Way of Runeblessed Dreams
Deities are beings of great power, yes, but where did their power come from? Lean into the dreams of your true selves. Learn of what lies beyond the fogged mirror of our reality.The Way of Runeblessed Dreams - usually known as 'the Way' - is a cult-like religion that originated in the Aletheian Empire in the 5th millennium. They hold significant interest in the origins of power and magic, and view the rise of arcane magic to be proof of an obscure theorem stating that all magic is funnelled through the same 'source'. Their tenets suggest that deities and other beings of power simply capture the majority of this power for themselves and share a filtered version to their followers, with arcane magic being a distorted reflection of this 'source'. It isn't known who originally founded the Way, nor who actively leads it. The cult uses orbs of silver to distinguish itself, in both written and crafted form - though only higher members of the cult know the true uses of the more powerful orbs. On occasion, these orbs are confused with the moon: this is often used to the cult's advantage when working in new areas and recruiting less educated beings. The Way uses the symbolism of a blue-skinned woman holding aloft the moon in these instances, claiming her to be a prophesied heroine that shall open the pathway to the Source.
Public Agenda
As far as the general public is concerned, the Way simply seeks a method of tapping into the purest form of divine power allowed by the planet itself. They gladly praise existing deities and encourage thoughtful study of all religion whilst delving into both ley and ritual magic - winning them both friends and enemies. Their followers are motivated by the ideals of true power and equality with their idols, with many holding more selfish motives close to their hearts.
How, exactly, the Way plans on finding the Source is not yet known. There are many dangers inherent in the use of ley magic - as the scars Lyadrà An'thimael bears can attest - and yet the Dreamers seek to combine it with rituals, runes, and their own studies in arcane and divine magic.
Worship
To worship the Way is simply done by any holding a silver orb or iconography of it. Sleeping whilst aware of the Runeblessed Dreams and bearing the object will alter a worshipper's dreams in oft-subtle ways, often influencing them with imagery of swirling silver and ley patterns. Despite the disrupted dreams, Dreamers find themselves with far more energy on days after their worshipping.
In their waking moments, however, they may also honour the goal and the pathway by raising their orb aloft in one hand and resting the other atop natural dirt. Meditating and focusing on this moment allows clarity and a connection with Istralar's ley-lines, supposedly.
Smaller sects find different ways of worship: some even sacrificing casters to entrap their magic within crystalline prisms to later use in rituals.
Political Influence & Intrigue
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Followers of the Way do not often share their faith for fear of being seen as strange outcasts. They instead follow deities such as Nethys in the open, and study their own Way behind closed doors. Regardless, the cult has spread far in the time since its founding. Dreamers can be found in all corners of the world, from the Querei in the North to Yulan Sheng in the East. Information travels slowly across such a large distance, but outsiders suggest that the cult must have a central base of operations in which it regularly meets and stores the data it collects.
Recently, members of the Shadows have begun to suggest that the Way were involved in the strife causing the Medimian Empire to strike out at Terenholt and the Aletheian Empire. If this is true, the cult may need to be taken far more seriously than it currently is.We see what lies beyond our grasp.
Founding Date
5000s
Type
Religious, Cult
Alternative Names
the Way, the Waking Moon, the Trueseers
Demonym
Dreamers or Walkers of the Way
Location
Related Professions
Notable Members
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