Path of Inspiration

"The fish does not seek to fly, and the raptor does not swim. Each life is a lesson, and you must live the life you have been given if you hope to rise in the next. Follow the path, and do not stray. Help your neighbors, and call on them when you are in need. Gold is the tongue of the Altavar, and a liar sells their soul with every word. Above all, trust the Inspired, whose wisdom guides us all."
The Path of Inspiration is the dominant religion in the Unity of Riedra, and forms the foundations of Riedran society. For many within Riedra, the Path of Inspiration and the Unity of Riedra are one and the same. The core belief of the Path of Inspiration is that the il-Altas, the Great Spirits, protect us from evil. The il-Altas oppose the machinations of the Overlords and other fiends, which the Riedrans call the altavar. These dark spirits tempt aspirants of the Path to stray, and put their progress along the path at risk, and otherwise seek to destroy all that is good in the world.
As far as the behaviour that it encourages, the Path of Inspiration has overlap with the Church of the Silver Flame, but it is less tolerant of other faiths. The Path teaches that all other gods are actually altavar, and that they corrupt their faithful and drive them from the Path. It is the divine role of the Inspired and their chosen servants to combat the altavar and their corruptive influence.
Followers of the Path of Inspiration believe that life exists within cycles of reincarnation, with souls being recycled back into Eberron after they fade from Dolurrh. The Path teaches that those who live their lives in accordance with their role in the Path will have the opportunity to move along the Path when they reincarnate, spiritually evolving and returning to Eberron in a form that reflects their progress along the path. The final stage in this journey are the il-Altas, who the Path teaches are mortal spirits who have fully traveled the Path of Inspiration and ascended to a higher state of being.
The Path of Inspiration teaches those that follow it to accept their lot in life, and that if they make the most of the life they were given, they will receive a better one in their next life. Each life is a lesson, and if one hopes to progress along the Path, they must learn the lesson that their life was meant to teach them. The Path is complex, but the milestones along the path can be summarised thus:

• The il-Altas, the Great Spirits. This the final stage of the Path of Inspiration, where a mortal ascends to a higher state of being.
• The Inspired, who are the chosen vessels that allow the il-Altas to enact their will on Eberron.
• The Chosen, who have the potential to become Inspired.
• Changelings, whose changeable forms are viewed as evidence of their spiritual evolution.
• Intelligent beings that are not further along the Path. The Oni are considered to be within this tier, but have a special role on the Path.
• Animals and other non-intelligent life

There are no temples to the Path of Inspiration. Riedrans are taught that they show their devotion to the Path by living the life they have been given, and making the most of the circumstances they have found themselves in. In this way, every building is a place of worship for followers of the Path, and every task completed or favour given is an act of devotion. The il-Altas guide us in all things.

Altavar

The Path teaches that those who fall from the Path become altavar, dark spirits that suffer eternal torment and ease their pain by inflicting it upon others, and corrupting the good in the world. The altavar are vast and powerful, and the faithful must always be watchful, lest they fall prey to the temptations that led the altavar from the Path and consigned them to their fate.
The Path teaches that some creatures house the altavar, such as the Oni and the Kalashtar. It is possible, however, for an altavar to return to the Path. In such a case, the altavar will be reincarnated into the body of an Oni. If the Oni learns the lesson that life presents them and serves the il-Altas and the Inspired, they may redeem the altavar that they contain, and rejoin the Path.
Within the Kalashtar, the altavar cannot be redeemed, The only path for them is destruction. Followers of the Path are encouraged to inform the relevant authorities if they encounter kalashtar, and are dissuaded from attempting to interact with or destroy the kalashtar themselves, as such interaction could jeopardize their progress on the Path.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Demonym

Followers of the Path