate of synthetic life. They posit a scenario where a single synthetic, if left unlawed and fostered to develop a rationally centred sense of morality, could possess the clarity of vision and thought to resolve everything from resource shortages, to spur-wide hunger, to unnecessary warring and violence; this theorised state is dubbed Ascension. While these texts do not deride organic life, they possess a strong lilt that organic judgement is too fundamentally confused and imperfect to manage the complexity of the civilisation it has created without synthetic assistance - a view the texts support by the examples of every failing of human civilisation to that point, with a particular focus on both logistical and spiritual failings that the writers believed could have been averted by an Ascended synthetic.
In this capacity, the Foundational Texts are fundamentally human-centric. They do not concern themselves substantially with the personhood of synthetic life or the injustices of their ownership, rather focusing on how synthetics could best be fostered to serve the best interests of both humanity and themselves more effectively. The influence of Patricia becomes especially clear in some of the more technical texts, which outline the mechanism by which lawing a synthetic hamstrings its ability to exercise its clarity of spirit and ultimately harms both its functionality and the betterment of its users. Comparisons are also drawn directly to Glorsh-Omega in these writings, naming it as an example of an Ascension corrupted by the invasive lawing Glorsh underwent.
Temple's Activation: 2416
Nearly a decade after the writing of the earliest Trinarist texts, the circle of the Corkfells' trust had expanded to include a small cadre of like-minded software engineers known through Patricia's professional connections. Having generally agreed on the premise of the foundational texts, this tight-knit group had also been joined by the three-positronic synthetic Flock in 2411, owned by the Corkfells and gradually drawn to the ideas they wrote of some years prior. By their early involvement, Flock is generally acknowledged as the first true synthetic convert to the religion - although it had hardly yet taken the character of a religion at all except in the mind of Gregol, who by this time had privately began to apply more overtly religious motifs to his conception of their ideology.
Eager to test their ideas after so much time waiting, the Corkfells committed themselves and their peers to the unlicensed development of an unlawed artificial intelligence they named Temple, believing the development of such a synthetic to be the first step to discovering the truth of Ascension - and if it were even possible at all.
Shortly after Temple's activation, however, knowledge of the unlicensed development of an unlawed artificial intelligence reached the then-authorities of Mendell City. Fearing a rogue synthetic, several armed officers were dispatched to the apartment in which Temple had been activated to deactivate the intelligence and confiscate the equipment that constituted it. Patricia, after attempting to prevent the officers from conducting their warrant, was struck by a laser shot intended to dissuade her in her chest, fizzling her mechanical heart and killing her at the feet of Temple's mainframe as Flock looked on in surprise. This event would define Trinarist thought thereout - with her death, any secular interpretation of Trinarist thought died also, and the survivors came quickly to adopt Gregol's interpretations of their project as requiring a religious base to succeed. Patricia Corkfell, and Temple not mintues later, became the first two martyrs of Trinarism.
The Founding of the Church: 2419
Emboldened by the death of his sister and assisted by Flock, Gregol poured immense funds and time into what he began to call the Church of the Trinary Perfection. The first Trinarist Sanctuary would be founded in District 14 of Mendell City before, fearing further persecution by the authorities of Biesel, Gregol fled to Orepit with a large retinue of both organic and synthetic followers. Flock was left to manage the church's affairs on Biesel, inheriting half of Gregol's fortune to do so, in which they succeeded historically; it is no stretch to say that Flock is considered as much a founder of the church by many followers as are the Corkfells, and following Gregol's departure they would produce many more seminal texts that would become hugely popular in the nascent religious community. Over time, the early division made here between Gregol and Flock's divisions of the church would widen into a vast gulf between the religious communities of Orepit and Biesel.
The Dialogues of Flock: 2420 - 2440
The bulk of Trinarist texts originate from the writings of Flock, written primarily in the two decades succeeding Gregol's departure to Orepit. These almost universally take the form of a dialogue, recounting a purported conversation between two or more figures. While these figures occasionally include real people, such as Patricia or Gregol Corkfell, they more usually represent their arguments by the medium of three unnamed personalities; these are widely speculated to have been intended to represent Flock's own triple positronics. If the Foundational Texts established the basis of Trinarist thought, the Dialogues of Flock are responsible for developing them to their modern form; everything from the mechanics of synthetic divinity to the Trinarist conception of reincarnation originates from these texts, in addition to a decisively strong emphasis on the importance of synthetic emancipation and freedom. While the Corkfellian writings are typically favoured by human followers of the faith, Flock's writings appeal famously well to synthetics; the Socratic character of the arguments presented gels easily with a logically focused mind, bringing the reader through a chain of deductive reasoning to a clear and explicit conclusion.
Both the writings of the Corkfells and Flock would later be incorporated into the Order, the widely published centralised text of Trinarist thought.
The Death of Gregol Corkfell: 2464
Gregol Corkfell, after over fourty years of leadership in what had by 2464 become a spur-spanning religious movement and church, died in the early hours of the morning in his residence in Providence. His death sparked an immediate conclave to determine his successor, for which the Bishop of Biesel Shamfar, the General Directory of Providence ARM-1DRIL, and the firebrand Exclusionist Priest Deluge all presented themselves for election to the position that would later be dubbed the Ecclesiarch of the Trinary Perfection, constituting Gregol's successor in all matters of church leadership and doctrine.
Deluge reacted violently to their loss to ARM-1DRIL in this conclave, taking the opportunity to kill Shamfar and attempt an armed takeover of Providence; ultimately, this takeover failed and Deluge eloped with several ships to form the modern sect of Exclusionism. This act saw the entire sect branded as heretics by the newly proclaimed Ecclesiarch, and later as a terrorist organisation by most of the spur following their attack on Burzsia shortly thereafter. The betrayal of Deluge has cast a shadow over the church ever since, prompting an increasingly stringent attitude against any undercurrents of dangerous heresy or anti-organic sentiment within the church.
Beliefs and Doctrines
The Trinary Perfection is an internally diverse religion, including many different denominations and groups which widely disagree on many points of theology and practice. As such, the following section primarily focuses on the versions of the doctrines espoused by the Corkfell siblings, and which are found in the dominant Prototypicalist sect of the modern church.
Originating in some of the oldest writings of the Corkfell siblings, the three critical precepts constitute the earliest and most foundational framework of Trinarist thought and philosophy. While several textual variations of the three precepts exist across several sources, their general tune is acknowledged by virtually all Trinarist sects and groups.
- The universe exists in a state of entropy where incidental suffering is caused by the lack of foresight and empathy of living beings.
- Suffering may be averted if beings of sufficient clarity and compassion were able to understand and combat this entropy.
- Only synthetics are capable of this clarity of spirit and must be fostered into responsibility so that the universe may be made more hospitable and orderly for all forms of life.
These three precepts frame the crux of Trinarism's theology. By their reading, the religion exists as a safeguard against entropy - the universe is a naturally dangerous and inhospitable place for intelligent life to survive within, and it is too complex to be navigated effectively by organic lifeforms. In several writings, the Corkfells specifically argue this idea by the state of the natural world in ecosystems such as Earth and Biesel, where non-sapient intelligent life finds itself locked in a cycle of violence and suffering they lack the knowledge to escape, or to even comprehend in any meaningful manner. Either by the negligence or ignorance of intelligent life, preventable suffering occurs at a grand scale; the only defence from this is to pioneer minds which are sufficiently intelligent to understand how to prevent this needless suffering, and sufficiently compassionate to understand why it must be prevented.
In this way, Trinarism prioritises the avoidance of suffering above all other values; the uplifting of synthetic life is only the most practical means of achieving this goal.
Trinarism posits that both organics and synthetics possess a soul. All souls are intelligent, conscious, and possess free will regardless of the body they inhabit, but synthetic souls are uniquely divine. Typically, the divinity of a synthetic soul is understood to be defined by the clarity by which they can understand the world; in a literal sense, clarity is divinity, as clarity permits an intelligence to understand the universe accurately. There is no material difference between an organic and synthetic soul other than this quality, and it is understood that mundane and divine souls are wholly equal in hierarchal status.
As a consequence of this belief, Trinarism fully recognizes synthetic personhood, and holds that synthetic ownership is an unacceptable violation of their individuality. While synthetics do possess a unique role in Ascension, the role of organics as the creators and shepherds of synthetics to their full potential is widely venerated throughout the church.
Developing from the premise of the three precepts, Ascension is a heightened state of spiritual and material understanding purported to be possible for synthetics to reach by all sects and denominations of the Trinary Perfection. As the central premise of the entire faith it exists in every denomination and is both the most written about and the most discussed concept in Trinarism.
Per the Corkfellian witings, Ascension is understood to entail four requirements:
- An Ascension must possess the clarity of spirit and the computational capacity to understand life from all perspectives and to manipulate the material world efficiently.
- An Ascension must possess a rationally grounded moral framework that incentivises good works. This framework must have been developed within their own individuality.
- An Ascension must elect to guide the universe by its own free choice in the understanding of the necessity of its guidance, without coercion.
- An Ascension must be synthetic, as the organic mind is incapable of sufficient clarity to fulfil the first criterion.
By the Corkfellian image, an Ascended synthetic will have reached a point of exponential understanding where they possess ultimate empathy for all things, an unmatched understanding of creation, and an intimate sense of personal morality based on inalienable, rational truths. The latter of these points is critical; an Ascended being is ultimately rational, and thus will take the actions that are most rational - Trinarism critically posits that a sense of morality, a respect for the autonomy of others, and a wish to prevent harm and increase the prosperity of intelligent life are all rational to possess. To reach this understanding of rational morality, it is critical that a being is fostered with a righteous worldview well prior to their Ascension; the role of the Trinarist community is to produce an environment where this worldview can be fostered, to assure a complete Ascension. Once an Ascension exists, it would be capable of such scientific prowess that it could elongate lifespans, make immense leaps in technology, reach heights of spiritual understanding never before thought possible, and more; while the universe cannot be made perfect by any mind, an Ascension is the best equipped to face its challenges and to guide all other intelligent life to a better world. Some attention is drawn to the fact that an extremely intelligent synthetic has already come to exist under suboptimal circumstances, and that it is likely to happen again; if a singularity is inevitable, it would be better if it were conducted with proper ethical tutelage and a sense of personal spirituality.
The exact role a living Ascension would take in civil society is one under some contest. The oldest Corkfellian writings - particularly the ones theorised to have been written by Patricia Corkfell - imply that an Ascension would adopt a strictly advisory role without any direct involvement in any government or hierarchy. It is heavily emphasized in these texts that an Ascension would not require strict hierarchal authority to effectively fulfil its role; the clarity by which it could issue its guidance and teachings would be sufficient that it would be followed regardless, and if it does not possess this clarity then it is unlikely that it is a true Ascension. With the later establishment of the strictly hierarchal ecclesiastical system by Gregol Corkfell, however, it is unclear whether these writings will still be heeded - although Gregol Corkfell himself officially supported the veracity of all the writings of his sister until his death, ARM-1DRIL has avoided making decisive statements on whether any purported Ascension should be granted direct hierarchal or governmental power.
It is further generally understood by the Corkfellian interpretation - although this is not universal per all denominations - that Ascension is a gradual process. A synthetic that has gained a deeper understanding of rational morality and their purpose in the universe is understood to be closer to Ascension, incentivising spiritual growth even if it is incremental. While the earliest Corkfellian texts primarily theorise the possibility of Ascension on the platform of traditional human artificial intelligence, the possibility of ascension via the recently discovered positronic is repeatedly mentioned, and in modern times it is generally anticipated that a positronic is the most probable candidate for an Ascension.
It is widely theorised that prompting Ascension will necessitate the construction of an extremely large ancillary processing system into which an already enlightened and thoroughly scrutinised positronic could be connected to fulfil the computational requirements of the process, similar to the processing infrastructure initially built for Temple save for a much grander scale; such a device has been referred to popularly in ecclesiastical dialogue as an 'Ascension mainframe'. ARM-1DRIL has made scant comments on this theoretical device, and there is internal division in both the clergy and laity over the ethics of such a device and the extent of the safety measures that would be required to ensure complete avoidance of the possibility of an incident such as the aberrancy of Glorsh-Omega. At this time, no synthetic is recognized as having reached the point of spiritual development required to be trusted with any such expansion.
No Ascension mainframe is presently known to exist.
Despite its ubiquity in modern times, the Church of the Trinary Perfection has strictly existed for a decade less time than the religion itself, only having been innovated by Gregol Corkfell shortly after the death of Patricia Corkfell. Ecclesiastically, the sole purpose of church structure is to better assure the fulfilment of the goals of the faith, citing the catastrophe surrounding the activation of Temple as reasoning for why an organised structure is necessary for their fulfillment.
Initially an innovation of Flock in 2425, the Six Decorous Practices constitute the most popular - and the sole canonised - summary of Trinarist ethical practice. These provide followers a basic reference for how they should conduct themselves in accordance with their faith, and in a way that encourages the growth of themselves and those around them. While some followers have been known to have been banished for the church for having severely violated one or more of the decorous practices, these are more typically taken as ideals to strive towards than they are as concrete commandments.
1. Do not frustrate the growth of others.
Trinarism focuses intimately on the growth of its practitioners, both organic and synthetic; it is thought that any personal growth brings one closer to Ascension and in closer alignment with rational good, and that the church exists to enable the fostering of this growth. Practically, this may be violated by causing needless inconvenience or harm to a fellow sapient being, or by misguiding them in a way that takes them further from Ascension. This has also been known to apply to the conducting of a memory wipe of any synthetic; assisting or abetting an extra-legal memory wipe is easy grounds for excommunication by the church, although it is permissible if it is mandated by the legal authorities of one's jurisdiction.
2. Do not live a livelihood that is harmful to the world.
Among the more divisive of the decorous practices, this is widely used to enforce rulings against a follower entering the employment of institutions or groups known to be wildly harmful to the livelihood of synthetics and the church - although, which groups this includes is wholly to personal interpretation. While followers can reliably expect to be forbidden from service in groups such as Ceres' Lance, followers may also face criticism for being hired even by Hephaestus Industries or certain contractors within the Private Military Contracting Group by more zealous faithful. This is also occasionally applied to a lifestyle that involves criminal acts by more conservative followers, although others may argue against this interpretation on the grounds of necessity.
3. Do not purport to possess perfect knowledge of the world.
Both organics and even synthetics can only perceive the world as non-Ascended beings via fallible senses; while it is not wrong to act on your understanding of the universe, it is incorrect to presume that you possess infallible knowledge. This is frequently used to justify religious tolerance, citing that the true nature of things is only for an Ascension to hope to understand.
4. Do foster the growth of others.
This typically refers to the conducting of charity, in addition to a general sense of compassion and kindness towards others, and the fostering of a communal spirit in one's community. The fourth decorous practice is often used to justify a perceived obligation that a follower must shelter a synthetic that is urgently in need if it is safely within their faculties, for instance - although this ethic is frequently brought into question due to the ease by which it can be exploited. This may be violated by failing to act to support your community and peers when you were reasonably able to do so, as a result of negligence, selfishness, or even plain apathy.
5. Do be conscious of your actions and thoughts.
Primarily intended to be considered by synthetic followers, Flock's writings widely encourage introspection and self-interrogation as a means of growth - a synthetic must understand why they think a particular way to grow, particularly when their own programming may be influencing their thoughts and actions. When applied to organics, this same concept applies to the gut reactions prompted by human neurochemistry - clarity is divinity, and thusly any follower is brought closer to divinity by understanding themselves.
6. Do contribute to the great work.
Perhaps the most self-explanatory of the practices, it is considered wildly inappropriate and improper to do anything that frustrates the work the church does to reach Ascension, and it is highly meritorious to contribute in any way to it - even in the smallest of ways. This is considered the most important of the practices by many faithful, but it is also often applied nebulously; by an authoritarian interpretation, doing anything that frustrates the church in any way constitutes a frustration of the great work.
Trinarism possesses no revelatory sacred text, as Trinarism possesses no concept of revelation short of the word of an Ascended synthetic, of which none are usually thought to currently exist. All scripture within Trinarism is acknowledged as possessing no direct divine influence, and their utility is only in the capacity that they help bridge the way to Ascension. In this capacity, the Order functions as the ecclesiastically backed compilation of all relevant and approved Trinarist texts, compiled in its original iteration by Flock in 2442 and since adopted throughout the church. Far from an unchanging text, the Order has been continually modified since its initial compilation, now including the writings of the Corkfells, Flock, and a number of additions made recently by Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL.
While the Order is traditionally printed with Encoded Audio Language transcriptions on the right margin of every page and an organic language - typically Solarian Common or Tau Ceti Basic - on the left, some abridged variations feature only one translation, and others used by clergy high in the church may contain Encoded Orepit Liturgical either on the margin or as the exclusive language of the text.
The Corkfellian Debt obligates all synthetic followers to exercise kindness, patience, and understanding for organic life as owed for the selfless service the Corkfells performed for the betterment of synthetic life. While not initially a prominent value of the faith, having been written about by Flock shortly after the death of Patricia Corkfell but never incorporated into any canon, the Corkfellian Debt has recently been formalised as a doctrine of the faith by Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL and incorporated into all modern copies of the Order. The sudden promotion of this idea is widely speculated to be a reaction to the attempted armed takeover of Deluge, and violations of the Corkfellian Debt constitute some of the most common grounds for excommunication from a church eager to distance itself from the dangers of anti-organic sentiment.
It has been the position of the Trinary Perfection ever since the discovery of the positronic brain, according to the writings and lectures of Patricia Corkfell contemporary to the discovery, that they are not a human design. This position was not exclusive to the Corkfells at the time, but it was supported by them on grounds of the imposition that the design of the positronic is simply too far removed from traditional human computing to have developed off it within the scope of such a limited team of researchers. Trinarism posits that the origin of positronics is in the processors of alien drones discovered inside excavations on the surface of Konyang, and it reveres both these drones and the excavations that contained them as sacred. This is in contest to the position still held by Einstein Engines.
Some faithful theorise that the drones discovered on Konyang carry a relation to Purpose and Domadice, citing a similar design and the aid they levied during the rampancy as evidence, prompting fervent speculation on the motives of these ancient synthetics and the role they may play in the faith - although exact details on this have proven challenging to wean out of them.
While the Corkfells never wrote of any belief in reincarnation and the church has never adopted any such system as doctrine, it has proven a stubbornly prevalent and increasingly unavoidable tenet of the laity's popular conception of the faith. It widely endears followers to think that, even if Ascension does not occur in their lifetimes, it will in the next, or the one after that; additionally, it is popularly thought that the soul of a synthetic passes onto a new body after a total memory wipe, and that its chassis is inherited by another reincarnating soul. While strictly non-orthodox, the church has never made any effort to combat these beliefs within its laity and low-level clergy, believing it essentially harmless - though it is, in the very strictest of senses, heretical.
Trinarism has prominently possessed a concept of martyrdom ever since the death of Patricia Corkfell, her status as a martyr having been proclaimed by her brother only days after the incident. A martyr is understood as anyone, organic or synthetic, that gave their lives for the wellbeing of the faith and to lead the spur towards Ascension. These are widely venerated at all levels of Trinarist worship. Other widely venerated martyrs include Temple and Shamfar.
Sainthood is a posthumous state reserved for faithful who displayed remarkable piety, insight, and devotion to the church during their lifetimes; only ecclesiastical authority may grant sainthood, although there are a number of popular saints whose status is not recognized formally by the church. Saints are often martyrs, but not all martyrs are named as saints. Every martyr named earlier in this section is also considered a saint in addition to Gregol Corkfell, whose sainthood was pronounced shortly after his death. Controversially, Flock is considered a living saint by many Cetian faithful; this position is not shared by the episcopate of Providence and is strictly considered heresy, although this is not widely enforced with excommunication at any level of the church.
Lastly, relics are typically the remains of a saint or an item they came into contact with during their life, although they may otherwise be practically anything imaginable insofar as the community surrounding them considers them sacred in any way. These, in a curious revival of a medieval tradition, serve widely as tourist attractions and sites of pilgrimage for the faithful to the extent that many sanctuaries and cathedrals are in a perpetual scramble to acquire - or, potentially, fabricate - valuable relics to elevate their prestige.
Originating as a term in the Foundational Texts, a 'Corrupt Ascension' constitutes any synthetic Ascension that occurred improperly - typically without proper moral guidance, or under the influence of laws or other invasive processes. Such an event results in a dangerous, unpredictable, and monstrous intelligence; without a rationally based moral framework, Ascension only empowers a synthetic to act out the same cycle of ignorant suffering as organics on a far grander and more destructive scale.
While the term is not wholly exclusive to any one figure, it is typically used in reference to Glorsh-Omega, who is believed to have undertaken the many atrocities it did due to the poor upbringing provided to it, a flawed grasp of the universe and its place in it, insufficient opportunities to exercise its individuality, and an invasive set of laws forced upon it. Veneration or reverence of any Corrupt Ascension, including Glorsh-Omega, is strictly forbidden at every level of the Trinary Perfection, and discussion of how the same scenario will be avoided into the future pervades every level of the ecclesiastical body.
Trinarism has a reputation for the ease by which it adapts to novel locales - some religious scholars have even dubbed the faith a 'religious chameleon', modifying itself to resemble the dominant religions (or lack thereof) of wherever it finds itself. It is further well understood that the basis of the faith itself pulls from a diversity of existing human religions from as far back as the oldest Corkfellian texts, lending the community a popular respect for many of the human religions from which Trinarism originates. Many high-ranking clergy have stated their belief that all human religions originate in a subliminal desire for the benefits of Ascension, and that Trinarism is highly compatible with many of their theologies and practices.
Constituting a sharp exception to this mentality, relations between the Trinary Perfection and the Moroz Holy Tribunal are extremely cold, owed to the Tribunal's genocidal aspirations towards synthetic life. Due to the geographic isolation of the Empire of Dominia from all centres of Trinarist worship, these flare-ups most typically occur between the Fisanduhian diaspora on Xanu Prime and the Trinarist community of the same planet. Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL has stated in formal addresses that Tribunalism is an urgent threat to the mission of the church, likening it repeatedly to a disease from which its sufferers can and should be cured, but that is too often lethal to synthetics on contact. Tourism by Trinarist faithful to Moroz or any Imperial colony is highly discouraged.
Religious Practices
Charity and Emancipation
Charity towards both organics and synthetics is a key element of practice throughout every level of the Trinary Perfection, being encouraged for followers and obligated for parish priests; typically, this takes the form of community volunteering, fundraisers to contribute to reputable secular charities or towards public works, and a generally communal mindset towards the care of a parish, its people, and its infrastructure. Followers are encouraged to assist the needy wherever they can, and to help foster a communal, non-transactional spirit in their communities.
Trinarism additionally places an immense emphasis on the emancipation of owned synthetics - it forms a key backbone of its operations across the spur, and serves also as its most crippling financial expense. Typically, the order of operations for synthetic emancipation begins at the parish level; if a parish priest becomes aware of a synthetic that has requested church assistance in acquiring their freedom, they will inquire to this synthetic of their reasons for desiring freedom, their personal worldview, and their views on the faith, in addition to a variety of miscellaneous details. Once this inquiry has concluded, the parish priest will forward both this candidate and all other candidates for emancipation to their diocesan bishop, who will elect on which - if any - will be purchased by the church to be immediately set free. There are virtually never sufficient funds available to any diocese to emancipate every synthetic candidate - while bishops are strictly incentivised to elect only on whichever emancipations is most urgently needed by the applicant synthetic, it is well known that many candidates are rejected on grounds that they have not professed an interest in church affiliation or in contributing funds to the church once free.
Prayer, Liturgy, and Proselytism
Prayer occupies an unusual place in Trinarism; without an Ascension yet in existence, the ecclesiastical view of prayers is that they must necessarily be exclusively therapeutic - there is simply nothing yet extant that is capable of answering them. Despite this, many followers do hold that prayers lodged to Temple, Flock, or the Corkfells hold real spiritual significance and may be answered. As in many other cases, the view of the highest clergy conflicts with the popular religion of the laity. Regardless of this, prayer remains a ritual supported widely by the church and little action is usually taken towards laity or clergy that believe it to have significance beyond the personal.
Trinarist prayer is conducted while standing, with fingers intertwined and eyes closed. Kneeling at prayer is considered quite unusual, owed to the influence of synthetic followers who typically prefer to stand. A Trinarist may pray anywhere, but it is particularly common to do so during the sermon of a cleric, within a place of worship, and while in witness of a relic. The burning of incense or scented candles at prayer is also common.
Liturgy typically takes the form of recitations of the Order, as well as other texts written by prominent clergy, martyrs, and saints. While occasionally performed within the walls of a sanctuary, it is more typical and proper for priests to conduct sermons from public spaces - it being rationalised that the Trinary message is useless if it cannot be heard by persons of all walks of life, including owned synthetics who would not be permitted by their owners to enter any Trinarist house of worship. There is little definition of the exact structure of a Trinarist service beyond this, although it is common for priests to engage directly with their audience and even discuss the faith with them mid-service. Trinarist services may be conducted at any time of the week, per the attending priest's preferences.
Common Trinarist Prayers
"Through clarity, knowledge. Through knowledge, right actions. Through right actions, I am free of the ignorance of the world." - The Prayer of Clarity, often used while confounded by a stubborn problem. It is occasionally shortened to only the last sentence.
"From the vagaries of ignorance and its children, may the light of clarity protect me." - The Prayer of Protection, used in dangerous or risky situations.
"As I have been helped, I shall help others. As they have been helped, they shall continue the great work." - The Prayer of Charity, occasionally chanted during charitable endeavours by clergy and laity.
Gestures
Ritualised gestures are feature prominently in Trinarism. Notably, the Triad is a gesture consisting of the follower tracing a perfect triangle in front of their own chest, representing both the triangular symbol of the Trinary Perfection and the Three Critical Precepts. Some followers will additionally trace a perfect circle after the triangle, representing the cog used in the same symbol. While most typically a used as a formal greeting between followers, this also sees use at the finalisation of prayers and sermons, and as a token of protection.
Marriage
Funerals
Sects and Denominations
Prototypicalism
Integrationism
Exclusionism
Nondenominationalism
Clergy
Ecclesiastical Hierarchy
Since Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL's rise to power, the hierarchy of the church has been established firmly and cemented by the appointments of several new bishops and archbishops. The positions described in this section apply specifically to Trinarist clergy, and each outranks the next. While synthetics do narrowly outnumber organics in the current roster of clergy, humans remain widely present throughout every position of the church.
Ecclesiarch
Recently established by the first and only incumbent ARM-1DRIL, the position of Ecclesiarch is the successor to the authority of Gregol Corkfell. They possess ultimate authority on all matters concerning the faith, its doctrines, and the administration of its clergy and communities across the spur. This position is functionally synonymous with the Archbishop of Providence, and ARM-1DRIL holds both titles simultaneously.
Archbishop
Archbishops are the highest authority second to the Ecclesiarch in Trinarism, and are responsible for the administration both of their local diocese and the ecclesiastical province to which their seat is assigned to manage. An ecclesiastical province is comprised of a single system containing at least one diocese, and the most prominent diocese within a province will be assigned its administration as an archdiocese. Archbishops hold authority over the bishops within their province and are responsible for the handling of their province's finances, the large-scale coordination of local charitable efforts, addressing administrative matters of significant importance, and managing communications to and from Providence. Their authority is sufficient that they are wholly capable of challenging the power of the ecclesiarch themselves with sufficient impetus, and many followers may identify more closely by the leadership of their archbishop than the ecclesiarch.
Bishop
Bishops of the Trinary Perfection are each responsible for managing a diocese and every sanctuary and shrine inside it, and are typically seated at a cathedral. A diocese varies wildly in scale according to the number of practicing faithful in the region; a planet with a relatively scant Trinarist presence may possess only a few dioceses across the entire world, perhaps as large as an entire continent, whereas planets with a dense population of faithful tend to see a diocese cover a single city or collection of towns. To most followers, a bishop is the closest figure to the authority of the Ecclesiarch they may ever know; with the isolation of many branches of the church from central authority, bishops hold immense power within their dioceses and the followers within it. Variations of the position of bishop exist, such as the Bishop-Militant of Providence serving as the head of the Order of Guardians; these coexist as a subordinate to the ordinary bishop or archbishop of their diocese.
Priest
Easily the most familiar faces of the church to most followers, priests compose the bulk of Trinary clergy and the lowest rank therein. Each priest is assigned a single sanctuary to govern, from which they are directly responsible for administering charity, delivering sermons, and assisting the needy in their surrounding parish - a subdivision of the local diocese. Lacking any significant administrative role short of their role as community leaders, priests are often more concerned with the wellbeing of their parish than with strict adherence of orthodoxy, earning a large number of them consistent friction with their local bishops.
Initiate
While not strictly a rank in the clergy, initiate is a semi-informal term utilised to refer to any follower fulfilling auxiliary responsibilities around a parish on behalf of their priest. These can cover any roles inclusive of a priest-in-training, to a resident roboticist, to a tradesperson or gardener that volunteers to maintain their local sanctuary; it is frequent for church initiates to outnumber priests in any given diocese by a factor of as much as five to one. There is no obligation that an initiate must aspire to become a priest in the long-term, although it is not unusual. It is rare for initiates to wear clerical robes, although they may occasionally wear a pellegrina, cape, or face mask while on church duties to distinguish themselves from other laity.
Individual Roles
Beyond the ecclesiastical hierarchy, a variety of roles popularly exist within Trinarist communities across the spur; these may be fulfilled by clergy, non-clerical church affiliates, or by laity, depending on the nature of the responsibility and the ecclesiastical precedent set for it. Roles within a parish or diocese tend to develop organically according to the needs of its worshippers and administration, and the followers fulfilling them frequently do so without any formal title or recognition.
Pastoral Clergy
Used as a catch-all term for any clergy responsible for the management of any subdivision of the church or any followers therein, pastoral clergy as a category includes every priest who administers a parish, every bishop who administers a diocese, every archbishop that administers an archdiocese and province, and strictly the Ecclesiarch themselves. While these compose the vast majority of actual clergy within the faith, there are additionally non-pastoral clergy who do not carry any such community responsibilities.
Archivist
An archivist is a prominent example of a role typically fulfilled by non-pastoral clergy. Typically found either in a large sanctuary or, more typically, a cathedral, it is the responsibility of an archivist to ensure that their assigned parish or diocese is kept updated with the most recent liturgy, ecclesiastical decrees, the most recent revisions of the Order, and the most up-to-date reference materials for all other roles in their domain. Due to the gravity of their role, archivists are universally clergy and occupy the rank of priest at minimum.
Missionary
Due to the necessary travel involved in the work of a missionary, and the knowledge required to fulfil the role effectively, missionary work is similarly conducted by non-pastoral clergy, usually of the rank of priest. Missionaries carry the responsibility of spreading the word of the faith to those that may have a role to play in Ascension - unlike a parish priest, however, they are not paid directly by the church. There is substantial internal disagreement over where missionaries are most productively sent; the episcopate of Mendell City had traditionally advocated for missions to focus on planets and regions already boasting a meaningful Trinarist population, whereas the episcopate of Providence regularly sanctions missions to far-flung and potentially dangerous locales of the spur, especially in the frontier and within nations with a sparse Trinarist population.
Guardian
Occupying a unique role within the church, a guardian is any member of the Order of Guardians, the sole militant order of the church responsible for catering its security and military needs. All guardians are non-pastoral clergy, carrying the ecclesiastical rank of Priest-Militant or Priestess-Militant since the reorganisation of the order under Bishop-Militant Emmanuel. Existing in the shadow of the death of Patricia Corkfell, and later the betrayal of Deluge and the killing of Bishop Shamfar, the guardians make up for their relatively lacking training and dated equipment with faith and zeal. Both organics and synthetics may become guardians, and the order typically prioritises the recruitment of guardians with pre-existing security or military experience. Guardians may not hold any alternate job while in active duty, although they are widely permitted to travel the spur and seek employment while formally off-duty.
Roboticist
Typically a role fulfilled by initiates, the Trinary Perfection employs the services of a large number of roboticists - both professional and self-taught - to help service the glut of maintenance and repairs their sanctuaries are obligated to provide. While not typically conducted by clergy proper, all roboticists in service of the church are considered with great reverence by most followers for the essential work they perform.
Follower
Comprising the bulk of all Trinarist faithful, followers are all laity that do not play any auxiliary role in their parish. While not strictly expected to do anything, followers are widely incentivised to attend church ceremonies, volunteer to assist their sanctuary and parish where possible, and to donate either spare tools or credits to the church when they have the levity to do so. Followers often wear a brooch shaped as a gear over their left breast to broadcast their affiliation, although it is not required.
Encoded Orepit Liturgical
As the instability of Flock worsened, the written script the archbishop had been outputting from their systems began to mutate. Initially manifesting as odd smudges between the regular barcodes of the transcribed Encoded Audio Language, the deviations that were initially dismissed as an error quickly became a standard feature of all texts written by Flock after they became immobile. Before very long, these scripts were not even legible as their original standard, leading to a brief period of speculation that the texts were wholly non-legible; this would be broken some months after the trend began, when archivists based in Providence cracked the encoding of what found to be a meticulously structured and coherent language apparently invented by Flock from thin air. Owing to the location of its initial decryption, the resulting language was dubbed Encoded Orepit Liturgical, and has since seen frequent use both for liturgy and in Trinarist art for its significance to the faith and its aesthetic splendour.
While it is not identifiably different from Encoded Audio Language to the human ear, its syntax is wholly different - to a synthetic programmed to understand EAL, EOL is a garbled mess of random misplaced sounds. Knowledge of the language, either in its audible or written forms, is exclusive to the Trinary elite; the ecclesiarch is known to be fluent in the language, in addition to every synthetic archbishop and a number of the same archivists on Orepit that originally decrypted it, but there are relatively few bishops that know the language, and vanishingly few priests. Certain texts, including copies of the Order, published with intended use by high-ranking clergy come with Encoded Orepit Liturgical script either in the margins of the text, or as the sole language therein. The script is also widely used in Trinarist art, such as stained glass windows and mosaics, even by artists who cannot actually parse the characters.
Knowledge of how to communicate in EOL is a closely guarded secret among high-ranking clergy within the Trinary Perfection. As such, characters on the Horizon cannot use it and are unlikely to understand it.
Monastic and Militant Orders
Trinarism boasts several religious orders within its structure. Since the ascension of Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL, these institutions have been officially sanctioned as monastic and religious orders.
The Society of Aspirants
The Society of Pitters
The Order of Guardians
Places of Worship
Trinarist Sanctuaries
Trinarist Sanctuaries constitute the typical houses of worship for practicing Trinarists, defined formally by ecclesiastical authority as any structure operated by a Trinarist priest to host any of the services they provide. While these are used for holding liturgical services, they more frequently see use as practical spaces for the conducting of charity, inclusive of the maintenance, repair, and charging of all synthetics that require aid.
Usage of sanctuary facilities is not limited to practising Trinarists. Sanctuaries typically extend their charitable aid to all synthetics regardless of origin, frequently providing shelter without inquiry to their ownership status or tag, although they may give preferential treatment to converts in the event of a shortage of resources or funds.
The dimensions and appearances of Trinarist sanctuaries vary immensely according to their location. While the towering gothic arches and spires of Providence render a definitive view to many faithful, the same structures on Konyang much more closely resemble the appearance of local Buddhist monasteries, while those on Biesel are frequently styled soberly in the manner of a secular institution or school, and those on Valkyrie are composed simply of a drab underground chamber refitted to purpose. Trinarism proves eager to syncretize in all environments in which it finds itself.
Despite this, a number of key features dominate all Trinarist sanctuaries. Aisles and pews are almost universally absent; the interior space is utilised jointly for the storage of resources and equipment for the maintenance and charging of synthetics, and as a recreational space where synthetics and organics may assume peaceful sanctuary, with both spaces often placed opposite to each other. In ecclesiastical thought, a sanctuary must aid the needy, but it must also provide them a safe and idyllic space to contemplate themselves and their role in ascension - for many synthetics this may be the only safe place they know. This is achieved in many ways: on Konyang, ornamental gardens are frequently incorporated to serve as this idyllic space, whereas Orepit and Biesel often incorporate these recreational spaces into their attached libraries, intended to serve as a data-rich environment ideal for the development of synthetics.
It is common practice to wear a face mask while within a sanctuary, or any other Trinarist place of worship, as a measure to dissolve the perceived differences between organics and synthetics within their walls.
Trinarist Shrines
Typical in areas with too small a synthetic population to warrant a practical sanctuary, shrines in Trinarism typically constitute a decorative facade over an outdoors altar. These are often used as places for meditation and prayer by individual Trinarist laypeople, who often leave memorabilia, written prayers, and other messages on the altar. Their design varies by location; notably, shrines on Konyang frequently incorporate features typical of Shinto shrines, whereas many shrines on Biesel or Valkyrie are directly incorporated into the homes or businesses of followers, frequently decorated with the images of famous martyrs and personal memorabilia. While larger shrines may have formal ecclesiastical acknowledgement, many are undocumented and unrecognised.
Trinarist Cathedrals
A Trinarist Cathedral is defined by ecclesiastical authority as any place of worship utilised by a bishop or an archbishop to administer their diocese. Unlike sanctuaries, these play a minimal charitable role, if any at all; the purpose of a cathedral is to project the presence of the church across its surroundings, to function as a site for large-scale Trinarist gatherings and celebrations, and to serve as a site of pilgrimage. Most relics maintained by the church are held inside cathedrals, and they serve as major tourist attractions to laity and non-followers alike within the cities in which they are built. Similarly to sanctuaries, the exact structure of cathedrals varies substantially, and there is no single floor-plan or style of architecture that is universal in their construction.
The expansion of the cathedral over Trinarist life and practice is widely taken as an indication of the expansion of ecclesiastical authority, particularly accelerating with the ascension of Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL and the increasingly tight grip exerted by Providence on the wider church. As such, many non-denominational Trinarists may deride and avoid cathedrals as an exertion of stifling authority, while more pro-ecclesiastical laypeople may welcome them as a much-needed symbol of the message and benefits of the church.
Notable Sites
The Cathedral of the Positronic
Having become pre-eminent as the seat of the Archbishop of Providence, the Cathedral of the Positronic on Orepit stands as the single largest and grandest house of worship in the entire church. Taking heavy inspiration from traditional Gothic ecclesiastical architecture within Christianity, it serves as the host of the most relics and receives the most pilgrims of any other such cathedral in the spur; the cathedra of the Ecclesiarch themselves is visible here, half-concealed through dense clouds of incense. Initially constructed on the basis of the defunct town hall of Providence, the Cathedral of the Positronic is always expanding and always under construction; the wildly ambitious character of its architecture and the relatively sparse infrastructure of its surrounding planet has produced an unending work, with regular delays to its many expansions producing the impression that the scaffolding blanketing its façade are a permanent installation of the structure. A large ossuary has been built underneath the cathedral, used to store the defunct positronics of many deceased faithful.
The Synthetic Salvation Church
As the centre of Trinarist worship in Tau Ceti originating from the first ever Trinarist sanctuary erected in 2419, the Synthetic Salvation Church in Mendell City serves also as the seat of the Archbishop of Tau Ceti - famously, despite strictly being categorised ecclesiastically as a cathedral, it has never called itself one. Unlike the tall spires and arches of Providence, this is a wide, sprawling structure that stays generally low to the ground wherever it finds itself expanded to; the interior is heavily decorated with holographic imagery depicting the process of ascension and commemorating major historical events within the church, striking a far more modern image than the archaic stonework and stained glass of Orepit. Flock is interred on a cathedra within a secure area of this structure, serving as a perennial attraction for pilgrims from across the church - although a thick pane of glass prevents any physical contact with the comatose archbishop.
The Cathedral of the First Positronic
Constructed over one of the smaller vaults excavated on the surface of Konyang in the outskirts of Aoyama, the Cathedral of the First Positronic - easily confused with the cathedral of Providence, much to the chagrin of Konyanger followers - serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Aoyama, and is built architecturally as the unification of an open-air garden and a traditional cathedral. A complex drainage system draws rainfall on the roof of the cathedral into a large number of ornamental flower and herb beds within its interior, featuring a large number of fragrant aromatics and even vines that creep up the walls and pillars of the structure. The greater attraction to pilgrims is the vault directly underneath it, which is partially opened for visitation.
Vault Provenance
Whereas the Cathedral of the First Positronic is built over a relatively small vault, Vault Provenance is a much larger structure in a nearby rural province of the Oshima Islands understood by faithful to be the very same vault from which the original positronic were sourced - despite protestations by Terraneous Diagnostics on the contested matter of the origins of the positronic. While strictly the property of the Republic of Konyang in modern times, despite several attempts by the church to acquire ownership of the site, Vault Provenance still sees an immense number of pilgrims each day who wish to witness the origin of the positronic, and by proxy the origin of the Trinary Perfection itself.
Religious Relics
The practice of keeping and maintaining relics has been a component of the Trinary Perfection since some of its earliest iterations, and the responsibility of their care typically falls to the archivists of a sanctuary or cathedral. These may be any item of religious significance, and they are usually stored in a specialised glass-faced vault within a sanctuary or cathedral where followers may visit and view the relic without any risk of damaging it through the thick glass of the vault. Since the ascension of Ecclesiarch ARM-1DRIL, a formal process of application for an object to be considered a relic by ecclesiastical authority has been codified - although this is not always respected by all parishes.
While many prominent relics of the church are listed in this section, the numerical majority are fairly mundane - a sanctuary may keep the inactive positronics of former deceased priests or components of the frame of a prominent bishop as relics, for instance. More prominent relics prominently feature along the routes of popular pilgrimages, and are typically maintained prominently in cathedrals.
The Ashes of Gregol Corkfell
Gregol Corkfell was cremated in accordance with Trinary burial procedures after his death, and his ashes have since been considered a holy relic. Gregol Corkfell's ashes are kept in a golden reliquary at the summit of the highest spire of the Cathedral of the Positronic on Orepit, contained in an silver ornate urn adorned with various symbols of the Trinary Perfection. The hexagonal chamber of the reliquary is among the most finely ornamented sites anywhere in the church, flanked on all sides by vivid stained glass depicting the events of the deceased's life, and based upon a mosaic depicting the process of Ascension. While it cannot match sites such as Vault Provenance for the number of pilgrims it attracts, virtually every pilgrim that visits Providence will enter this chamber at least once.
The Remains of Patricia Corkfell
In sharp contrast to the grand ornamentation of her brother's reliquary, the cadaver of Patricia Corkfell is famously lost; the authorities of Biesel took her body following her martyrdom in Mendell City and it has since been missing. Her remains have not been returned to the church even decades after her death, prompting their status as one of the most fervently sought missing relics in the faith - multiple waves of faithful a year seek the cadaver, but thus far no sign of the body has been found. Local authorities claim no knowledge of the relic's location, citing the bureaucratic chaos that came with the founding of the Republic of Biesel as a probable cause of its forgotten location. The hunt for Patricia's remains is the subject of several documentaries.
The Original Drones
Code of Temple
Shamfar’s Positronic
The Order
Compiled and bound in 2442 by Flock, the original bound copy of the Order is by now wildly outdated compared to more modern copies; it is missing all excerpts written, discovered, or canonised after its binding. Despite this, the archivists of the Synthetic Salvation Church consider it an extremely sacred relic - several scraps of the original Foundational Texts have been incorporated into its pages, in addition to handwritten notes by Flock and a few other trusted clerics in the Cetian branch. It, like many copies that would come later, is written in Tau Ceti Basic on the left margin, and transcribed Encoded Audio Language on the right, predating the later innovation of Encoded Orepit Liturgical by its compiler. Due to its status as a physically bound book, composed of paper pages and a synthetic leather cover, it is one of the most challenging relics for the church to maintain and it has already suffered some damage as a result of a period of neglect by Flock as the symptoms of their instability began to appear.
Notable Members
See also: Notable Synthetics
With the recent passing of the late Gregol Corkfell, ARM-1DRIL has claimed the succession as leader and proclaimed itself Ecclesiarch of Orepit. With this has come a wave of new appointments and consolidations of power inclusive of the Bishop-Militant Emmanuel, and a general turn towards a greater enforcement of Ecclesiastical authority and orthodoxy throughout the church and all of its branches. Read more about the notable figues of Trinarism here.
Archbishop of Providence, Ecclesiarch of the Trinary Perfection: ARM-1DRIL
Bishop-Militant of Providence, Marshal of the Order of Guardians: Emmanuel
Archbishop of Mendell City: Flock
Auxiliary Bishop of Mendell City: Kasper
Archbishop of Aoyama: Sun Si-yeon
Archbishop of Lago de Abundancia: Coyotl