![[space_dio_sigil.jpg|400]] ## Overview --- The Church of Space is a diocese in [[Transelmany]]. It is located in the far northeast of the country, bordered only by the Church of Darkness, which was created from its own territory in 677 AL; which reduced its size considerably, having once been the nation's largest diocese. Its capital & largest city Muntbatten was the first city in the world to be controlled by [[Hagioism|Hagioists]], and was where the [[History of Transelmany — Foundation & Protracted Rebellion (648-658 AL)#651 AL|Proclamation of Transelmany]] that founded the country took place. The region now known as the Church of Space was called Altus before the revolution, and was home to a large community of academics. Under the monarchy, it had been the site of their Royal Academy, where various degrees were awarded. It had the highest levels of education in the country. During the [[History of Transelmany — Foundation & Protracted Rebellion (648-658 AL)|Protracted Rebellion]], the Academy was occupied by the [[Voromiraka]], who had turned it gradually from a covert meeting place into a base of operations for their activities. Before the Haal treaty was signed, there had been secret negotiations between the Crown and the rebels over what territory would be handed over to them. Altus was of strategic importance to the Crown because it was their only real stronghold of support in South Elmany, and the Royal Academy was highly valuable to the Crown. Bishops [[Gordon Alastair]] and [[Yemisi Fayowa]] made it clear that the Academy was already highly fortified and it would not be possible for control over it to change hands peacefully. [[Sofie Adonai|Queen Sofie]] begrudgingly agreed to let the Rebels have it, and as a result North Elmany was fully cut off from the South. Academy staff who still had sympathy for the Crown were forcefully removed from their positions. This ended up being one of the inciting incidents of the [[Transelman Civil War]], because Alastair broadened this purge from just royal sympathizers to all political opponents of Fayowa. After the war, it was decided that all of Altus would become the new Church of Space, with the Academy repurposed as the headquarters of the Church of Space, with most facilities preserved. The [[Church of Darkness]] would later be carved out from this region. Much like Fayowa in the [[Church of Gravity]], Alastair has immense popularity in the Space Diocese. He is revered not just as a central figure of the revolution but also as the Church's first and only Saint, the longest-serving member of the Council by considerable margin.