The Cult of Bedras (often shortened to the Bedran Cult) is the most prolific religion of the Bedran Marches. The Cult is devoted to the worship of of the Royal House, particularly the royal family and Fenris. The Cult teaches that the Palatine Lord Bedras, his daughter Amato, and the World Eater form the Second Dynasty and, like the First Dynasty, are true gods with significant spiritual presence as well as corporeal bodies. The Cult is led by a church organization consisting of priests and other clergymen. The Hierophant is the head of the Cult and a powerful political figure in Bedran Space. The Cult is considered a vital institution as a binding force between the innumerable sub-cultures and ethnicities within the Marches.
History[]
The concept of worshipping the head of state dates back to the Kith. In the early Bronze Age of Ur-Nammu, a figure known as the Palatine arose to unite the Kith into their first major empire. The Palatine was so influential and beloved that a cult formed around him, claiming him to be a living god. Upon his death, his descendants were likewise worshipped and a prophesy arose that spoke of the Palatine's reincarnation when the day arose that all hope had fled and doom seemed most certain. The First Dynasty died out a millennia before the advent of space travel. The imperial cult dwindled afterwards, but never vanished completely.
The arrival of Bedras during the darkest days of the Enmerkar War was seen as the fulfillment of the Palatine Prophecy. Worship of Bedras had begun almost immediately after his initial triumph at Ur-Nammu. The Cult steadily regained its former popularity as he led the Kith in a counteroffensive against the Enmerkar. By the time of the final victory at Secundus, most of the race had become certain of Bedras' divinity. Bedras was named Palatine Lord and the Kith renamed themselves the Bedran to signify their acknowledgment of his supremacy.