The Path of Natura

Brief Overview

The Path of Natura, more commonly known as "the Path," was once a massive religion that was worshipped worldwide. The Path followed the worship of "the Pair," the two Naturan deities Myamya & Irde. The central belief system revolved around building a better planet so that one day all of Eden could be a paradise suitable for the mortal races, much like how the realm of Natura was a paradise to the Pair and their Sylph.

General Overview

After their Bonding, Irde and Myamya traveled from the realm of Natura to the birthplace of Myamya. A forest on the western side of the continent Birtham. She found Sons Gate and spoke to him through it to learn the secrets of Eden they were ignorant to. As she got to work growing sustainable food sources, Irde carved lands later to be settled. It was around that time that the mortals of humanity were exiled from The Garden of Eden. Worried they'd frighten the mortals, Irde and Myamya hid in the Whispering woods (known in the current era as the The Forest of Silence). As the years passed the deities would whisper secrets to the humans who passed through the woods. Secrets of irrigation, agriculture, and minable materials. These simple acts of kindness led to a massive following from 900 BN to around 2950 BN until an event known as The death of growth crushed the hearts of mortals worldwide.
Most folks in modern-day Eden believe this to be a dead religion, however, there are still select groups who follow "the Path."

Military

The Path of Natura didn't have an official army, however, they did have three good things going for them in terms of protection.

They had over 2.4 million devout treehuggers ready to come together and fight for what they they believed in. These were farmers, bakers, hermits, forest dwellers, and the like.
They had an elite group of Saints blessed by the deities that would die for the pair without a second thought.
And if thier people looked like they were struggling the deities themselves would take up arms to protect their mortals.

Laws

There weren't many laws in regard to the Path of Natura, however, those they had were taken seriously. They broke these laws down into two categories, Minor offenses, and Major offenses.

Minor Offence	Major Offence
Picking flowers that grow in small numbers on a whim. These must be allowed to thrive so they may multiply. Killing without justification (killing for reasons other than survival was considered murder). Unnecissarry waste of anything that could cycle anew (plants, seeds, animals, etc). The unintentional desecration of a stone/mineral statue. Leaving an ally behind in a mountain range or on a mountain hike.	Destroying flora with nutritional properties in oligotrophic environments was prohibited. What was taken or killed must be regrown. The murder of sacrifice of a youthful being, mortal or otherwise. The sacrifice of an unwilling sentient being. The desecration of a stone/mineral statue with malice. You cannot bury cursed artifacts as they taint Eden's soils.

Gratefully, there weren't many ways you could incur Irde's wrath, however, if someone upset Myamya they upset Irde as well because Myamya was one of the very few things he treasured.

Worship

Good Omens	Bad Omens
One flower of the wrong color in a field of a single species of flora A palm sized stone that won't break under normal circumstances. pollenators. A gift. Birdsong. Rain clouds. Monkeys, chimps, & apes.	Mudslides. Nightshade growing in a circle. Unattended camp fires. Shifting/soft sands, or clay. If a family member or friend falls from a tree.

Priesthood

The priesthood of the Path is simple, but it's still considered to have some of the most efficient and tight-knit members historically recorded. ORGANIZATION CHART NOT AVAILABLE

To become a Naturalist, all one must do to join is find a temple of the Path. This sounds simple, however, all Path to Natura temples were coated in a deep layer of overgrowth, making them difficult to find for those who didn't know where to look...
To become a Hermit, an interested person had to have once been a Naturalist, and they must live outside of any settlements and they must live either alone or in a group of 3 or less for over a year practicing herbalism and potion-making.
The path to becoming a Shaman involved being a Hermit for at least 3 years or having advanced knowledge of alchemy and herbalism.
The path to becoming a Druid involved surviving the talons of a creature called the "Toxihawk," or learning how to transform into at least one animal.
To be blessed as a Saint, you would be asked to climb the tallest mountains, either Ashe or Mt Mordu, and grow the seed of a plant that didn't look like it could grow in that environment without using flight abilities.

Your sustenance, in exchange for my own. This allows the cycle of life to regrow.

900 BN - 2950 BN

Capital

Natura

Alternative Names

The Path, The Pair, Tree huggers, Naturalists

Successor Organization

The Way of Natura

Demonym

Those who walk the path.

Government System

Meritocracy

Economic System

Barter system

Gazetteer

Originally the most important place to this religion was split between two locations. The first was the Faewilds, which was later renamed The Forest of Silence. The second isn't even located on the mortal plane of existence and was rumored to be where the Pair originated. This magical place was called "Natura," and it is where all four natural elements meet in their strongest forms.

Location

Birtham

Official Languages

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