Randomius Factoria

Elyssia sniggered. 'What god or goddess do you believe in?'
'Randomius Factoria . . .' Alex muttered.
'Me too . . .'
They looked at each other.
Alex laughed and said, 'Repeat after me: Lady of Fate, we adore you . . . ' 'Get us to Rafe's, we implore you . . .'

From The Dark Wheel (chapter 3).

Randomius Factoria is a god/dess. Unlike the other religions, there is no longer a church or other organisation which organises the worship or the worshippers. There used to be, and several thousand years ago the Church of Randomius Factoria was powerful, wealthy and oppressive. With the sundering of the links between humanspace and the Octant, the Church lost power and influence, and eventually collapsed. There is a small ruined church on Lave which remains, and that is it.

The worship of Randomius Factoria was eclipsed by the Church of St Giles which inveighed against the randomness of Randomius, arguing that the Ooniverse was planned and designed, and that, combined with the doctrine of evolution led no space for chaos or random chance. The pioneering work of St Phibo Nacci proved the theological deathblow to the Church of RF and it never recovered.

There are a few signs of the influence which still remain. Other than Lave's ruin, there are a number of tombs in TOGY, two sets of catacombs in Digebiti and Tibecea, a graffiti-ridden asteroid at Ceesxe and an ancient barn in Inriisus (galaxy 5). But the popularity of the deity is again spreading. The increasing threat of the Thargoids seems to many to give the lie to the determinism of the Church of St Giles and so, little by little, individuals are again turning to Randomius Factoria.

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