The Way of The Spirits
Gameplay:
All religious classes (clerics, paladins, and druids) are open to players how want to play as Wayists. Cleric class characters can play as the priest or priestess of their home village’s shrine. Paladin class characters can be fighters who have sworn to fight in the name of a particularly militant spirit. Perhaps the character’s home village has suffered repeated attacks from invaders and local fighters have sworn themselves to the defense of the local patron spirit of the village. Also, paladins of other faiths may still hold to the Wayist beliefs of their home. These type of paladins are extremely rare, but are an option for players. Many druids practice The Way. Calling on the aid of the natural world's spirits is the basis of the magic that these magic users use. So, when roleplaying the casting of a spell or magical effect, players can have their characters call for the aid of the surrounding tree spirits of the forest or the spirit of the stone in a castle's wall, for example.Followers
Known As: Wayists Insulted as: Tree Huggers The Way of the Spirits is the dominant religion of the those who live in less "civilized" areas such as cooper elves (wood elves). Although, it has practitioners among all The Races of The Sword Coast, especially in rural areas, hills, and forest regions. Also, many druids are followers of The Way. The Way does not seek to spread itself or make converts. It is a faith one is born into or marries into.Beliefs
The Way is an animistic faith that holds that all things and all people have spirits that live inside them, some greater than others. Every person, tree, rock, river, mountain, star, as well as the sun, the moons, the sea, the sky... everything... is alive with a spirit. Some spirits, like those of the mountains, are constant and unmoving; while others, like that of a storm, are turbulent and easily angered. The Way teaches that one must live in harmony with the spirits, particularly those of nature. Beyond that, The Way has no particular moral teachings, dogma, nor one single holy text. It is a conglomeration of stories and legends about local spirits and the history of the individual villages.Places of Worship
The Way has no formal structure or hierarchy. Each individual village will erect a shrine to the spirit or spirits that are most important to that village. A farming village might have a shrine to the spirit of the rain and one to the spirit of the field. A marketplace might have a shrine to the spirit of the road, who protects travelers to the marketplace. Many will have small altars in their homes dedicated to ancestors or the guardian spirit of the village. Wayist shrines reflect harmony with nature. They are built of natural materials, wood and thatch, and often incorporate a natural feature, such as being built around a great tree or into a rock grotto.Manner of Worship
Wayists focus on ceremonies and rituals that service to appease the spirits and bind the village together. Holy days, festivals, ceremonies, and traditions will vary from village to village. Religious ceremonies involve ritual purification led by the priest or priestess, and group chants and prayers. There are no sermons or liturgies.Views on Other Religions
The Way says exactly nothing about other religions. Wayists are remarkably open to other belief systems, even ones with contradictory teachings, considering other gods as another set of powerful spirits. Wayism is synergistic in that it will incorporate elements of neighboring religions into its own. For example, many converts to The Teachings of Chantrel hold both to her teachings and traditional Wayist beliefs of their village, much to the consternation of the pastress of the local temple of Chantrel.May the spirits of rain be generous to your crops. May the spirits of the field be generous to your family.
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