Religion on Sera

"I don't need you to get religious out there."
"Uh, pardon?"
"Hole-y."
"Huh? Right, full of holes."

—Sgt.Marcus Fenix training Pvt.Benjamin Carmine on the Golden Rule of the Gears

Little is currently known about Religion on Sera. Much of the information that is known comes from the Hollows, and concerns the Locust Horde. The Locust have a caste of monks, the Kantus. They worship three worms shown in a significant religious symbol, the Trinity of worms, which holds sacred texts about the Locust Queen "making" drones and the Drones protecting Nexus. During Operation: Hollow Storm, many Gears, notably Damon S. Baird found many Locust religious symbols, texts and objects that elaborate on this.

Comparatively little is known about human religion. Some humans appear to worship a god and have a concept of heaven and hell, while others display spirituality.

Human Religion

"Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith, and Humility"

—The principles of the COG.

Little is currently known about the religious beliefs of the people of Sera. They appear to worship a monotheistic God, and have a concept of Heaven and Hell. "Faith" is one of the Coalition of Ordered Governments main principles; therefore it can be concluded that, to a significant extent, religion is a major part of Seran culture. Various peoples of Sera seem to have different forms of beliefs; the South Islanders (for example Tai Kaliso) seem to have a sense of spirituality, and the Tyran people in the city of Ilima have a Cathedral, most likely for their God.

Tyran Beliefs

The Tyran people believe in a monotheistic God, who resides in Heaven, which is referred as a "better place". It has a counterpart, Hell. Followers pray to Him for help and guidance. Tyran religion also has Saints.

Irohma Islander Beliefs

The Irohman Islanders believed that the body of a living thing was sacred and holy. However once the soul left the body, the body becomes a husk and is therefore useless. But the body does not always have to die for the soul to leave; if a body becomes a "prison" the soul will have to leave the body by any means possible for the Islander.

The Religion of the Locust Horde

The Locust Horde's Religious standard

The Kantus monks worship the Riftworms and Rockworms, and they believe one of the Riftworms was awakened as a result of the Lightmass Offensive, by something that was "light" and "hot."  The Riftworm is one of three worms shown in a Locust religious artifact, the Trinity of worms, which holds sacred text about the Locust Queen "making" drones and the drones protecting Nexus.The Kantus Monks have scrolls containing verses and mantras on how to communicate with the Rockworms, and the Locust tablets contain the history of the Hollows and the Riftworms awakening.

Trinity of Worms

The Trinity of Worms is the symbol of the Locust Hordes’ religion which revolves around the three Riftworms and how the Inner Hollows were created from their tunneling and hibernation, and their reawakening from the Lightmass Offensive. The awakening of the Riftworm led Skorge, the leader and High Priest of the Locust Kantus caste, into the second command spot after the death of RAAM.

COG Analysis of the Artifact

“Baird here.

“Just found an artifact that looks exactly like the glyph on the back of that lovely skin scroll.

“From other writings I've found, I think I've pieced it together: This is

something called the 'Trinity of Worms,' and it's probably the closest thing

I've seen yet to a Locust religious symbol. They really worship worms. We so do

not deserve to be alive.

“As far as I can tell, there's some kind of mantra on the artifact, about the

queen making drones, drones protecting Nexus... and I'll have to work out that

last part a little later. I don't work well under gunfire.”

Kantus Scrolls

The Kantus holy scrolls contain verses about communicating with rockworms, which Kantus monks lure out during hunts. Skorge would have likely used these Scrolls to lead the Riftworm to sink the cities of Tollen, Montevado and Ilima. Skorge even tried to use the scrolls and the Riftworm to sink Jacinto city, but he was defeated and the worm was killed by Delta Squad.

COG Analysis of the Scrolls

“Baird here.

“So we're barely 30 minutes in the Hollow and I've already found irrefutable,

incontrovertible evidence that the Locust are, absolutely, without a doubt,

insane. Like I didn't already know that, but hey, when you find a scroll made

of human skin, well...

“I'm still trying to decipher all the Locust runes, but from what I can tell,

the scroll has something to do with communicating with 'worms.' Yep, that's

right... haven't figured out the first part yet, but the second verse says:

'The' Worms answer, my name is Horde, for we are many with...' It cuts off

after that, and there's also a glyph I've never seen on the back, but I'll

have to figure that out later. But gut-check here, guys: Our enemy talks to

worms. if they're outsmarting us in this war, then we probably deserve to be

extinct.”

Locust Tablets

The Locust Tablets, also known as the Rulers of Nexis Platesgo into detail on how the Hollows were created (by three Riftworms) and how one of the three Riftworms was awakened by the Lightmass bombing at Timgad. It contains verses and mantras very much like the Kantus scroll that Damon S. Baird found but in more detail. The contents of the Tablets tell a creation story.

COG Analysis of the Tablets

“Baird here.

“Some old tablets that talk more about... you guessed it, worms.

“Also might be something of a creation tale here, definitely worth investigating

further... we also found another piece of tablet earlier, a more recent piece,

that seemed to suggest that something awakened 'the great worm' recently.

Something 'light' and 'hot'

“If I were a gambling man, my money would be on the Lightmass Bomb. Now that'd be

some irony: The bomb kills the Kryll but not the Locust, then awakens something

that can sink entire cities. Story of human existence, right? We try

to make things better, but only make things worse in the long run.

Misanthropy is underrated.”