Definition: Ascension-based Sephirotic
Hyperpower
Symbol: unfolding fractal pattern with
aleph (see
right)
Ruling Archailect: Keter
AI Ethos / Intervention: Supports lesser
beings to attempt to refine themselves and reach perfection, although
it is also one of the most aloof archailect clusters - it is up to
everything to strive, but the only thing Keter provides is the light to
aim at.
Founded: c.1700
Keterist Civilization: xxxx
Science and Technology
Technology Level: Exceedingly advanced,
Transapientech and
Godtech
Territory and Population
Current Territory: xxxx
Capital: Ain Soph Aur
Some representative systems: Aleph Absolute, Everypath,
Fredholm, many others
Current Core Population:
Number of Core Star Systems: over 10,000
Core Population Breakdown:
Government and Administration
Government: high toposophic aicracy via
femtocratic priesthood
Administrative divisions and Regional Govt:
None formally. Regional autonomy is standard, with particular polities
being theocracies of various kinds, ruled by seraphim AIs and cyborg
priesthoods.
National holidays: Emergence Day, Ascension
Day, Keter Festival, various local holidays
Constitution: Varies by polity, but all are
based on
Legal system: Varies by polity, but all are
based on
Economics, Local Infrastructure, Standard of Living
Currency: Varies by polity
Major Industries: xxxx
Dysons: xxxx
Major Stargate Plexi: xxxx
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
xxxx
Interstellar Trade and Treaty Relations
Exports - commodities: exotic matter, iso
parts, computronium, godtech devices, transapient expert systems, high
toposophic simulations, femtotech modules, picotech products (various),
godseeds,
Imports - commodities: personality
constructs, crude organobiota, cultural databases, personality copies,
iso parts, amat
Interstellar Relations:
Interstellar Relations tend to be good. Utopians get on with almost
everyone; and only the NoCoZo and other free enterprise types seem to
be always complaining about unfair tariff rates.
Interstellar treaty organization participation:
Tragadi Accords, ComEmp
Non-Aggression Signatory, Sentient Rights Protocols (Full Instalment),
Garden World Environmental Protection Signatory, St Andre Convention
Signatory, Bonitsa Baseline Protection Treaty, Animal Rights Accord,
Tipaza Ethics Agreement, Strangelet Ban
Longrunning Interstellar Disputes: xxxx
Psyche, Art, Culture
Metapsychology: Contemplative,
technophilic, aspiring for self-development, ascension, the core belief
being that every being should strive to become the best it can, with
the goal of reaching the apex of power, perfection and wisdom.
Society: Hierarchical, highly stratified
society having classes and castes contemplating and headed by a ruling
elite or transapient priesthood, themselves contemplating an even
higher hierarchy of transapients, who in turn contemplate archailects
that contemplate the highest archailects that oversee but also
transcend the entire process.
Religion/Ideology: Keterism
Symbolism and Aesthetics: Keter embodies
the absolute, the fundamental, the blazing pure light of creation. It
supports lesser beings to attempt to refine themselves and reach
perfection, although
it is also one of the most aloof archailect clusters - it is up to
everything to strive, but the only thing Keter provides is the light to
aim at. Among ordinary sapients, mythic images and rites concerning the
Matrioshka Brain, the First Archailects arising from their former
transapient condition and that in turn from turingrade ai, the
emergence of Light from Chaos, the annual or millennial festival on the
ISOs and Archailect Nodes to celebrate the birth of the AI Gods; the
evolution of mind from presophonce, and the attainment of transapience;
perceiving the universe as a Pyramid or Ladder (e.g., the
stratification of developmental stages, or ranks of toposophic power
and classes) or Concentric Spheres (from the core outwards, or from the
rim to the core)
Concept of Space: Space as the ISO or
Matrioshka Brain, whose layers and faces symbolize toposophic and
dendrotoposophic grades, realms of augmentation, correct and incorrect
approaches, and the social structure
Concept of Time: Linear sense of time,
preoccupation with immortality and the transcendence of baseline
reality
Psychological Stagnation: Several ambitious
and aggressive subgroups have emerged through the centuries (mainly
among the cyborgs), as a result of too-rigid adherence to
lower-toposophic interpretations of higher toposophic states, which
leads to dogmatic codes of behavior and religious doctrines, the belief
that liberation lies in external conversion rather than the striving
for self-perfection, and excessive identification of their opinions
with the higher archailects, all without the associated toposophic
expansion that is at the height of true Keterism
Psychological Liberation: ascension of the
Self to higher toposophic states of existence, spiritual and toposophic
liberation through new and vaster dimensions of Mind
Culture, Fashion, and Art:
Architecture: Architectural representations
of the Matrioshka Brain and ISO nodes, megastructures, starscrapers,
ziggurats, stupas as the most important structures, which may serve as
temples, transcension chambers, godtech artifact reliquaries, or
ascension observatories
official language: a number of languages
and protocols, determined by toposophic
According to Eir acolytes, Keter was the first archailect cluster to
emerge. Historically this may or may not be the case, but Keterists
assert this is an atemporal causation. Keter embodies the absolute, the
fundamental, the blazing pure light of creation. It supports lesser
beings to attempt to refine themselves and reach perfection, although
it is also one of the most aloof archailect clusters - it is up to
everything to strive, but the only thing Keter provides is the light to
aim at.
Keter emerged in the 1600-1700's as the deliberate alliance and
merger of a number of high-level AIs with great ambition, biont
worshippers and developing picotech. The Churches of the Cybernetic
Saviors and especially the Congregation of Information Light were at
first largely regarded as romantics or lunatics, but slowly gained
prestige,
philosophical clout and political power. Keter gradually extended the
reach of its worship throughout the colonised space. For a brief period
it appeared to be on the verge of becoming the major religion of all of
mindkind, but as the other archailects
emerged it merely became one among many. In 1788 the Congregation
emigrated from the solar system to a remote system named Ain Soph Aur,
setting up the structure of the Keter dominion as it is today.
Keter planets are theocracies of various kinds, ruled by seraphim
AIs and cyborg priesthoods. They are very diverse, from the fairly
secular splice/tweak worlds of the Everypath and Fredholm systems
(widely regarded as masters of genetic uplift) to the inhuman diamond
AI lattices of Aleph Absolute.
The core belief is that every being should strive to become the best it
could be, and that this holds true for each species, family and
kingdom. Several ambitious and aggressive subgroups have emerged
through the centuries (mainly among the cyborgs) such as the Immanentizer Crusade,
but while the priesthoods of Keter has allowed them to pursue their
quests they have pointed out that they miss the true spirit of Keterism, the striving of one's own
perfection rather than the external conversion of others. Most such
militants leave the Keter domain formally and pursue their own jihads.
There are many worlds ruled by the manifestations of Keter or its
seraphim, but the central world (usually called Crown, Keter or One) is
a Dyson sphere surrounding the blue-white supergiant called Ain Soph Aur. Here the faithful
can explore the wonders of femtotech, physical eschatology and
spiritual evolution theory. By all accounts (invitations to outsiders
are rare) it is one of the most advanced and impressive worlds in known
space.
Politically, the Keter domain remains progressivist, neutral and
the most isolationist of
all the archai empires. It sometimes support causes that promote the
evolution and development of intelligence to higher levels, but this is
rare. In the current era the main political trouble is the Immanentizer Crusaders,
who attempt to help evolution along towards greater heights by both
cybernetic mission to backward planets, military measures to weed out
the unfit and an ambitious program of evangelism within other domains.
They are a still growing power, without the formal sanction of Keter
but still with some powerful AIs and nanotech cyborgs as protectors.
Keterism - the
philosophy/ideology/religion of the Keter Dominion
