Editing Church of Kali

{{ApocryphalArticle}}
{{InfoBoxOrganization
| image =
| Type = Religious Organization
| Founded =
| Dissolved =
| Parent Organization =
| Headquarters =
}}

The '''Church of Kali''' was a secretive religious cult operating in the [[Sian Commonality]] and tacitly associated with the [[Capellan Confederation]].<ref name=MW5M>''MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries'', "Hazing of the Weak"</ref>

==History==
During [[General Kerensky]]'s [[Operation EXODUS|Exodus]] from the [[Inner Sphere]], ''[[Union]]''-class [[DropShip]]s belonging to the [[Star League Defense Force]]'s [[6th Army (Star League)|Sixth Army]], [[309th Royal BattleMech Division]] attempted to link up with the Exodus fleet but were shot down in low orbit on [[Claxton]]. Aside from external damage from impact, most of the ships' contents were unharmed in the crash. Two centuries later, there was noticeable evidence of salvaging and several facilities and large structures were constructed in the vicinity, despite the system's charts showing the remote volcanic region was supposed to be uninhabited. By this time, everything was under the control of the Church of Kali.<ref name=MW5M/>

With very few exceptions, the only people who were aware of the Church of Kali's existence were those brought into their fold. The church's goals were known only to its most loyal members. They pledged their loyalty to the one true Avatar of Kali and believed that when she returned, the galaxy would burn and be cleansed of all non-believers.<ref name=MW5M/>

One of their disciples, [[Aditi Whidbey]], became deranged and attempted to speed up the process of achieving some of the church's goals and began to mercilessly butcher civilians in the [[Sendalor]] system, attracting unwanted outside attention. The church did not want to get personally involved in apprehending Whidbey because it would have meant exposing their SLDF armament, so they made the difficult decision to hire a reputable mercenary outfit to deal with the matter quickly and quietly. After repelling Whidbey's forces away from Sendalor, the mercenaries chased her to bases on [[Housekarle]] and [[Grand Base]] before eventually confronting her on Claxton. Making their last stand there, Whidbey and her remaining followers were ultimately defeated among the ruins of the 200-year-old SLDF DropShips.<ref name=MW5M/>

==Hierarchy==
The only identity that mattered to the Church of Kali was that of the true ruler, and all disciples had to leave their past lives behind before they joined, including their names. Instead, people were given symbolic names associated with the responsibilities they had.<ref name=MW5M/>
* Will of Kali: "I am the Will of Kali, liaison and loyal servant to the Church of Kali."
* Eyes of Kali: "The Eyes of Kali watch you closely now, Commander."
* Mind of Kali: "The Mind of Kali found much on [Aditi Whidbey's] new ideology."
* Arms of Kali: "The Arms of Kali once again tracked [Whidbey] down for you."
* Hand of Kali: "Another failure and the Hand of Kali would be forced to immediately fire upon your ship."
* Avatar of Kali: "We have pledged our loyalty to the one true Avatar of Kali. And her return is near."

==Notes==
Although suggested or inferred, it is not specifically stated whether the Church of Kali were descendants from the survivors of the crashed SLDF DropShips who set up secret habitation on Claxton to stay hidden from the public, or if they were a group of people who discovered the crash sites some time later which influenced and developed their cult traditions.

[[Piranha Games Inc.|PGI]]'s Church of Kali has many similarities to, and may have been inspired by, [[Kali Liao]] and the [[Thuggee]] cult.

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries]]'' (Video Game)

[[Category:Religious Organizations|Church of Kali]]
[[Category:Capellan Confederation|Church of Kali]]