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| - Religious grace permeates every part of a Shrine World, the very spirit of the Cult of the Imperial Creed embodied by the world itself and its citizens which embrace His divine worship. Shrine worlders live their lives with the strength of the Emperor in their hearts and exposed to His word in many aspects of their lives. It is one thing to acknowledge the might of the Emperor as all Imperial citizens must, but quite another to see His deeds and the deeds of His saints on a daily basis, knowing that the world exists because of the power of the Imperial Creed. The exposure to clerics, priests, and pilgrims also impacts upon their life, the higher proportion of these souls than on other worlds giving them greater veneration for the Imperial Creed which links all men together. Pilgrims especi
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| abstract
| - Religious grace permeates every part of a Shrine World, the very spirit of the Cult of the Imperial Creed embodied by the world itself and its citizens which embrace His divine worship. Shrine worlders live their lives with the strength of the Emperor in their hearts and exposed to His word in many aspects of their lives. It is one thing to acknowledge the might of the Emperor as all Imperial citizens must, but quite another to see His deeds and the deeds of His saints on a daily basis, knowing that the world exists because of the power of the Imperial Creed. The exposure to clerics, priests, and pilgrims also impacts upon their life, the higher proportion of these souls than on other worlds giving them greater veneration for the Imperial Creed which links all men together. Pilgrims especially offer a rare glimpse into worlds and sectors beyond a shrine worlder’s home planet, and a taste of the Imperium beyond told from the lips of those who have travelled far distances just to visit the shrines. Each reflects the diversity of the Imperial Creed, with every world worshipping the Emperor in its own manner, and so pilgrims might incorporate all manner of unique rituals and clothing as part of their native practices. Some might wear elaborate masks, allowing none but the Sun-Emperor to gaze at their faces. Others might wear boots and gloves filled with burrs and thorns, the better to know the Emperor’s lament for His peoples. Conflicts are not uncommon between groups who perhaps have for the first time witnessed other ways to worship the Emperor; sects that insist on drab colours might clash with those displaying garish hues, for example. Shrine Worlds can vary greatly in the size and shape they take; just as the saints and holy men of the Imperium take many forms, so too do the places they touch and the worlds upon which they rest. There is no established norm for a Shrine World, only that it was the place where a saint was entombed or committed some great deed, worthy of the attention of the Ministorum. A Shrine World might have been a Feral or Hive World with a well-established society before the coming of the saint, changing the focus of its citizens and bringing attention from off-world. Equally, many Shrine Worlds were only outposts or Dead Worlds before a saint fought a final battle, or came there to find his final rest, the trappings of the world coming later as priests and pilgrims set about constructing a society to honour the memory of the saint. In both cases the presence of the saint and the millions of pilgrims who make the trek have changed the world forever, giving it a new purpose and a new place within the Imperium. There is another side to Shrine Worlds, a side that hides beneath the veneer of religion and masks another face of the Imperium. While the world exists for the glory of the saint and as a place to worship the might of the Emperor, the constant flow of pilgrims and visitors makes such places a breeding ground for criminals and smugglers. Either selling false relics to the faithful or using the pilgrim trail to transport illicit goods, the underbelly of a Shrine World is as active and dangerous as any underhive. Many born on a planet dedicated to a saint are drawn into this shadow world, either aiding such illegal endeavours to make some more coin or seeing it as a chance to escape in an effort to get off-world and make their own fortune. Even so, while some succeed and go on to find a life on the fringes of the Imperium among vile company, they remain shrine worlders at heart, never forgetting the teachings of their saints, whether they live by them or not.
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