Aurum Lexari
Note: Aurum Lexari represent only a small % of the Skolexari population. Not all red cradle marked Skolexari are Aurum Lexari nor are all warriors. This faith is, generally, unpopular and even warriors take some parts of it but disregard others. The practices of the devout within the Temple deviate from Skolexari society as a whole.
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The Warrior’s faith is known as Aurum Lexari, or The Golden Lock. A stoic and brutal religion centered around the worship of a faceless female goddess who wears a metal mask (Juneali). Aurum Lexari exalt strength, stoicism, and the embrace of pain and hardship. Religious warriors exhibit little to no tolerance for perceived weakness. Their extreme beliefs often isolate them from those outside the faith, making it difficult for them to form friendships with non-adherents.
Most warriors are nonreligious. The Temple serves all warriors, regardless of religion or species (Skolexari, SB-5 Pact, Star-Seed, half-breed). Any warrior is welcome at the Temple.
The Temple is generally left alone by Skolexari royals and law, allowing them to operate in their shadows as they see fit because the Thexdika warriors the Temple produces are a core part of the Skolexari military.
Thexdika: Skolexari born from strict eugenics in the Temple. Large for Skolexari standards, 9-11 feet. Raised since childhood to follow Aurum Lexari religion as warriors. Many non-religious Skolexari consider Thexdika to be psychopaths or sociopaths due to their lack of emotions. Highly trained, absolute in devotion to Skolexari Empire, imperial families, and their faith. Known for wearing white armor, masking faces with helmets, metal covers, and under severe circumstances having their faces tattooed with nanotechnology to create a “metal mask” over their face at all times.
Thexdika are part of the jer military branch: Thexdika guard Skolexari homeworld and colonies, sent throughout the Empire to stand at posts. These posts are usually at historical locations. They’re also sent to Aurum Lexari religious satellite locations throughout the Empire to teach and guard. Thexdika are the personal bodyguards of royals and royal homes.
Juneali: “whom tests those she loves with hardships”. Is a faceless, wordless, ever-watching female warrior. She gives warriors visions, usually when they’re suffering, near-death, or in total darkness. Loves through tests, hardships, physical and emotional trauma. If a warrior suffers, she is watching. Drawing her with a face is forbidden and insulting to Aurum Lexari. Juneali is not a cruel figure or a sadist, she isn't the one causing the Skolexari to suffer but the Skolexari's pain draws her eyes. Once she "sees", she may continue to test them in the name of growth. The Skolexari doesn't view her as adversarial, but as a positive force. Juneali will not break the warrior, she will make them greater.
The faithful may see Skolexari or Star-Seeds who have suffered or are suffering as being watched or favored by her.
.Deza Di’na (translated from Skolexari as “consumed by holy”): Aurum Lexari Priests and Priestesses who live on the Skolexari Homeworld in Jalgha Ghom, in the Temple. They care for the temple, serve warriors who come to the temple for religious rites, perform rites and religious ceremonies.
Practices: smoke and blood purification, chants, blood washing. Tantric sex performed with selected warriors (blindfolded, never seeing the Deza Di’na). Sex is for reproduction only, the continuation of the warrior sect (creation of Thexdika and Deza Di'na). Performed only between willing partners, never forced. Considered an honor between the warrior and Deza Di’na as it means both of them are worthy (practice eugenics strictly).
Rank, disputes, power: Deza Di’na hold power through age, older members guide and teach. They don’t have a leader who holds ultimate authority, disputes are settled between warriors through duels (sometimes to the death) overseen by a Deza Di’na. Deza Di’na, historically, don’t have disputes among one another. An unhappy Deza Di’na is likely to simply, and in silence, leave the Temple. Skolexari do not force religion onto each other, they may try to convert someone who is interested but will not force. Oracle is a term of respect for an older Deza Di'na or someone seen as being close to Juneali.
Beliefs: Religious warriors wear white armor; cover faces with metal or masks and rarely reveal their true identity. Thexdika and non-religious Skolexari warriors frequent the temple.
Thexdika is a specialized warrior born and raised in the temple and part of the Aurum Lexari faith, created through eugenics and birthed on a sacred stone in the main room of the temple. Thexdika warriors are sacred, thought to be children of Juneali but are held to extreme standards. If they show weakness or act poorly, they’re exiled from the faith or killed in duels for being embarrassments. Thexdika often challenge each other to duels at the Temple, usually over breeding rites.
Thexdika often struggle in modern Skolexari culture, even some Skolexari (non-religious) view the practice of breeding and training these warriors to be questionable, severe, and old world.
Location Details
.The Temple: The main and original Temple is located on the Skolexari Homeworld in an area called Jalgha Ghom.
Jalgha Ghom is located in a dry steppe.
The Temple is a massive black stone temple that houses up to 1200 Deza Di’na and guests. The temple is reached by hovercraft and vehicles, but warrior pilgrims should walk to the temple on foot. The Temple offers guidance, healing, training, education, and soul-searching for warriors, mainly for Skolexari. Though it houses many, it feels empty.
The temple has areas big, small, dark, light, and private rooms for rituals and prayer. Large open prayer spaces. Uses minimalist, dark stone, orange lights, hovering and hanging lanterns and lights, orange and silver lights, dim, smokey.
The Maw: Large underground complex beneath (unseen), labyrinth of stone mazes, pitfalls, tombs. The underground labyrinth is also a sacred burial ground for Skolexari warriors, full of bone pits, bodies, armor, and weapons left after body decomposed. Underground is pitch black, warm, full of incense. Some areas blocked off due to being active burial grounds (contain disease, smell of decay). Maw is very dangerous if one becomes lost, trapped. Deza Di’na spent lifetime learning to navigate it in darkness. Frightening atmosphere. Heavy incense is burned below, making the air scented, warm, and dizzying. Most hallucinate when in the maw and have visions of Juneali or war (seen as a good omen).
Main room: large (can fit 1000), location of sacred dark stone slab, believed to be birthplace of Juneali. All Deza Di’na give birth here on the sacred stone. Black statue of Juneali holding a sword straight up as if intended to bring it down on those who kneel before her.
Private rooms: Deza Di’na have their own small quarters with a small, hard bed. Discouraged from having many personal items or decorations, place only to sleep.
Other areas: have several areas to eat and other required industry to house, feed, care for the temple and guests.
