Tribe of the Eternal Way
Dominating the northeastern edges of Ixuil, the Tribe of the Eternal Way is the home of the majority of humans and of the Tamun of the Fire Realm. Worshiping an ancestor-spirit, the tribe eschews advanced civilization and practices ritual cannibalism in the hopes of retaining strength and carrying the spirits of their tribe with them for all time. They await the day of the rebirth of their savior, the Scion of the Eternal Way, who will lead them to victory against the gods of the world.
Demography and Population
The tribe is the home of the Tamun, humans who have partially separated their soul from their body.
Technological Level
The tribe views that the onset of too much technology breeds complacency, and thus hesitate to adapt to new ideas and advancements. They prefer to perfect the survival skills that they have cultivated over the generations.
Foreign Relations
The Tribe of the Eternal Way has a very strained relationship with the other gods and almost every other religion, most view it with much distaste for its cannibalistic practices, and the tribe shares that disgust with a reliance on religion and its hatred of outsiders. They view those who worship other beings as weak, although they respect those whose worship extends from lineage rather than a concept, such as the followers of many of the Primal Beastmen. The tribe is in a constant state of war with the followers of Astor, the King of the Mountain, and are responsible for his imprisonment beneath the Ebon Range. They believe that the Astyr did not truly rebel against the devils that created them, and are simply playing a long game and are waiting for the moment to strike.
The true enemy of the tribe is the church of Death, as each view each other with profound hatred. Death’s priests accuse the tribe of upsetting the natural order by keeping souls from their final destination, while the tribe states that Death itself uprooted the natural order long ago in order to keep mortals trapped in the cycles between the gods and the outsiders.
Education
Reading and writing are secondary skills to most tribe members, often reserved for Soul Charters and other higher up social members, while the spoken word and the importance of honoring ancestors through storytelling is heavily taught. Members of the tribe place a heavier focus on practice training, such as hunting, meat curing, and weapon training. When a member comes of age, they are expected to embark on a Sojurn; a yearlong travel to other areas of the realm or world, so that they can learn about the outside for themselves, and bring back knowledge to the tribe.
Mythology & Lore
The tribe believes that Adinos will one day be reborn into a new, mortal body, and lead the tribe to victory over the unjust gods of the world.
Divine Origins
The Tribe was first created when Adinos lead his followers out of Central Matera and into Ixuil, looking for a new beginning away from the onset of imperialism. It is said that there, he studied the Lyr-Kel, and learned much of soul magic and how to harness his “inner flame”. He brought his teachings to his followers, and using his new knowledge, managed to partially separate the souls from their bodies so they too could harness their inner flame, creating the Tamun race. He taught the Tamun to live naturally and in harmony with nature, and to avoid the weakness that civilization brings. With the creation of the Outersoul, the tribe created a unique form of cannibalism that invigorates one’s soul with life energy, rather than staining it with evil. Upon his death, a part of his body was consumed by each member of the tribe. His soul was split between them and passed down through the generations.
Cosmological Views
The tribe believes that all souls should be recycled into the natural world, not just the souls of animals and plants, and that The Author and the other gods perverted and already existing natural cycle rather than crafting the world themselves.
Tenets of Faith
The Tribe of the Eternal Way are a reclusive and primitive people, believing that too much luxury breeds weakness. They believe one's soul is heavily bound to one's flesh, and thus practice ritual cannibalism to infuse their souls with others to increase their power. They also believe in practicality, and feel like nothing should be wasted, including meat of their dead. It is considered a great honor to have one's flesh ingested, especially by those higher up the caste chain, because it means to carry one’s soul with them for the rest of eternity, passing it down to one’s children.
Unlike other cannibalism, the tribe’s souls are not stained with evil, provided they treat the slain with respect, like one would when slaughtering a pig or cow for meat and do not prolong any suffering from the target. This includes when hunting people from outside the tribe, however that is only done when those people enter their territory uninvited. In each case they will be warned to leave and what the consequences will be if they do not comply. Most swiftly do, because it seems that souls of those killed and eaten never seem to appear in the halls of other gods. It is theorized that their souls are absorbed by the Eternal Way, although this seems to have no hindrance on resurrection magic. Warriors of the Eternal Way love to face strong opponents in combat, as they see killing them and consuming them will add to their strength.
Ethics
Tribe members are expected to always be able to work together in defense of the territory, despite any differences they may have.
Worship
The most common ways of worship for the tribe is to recite names of passed family members, and thank them for their continued existence while preparing the meals of the day
Priesthood
Every member of the tribe is expected to learn how to survive in the wilderness and to pass that on to others. As such, most of the tribe members are on equal footing, with only the descendants of Adinos’s original followers holding a role much higher than others. Known as Soul Charters, they are responsible for tracking the genealogy of the tribe to keep track of where the souls are being passed down and to predict the Reincarnation of Adinos into a new body, who will be known as the Scion of the Eternal Way. Other magic-users are split into three categories: the Healers, who tend to the health of the tribe and tend towards good-aligned magic; the Hunters, who hunt down and destroy the enemies of the tribe, tending towards evil-aligned magic; and the Helpers, who assist in everyday life and have no particular preference, tending to teach others and help them find their place in the tribe.
Granted Divine Powers
Devout followers of tribe gain the ability to tap into the natural cycle of consumption. Some are able to gain power from consuming the flesh of fallen foes, and are able to share this power increase among their allies. Others are able to transfer their own life energy to others, allowing them to continue fighting, and can even consecrated territory temporarily in the name of Adinos. Those that are less magically incline are able to enter a state of fury when wielding an eternal bladebow, greatly increasing their speed, and the most powerful among them can cause the blades of their fallen foes to rain down from the sky upon their enemies.
Type
Geopolitical, Tribe
Capital
Training Level
Trained
Leader
Leader Title
Government System
Tribalism
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Barter system
Official State Religion
Permeated Organizations
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Divines
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Notable Members
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