Order of Enreic
The followers of Enreic, the god of shapeshifters and transmutation. Members of the order often use shapeshifting magic to permanently take on new forms.
Demography and Population
Most of the members of the Order of Enreic are druids who focus on shapeshifting, convicts who have turned over a new leaf and seek a new way of life, or others who would leave their past behind for something new. The Order also has an unusual amount of mimic followers, many who claim that Enreic was never a normal human, and was instead a mimic who learned to mirror human form. These mimics also believe that the trial was a planned ahead by Enreic and was part of his plan to achieve godhood all along, and that soon he will uplift the mimic race to a height more akin to that of the other races.
Infrastructure
Being a druidic order, the Order of Enreic prefers not to build large temples, instead building smaller shrines and temples out in the wilds. Large trees are often converted into a specific type of shrine, known as a Cocoon Sanctuary. These trees are adorned with immense amounts of caterpillar cocoons, are serve as central sanctums for the faith. Those who dwell in these sanctuaries often spend their time treating wounded animals or other creatures going through transitional stages of their life cycles. The largest of these Sanctuaries is a massive one in the Forest of Forms that acts as the seat of the Order. Known as Shapebirth, the sanctuary crafts massive magical cocoons that can change permanently change the shapes of those who sleep inside them.
Divine Origins
The Order of Enreic was born when Enreic completed his divine trail set out by the Alpha, the god of beasts, and Leoaton, the Celestial Paragon of Diplomacy. Once a mortal berserker who slaughtered thousands, he was challenged to live a complete life as each type of creature he had slain. The completion of his trial gave him a revelation on life that propelled him to godhood, and many witnessed the event of his return. His followers choose to leave the confines of their cities and return to the wilds, setting up their major camp, Shapebirth, in a forest in the Koyshi Tribelands.
Tenets of Faith
The Order of Enreic follows the Saint of Shapeshifters holy code, which is as followers:
- I will temper my anger, as rage can lead to unimaginable suffering.
- I will be open minded about the views of others - everyone has experienced different things and those experiences have shaped them so.
- I will always strive to try new things, as long as those things do not bring harm to others.
- I will treat nature with respect, and work to shape the natural world in a positive way.
- I will respect that what is on the inside is what is important; I will not judge a creature based solely on its appearance or background.
- I understand that no form is permanent, and that eventually life must pass to a new form. I will not hold onto my grief for those no longer here.
Ethics
Causing undue harm to others is forbidden for the faith, and most faithful become vegetarians, as it is common for the magically inclined to spend long period of times in various animal forms.
Worship
Common worship of the Order of Enreic involves tracing Enreic's holy symbol in the ground multiple times, drawing it slightly different each time, while reflecting on the lives that Enreic has lived through. Higher level worship invoves periodically using magic to take on new forms, with the most devout going so far as to cast the Experience of All Life spell on themselves in a way that cause them to take on a new form each day.
Priesthood
Due to the more open nature of their religious ways, priests have little in the way of formal duties. Their main job is to further spread the faith, and many choose to travel for a long period of time before retiring to educate others at Shapebirth. They are also in charge of maintain Cocoon Sanctuaries
Granted Divine Powers
The order often utilizes their abilities to shapeshift or modify their bodies, and often have the powers to speak or otherwise communicate with animals. They often cast a spell known as Experience of All Life, which causes them to constantly shift to a new form after a set length. Powerful priests can cast the spells on unwilling creatures as a powerful curse, with the strongest using it to force enemies of the order to reform into a new creature each day.
Minor powers of the followers of Enreic gain are favorable forms when using polymorphic magic, catching glimpses of rare animals, or finding crystalized cocoons in odd places. The most devout gain abilities such as summoning proteans, creating empathic fields that causes creatures to exchanged senses, gaining increased power when taking the form of wild shapes, the ability to be protected from harmful polymorphing spells, and the ability to return to life in a new form when slain.
Those that earn his disfavor often feel the taste of silver in their mouths, a strange feeling of dullness when trying something new. or a transmutation spell going awry.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Countries often seek out Enreician priests in an attempt to get them to use their shapeshifting powers to spy on their enemies, although few priests ever choose to aid such people.
Sects
The Order is often divided into different sects, with each sect venerating a different creature type, and with many small sects dedicated to the many different types of animals in the world.
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