The Path of Light
The philosophy of the radiant.
The Path of Light, also incorrectly called the Way of Light, is a philosophical and spiritual doctrine mostly followed by the inhabitants of the Duchy of Adyma, found in the northeastern reaches of the Kingdom of Crendameth . Founded by the Duchy's current ruler, Ulfgar Silveraxe, the Path of Light actively participated in Elmeyon Crendameth's Rebellion, helping the exiled ruler recover his family's throne.
The religion has often faced criticism from those who can voice said opinions from afar, as doing so within earshot of anyone who can enforce its rule of law will quickly find themselves standing trial under accusation of high blasphemy. Because of the Dawnpeak Accord, wherein Elmeyon vowed to concede the Adyma Dominion to Silveraxe and to remain largely ignorant of what goes on within its cities, the Path of Light operate independently from the Kingdom's laws, while also having a large say in its affairs because of Silveraxe's position within the Council of Fifteen.
Though primarily philosophical in nature, the Path of Light follows and enforces the religious belief of He Who Dwells In The Morn, a deity that came to Silveraxe in a vision, while opposing the Unknowable Entity as his eternal enemy.
The religion has often faced criticism from those who can voice said opinions from afar, as doing so within earshot of anyone who can enforce its rule of law will quickly find themselves standing trial under accusation of high blasphemy. Because of the Dawnpeak Accord, wherein Elmeyon vowed to concede the Adyma Dominion to Silveraxe and to remain largely ignorant of what goes on within its cities, the Path of Light operate independently from the Kingdom's laws, while also having a large say in its affairs because of Silveraxe's position within the Council of Fifteen.
Though primarily philosophical in nature, the Path of Light follows and enforces the religious belief of He Who Dwells In The Morn, a deity that came to Silveraxe in a vision, while opposing the Unknowable Entity as his eternal enemy.
Structure
The highest rank within the Path of Light is that of the Highest Illuminated, which has the power and the duty to command the organization in all of its facets, be them political, spiritual, economical or otherwise.
Following this, there is a series of Illuminators, priests with great amounts of authority, independence and knowledge appointed by the Highest Illuminated. Their responsibilities include, among other things, presiding over city-wide rituals or aiding the Highest Illuminated when preaching.
On the rung below the Illuminators, the are the Lightkeepers, the heads of the local temples and faiths, who play the same role as the Illuminators do yet on a smaller scale and with less clearance for their rituals.
Aiding the Lightkeepers are the Lightstarters, the order's acolytes and those with least amounts of authority and clearance. Within the organization's, and Adyma's, structure, they are still considered of higher rank than those who are not Lightbearers, meaning any one person who is not a part of the clergy. Behind close doors, laymen are called Dull because their light does not shine, even if their faith is stalwart.
Following this, there is a series of Illuminators, priests with great amounts of authority, independence and knowledge appointed by the Highest Illuminated. Their responsibilities include, among other things, presiding over city-wide rituals or aiding the Highest Illuminated when preaching.
On the rung below the Illuminators, the are the Lightkeepers, the heads of the local temples and faiths, who play the same role as the Illuminators do yet on a smaller scale and with less clearance for their rituals.
Aiding the Lightkeepers are the Lightstarters, the order's acolytes and those with least amounts of authority and clearance. Within the organization's, and Adyma's, structure, they are still considered of higher rank than those who are not Lightbearers, meaning any one person who is not a part of the clergy. Behind close doors, laymen are called Dull because their light does not shine, even if their faith is stalwart.
Assets
The Path of Light has direct access to the mines of Adyma, which are fabled throughout the Kingdom for their abundance in precious resources, such as gold, silver, adamantine, gemstones and magical crystals.
Their fortress-temples are also a valuable asset, providing defensive positions for any who attempt to take them. Within them, hosts of holy warriors with burning religious zeal will descend on those daring enough to attempt to storm the strongholds.
Their fortress-temples are also a valuable asset, providing defensive positions for any who attempt to take them. Within them, hosts of holy warriors with burning religious zeal will descend on those daring enough to attempt to storm the strongholds.
History
Broadly speaking, the Path of Light is the result of Ulfgar Silveraxe the Unblinking's revelations following an accident which nearly took his life. The exact nature of these revelations has been kept a secret, but the sections he can disclose are those which prompt him to seek out followers for He Who Dwells In The Morn, a dwarven god of light and knowledge, preaching the message that his god has sent him in his visions. Using his family's considerable wealth and influence, he amassed a following great enough to begin operating as an organized religion, founding temples which would then grow to be cities inside of Adyma's hollow mountain ranges.
Word of mouth spread quickly among those living close to these places, increasing the amount of believers exponentially as the years went by. The organization's military faction came soon after this surge of people began to live around the towns and cities surrounding the temples as a way to keep the population in check and heresy far from their minds. Although the Path of Light held considerable power in these commune-like settlements, the land at large was still ruled by the dwarf lords under the Voidlord's command, which limited their possibilities for expansion and frequently harassed the faithful.
When Elmeyon Crendameth went to Adyma looking for the Path's leader in order to ask for assistance in his rebellion, Silveraxe agreed under the condition that the Adyma Dominion would fall under his control with little to no interference from the Crown once Elmeyon took the throne.Elmeyon, pressed for time and troops, had to accept these terms.
Once the rebellion successfully ended and the Kingdom partitioned into the current Duchies, the Path of Light became the ruling faith of the Duchy of Adyma, with all there expected to follow its teachings, with massive reforms being done to the faith's tenets and practices as a result of another vision Silveraxe experienced when Vodlord loyalists ambushed him. Twenty-six years have gone by, and the Path's grip on the Duchy's people does not seem to be waning any time soon.
Word of mouth spread quickly among those living close to these places, increasing the amount of believers exponentially as the years went by. The organization's military faction came soon after this surge of people began to live around the towns and cities surrounding the temples as a way to keep the population in check and heresy far from their minds. Although the Path of Light held considerable power in these commune-like settlements, the land at large was still ruled by the dwarf lords under the Voidlord's command, which limited their possibilities for expansion and frequently harassed the faithful.
When Elmeyon Crendameth went to Adyma looking for the Path's leader in order to ask for assistance in his rebellion, Silveraxe agreed under the condition that the Adyma Dominion would fall under his control with little to no interference from the Crown once Elmeyon took the throne.Elmeyon, pressed for time and troops, had to accept these terms.
Once the rebellion successfully ended and the Kingdom partitioned into the current Duchies, the Path of Light became the ruling faith of the Duchy of Adyma, with all there expected to follow its teachings, with massive reforms being done to the faith's tenets and practices as a result of another vision Silveraxe experienced when Vodlord loyalists ambushed him. Twenty-six years have gone by, and the Path's grip on the Duchy's people does not seem to be waning any time soon.
Mythology & Lore
It is widespread knowledge that Ulfgar Silveraxe has not revealed the entirety of what his visions contained, be it because of He Who Dwells In The Morn's designations or for some other reasons. What he has told the rest of the Path is the existence of two forces, more powerful and more essential to a mortal's existence than proper gods, those being Arkh, which can be understood as life force or the will to keep living, and Tarkg, which is the absence of these things. Both are respectively embodied by He Who Dwells In The Morn and the Unknowable Entity and are locked in a never-ending spiral of destruction and creation, learning and forgetting, believing and blaspheming. From this, other ideals, such as Ragaht, the pursuit of self betterment, and Knazc, oblivion after death, began to appear from their struggles, which would eventually begin to coalesce into the first people, who began to continue these avatars' battle through the shedding of their mortal blood. This story is considered one of the cornerstones of the Path of Light, and it, alongside the Dance of Revelation and Concealment, serve as the Path's creation story.
Divine Origins
The Path of Light was founded by Ulfgar Silveraxe, who rejected his family's wealth and instead wanted to live an ascetic life away from the constant turmoil that the mining business entailed. This did not stop his father from commanding him to keep watch over the miners as they toiled away in the deep heat of the Silverfountain Mines to earn his bread.
One day, a miner struck a lava vein, causing the entire tunnel to slowly become inundated. Ulfgar, who was nearby, got splashed in the face and was almost killed immediately by the intense heat. His screams were such that most of the other miners ran for their life, fearing they'd disturbed a slumbering demon. It is unknown if this incident was planned or was truly happenstance.
Miraculously, Ulfgar was able to pull himself out of the tunnel before it sank to the lava, and in the delirium brought about by his fading life and the heat surrounding him, Ulfgar Silveraxe heard a voice that promised he would survive, for his destiny was yet to be achieved. Three days after the lava flood, miners led by Ulfgar's father, Trafgar, were able to retrieve him. The first thing they saw when they arrived was Ulfgar in a slumped position, his eyes wide open and his mouth contorted in something close to a grin than a grimace.
Throughout the following months, Ulfgar was tended by several clerics and healers who were unable to restore his eyelids, yet were able to alleviate most of the pain and recover the skin that had been burnt off. It was during the nights when, unbeknownst to anyone, Ulfgar would receive visions and commands from a deity he called Dol Arrah in his nightly writings, which he roughly translated as He Who Dwells In The Morning, although, because Dol Arrah were words he did not know, this was mostly a guess. Here, he would outline all the revelations this deity told him, hiding them whenever he heard anyone coming to check on him.
After he could start moving again, he began preaching his discoveries, albeit in an incomplete fashion, to anyone who would listen, gaining few followers in the beginning but gradually increasing the amount of people whom he would disclose information to. Eventually, the faithful began to ask for more sermons, more teachings, more of anything related to this newfound wisdom, so Ulfgar, using the fact that all of his family members but his father were under his influence, secured the ways to convince the dwarf lords of the Adyma Dominion to allow him to begin the construction of a temple, which he would build with the aid of his followers.
Once it was complete, many flocked to the newly built temple to hear the Highest Illuminated speak of the mysteries of the world, the dangers of the unfaithful and the perils of the Unknowable Entity, the organization largely staying out of the affairs of the rest of the realm so long as they were left to their own devices. After Elmeyon's Rebellion ended successfully, however, the Path of Light became the prevalent religion in the newly established Duchy of Adyma, to the delight of Silveraxe's original followers, the interest of some who were not aware of it and the dismay of those who had avoided it.
Not one month into his reign as Duke, a gang of Voidlord loyalist made an attempt on the prophet's life. Although he managed to fend them off, the near-death experienced triggered another series of visions which resulted in massive reforms to the faith's structure, becoming far more militaristic in nature, ostracizing almost all of the non-dwarf members from the sacred city of Nirbuldor, where the first temple was built, and enforcing much more severe penalties on those who spoke against the faith or engaged in anything considered as sinful.
One day, a miner struck a lava vein, causing the entire tunnel to slowly become inundated. Ulfgar, who was nearby, got splashed in the face and was almost killed immediately by the intense heat. His screams were such that most of the other miners ran for their life, fearing they'd disturbed a slumbering demon. It is unknown if this incident was planned or was truly happenstance.
Miraculously, Ulfgar was able to pull himself out of the tunnel before it sank to the lava, and in the delirium brought about by his fading life and the heat surrounding him, Ulfgar Silveraxe heard a voice that promised he would survive, for his destiny was yet to be achieved. Three days after the lava flood, miners led by Ulfgar's father, Trafgar, were able to retrieve him. The first thing they saw when they arrived was Ulfgar in a slumped position, his eyes wide open and his mouth contorted in something close to a grin than a grimace.
Throughout the following months, Ulfgar was tended by several clerics and healers who were unable to restore his eyelids, yet were able to alleviate most of the pain and recover the skin that had been burnt off. It was during the nights when, unbeknownst to anyone, Ulfgar would receive visions and commands from a deity he called Dol Arrah in his nightly writings, which he roughly translated as He Who Dwells In The Morning, although, because Dol Arrah were words he did not know, this was mostly a guess. Here, he would outline all the revelations this deity told him, hiding them whenever he heard anyone coming to check on him.
After he could start moving again, he began preaching his discoveries, albeit in an incomplete fashion, to anyone who would listen, gaining few followers in the beginning but gradually increasing the amount of people whom he would disclose information to. Eventually, the faithful began to ask for more sermons, more teachings, more of anything related to this newfound wisdom, so Ulfgar, using the fact that all of his family members but his father were under his influence, secured the ways to convince the dwarf lords of the Adyma Dominion to allow him to begin the construction of a temple, which he would build with the aid of his followers.
Once it was complete, many flocked to the newly built temple to hear the Highest Illuminated speak of the mysteries of the world, the dangers of the unfaithful and the perils of the Unknowable Entity, the organization largely staying out of the affairs of the rest of the realm so long as they were left to their own devices. After Elmeyon's Rebellion ended successfully, however, the Path of Light became the prevalent religion in the newly established Duchy of Adyma, to the delight of Silveraxe's original followers, the interest of some who were not aware of it and the dismay of those who had avoided it.
Not one month into his reign as Duke, a gang of Voidlord loyalist made an attempt on the prophet's life. Although he managed to fend them off, the near-death experienced triggered another series of visions which resulted in massive reforms to the faith's structure, becoming far more militaristic in nature, ostracizing almost all of the non-dwarf members from the sacred city of Nirbuldor, where the first temple was built, and enforcing much more severe penalties on those who spoke against the faith or engaged in anything considered as sinful.
Cosmological Views
According to Ulfgar Silveraxe, the world was born in an event called the Dance of Revelation and Concealment, which followed after æons of constant battle, both physical and philosophical, between the Unknowable Entity and He Who Dwells In The Morn. When the lesser embodiments of Arkh and Tarkg began to create a place where they could continue their eternal strife from without the complete emptiness of the nothing they were fighting in. Thus the world came to be, these lesser essences coalescing into mortals that would perpetuate these struggles through other means.
From this, the people who follow in the Path of Light see the world as a dark place needing to be illuminated under He Who Dwells In The Morn's light, be it through knowledge and learning or through teaching the people of the word of the ongoing, eternal Dance and the constant fight against the Unknowable Entity's presence in the world. All those who stray from the Path of Light, or those who were never on it, need to be educated or smitten down with extreme prejudice.
From this, the people who follow in the Path of Light see the world as a dark place needing to be illuminated under He Who Dwells In The Morn's light, be it through knowledge and learning or through teaching the people of the word of the ongoing, eternal Dance and the constant fight against the Unknowable Entity's presence in the world. All those who stray from the Path of Light, or those who were never on it, need to be educated or smitten down with extreme prejudice.
Tenets of Faith
The Path of Light follows a series of tenets as revealed by the visions of Ulfgar Silveraxe. They are as follow:
- You must live and strive to always walk the Path of Light, laid down by that which embodies the essence of your existence, and never wander from it.
- You must be the light of this world, far surpassing that which any mortal has crafted unto the world but never more than the light granted by He Who Dwells In The Morn.
- Your light must be obtained from knowledge obtained through study of words and the nature that crafted them, ensuring that these are put into use and not wasted as memories.
- Your knowledge must never contradict the words of He Who Dwells In The Morn or his followers, for their words are absolute and born from power supreme, lest you face judgement by the faithful.
- You must remain vigilant and judgmental of those who veer from the path or refuse to walk it, for they are servants of the Unknowable entity, the great enemy of knowledge and light.
- You must vanquish all enemies to the faith regardless of their upbringing, as they pollute the world with the foul pestilence of evil.
- You must face trail if you are judged to be evil and straying away from the Path, and face it with no qualms or complaints, for you have been found in the wrong and must be brought back into the Light.
- You will live your life for the sake of the Path, not for yourself or anyone around you, and are to remove any notion of selfishness from your being completely.
Ethics
The tenets, as they are carved into the doors of the holy city of Nirbuldor, provide the residents of all of Adyma with the rules they are to follow in order to live their lives with as little deviation from the Path as possible. So long as they adhere to them, there is no reason for anyone to fear for their safety or for their place within the faith.
Pious acts, while well received, are not seen as necessary to live a plentiful life and, as such, can be misinterpreted as many things. Even though they are in service to the Path and those who walk in it, someone going out of their way to do something for someone else is considered suspicious.
Sins and heresies, however, are plentiful within the Path's canon. Most of them can be surmised as ignoring an authority's commands, conspiring against the Path or working for the Unknowable Entity. It only takes an accusation to be branded a heretic, and a conversation to be called blasphemous. Some examples of sinful or heretic activities or actions are as follows:
Pious acts, while well received, are not seen as necessary to live a plentiful life and, as such, can be misinterpreted as many things. Even though they are in service to the Path and those who walk in it, someone going out of their way to do something for someone else is considered suspicious.
Sins and heresies, however, are plentiful within the Path's canon. Most of them can be surmised as ignoring an authority's commands, conspiring against the Path or working for the Unknowable Entity. It only takes an accusation to be branded a heretic, and a conversation to be called blasphemous. Some examples of sinful or heretic activities or actions are as follows:
- Acting or opining on things one know little to nothing about.
- Lying to someone, for they are being willfully ignorant about facts that are required by someone else.
- Consulting books that have not been approved by the city's Illuminator.
- Speaking to exiles or criminals.
- Practicing or believing in any religion other than the Path of Light.
- Speaking out against the Path of Light or its leaders.
- Talking about things happening outside of the Duchy of Adyma.
- Attempting to find out more about the Path of Light's origin.
Worship
Worship in the Path of Light takes the form of rigorous study of any area of knowledge, preferably all of them although such extents are normally reserved for the most zealous of individuals. Reverence to He Who Dwells In The Morn comes in many forms, though the main one is through the production of light through whatever means are available. This is done because of the belief that the Unknowable Entity's foothold on the world shrinks every time there is light to banish the shadows.
Other forms of worship include the discovery of hidden artifacts, administering justice to the criminal and the unfaithful and, most commonplace of all, lighting two tall candles with another lit candle and producing knowledge under their light, which must always be kept lit.
Other forms of worship include the discovery of hidden artifacts, administering justice to the criminal and the unfaithful and, most commonplace of all, lighting two tall candles with another lit candle and producing knowledge under their light, which must always be kept lit.
Priesthood
The faithful are guided by the Highest Illuminated, the religion's leader, who was supposedly appointed by He Who Dwells In The Morn personally. In turn, the Highest Illuminated appoints the Illuminators and them the Lightkeepers. All of them are distinguished from lowly acolytes and between each other because of the colors in their garb. The higher ranks almost exclusively use white robes and accessories, with the Highest Illuminated being the only one allowed to completely dress himself in white with golden accents found throughout his ceremonial robes, his staff and his axe, which shines white, gold and silver.
Granted Divine Powers
Those who are loyal to the Path, its teachings and its tenets gain an unnatural affinity for knowledge and its retention. While this might seem like a boon to most, the Path teches its most devout followers how to handle the incredible amounts of information without them overwhelming the person.
The closer one is to the position of Highest Illuminated, the more magical prowess the individual possesses, with said powers hailing directly from He Who Dwells In The Morn, and most of them manifest as spells related to light and its production, be this for utility purposes or for protective ones.
The Highest Illuminated is also said to posses the boon of foresight and clairvoyance, although these have yet to be properly confirmed.
The closer one is to the position of Highest Illuminated, the more magical prowess the individual possesses, with said powers hailing directly from He Who Dwells In The Morn, and most of them manifest as spells related to light and its production, be this for utility purposes or for protective ones.
The Highest Illuminated is also said to posses the boon of foresight and clairvoyance, although these have yet to be properly confirmed.
Political Influence & Intrigue
The Path of Light cannot be separated from Adyma's political landscape, as it is the Duchy's policy to enforce its belief on those who live in it, appearing as some sort of theocracy to anyone who is unaware of its status as a Duchy.
Sects
Under the Path of Light's law, no sects are allowed. Any sect that appears is branded as a departure from the titular Path, and all its members are to stand trail after a month within the confines of the lower levels Luxastrum, the Duchy's most formidable prison. The trials usually end in the execution of those who participated in the sect's gatherings and rituals, although there were some whose punishment was exile instead of death. However, becuase the Path's philosophy has so profoundly permeated life in Adyma, many would rather die than face expulsion from the faith.
Lux æterna, non fedes infracta
Founding Date
The current iteration of the Path's tenets was founded at around 40 BE, using a much older philosophy (founding date unknown) with a similar name as a template.
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
- The Penitent's Way
- The Blinded Path
- The Fate of the Lidless
- Unbearable Zealotry
Demonym
Lightbearers
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