At the centre of the city of Seneri is a temple, and at the centre of that temple is a gigantic tree. Its trunk is six metres in circumference, and it shoots up into the sky through an opening in the roof, much taller than the three storeys of the temple building. This is the Great Temple of the Earth, and it is at the heart of all cultural life in the city.

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     Senerians believe that the Collapse came about because humans neglected their duties to the Earth. We shaped the Earth in our image instead of accepting our role as merely part of the eco-system – the resulting ecological devastation was the consequence of this hubris. Today, our duty is to tend to the Earth, to worship Her, and to let Her shape us.

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     In Seneri, it is forbidden to terraform. This includes farming, building with natural materials, cutting down trees, damming rivers or irrigating. Small scale gardening is allowed, but removing existing plants in order to make space for gardening is not. Killing animals is strictly forbidden, except in self-defence. As a result, Senerians are mostly foragers. Most Senerians spend a large amount of their days searching for food, cooking it, preserving it and tending their gardens; this self-imposed poverty is part of their religious practice.

 

     For the Priestesses of the Earth, who live in the temple, life is even stricter. They spend their days in prayer, and eat only ‘what is freely offered by the Earth’. This includes fruit that has fallen from trees, animals who have died of natural causes, and offerings from worshippers, which make up the majority of their diet. Perhaps due to severe malnourishment, many Priestesses report seeing visions, which they claim were sent to them directly by the Earth. Some of them claim supernatural powers or psychic abilities. Even people who do not live full time in Seneri may travel there to be healed or to ask for guidance.

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     Despite the severely ascetic lifestyle of its citizens, the population of Seneri is growing. More and more Earth Worshippers arrive in the city each day, putting a strain on what the surrounding forest can provide. The Senerians have found themselves beginning to compete with each other for food that fits their strict ethical criteria.