Name: The Harvest Faith
Type: Religion
Origin: Elysium
Primary Deity/Figure: The One Who Brings the Harvest
Summary:
The Harvest Faith (sometimes referred to as Harvester Faith) is a localized religion practiced to the colony world of Amargosa. It is centered around agrarian values and reverence for a spiritual figure known as The One Who Brings the Harvest. The faith appears to blend traditional Earth-based religious concepts with rituals and symbolism relevant to life on a frontier world.
The Harvest Faith has limited formal hierarchy but recognizes deacons and parsons, who are often licensed by Colonial authorities to conduct marriages and officiate rites in the absence of structured government. The faith has spread widely enough that its ceremonies are considered legally valid throughout the Compact of Humanity, even during wartime or collapse of civil order.
One of its most prominent depictions in The Children of Amargosa occurs during the wartime wedding of JT Austin and Elizabeth Anne Parker (Lizzy). The ceremony was performed by a Harvest deacon, and the traditional vows invoked The Great Harvest and the sacred exchange of flesh and life until “the Great Harvest parts us forever”.
The Parker family, particularly Sarah Parker (Lizzy’s mother), appears to observe the faith. Sarah’s familiarity with its traditions and the ceremonial language used by Lizzy implies that Lizzy was raised with Harvest Faith values, even if not overtly devout. This religious backdrop adds depth to Lizzy’s connection to her homeworld and her cultural identity within the broader Compact.