The Path

The gods will return to remake the world

We must follow the Path. If we do not, the gods will never return to make our world into the paradise they promised.

— A Koushan Mai priest

The religion of the Koushan Mai, Gen Mai, translates to 'the Path.' However, the Path is more than just a religion to the Koushan Mai people - it is a prophecy that gives them hope for the future.
The Koushan Mai believe that there was a point several thousand years ago when their gods retreated from Etrea. They believe that the gods were unhappy with the way their people were behaving, with petty wars between different clans, and with the fact that their presence was being taken for granted.
The last of the gods to leave was Hakan, the god of the sun, who the Koushan Mai consider to be the ruler of the pantheon. It is said he appeared in the centre of his main temple, known as the Tower of the Watcher, and told his priests there that one day the gods would return.
There were, however, conditions.
The Koushan Mai would have to follow the tenets laid forward by the gods, and live their lives mindful of their values. The gods would watch, waiting for the moment when they could once again judge their people worthy. When that moment came, Hakan promised, the gods would return to Etrea and remake it into a paradise where suffering would be no more.

by geralt