Sarthía's death in 1029 lilpo left a vacuum in the culture of the Lilitai not seen since the dark days of the first Illera colony. Wary of letting history repeat itself, the ranking members of the Deklina and the Council of Elders renewed their commitments to Sarthía's goals of encouraging the growth of a healthy nation-state and to make contact with whatever remained of the peoples of Alfídídta, or Earth, from whom they were ultimately descended.
Since the evacuation of Illera, it had become commonplace for temples and shrines to be dedicated not just to one Stilla, but to a duality or trinity of Stillai related through some aspect. This allowed the cults of individual deities to consolidate resources, sermons, and patronage, and in some cases (like that of Múretría) was required by law to guard against re-emergence of the evangelical Haspilda preacher class. Most popular among these syncreses was the cult of Masadéa, who united the already-popular followings of Zeltetéa and Améa with the Shepherdess Litréa.
In depictions, Masadéa is envisioned as a tall, pregnant woman with children hanging off her arms, holding a glass of wine in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. Some depictions show her wearing a billowing artist's smock; others show body-paint on her and her children. She is not specifically associated with painting, however; these devices represent artistic pursuit in general, and some idols from music conservatories and writing halls depict her with pens, scrolls, and music instruments instead.
In all cases she was regarded as an omen of fertility, joy, and abundance, reflected plainly in the traditions of her cult, which, like certain fertility cults of ancient Earth, prominently involve orgies, inebriation, and otherwise reaping the rewards of hard work. Normalisation of party culture proved to be hugely popular with the adult population of the tribe, and for a time, Masadéanism was synonymous with a "play hard, work hard" mentality fuelled by high life satisfaction.
Following arrival on Thessia Major in 1044 lilpo, the Masadéan cult was elevated to be the state cult of the Lilitai, with the Matriarch Atsha-Sithéa officially adopting the title of High Priestess. The excellent growing conditions on Thet and reduced amount of technology required to survive meant that the essential, non-monetary elements of the economy needed fewer hours per person to function than ever before, freeing up more of the tribe to focus on childrearing. Subsidies for mothers and the expectant were increased substantially to hasten population growth.
In the following decades as the Lilitai explored and tamed the nearly-virgin surface of the former Tletketti homeworld, Masadéanism briefly enjoyed a period of incumbency characterised by compassionate ethics and respect for dignity. The Masadéan Priestess Kantíka Kelpeftía led several expeditions to the site that would eventually become the epicentre of Tlemezil, and advocated for both the recognition of the Physarai as a sentient people and for the founding of a new nation there. This enlightened act of nation-building was pivotal in defining how the Lyrisclensiae would later treat the Lilitai.
There were hints among the new generation that this cultural configuration was unstable. Widely it was noted that the young seemed unambitious yet restless, having nothing to contribute to the new world before them, yet little to strive for. The Deklina reassured everyone that once the planet was fully colonized (to the extent they had seen on other, mature worlds), the tribe would send forth exploratory ships, newly-built, to complete the mission of finding humankind. But, as history recounts, humankind found the Lilitai first, and the Masadéan cult would soon become more of a hindrance than a help in the tribe's quest for survival.
Since the evacuation of Illera, it had become commonplace for temples and shrines to be dedicated not just to one Stilla, but to a duality or trinity of Stillai related through some aspect. This allowed the cults of individual deities to consolidate resources, sermons, and patronage, and in some cases (like that of Múretría) was required by law to guard against re-emergence of the evangelical Haspilda preacher class. Most popular among these syncreses was the cult of Masadéa, who united the already-popular followings of Zeltetéa and Améa with the Shepherdess Litréa.
In depictions, Masadéa is envisioned as a tall, pregnant woman with children hanging off her arms, holding a glass of wine in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. Some depictions show her wearing a billowing artist's smock; others show body-paint on her and her children. She is not specifically associated with painting, however; these devices represent artistic pursuit in general, and some idols from music conservatories and writing halls depict her with pens, scrolls, and music instruments instead.
In all cases she was regarded as an omen of fertility, joy, and abundance, reflected plainly in the traditions of her cult, which, like certain fertility cults of ancient Earth, prominently involve orgies, inebriation, and otherwise reaping the rewards of hard work. Normalisation of party culture proved to be hugely popular with the adult population of the tribe, and for a time, Masadéanism was synonymous with a "play hard, work hard" mentality fuelled by high life satisfaction.
Following arrival on Thessia Major in 1044 lilpo, the Masadéan cult was elevated to be the state cult of the Lilitai, with the Matriarch Atsha-Sithéa officially adopting the title of High Priestess. The excellent growing conditions on Thet and reduced amount of technology required to survive meant that the essential, non-monetary elements of the economy needed fewer hours per person to function than ever before, freeing up more of the tribe to focus on childrearing. Subsidies for mothers and the expectant were increased substantially to hasten population growth.
In the following decades as the Lilitai explored and tamed the nearly-virgin surface of the former Tletketti homeworld, Masadéanism briefly enjoyed a period of incumbency characterised by compassionate ethics and respect for dignity. The Masadéan Priestess Kantíka Kelpeftía led several expeditions to the site that would eventually become the epicentre of Tlemezil, and advocated for both the recognition of the Physarai as a sentient people and for the founding of a new nation there. This enlightened act of nation-building was pivotal in defining how the Lyrisclensiae would later treat the Lilitai.
There were hints among the new generation that this cultural configuration was unstable. Widely it was noted that the young seemed unambitious yet restless, having nothing to contribute to the new world before them, yet little to strive for. The Deklina reassured everyone that once the planet was fully colonized (to the extent they had seen on other, mature worlds), the tribe would send forth exploratory ships, newly-built, to complete the mission of finding humankind. But, as history recounts, humankind found the Lilitai first, and the Masadéan cult would soon become more of a hindrance than a help in the tribe's quest for survival.
