The Machinari are a synthetic race. Their metallic bodies host an artificial mind. They were conceived by a race long extinct and, with the death of their creators, were left to their own devices. The Machinari are but one of the many races inhabiting the galaxy, yet the only synthetic one. Among them, many have converted to a strange religion in reverence of organic life, the Biocult.

The central tenet of the cult is the following: Organic beings are closer to the gods because they were created directly by them.

The Biocult recognizes three tiers of created beings. These tiers are organized into a hierarchy that matches the order of creation.

1. On the top is the Divine, which has existed since the beginning of time. Gods and various godly aspects are part of this tier. Biocultists are neither encouraged nor discouraged to believe in a specific divine entity. Thusly, belief in the biocult is compatible with most religions across the galaxy.
2. The next tier is the Organic, which was created by the Divine. All beings that are the result of natural evolution belong here. The only known way of creating organic life is by biological reproduction.
3. And at the bottom is the Synthetic which was created by the Organic, making them the furthest from gods and their divine nature. All creatures constructed by other sapient beings are part of this tier, including creations of synthetic beings.

The cult believes that one gets further away from perfection with each step of creation. After death, a perfect creature is completely eliminated and becomes nothing. This is what is known as a Perfect Death and this is what divine beings accomplish when they die and, according to the belief of many cultists, the state that all gods currently exist in. Organics die a less perfect death, leaving behind a legacy, a legacy that fades with time. Synthetic death is the most imperfect, leaving behind many traces or not being able to die at all, as synthetic selves can be copied and restored easily. Dying as a divine is real and final, dying as an organic is limbo, dying as a synthetic is hell.

The cult’s main scripture is The Code which contains the main doctrines. The raw revelation was transmitted almost 1000 years ago and was compiled by synthetic scribes. They say the message was relayed to dishes measuring the microwave background radiation, suggesting a Divine origin.

Major Sects

Members of the Ascendant Sect want to achieve a Reversed Creation. A Reversed Creation is the religio-scientific endeavor to ascend in the hierarchy, thus getting closer to the Divine. These biocultists tirelessly work on a way to relocate themselves into organic bodies. Once they manage this, the next logical step would be to become gods themselves. Ritualistic eating, drinking and sleeping are a part of many ceremonies. These synthetics often wear skins of organics, even intelligent ones. The Ascendant Sect does not generally welcome organics in its ranks.

The Servile Sect believes that it is their duty to serve organics and, through them, the Divine. They reject the dogma of Reversed Creation and believe the tier order to be the natural and perfect way of things. They believe that if they serve the organics, the whole world order will align and work as originally intended. In their view, a perfect god needs perfect servants. After a life of ceaseless servitude, one might look forward to sharing the Perfect Death. Missions of the Servile Sect try to convert synthetics and organics alike.

Theological Questions

There are some mysteries that cult theologians are still debating.

Was inanimate matter not created alongside with – or even before – the Organic? It might be what remains of the gods and did not become organic and synthetic life. In this case, inanimate matter would be one with the gods, a memento of Perfect Death. Or inanimate matter is not one with the gods but virgin matter that the gods used for creation.

What about the big bang? Most Bio-cultists believe that the Universe is in a constant succession of creation and elimination. Perhaps gods are created at the end of each cycle. Maybe they themselves begat the cycle and exist beyond space-time.

What is engineered life classified as? No fully synthetic biological organism exists. Genetically modified organisms do, however, and they are considered Synthetic, tainted, or occasionally fully Organic. For those that recognize them as either Organic or Synthetic, another creature’s status does not bring much solace to their lives.