The Green Way

Summary

The Green Way is the dominant faith-doctrine among the Fey. It holds a very naturalistic view of the world, and while it is not openly hostile to social order, it is certainly contrary to aspects of it. Variations of the Green Way exist among all Fey species, and its prime origins are neither known nor claimed by any specific race. Followers of one strain of the Green Way do not view others as "wrong" or "incorrect," as they don't particularly care about spreading the Way or enforcing their own interpretations of their faith. Until very recently, the philosophy of the Way was largely passed down by spoken word, and not written down, which likely contributed to these discrepencies.

The Way in Society

The Green Way is more a way of life rather than an actual religion, and so its followers can often fit in acceptably within society, even if they are uncomfortable with its structure and order. Still, the Way itself is viewed with suspicion both by the leaders and masses of Eashavar's nations. Most practitioners publicly pretend to show respect for the Prime Canon to curtail this suspicion, or they may even embrace it, while retaining the secular teachings of the Way as separate from their new religious beliefs.

Primary Worshipers

The Green Way is almost exclusively practiced by Fey, wherever they live, though urban Fey tend more towards a syncreticization with the Canon to better fit in. In the wilds, a Fey is virtually guaranteed to respect the Green Way. Even if a Fey does not worship or offer respects to any of the deities, they were likely raised according to the fables and the teachings of the Way, and are thus at least influenced by its beliefs.
The Way is rarely practiced by mortals, especially in urban society. In human cities, disillusioned intellectuals and artists sometimes flock to its aesthetics, but they rarely adopt it in any true fashion, and it is always marked by their predispositions towards the Canon. In rural areas where mortals live, the Old Faith typically dominates where the Canon is absent. Forest Elves generally follow aspects of the Green Way, and Druidic Circles often adhere to it, but it has little sway beyond these bounds.

Historical Perspective

The Green Way holds that all life originated in the Rainy Country, far to the west of the Kcalsbury Continent. This is the ancestral homeland of all Fey, and even those born as far as Pharos hold it in a mythical, high regard; a sort of haven for all Fey. Here, the Way believes, powerful beings came from Faenor to Eashavar and planted seeds for the plants and animals that still inhabit the world today. These Faerie beings were known as the Elohim , and as they created life, their own forms decayed, until they were left as empty husks, void of the life they previously had. From these husks arose the first people, the deities, who were tasked with overseeing the growth of Eashavar's life, and with paving and protecting the land so that it could bloom.
The Way believes that the dragons coexisted with the Elohim, and that they simply wished to maintain the way of life they knew, and which the Elohim's life-bloom threatened. In this way, dragons are not the ultimate evil that the Prime Canon makes them out to be, but rather pragmatic beings to be respected as any other. Still, conflict inevitably arose between the protector-deities and the dragons, and the former only ascended to the Divine Planes after life was stable and could exist without their watch. From this life arose the Fey, and later the mortal races, who had the capabilities to thrive and defend themselves from all threats on their own.
The deities are thus not viewed as dictators of morality or values, but rather as parental figures who oversaw the birth of life. Practitioners do not typically favor one or a few of the deities, but see them all as sages whose fables serve as teachings and warnings on how the beings of the world should live. Most Fey who practice the Way do not see themselves as superior, or different, from other animals, nor from the other races.

Writings

The "writings" of the Green Way are not texts at all - in fact, only recently have they been written down. While the holy texts of the deities are revered, few followers of the Green Way have read them, and instead the teachings of the deities are passed down through tales and stories written by Fey ancestors. These tales convey interpretations of the holy texts in simpler fashion which can be easily memorized and understood. In some ways, they serve the role of the Prime Canon's philosophical writings, though they are certainly not academic, they do not claim to be totally authoritative, and they do not always have clear ties to the primary holy texts.

Subdoctrines

Variations of the Green Way are as diverse as the number of Fey families around the world, though the different Fey races tend to have general themes that they emphasize which make them more unique. Birdfolk legends, for example, emphasize a pragmatic moralism, and heavily feature Ah'yelan as a figure. Catfolk and Foxfolk both place a focus on experiencing the world as best as they can; to both, Maer is a prominent figure, with Catfolk lore also starring Narra and Foxfolk lore Fraeyr. Cowfolk and Mousefolk have a tendency towards stories which emphasize peace and meekness, with Jeth and Thear as their center-pieces. Faun and Gnomes tales take on a far more combative approach, a result of their prominence in the role of the Grove-Guardians; in their tales, Merak and Fae'len are especially featured.

Interrelations

Most followers of the Green Way do not have strong opinions on others' doctrines, so long as they are not affected directly by them. So long as everybody stays in their own lane, it's hardly anybody's business what one's personal beliefs are! The fact that the Way is more of a set of teachings and a way of life rather than an actual organized religion helps in the tolerance regard, but many Fey come to dislike followers of the Prime Canon due to their lack of reciprocation in this respect.

Type

Religious, Primacy