𝕮𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖊 𝕲𝖗𝖎𝖒𝖒~

The Faith itself was pretty simple in its early days: Revere the Stars, thank them for watching over and guiding you. Then the church was founded, priests and priestesses were chosen by the people, and slowly, over the years, things took a turn.

See, astrals are pretty magically gifted. Very much so, and that usually gives them an advantage, to be able to wield that gift as well, and as polyvalently as they do. At first, they were helpful to all on Fable Star, benevolently offering aid and guidance whenever needed. It slowly morphed into a sense of superiority. But you can't just call it that, can you?

No, they began saying that they weren't just born from the Stars, they were chosen. They were meant to be benefactors for all others. Then, a radiant light fell down in Starelot, right in front of the Church's doors. The brightest star ever seen, a shooting star, from which came a special. The infant boy exuded power beyond what the priests and priestesses had ever seen, and right away, the child was heralded as their nation's chosen one — He who will guide them to greatness and protect their lives with his own: Arthur Lodestar, first of his name.

He was made to be king when he'd be old enough, and raised as such by the churc. He grew to be a great king, the best the Holy Kingdom has ever known yet in the entire lineage. All kings have been loved, yes, but the legend of Arthur remains the one that makes all heirs dream of being like him.

But Arthur's birth marks the start of the Church's true shift. When they don't just see themselves as benefactors anymore, but saviours. Saviours, who must free every last fable starran from the clutches of evil and darkness — and that includes the evil of not believing in their faith. Doesn't help that historians have found records of the Heroes of Yore by then, and that one of them unmistakably ressembles their likeness. This marks the start of crusades and conquest, where they swallow the nations closest to them and still exert pressure on all other kingdoms nowadays. And it's hard to take them down, trust it's been tried before.

Sweet, aren't they? I mean, they're just a bit trigger-happy on the religious saving, right?

Do you remember how I said "lineage of kings". Kings only? Yeah, about that.

The faith has worsened, two generations after Arthur's passing. It slowly worsens because of less than tasteful individuals with less than tasteful ideals slowly incorporating their rotten views as truths within the faith: Be it bigotry, race superiority (astrals are the superior beings), sexism, and puritanism.

Slowly, priestesses are stripped of responsibilities equal to their priest colleagues and only nuns remain.

Soon, the mere possibility of knighthood and claim to the title of wizardry is forbidden to women.

Soon, same-sex bonds of love are frowned upon.

Soon, laws on sex (intercourse) begin to appear, forbidding it entirely as they need no such things that debase them, stooping so low as acting like mere animals.

Soon, the church proclaims all Astrals are kin to the higher beings above them.

Soon, magic becomes strictly monitored by the church, only allowed to wizards and knights who fight with the King Sovereign, and church officials who learn healing to tend to the wounded.

Soon, education is overseen strictly by the church.

Soon, the kings are slowly, and gradually manipulated into fitting the perfect mold they see fit for a ruler of The Holy Kingdom.

It was all extremely slow and gradual, the process was minute and calculated. It didn't happen overnight, because people would've have resisted — No, they used the faith, slowly twisting people's perception of how life should be.

But life is great in The Holy Kingdom. Poverty is ever so rare, almost non-existent. Church, royal family, nobles and commoners get along. There is no conflict when the kingdom is not four, but one nation. So, why complain? There is no reason to. Everyone lives well.

On the surface, at least. I wonder what happens, when you take a look deeper...

Ahem! Anyways. These are basically the conditions Meta, Arthur, Lancelot, Percival, Galahad, Garlude (real name, guinevere), Jecra (Real name Jorah) grew up in! Yey <3 Note that I have much more lore on the puffballs than Garlude and Jecra, as they unfortunately don't rot my brain as much as the orbs :'(

Meta Knight, King Arthur, Ser Lancelot, Ser Percival and Ser Galahad all come from a planet called Fable Star. Situated far, FAR away from Gamble Galaxy. It's the home of Astrals/Starpuffs (the orbs) slash the Astraels (Gijinka name for their species, but name still pending?) and the only place in the universe they're born in. Through falling stars for regular puffs, and through shooting stars for the royals!

The planet itself is a sort of high-fantasy high-magic D&D/Fairytalesque setting still in its Fantasy Medieval Era! So, kings, knights, castles, villages, dragons, et cetera. You know the drill.

The Holy Kingdom (UK-ish all these bozos are BRITS sorry. 😔) is basically the biggest kingdom on the planet and deeply, deeeeply religious! So are most kingdoms, but they specifically have their faith in the skies above — specifically, the Stars which they are born from! The church instition calls itself "The Order of St. Stars"*. Below is the church/kingdom's emblem! You see it on the back of MK's cape.

(*Stars is not real person, moreso a global name for the entity that is their faith, the church, and the devotees)

In simple terms, they believe being born from the stars makes them superior to everyone else and above mortalking and it is therefore their duty to protect all of Fable Star! Fun, right? I do love conquest and religious crusades. The Holy Kingdom was smaller before it swallowed rallied the kingdoms closest to it by force in its embrace.

So, Meta/Metatron and Arthur were raised as princes, but only Arthur was raised as future king! For quick notes:

Percival and Lancelot were both commoner boys raised by Percy's mother since infanthood. They consider each other brothers. They grew up in their mother's forge where they learned her craft and sparked their love of wielding weapons.

Galahad was a noble, and child of one of King Uther's closest confidants. He was always destined to become a knight before he ever spoke his first words.

Guinevere (Garlude) was a noble lady from a kingdom swallowed by the Holy Kingdom (long before her birth) and became the first "Dame", first woman to ever be knighted in their continent.

Jorah (Jecra/Knuckle Joe's Father) was a commoner like Percy and Lance. He was taken in by the Starelan Knights at the Holy Capital very young (9 yo) and grew up as a stable boy in Highcastle (Upper Starelot where the castle and nobles grounds are) before taking on knight training.

Some OTHER notes!

Meta renounced his claim to the throne very young, which had been advised to him since infanthood.

Arthur was named after the first ever King Sovereign, because he was born from a shooting star as luminous and bright as the first ruler.

Meta, in contrast, was born from a dark star.

The Church and King rule in tandem. The King has the most authority, but the Church's voice cannot be silenced.

Can you glean how many problems there are with these people already? Hint: lots.