Religion in the Imperium

Due to the scope of Imperial territory and the various species that populate the worlds within its jurisdiction, it is no surprise that various faiths and local sects and interpretations come about.  Whilst some would arrogantly dismiss religion as primitive superstition that no longer has relevance in the age of interstellar travel, most scholars religious and secular have agreed that the sheer scope of the sector at large (to say nothing of the wider galaxy) has done much to lead people to faith and philosophy as they grapple with the magnitude and wonder of the universe.

As such, the laws and protections for freedom of worship in the Imperium have been held sacrosanct, even being included as one of the provisions of the Great Stewardship.  Whilst some minor caveats are made in regard to sacrifices and ritual for obvious reasons (see Lex Imperatoria Section 1, Subsection 15-A:  Sentient Sacrifice Ban), all Imperial citizens regardless of origin are guaranteed the right to believe or not believe as they please, with military and academic institutions strictly forbidden from placing restrictions on another's faith so long as it does not interfere with day-to-day operations.

Major Faiths
 

• The Drakari Pantheon
  • By far one of the most common and oldest religions practiced by the Drakari species regardless of continent and ethnic origin, it comes as no surprise that the worship of the Seven Gods has spread from the homeworld to the frontiers of our territory.  While the practices and rites of each god are likely to vary from world to world, to say nothing of individual congregations, the general framework has remained more or less unchanged since the days of Io.  The Seven are as follows:
    • Shalya, goddess of healing, medicine, charity, compassion, and parenthood. Oft represented as a shawled and thin Aramathian Drakari, this goddess has long been a favored deity of medics, foster care providers, and humanitarians, with many of Her faithful taking up vows of nonviolence.
      
    • Verenor, god of justice, good governance, the seas marine and stellar, and the spirit of civilization. Depicted through a combination of all known Drakari ethnicities, He is considered the source of civic virtue among his followers, and favored by civil servants, diplomats, lawyers, and the officers of the Imperial Guard.  Historians have speculated that prior to his final journey and disappearance to the mountain of his revelation (and subsequent veneration as a demigod), Io himself was a fervent worshipper of Verenor.
      
    • Junaia, goddess of valor, war, battle tactics, and honor.  Her face and build enshrouded by armor and fire alike, Junaia is favored by the valiant enlistees and officers of the Legions, Imperial Navy, and the Knights of the Emperor during their period of service.  It is said She is embodied best by those who are willing to lay down their lives in defense of the weak and the innocent.
      
    • Morii the Unseen, caretaker and guide of the dead, the Unknown One, embodiment of the cycle of renewal and entropy. While generally not worshipped in the same manner as Their siblings, the shrouded and encloaked Morii is viewed by most Drakari as the inevitable companion of all things, gently guiding the deceased to their final judgement and ensuring the balance of life and death.
      
    • Aari, god of spring and summer, agriculture, love, and the wild and untamed places of the galaxy.  Depicted as a fur-clad Shageran hunter, He is often prayed to in the hopes of a bountiful harvest, a strong and healthy clutch of hatchlings, and a thrilling hunt, and beloved by conservationists and young lovers alike.
      
    • Inara, goddess of autumn and winter, endurance, and vengeance.  The twin sister of Aari, it is said that winter and storms are Her reminder to the faithful to stand strong in the face of harrowing times, and to never let injustice go unanswered.
      
    • Daion, god of knowledge, the sciences, fate, machines, craftsmanship, and the stars.  The patron of scholars, engineers, educators, and explorers alike, one cannot throw a datapad aboard a ship without giving thanks for a new discovery or revelation.  More often than not, xenoarchaeologists who follow Him are quite fond of making a small shrine to Him at their workspaces.
      
• The Warp Cults
  • Numerous and often shortlived, these benign collectives of addled eccentrics and former thrill-seekers of several species come together in the aftermath of (often intentionally) unshielded forays into Warp Space.  While psychiatric care is administered to these individuals on a regular basis, it isn't unheard of for some of these brotherhoods to be folded into the temples of the either the Pantheon or the religious organizations of other races.  The so-called 'Brothers of the Eternal Light' are among the most famous of these, with Drakari members often seen in groups dedicated to the worship of Daion or, most curiously, even to Warp Space itself.
    
• Human Religions
  • Just as varied as the Human species itself, Human religion has proven to be a subject of curiosity to many scholars.  From the various denominations of the 'Abrahamic' faiths, to various folk and ethnic religions, to pantheons that do not differ much from our own, to belief systems based around spiritual oneness and reincarnation, to say there is a small library's worth of debate on this young race's beliefs would be an insulting understatement.
    

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