The Satuva
The Satuva, more commonly referred to as “The Threefold path”, is a non-deific, or by some interpretations even anti-deific faith and philosophical belief system, predominantly practiced within The Astarojna Dominion. It concerns itself predominantly with the lived experience of mortals, heavily incentivising self-improvement and the seizing of one's own destiny over groveling before self-serving, capricious gods.
While almost exclusively practiced by Nayavela Elves (see: The Elven Strain), The Satuva allows, and even encourages members of other Strains to convert, and free themselves from the shackles of divinity in pursuit of the perfect self.
The Satuva originated around 1000 years ago from the few remaining Nayavela Elves that stayed to inhabit the now devastated and corrupted lands, following The Burning of The First Tree (see: The Elven Strain ). Its teachings were first codified by the first Queen and founder of The Astarojna Dominion, Zaras Astarojna.
Depending on who you ask she still rules them to this day, as she is said to be the first and one of the only individuals to ever achieve The Perfect Self, allowing her to reincarnate after death to resume her royal duties, once her new self would discover who it truly was. While there are codified schools of belief within The Satuva, in practice the ideas of individuality and self-actualization allow for a lot of freedom when interpreting the core beliefs of the faith. Everyone’s journey along The Threefold Path is different after all, and everyone must discover for themselves how they should navigate life's challenges in order to come closer to their ideal self. The Satuva therefore doesn’t draw a lot of lines in the sand on most issues, though every rule has one or two exceptions: Its practitioners generally hold it as a self-evident truth that one cannot follow The Threefold Path while chaining themselves in service to a higher power. Religion and Prayer are overwhelmingly seen as a remedy for the weak, begging and groveling before higher powers to solve their problems for them.
There are of course a lot of different stances people take on this issue. On the one hand you have those that claim that in the greater pursuit of The Perfect Self, there is still meaning and wisdom which can be gleaned from the different religions of the world, even if their actual practice more often than not is a waste of time.
On the other hand you have those that see all religions, no matter their beliefs, as a blight infecting the minds of the masses, a curse meant to be eradicated. Willful servitude to uncaring masters at best, and a weapon used to poison the minds of entire civilizations at worst. Most people however can be found somewhere between those two extremes.
Upon death, a soul leaves its mortal remains and makes its way to Rurik, often referred to as “The Sea of Souls”. It is this mysterious realm where practitioners of The Satuva believe all souls originate, and where all souls eventually return to, so long as they are not utterly destroyed. Eventually these souls will be reborn, reincarnated into a new body, with no memories of their previous lives, yet unquestionably tethered to them.
The one exception to this are those known as Mistra, or “The Perfect Ones”, individuals which supposedly have achieved The Perfect Self through mastery of The Threefold Path. Wise and powerful beyond measure, these individuals perfectly recall each and everyone of their previous lives. The most prominent of these individuals known to history is Zaras Astarojna, the founder and Queen of The Astarojna Dominion.
Thought is the first axis of The Threefold Path, and the primary way in which we experience the world around us. The same action can be both a cause for joy and sorrow, and it is our thoughts that color our reactions to it. It follows then that control over our thoughts is vital, and that we must steel our minds if we wish to properly master our impulses in pursuit of The Perfect Self.
Action is the second axis of The Threefold Path, the primary way in which we influence the world around us, and in which others experience our will. While it is our thoughts that direct our actions, it is our body that executes them, so a strong mind must reside within a resilient body. To steel our body then must be imperative, for as we push against the world, so the world pushes back.
Contemplation is the third axis of The Threefold Path, though it is also often referred to as study or simply advancement. While the other two axes primarily deal with mastering the two aspects innate to all sapient life, thought and action, mastery of those aspects will only get one so far. It does not matter after all if one’s actions and thoughts are in perfect unison, if the thoughts are formed from false information. The third axis of Contemplation therefore deals with that exact issue: To study the world around us to better understand it, to meditate and contemplate our own thoughts and feelings in order to better understand them and to always look for the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
Furthermore, they believe Souls to be finite and impossible to create. The Souls within Ruric are all there are and all there will ever be, and as such tampering with souls, destroying or consuming them through things such as necromancy and blood magic is seen as sacrilege.
While almost exclusively practiced by Nayavela Elves (see: The Elven Strain), The Satuva allows, and even encourages members of other Strains to convert, and free themselves from the shackles of divinity in pursuit of the perfect self.
Quick Summary:
“It was thus, as I saw the world around me reshaped and remade, that I found myself in the very moment, where our forefathers struck down The Elder and cast off their chains.”
“Free from mortal flesh and in perfect union with all that was me, past present and future… I felt such power at my fingertips that the world itself trembled in my presence.”
“In that moment, as I bathed in the screams of a dying god… before everything was washed away, I felt but for the fraction of a fraction of a moment, the true potential each and everyone of us holds within them.”
“And it was thus that I felt the will of our forefathers resonate within the core of my soul: NO GODS, NO MASTERS!”
The Satuva originated around 1000 years ago from the few remaining Nayavela Elves that stayed to inhabit the now devastated and corrupted lands, following The Burning of The First Tree (see: The Elven Strain ). Its teachings were first codified by the first Queen and founder of The Astarojna Dominion, Zaras Astarojna.
Depending on who you ask she still rules them to this day, as she is said to be the first and one of the only individuals to ever achieve The Perfect Self, allowing her to reincarnate after death to resume her royal duties, once her new self would discover who it truly was. While there are codified schools of belief within The Satuva, in practice the ideas of individuality and self-actualization allow for a lot of freedom when interpreting the core beliefs of the faith. Everyone’s journey along The Threefold Path is different after all, and everyone must discover for themselves how they should navigate life's challenges in order to come closer to their ideal self. The Satuva therefore doesn’t draw a lot of lines in the sand on most issues, though every rule has one or two exceptions: Its practitioners generally hold it as a self-evident truth that one cannot follow The Threefold Path while chaining themselves in service to a higher power. Religion and Prayer are overwhelmingly seen as a remedy for the weak, begging and groveling before higher powers to solve their problems for them.
There are of course a lot of different stances people take on this issue. On the one hand you have those that claim that in the greater pursuit of The Perfect Self, there is still meaning and wisdom which can be gleaned from the different religions of the world, even if their actual practice more often than not is a waste of time.
On the other hand you have those that see all religions, no matter their beliefs, as a blight infecting the minds of the masses, a curse meant to be eradicated. Willful servitude to uncaring masters at best, and a weapon used to poison the minds of entire civilizations at worst. Most people however can be found somewhere between those two extremes.
Core Beliefs:
While The Satuva is by its nature a very individual affair, there are nonetheless some aspects to its core which most practitioners tend to agree on.The Eternal Cycle:
Practitioners of The Satuva believe that life and death are not opposites, but part of an eternal flow state: The cyclical journey of the soul, most commonly referred to as Kolobeja or “The Eternal Cycle”. All living beings, no matter how large or small, no matter if animal or person undergo this cycle.Upon death, a soul leaves its mortal remains and makes its way to Rurik, often referred to as “The Sea of Souls”. It is this mysterious realm where practitioners of The Satuva believe all souls originate, and where all souls eventually return to, so long as they are not utterly destroyed. Eventually these souls will be reborn, reincarnated into a new body, with no memories of their previous lives, yet unquestionably tethered to them.
The one exception to this are those known as Mistra, or “The Perfect Ones”, individuals which supposedly have achieved The Perfect Self through mastery of The Threefold Path. Wise and powerful beyond measure, these individuals perfectly recall each and everyone of their previous lives. The most prominent of these individuals known to history is Zaras Astarojna, the founder and Queen of The Astarojna Dominion.
The Threefold Path:
More than just a meditation guide or a code of conduct, The Threefold Path lies at the core of The Satuvan Belief System, and is viewed by most practitioners as THE Way to unlock their perfect self. In its most basic form, The Threefold Path reveals the relation between thoughts and action, how the two influence each other and how we, through proper contemplation, can direct both of them:Thought is the first axis of The Threefold Path, and the primary way in which we experience the world around us. The same action can be both a cause for joy and sorrow, and it is our thoughts that color our reactions to it. It follows then that control over our thoughts is vital, and that we must steel our minds if we wish to properly master our impulses in pursuit of The Perfect Self.
Action is the second axis of The Threefold Path, the primary way in which we influence the world around us, and in which others experience our will. While it is our thoughts that direct our actions, it is our body that executes them, so a strong mind must reside within a resilient body. To steel our body then must be imperative, for as we push against the world, so the world pushes back.
Contemplation is the third axis of The Threefold Path, though it is also often referred to as study or simply advancement. While the other two axes primarily deal with mastering the two aspects innate to all sapient life, thought and action, mastery of those aspects will only get one so far. It does not matter after all if one’s actions and thoughts are in perfect unison, if the thoughts are formed from false information. The third axis of Contemplation therefore deals with that exact issue: To study the world around us to better understand it, to meditate and contemplate our own thoughts and feelings in order to better understand them and to always look for the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
The Perfect Self:
The Perfect Self is the theoretical ideal of what The Satuva states a person should be. An all-knowing entity, their body and mind in perfect unison with the world around them being an absolute extension of their will. Referred to as Mistra, or “The Perfect Ones”, it is these entities which practitioners of The Satuva hold to be the fulfilled potential of mortals, an eternal existence above even the gods, to which even death itself is merely an inconsequential state of being.Immutable Souls:
Practitioners of The Satuva believe Souls to be immutable, meaning that no matter what, the soul of one thing cannot be reincarnated into another. The Soul of a Grasshopper will always become a Grasshopper, and the Soul of an Elf will always become an Elf.Furthermore, they believe Souls to be finite and impossible to create. The Souls within Ruric are all there are and all there will ever be, and as such tampering with souls, destroying or consuming them through things such as necromancy and blood magic is seen as sacrilege.
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