Wild Elders
Jakular's teachings aren't confined to books or organizations. Anyone can choose to become an Elder of Jakular. There is no formal process, an individual muust simply have the desire to serve Jakular and to explore the mysteries of nature. The Elders have no structure or heirarchy, their meetings are likely to be limited to chance meetings as two Elders follow their own paths. Elders to not even need to be Elderly, their wisdom is generally accepted on the same level as the Elders of Biethtíre tribes. They didn't even name themselves Wild Elders, such is their distaste for formality. It was simply the name for them collectively that stuck.
Some Elders stay in the same area their whole lives, becomming deeply involved with nature and people there. Others journey far and wide, seeking an understanding of the greater patterns in the natural and civilized worlds. The only real requirement is that they worship Jakular. Outside of that, there is no right or wrong way to be an Elder.
Occasionally a group of Elders will group together for an undertaking, but their partnership is destined to end not long after their task. Any Elders who try to organize permanently are considered apostates, and likely to find themselves dead by brutal means. There are few rites of Jakular that require sacrifice, and none that require the sacrifice of a sapient being. Apostates sometimes find themselves the sacrifice to these rites.
Elders generally serve as guides to those who seek them out. They recognize that each person's path is their own to walk, and that no two lives will take the same shape. Many Elders also offer healing and rites for aligning villages and people with nature. Despite these services, often offered at lettle or no cost, They are most often seen as, and most often prefer to act as, guides on people's paths. While they prefer that people embrace Jakular, they are not opposed to showing the path to other deities if that is what they believe is best for the individual.
Very rarely, a Wild Elder will take on an apprentice of sorts. Their relationship is nothing formal, simply one person guinding the other to discover the secrets of life. This practice is generally frowned upon, unless the 'apprentice' is not a biethtíre. A biethtíre needing to be led to Jakular's secrets is considered shameful and distasteful. These feelings are never focused on the Elder, but rather on the 'apprentice'. It is seen as their failing, not being in touch with nature and the forces of life.
Of all the Churches of the First Ones and Overgods, the Wild Elders are the simplest and the least organized of them all. The life of a Wild Elder is one of wandering, deep emotion, change, and freedom. It is not a life of fame, fortune, or ease. The Wild Elders that have become widely known were known not for their role as a follower of Jakular, but for their deeds.
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