People of the Way (Andromeda)
The People of the Way are a religious movement that feature in Andromeda.
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History
The People of the Way were formed following the Nietzscheans Uprising against the Systems Commonwealth which saw the collapse of that great interstellar civilization. In the aftermath of the Fall and the Long Night, the Magog emerged from the Magog Quarantine Zone in large numbers by CY 9886 where they began to attack all of known space. Amongst the worlds they attacked was Earth in CY 9797 where a human holy man was paralysed by the Magog and later infested with Magog eggs. However, despite this being the case, he surprisingly managed to remain conscious during the entirety of the incubation period where he spoke to his Magog captors. During this time, he spoke of the various human religions of his world as well as a number of philosophies. His words were known to had a resounding effect on the Magog who renounced violence and thus created the Wayists. Though the holy man died in the birthing process of the Magog progeny, these newborn became the first converts of the new religion who rallied behind the teachings of their prophet who was a Magog that was only known as the "Anointed". (Website: All Systems University Timeline)
By 9892, the Wayists came upon the isolated world of Kalfus IV and renamed it Krishnamurti which became the center of their learning as well as their young religions first Novitiate. (Website: All Systems University Krishnamurti) Following the death of the Anointed, the religion was held by a number of successors who held the title of Keeper of the Way. (Website: All Systems University People of the Way) Similar feats of conversion of feral Magog continued in the years afterwards with Brother Thaddeus Blake travelling into a horde of Magog on the planet Kingfisher and converted them to the Way. Amongst the newborn Magog born from their hosts included one known as "Red Plague" who later took the name of Rev Bem. (Episode: The Devil Take the Hindmost) BY CY 10087, this post was held by an Amber Than-Thre-Kull by the name of Vision of Faith VII who held the place as keeper of the faith for almost twenty years. (Website: All Systems University People of the Way) After becoming a crewmember of the Andromeda Ascendant, Rev Bem used the vessel as part of his attempts at spreading the Way to other worlds and made regular reports to his comrades in the People of the Way. (Episode: The Ties that Blind)
During this time, the famous Wayist known as Serentiy Khalsa was killed by the Restorians and replaced with a nanobot copy as part of their plans to destroy the Andromeda Ascendant. During this time, the Restorians were known to had masqueraded as Wayists until their plot was uncovered and they were defeated by the Andromeda Ascendant. (Episode: The Ties that Blind) Afterwards, Thaddeus Blake discovered the Hajira and converted their species into Wayists as well as attempted to retain their innocence due to the fact that they possessed genetic memory of their ancestors. However, the colony was under attack from slavers which saw Captain Dylan Hunt and Rev Bem come to their aid. Brother Blake was killed in the struggle as he attempted to prevent the Hajira from learning violence. In desperation, the Hajira known as Tiama forcibly used Rev Bem to implant Magog eggs in her body. The newborn progeny were successful in eliminating the slavers and retained the Hajira genetic memory thus spawning an entire brood of Wayists warrior monks at the expense of the Hajira's innocence. (Episode: The Devil take the Hindmost) A year later, the People of the Way sponosored a relief convoy protected by the Andromeda Ascendant in order to journey through Drago-Kazov Pride territory in order to aid the plague ridden world of Rogina. (Episode: Una Salus Victus)
Background
Much of the background and teachings of the Wayists were based around the words of the Anointed who was the Magog prophet that founded their faith which was based on an amalgamation of several human philosophies. As a result of those teachings, the Wayists tended to be peaceful as well as generous beings that consisted of believers from many different species. Their ultimate goal was to strive for food and follow the path shown by the Anointed. This remained the case even after the Anointed had passed away with the Wayists following his succesor namely the Keeper of the Way. (Website: All Systems University People of the Way)
The belief of the Wayists centered around a deity that encompassed all of existence which they called the "Divine" which was responsible for creating everything. (Episode: Its Hour Come Round at Last) Amongst the ranks of the People of the Way included a clergy of many different orders one of which included the Society of Wisdom who were active proselytes as well as educators that sought to induct other beings into their faith. Other orders included the contemplative Whisperers of Truth, the administrative Order of Unity and the charitable Merciful Breath. (Website: All Systems University People of the Way)
There were a number of different philosophical paths within the Way which included "the Mountain Path". This belief was one of acceptance by the believer of the surrounding and they forsook medicinal treatments with them instead accepting even disease as part of their faith. (Episode: The Ties that Blind)
Locations
- Krishnamurti : formerly known as Kalfus IV in the Commonwealth era and was located in the Sukarit Globular Cluster. Its isolated nature meant it served as the perfect post to become the Wayists center of learning. There was a movement to open the planet to outsiders in order to spread enlightenment but it was rejected by the Novitiate. (Website: All Systems University Krishnamurti) A place known as the "Shouting Cliffs" was where Wayists shouted their frustrations and desires in order to release any burdens on their mind. (Episode: Double Helix)
- Starlight & Still Water : a supposed Wayist monastery and observatory, it was actually a masquerade used by the Restorians who operated the station as an outpost (Episode: The Ties that Blind)
Members
- The Anointed : a Magog born on Earth after a holy man was infested, the Anointed became the leader of the Wayist movement. One of his sayings in CY 9799 was "Only those born guilty recognize innocence for what it is: The rarest thing in the universe, and the most precious." (Episode: The Devil Take the Hindmost)
- Vision of Faith VII : an Amber Than who served as Keeper of the Way by CY 10087 and hailed from the Merciful Breath order which had grown in influence since her appointment. She was noted for being deeply spiritual and true to her convictions with one of her goals being to overthrow the caste based system of her species. (Website: All Systems University People of the Way) One of her sayings was "The truest measure of a society is how it treats its elderly, its pets, and its prisoners." (Episode: A Rose in the Ashes)
- Vision of Faith : a Keeper of the Way who said in CY 10003 "Beneath knowing, understanding. Beneath understanding, seeing. Beneath seeing, recognizing. Beneath recognizing, knowing" (Episode: Belly of the Beast)
- Rev Bem : Reverand Bem a Magog born on Kingfisher and converted to the Way by Thaddeus Blake. (Episode: The Devil take the Hindmost) He was known to be a member of the Society of Wisdom in the orders of the People of the Way. (Website: All Systems University People of the Way) In CY 10090, he wrote "A Wayist Practicum" where one of his words were "To the question of life after death: Not whether such a thing exists, but... What manner of life?" (Episode: For Whom the Bell Tolls)
- Brother Thaddeus Blake : a male Human who was known to travelled to the Magog ridden world of Kingfisher and converted their number to the Way which included a newborn Rev Bem. (Episode: The Devil Take the Hindmost)
- Serenity Vikram Singh Khalsa : a famous male Human Wayist who was killed and replaced with a nanobot duplicate by the Restorians. One of his sayings was ""Many say living in the way is difficult. Is sleeping difficult? Is waking?" (Episode: The Ties that Blind)
- Michio Von Kerr : a Wayist physicist who in CY 9942 said "We say atoms are bound by weak attractors. Why not admit the Truth: The universe is held together by Love." (Episode: The Banks of The Lethe)
Notes
- According to the unproduced episode "Coda" by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, in the Perfect Possible Future envisioned by the Lucifers - Rev Bem would have ascended up the ranks of the Wayist church and become the first Magog leader since the Anointed. Through his position, he formed a religious nation under his rule that was equal to the Commonwealth, Nietzschean Empire and the Consensus of Parts as well as later participated in the final conflict against the Spirit of the Abyss.
