People of the First Path

The Myth of the First Walker   "The stories say that in the time before time, the People were scattered and lost. We knew the beast within was strong, but we did not know it was wise. We lived as animals, fearing the dark.   The First Walker was a man, alone and dying of thirst on the plains. In his desperation, he ate the bitter fruit of the spirit-root and drank from a cracked earth spring. The world fell away from him. For seven days and seven nights, his spirit walked the Star Road.   On his journey, he did not speak to gods. He spoke to Grandfather Buffalo, who taught him about strength in the herd. He spoke to Sister Wolf, who taught him about the loyalty of the pack. He spoke to Mother Bear, who taught him about fierce protection. He saw that their spirits and our spirits were made from the same clay by the Great Mystery.   He awoke from his vision, and for the first time, he did not just become the beast—he walked with it. He understood its soul. He returned to the scattered tribes and taught them the True Way: that shifting is not a change of skin, but a joining of spirits. He taught us the vision quest to find our own spirit-kin.   He was the first of us to see the true face of the world. When his body finally failed, his spirit did not fade. It joined the Star Road, forever walking between the world of the People and the world of the Spirits, guiding those who seek true vision."

1. Walk the Path He Walked. His journey is your map. Seek vision through ordeal, embrace the wisdom of the spirit world, and never cease to explore the boundaries of your own soul. A life without seeking is a life half-lived.   2. Your Shift is Your Truth. When you change your skin, you do not become a beast. You honor the spirit-kin who walked with the First Walker. It is a sacred dialogue, a prayer made flesh. Perform it with respect for the animal within and without.   3. Build Markers for Those Who Follow. As we build mounds to anchor his story, so too must you leave a legacy of wisdom. Teach the young, tell the old stories, and guide the lost. We are all waypoints on the great journey; ensure your marker points the way forward.   4. The Land Holds the Memory. The earth is the first and final record of all that has happened. Listen to its truths. Protect the sacred sites, for in them the voices of the ancestors and the spirit-kin can still be heard. To wound the land is to erase history.   5. The Pack is Strength, the Herd is Life. The First Walker learned from the pack and the herd. We honor him by living it. Your family, your village, your tribe—these are your pack. Uphold your duties to them. Strength is found in unity, and survival in community.

Their worship is centered on mimicking his journey and creating permanent markers of his legacy.   The Lodge of the Unveiled Face: This is their formal religious society. Membership is for those who have had a powerful vision of the First Walker specifically. They are the priests and organizers.   Initiation: To join, one must undergo a vision quest using the same methods described in the myth (the spirit-root, the cracked earth spring) to try and walk the same path.   The Solstice Pilgrimage: The most important annual ritual. The entire village undertakes a procession from their mound-village to a specific, sacred site on the plains—a place believed to be where the First Walker awoke from his vision.   There, they conduct a Great Telling, where the story of the First Walker is recited in its entirety by the Lodge members.   This is followed by a communal shift, where everyone takes on their animal aspect simultaneously as a act of unity and remembrance. The plains would swarm with eagles, wolves, bears, and deer for a single, powerful night.   The Mound of the Walking Star: In the center of their village, they do not build a temple. They build an earthen mound. At its top, they erect a single, massive carved wooden post depicting the First Walker surrounded by the animals he met.   This post is their altar. Offerings are left at its base: carvings, baskets of maize, weapons.   The act of building and maintaining this mound is itself a core tenet of their worship—a permanent, earthly anchor for his story.   The Ritual of the Joined Spirit: This is their version of "shifting as a prayer." It's a practiced, ceremonial dance that leads into the shift. It's not the wild, instinctual change of the nomads; it is a deliberate, respectful act of communion performed on important occasions, meant to emulate the First Walker's controlled, enlightened first shift.

Domain of the Vision Quest Focuses on seeking truth through sacred ordeal and revelation. Its practitioners are oracles who gain power from divination, trance states, and guiding others through spiritual trials.   Domain of the Spirit Pact Focuses on the sacred bonds with animal spirits and ancestral guides. Its practitioners are animists who communicate with beasts, summon spiritual allies, and channel the wisdom of the natural world.   Domain of the Uncharted Path Focuses on navigation, exploration, and safe passage. Its practitioners are guides and protectors who ward against hazards, find safe routes through wilderness, and bless those on difficult journeys.   Domain of Ancestral Memory Focuses on the power of story, lineage, and inherited wisdom. Its practitioners are lore-keepers who inspire allies with heroic tales, weaken foes with omens of doom, and commune with the spirits of the past.   Domain of the Earth's Truth Focuses on the permanence and honesty of the land. Its practitioners are grounded and resilient, drawing strength from the soil, blessing crops, and understanding the hidden histories held within stone and bone.