The Sea Way

Overview

The Nyeta Islands are home to several nations with different languages, cultures, and a different mix of religions, but the predominant religion across all the Nyetan people is The Sea Way. The followers of this religion just call themselves the Sea People. They venerate a pantheon of sea gods in the sea that immediately surrounds them, but especially in The Wide Sea. The sea around the islands is relatively safe and calm compared to the Wide Sea, which is seen as the wild, chaotic domain of the most powerful gods. The storms and rogue waves of the Wild Sea are seen as a manifestation of the sheer power of the gods-- their presence alone makes the sea wild and unpredictable.
The islands, and indeed all land, are seen not as something separate from the sea, but as something that has risen from the sea to extend the creation of the sea gods into the realm of the air. There is continuity between the two realms; sometimes the gods have left the sea to walk on land and instruct humans in their ways. This is how humans learned to build boats and make nets, for instance.
They believe that humans were originally created under the sea as more fish-like creatures, but they had lost a sense of their place and challenged the gods, for which they were punished by having their ability to breathe underwater taken from them. Over the millennia, they lost their scales and grew strong walking legs. (Nyetan scientists were among the first to propose a theory of evolution since their cultural background got them halfway there with the notion that living things adapt to their environment over time.) The ability to swim is seen as a gift, a small mercy to take the edge off of their punishment. It is a sacred activity.
The Sea People believe in an afterlife in which their spirit returns to the deepest parts of the Wide Sea to be judged. If a person hasn't lived up to his responsibilities or has forgotten to give the gods their due, they are shown their errors and have their hearts reformed by the Divine Judges. Everyone ends up in the same afterlife, free spirits in the sea. They can return to the land to visit and assist their family and clan, but they are believed to spend most of their time among the gods, learning and enjoying being one with the sea itself.
The Sea Way was originally a purely oral tradition, but it has since gained a book titled "The Way." While not being sacred in and of itself, it is respected as the major source of religious tradition and wisdom. Some small sects have taken it as a holy book and attributed its authorship to their own ancestor spirits or to their local patron gods. The vast majority of Sea People, however, view it as a manual written by religious scholars and leaders to guide people in religious rites and for life in general. The book has largely been responsible for unifying and regularizing religious practice across the islands.
Charity is a major component of The Sea Way, and they serve open community meals at least once every 7 days. More affluent temples may offer meals twice a week, and the very richest communities offer meals daily. The meals are open to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation or socio-economic status. Being too wealthy as an individual is seen as shameful, so those merchants and fish tycoons that have more than they need have a strong social incentive to support the efforts of their local temples.

Type

Religious, Sect