The Tutelars

The Tutelars are a religion exclusively practiced by the Vysovela variety of The Elven Strain, deep in the heart of The Devoj Wilderness. The first Tutelars, also often referred to as Elder Trees or simply Elders were said to be trees of immense proportions, with roots so deep and vast that they were connected to the very core of the world, and branches that reached so far up that they held up the firmament.
More than just deities or gods, the Vysovela view them as the manifest will of the world, which had brought them into existence to watch over and tend to their physical form, though today only few of them remain.
The faith generally puts a heavy focus on veneration and subservience to nature, adherence to tradition and the importance of legacy.

Quick Summary:

“In the heart of Devoj, where the wilds hold sway,
The Elders still rule over those that obey.”
“Guardians of Will divine,
Manifest of the Greater Design.”

The creed of The Tutelars tells the story of how the world came to be, brought into being by The Will of The World (or simply The Will), a supreme force of creation superseding everything in existence. The Tutelars themselves were said to be different manifestations of The Will, as no single entity, not even one as grand as a Tutelar, could be sufficient to embody the multiplicity of The World in its entirety.
After they had formed all of creation in accordance to The Will, they created The Elven Strain to look over their physical forms and protect their creations from all that would bring harm to them.
The first, greatest and oldest of The Tutelars was Starovjek, followed by Valki, Strigoi and countless other ones of lesser note.
It would not be until The Splintering (see: The Elven Strain), that The Elves would experience their first schism and deviate from the designs of The Will, and through this, lead the entire world into an age of darkness, suffering and uncertainty.
Through The Burning of The First Tree (see: The Elven Strain), Starovjek eventually met its end, with devastating consequences for the world. Most of the lesser Tutelars eventually fell to the hands of the Nayavela Elves of The Astarojna Dominion and Velavastok, though Valki and Strigoi remain safe, their true location either lost or hidden from the eyes and ears of all but the most worthy followers.

Core Beliefs:

The Creed of The Tutelars generally leaves little room for deviance, and as such practice of the faith is strongly regulated with little room for debate.

Adherence to The Will:

The World was once free from suffering, and it was only through defiance of The Will of The World that it came into being. To defy The Will and its designs is to invite darkness into one’s heart, to become a source of suffering, and as such become a danger to the entire tribe, and what little remains of paradise.

Vodyadana:

(see: The Elven Strain) The most important ritual in the entire creed is Vodyadana, or True Birth. Without it, both spirit and body remain fleeting, though worse, they never establish a connection to The Will. Those not born through Vodyadana are doomed from the very moment they are born, unable to be saved forevermore.
Without Vodyadana, the spirits of the dead cannot return to The Will when their time has come, and as such remain in the world to turn into ghosts and specters, seeking to harm the living even beyond death.

Veneration of Nature:

The World is The Design of The Will, manifested by the Tutelars and to be maintained by their faithful followers. The Vela (Elves) are its shepherds, tasked with watching over and maintaining it, or at least that which remains of The Original Vision. To destroy all that would bring harm to it is the sacred duty of all faithful followers of The Tutelars, yet one should not do so with malice, for malice is the cause of suffering, and suffering is the root of evil.
Forgive your lost brothers and sisters, for they know not what they do. Pity them instead, for they are bereft of true purpose.

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