Eslaiqi Inaethri

Faith, Philosophy, and Theology in Eslaiqeza

In the lands of Eslaiqeza, the people have largely turned to various philosophies and theologies rather than divinity common to other realms. As of the dawn of the Age of Emergence, there are 18 divine philosophies of renown in the realm, each with at least one university, and accompanying libraries and other places of study. While philosophy dominates most of the Eslaiqi public’s attention, deity worship is not uncommon. With temples and congregations of a variety of foreign gods, usually those from Gylidd, Kaedo and Verbera, which can be found practicing throughout the realm.

Introduction to Eslaiqi Philosophy

Philosophical practitioners and believers usually do not limit themselves to one school of thought when applying philosophy to their day to day life. Some philosophies are more applicable when dealing with certain activities or concepts, such as sea travel, cooking, or necromancy. Despite this, it is typical for most to hold one philosophy above all others, as a guiding philosophy, but some take bits and pieces from a few schools to form something of their own. Others apply Eslaiqi philosophy to the organized religion and deities of other realms in order to better understand the nature of these faiths.
Each philosophy is named for the individual or entity that inspired it. Individual schools of thought can be identified on the outside by either a symbol or the depiction of their founder. These depictions are somewhat unique however in their universal refusal to depict the faces of the founders. Unusually the facial features are obscured in works of art or described in vague terms in written literature. In more recent times, it can be a common sight for the face to not be obscured, but removed, replaced by blank canvas, a reflective surface, or smooth stone. The lack of facial features comes from a universal agreement that founders never wanted their own personas to rise above the principles and tenets of their philosophy. It is theorized that the names from which the philosophies take their names could have been aliases made up to uphold this virtue of principle over persona.
Given the lack of alignment, none of the following have defined alignments within themselves, but given how all seek to order life under a set of principles they would be considered lawful neutral if one had to ascribe them an alignment.

Inaethric Philosophies

The Addition of Silwa

Portfolio: The Addition of Silwa, The School of Salt, Flavor, Cooking, Preservation
Symbol: A white square with a pink circle in its center
Domains: Life, Unity, Grave
Description: This philosophy originated with a chef who cooked on a boat that traveled along the Northern Tidal Coast. With their food came the thought that life should be focused around preserving community, and the best way to do that was through food. Not just food itself, but how to prepare it, serve it, and eat it. The feast being the peak of living, folks brought together to share and live together for a moment. Major life events, from weddings to funerals, all have some form of food at its core. All cuisine, from the simplest street kebab to the most luxuriously plated carpaccio, is to be savored.

Silwa and their followers believe in what a good meal can bring to someone, filling them with life, such as a warm soup to a freezing soul. Ingredients also hold significance in the number of ways something can be used, salt key among them. It can be used to season savory dishes, bring out sweetness in desert, and preserve all manor of things.

Taboos of this philosophy include waste, discourtesy, indifference.

Arorr’s Depths

Portfolio: Arorr's ^(A-roar) Depths, The School of Storms, Waves, The Depths, Open Water, Piracy
Symbol: A Triplet of Thunderbolts
Domains: Tempest, War, Nature
Description: Developed alongside the teachings of Idohr, their peer, Arorr's followers believe that the future of civilization exists not out but down. These philosophers are not as common in the modern day, with the teachings being thought as reckless, short-sided alternatives by the standards of the more popular Idohr’s Waves.

Riders of the storm look for answers, advancement, enrichment, and other forms of self betterment in the struggle against the dangers of nature. Many seek to live in the coldest depths of the ocean, on the edge of the Brume, or just on the open unpredictable seas that now bear their founder’s name. This philosophy has also changed in modern times, taking the embrace of the more brutal aspects of the sea and applying them to everyday living, leading to more extreme and at times aggressive followers.

Taboos of this philosophy include weakness and prudence.

Axorav’s Journey Beyond

Portfolio: Axorav's ^(Axe-or-ahv) Journey Beyond The School of the Afterlife, The Undead, Necromancy
Symbol: A Skull with Eyes Made of Gems (coloration varies)
Domains: Twilight, Death, Arcana
Description: These thinkers worry themselves with what comes after we are gone, and in what ways people return. Axorav was a scholar and teacher of necromantic magic, and their teachings would bring their students into discussions of the afterlife, the morality of raising the dead, and understanding undeath and what it means for those brought back.

Followers continue this research and advocate for its continued existence, trying to show that necromancy is not to be feared, as it is both the magic of life and death. This push for understanding and demystifying necromancy has lead to uncommon practices in Eslaiqeza, such as the acceptance of insentient undead labor, communication with the dead for research, and even certain forms of lichdom.

Taboos of this philosophy include ignorance, cowardice, and stagnation.

The Commands of Mamandil

Portfolio: The Command of Mamandil ^{(Mam-ann-dil)}, The School of Shepherds, military tradition, collectivism, discipline
Symbol: A white walking stick
Domains: Unity, Order, War
Description: This philosophy finds the core to life in the power of the group over the individual. Founded by a shepherd conscripted to defend Eslaiqeza from an invasion to the south.

Mamandil and their followers found fulfillment in the line of battle, the organization of the regiment, working as an organized unit to complete a task and generally finding success as a collective force rather than as single actors. Practitioners, while commonly soldiers or coming from military backgrounds, also include governors, educators, and crafts people.

In the current times of peace this philosophy typically serves as a unifying force that celebrates the strength of the group, a well oiled machine, and the harmonious society. Many practitioners have been brought together with the practitioners of Natalka to manage improvements and renovations to the railways of Eslaiqeza in the Age of Exploration.

Taboos of this philosophy include individualism, selfishness, and betrayal.

The Dances of Revris

Portfolio: The Dances of Revris ^(REH-vris), The School of the Bleeding Heart, is the philosophy of spontaneity, love (both fleeting and everlasting), art, and celebration.
Symbol: A sloshing goblet filled with red liquid
Domains: Unity, Life, Trickery
Description: Having been founded on the principles that life is short and it should be lived to the fullest, Revris was one who sought to center their life around the core principles of merriment, delight, and impulse.

Commonly seen as hedonists to outsiders, most practicing members can found in the Dancery, where their founding university resides. Followers of this philosophy sometimes come off as a bit chaotic, unconcerned for the future and focused incredibly on the current moment in time, however despite this, many seek perfection when it comes to certain types of jubilation. Some study art and seek a magnum opus, others aim to perfect the art of partying itself through rigorous event planning.

As with all philosophies though, even those who live each day as deliciously as Revris have taboos. Those include: prudence, apathy, cruelty, and rigidity.

The Descent of Unqwali

Portfolio: The Descent of Unqwali ^{(Oon-KWAL-ee)}, The School of Sickness, death, sunsets, the season of winter
Symbol: A Moon Sinking Below a Horizon
Domains: Knowledge, Life, Grave
Description: This school of thought focuses itself on what comes near the end of things. Unqwali was a physician, concerned for the wellbeing of his patients but upheld that some were beyond help when their ends had arrived.

Followers of Unqwali are not as macabre as their beliefs may make them seem, many are researchers looking into the nature of disease, aging, and end of life care, looking to help those who fall out of the domain of Tulious. They never give up hope that they can help someone, but are also aware that in some cases, succor can be more harmful than mercy.

Taboos of this philosophy include cruelty, ignorance, and apathy.

Elemmírë’s Riddles

Portfolio: Elemmírë's ^{(El-em-eer-eh)} Riddles, The School of the Wild, Forests, fey creatures, beasts of land, sylvan
Symbol: A twig tied into a knot
Domains: Nature, Trickery, Arcana
Description: The lands of The Dancery are known for their abundant growth caused by a close connection to the Feywild. Due to this connection there is a heavy favor of nature over that of civilization in the area, and this philosophy seems to orient life around this factor of the region. Elemmírë was an eladrin explorer and guide, who documented the forests, planes and mountains surrounding the Dancery and sought to demonstrate its similarities to our everyday lives.

While most commonly focused on the forests and beasts of Eslaiqeza as a whole, Elemmírë saw that one’s place is among all things that live around us. Followers believe we can learn much about ourselves from studying nature, from the growth of trees, the behaviors of pack animals, and the running of rivers.

Included in their workings, Elemmírë had a very fey way of writing and thinking through things, that is in the form of riddles, cryptic metaphor, and song. To this day, other than the recognition that they knew what they were talking about, many debate the exact meaning of their teachings and writings more so than even philosophers of Ska Meh.

Taboos include pollution, greed, and industrialization.

The Forge of Natalka

Portfolio: The Forge of Natalka ^{(Nah-Tal-kuh)}, The School of Creation, Metals, Gems, Jewelry, Mining, Artifice, the Underdark
Symbol: A Circle of Iron around an Onyx Gem
Domains: Forge, Nature, Trickery
Description: Natalka built their teachings around the concept of the forge and creation. They believed it was the duty of people to create, what it was they made was not as important in that they simply do.

Beginning in the Underdark of Pendlecrieg, followers have continued a strong mining and crafting tradition, many dedicating their lives to the pursuit of making a masterwork, an example of the pinnacle of their ability. As time has passed, followers have grown what they see as creation, from smiting, weaving, and woodworking to policy making, networking, or any "work" one can be proud of.

Taboos of this philosophy include stagnation, laziness, and apathy.

Idohr’s Waves

Portfolio: Idohr's ^{(I-dough-her)} Waves, the School of the Sea, Sailing, Trade at Sea, Beaches, Shallow Waters, Naval Combat
Symbol: A Triplet of Curling Waves
Domains: Nature, Tempest, War
Description: Focused on the open sea and coast as the core to life, Idohr was an ancient urban planner who believed that the bay and coast they called home were the true core of what made them and their budding civilization truly great.

Founded in Urvorsath, Idohr's followers have continued his focus on the growth of their community through the building of sea vessels, study of currents, and the development of new naval technologies. Philosophers of the Waves have been credited with the creation of modern day Urvorsath.

Taboos of this philosophy include cowardice, stagnation, and simplemindedness.

Merendë’s Harvest

Portfolio: Merendë’s ^{(May-ren-days)} Harvest, The School of the Bountiful Harvest, is the philosophy concerned with agriculture, the season of autumn, and the fruits of one's labor which range from humble produce, prized cuts of meat, and the luxuries Eslaiqi soil provides such as tea, wine, and tobacco.
Symbol: A scythe made of vines
Domains: Nature, Life, Twilight
Description: Merendë was a simple farmer, one who believed a life was best lived through the sweat of one's brow and the fruits of your labor.

Practitioners almost always manage some kind of greenery or oversee some kind of livestock, typically in the form of a garden or farm. Their primary university, found in The Flessen Hills, has always been a center for Eslaiqi agricultural development. However it is not all the production of goods, but the harvest as well, and being able to celebrate the end of a hard day's work.

Taboos of this philosophy include laziness, excess, and greed.

Oen’s Harmony

Portfolio: Oen's ^(Owen) Harmony, the School of the Planes, Core Elements, Guide to the Planes, The Elemental Door
Symbol: 5 diamonds in circle, one empty, one orange, one dark blue, one brown, and one black
Domains: Arcana, Light, Tempest, Nature
Description: Oen was an astronomer, traveler and one of the first interplanar diplomats in Eslaiqi history. The core of their philosophy is reorienting one's perspective to being part of the larger planar community. Many know that other planes of existence exist, but don't usually consider their impacts on their own plane. For Oen, the material is considered an elemental plane, one of wood, that is connected to all other planes by various roads and gateways.

Followers of Oen were the ones that began the process of integrating the denizens of the elemental planes into Eslaiqi society, working together to improve their homes and furthering their shared and individual goals.

Many genasi find themselves drawn to the teachings of Oen to better understand their elemental powers and physiology. Additionally, many sorcerers of elemental affinity and warlocks who gain their powers from the noble djinn come to the followers of Oen to train and learn more about the source of their power.

Taboos of this philosophy include narrow-mindedness, reductionism, and imbalance.

The Path of Xumis

Portfolio: The Path of Xumis ^(Zoo-Mis) The School of Coin, Trade, Travel, The Road
Symbol: An Electrum Scale
Domains: Knowledge, Trickery, Order
Description: Founded with the core of life to be lived around the movement of goods and the trading of service. Xumis wore many hats, starting as a merchant before getting into politics and finally philosophy before their passing. They advocated for standardized prices, fair wages, and the continued maintenance and development of The Road.

Followers are commonly other merchants, artisans, and travelers who make their living and live their lives in the world of commerce. Sometimes confused with the early and now largely forgotten teachings of the Blue Path, those who follow the teachings of Xumis have adopted the trade company's idea of expansion, connection, and stability.

Taboos of this philosophy include stringency, simple mindedness, and laziness.

The Rise of Tulious

Portfolio: The Rise of Tulious ^{(Too-lee-oh-s)} The School of Wellbeing, is a philosophy focused on medicine, birth, healthy living, sunrises, and the season of spring
Symbol: A Sun Halfway Risen Above a Horizon
Domains: Life, Light, Grave
Description: This philosophy focuses on the beginning of things, the wellbeing of things, and the success of things. Tulious was a midwife who made efforts to ensure newborns were brought into the world with the best chance of a healthy life.

Followers commonly work in practices of wellness, such as physicians, herbalists, and councilors. They believe that people should be taken care of, even when not actively facing poor health, which has led to many Eslaiqi campaigns focusing on preventative healthcare rather than reactive medical methods.

Taboos of this philosophy include violence, apathy, impulsive behavior, and ignorance.

Ruimani’s Gathering

Portfolio: Ruimani’s ^{(RUE-ee-Mah-nees)} Gathering, The School of Hearth and Home, is the philosophy concerned with community, hospitality, and the season of summer
Symbol: A Lit Flame Under a Bowl
Domains: Peace, Light, Life
Description: The practitioners of this philosophy look to the family as the focus of ones life. Ruimani was a humble homemaker, a parent and head of household who looked after their own, but would also seek to improve the wellbeing of their entire community and strengthen their bonds to one another.

While many of Ruimani’s writings refer to their family, children and partner, at no point is there a hard definition of what a family exactly is. Family is a feeling to the followers of Ruimani, family could be one's blood relation, a bound group of close friends, or an entire community.

Taboos for this philosophy include abandonment, cruelty, and isolation.

The Swamp

Portfolio: The School of Renewal, swamps, gasses, conjuration, the unknown, decay
Symbol: A square of four dots, two green (top left, bottom right), two black (top right, bottom left)
Domains: Nature, Grave, Trickery
Description: Not much is known about who may have begun this philosophy, but it is known where it originates from, the Grippreed Swamp in Urvorsath.

The Swamp represents a way of life that centers the individual as one who survives alongside the natural world and its many unique biomes. Despite taking its name from a particular biome, practitioners can be found everywhere. All focusing on the cycle of life and death found throughout the world and how one can live well not in spite of nature but alongside it.

Recycling and transforming materials is a noted focus of Swamp practitioners, some doing so while living deep in the woods while others seek to innovate urban sewer systems or refurbishing old furniture and building materials. Growth from decay is sacred and many students of The Swamp take inspiration in their efforts to recycle materials and repurpose things, both natural and manufactured, to find new purpose.

Taboos of this philosophy include destruction, immortality, and resilience.

Tessellation of Ska Meh

Portfolio: The Tessellation of Ska Meh ^{(s-kah meh)}, The School of Contemplation, Snails and Mollusks, Protection at Sea
Symbol: A Snail’s Shell
Domains: Knowledge, Nature, Light
Description: It is in the followers of Ska Meh that you will find the most patient, the most cautious, and the most thoughtful individuals in all of Eslaiqeza if not Myzelis. Not much is known of the founder, other than they lived for an incredibly long time, and would commonly take no less than three days to come to a consensus on almost any decision.

Followers of these teachings value strategy, careful planning, and seek a deep understanding of every situation they find themselves in. They seek the truth and do not care how long it takes them to get to it, as “all answers will come to those who seek them, however only when the answer feels ready will it present itself to the seeker.” It is rumored that the body of Ska Meh still exists as a place for scholars to visit and contemplate what piques their curiosity, it is said to float on its small raft in Caracol Bay.

Taboos of this philosophy include haste, indifference, and fickleness.

The Three

Portfolio: The School of Perfection, The Stars, Inspiration, Planets, Arcane Secrets
Symbols: Represented by three humanoid statues waist up busts, one without a head, one without a chest, and one without arms
Domain: Arcana, Twilight, Knowledge
Description: No one is entirely sure who The Three were, it is a "revived philosophy" discovered from a buried ruin in 3493 AI, hidden away inside of the Pallet Mountains. While it is unknown who these founders were, they are commonly referred to by the constellation of the same name, which itself is made up of The Thoughtless, The Heartless, and The Inactive. It is unknown if the constellation served as inspiration to founders or are the founders themselves based on efforts to translate ancient text.

The teachings seem to be concerned with general existence and what to avoid as a living being, as each of The Three represent the absence of something thought core to the individual, either the mind, the heart, or the body. Many recovered writings show that followers of this philosophy were concerned with stars and what lies not beyond this plane, but this planet. Those who have adapted the philosophy for the modern day have sought to orient their life around their flaws in which they strive to improve and overcome.

The only taboo found in this philosophy is imperfection.

The Whispers of Nolwë

Portfolio: The Whispers of Nolwë ^(Gnoll-Way), The School of Secrets, Lies, the Mist, study, illusions, associated with Elves
Symbol: A Simple Black Spiral
Domains: Trickery, Knowledge
Description: One of the oldest philosophies still practiced in Eslaiqeza, The School of Secrets dedicated to the understanding of what lies beyond the mist and what exactly the Brume is. As a constant threat and presence of the world, the Brume has always had a presence in the thoughts of the people of Eslaiqeza, none more than the Elves of the region. Many track their lineage to the Hlui, a region currently covered in the dense fog, and one this philosophy's practitioners ponder how to return to. Nolwë was an historian who posited that elves were connected to the Brume in some way or another, thinking the elves of The Hlui were made for the same reason the Brume was, to defend Myzelis and prevent the abuse of its magic and lands.

Practitioners of this philosophy have commonly been mistaken for worshipers of Vrokíva, which while they focus their lives in living in harmony with the Brume, they seek to control it as much as understand it.

One phenomenon that keeps the Whispers of Nolwë in the minds of the Eslaiqi public is the visions of the Hlui that come to Eslaiqi elves near the end of their natural lives. Many take this as a call to return home, with elves traveling to Pentavess, only to pass through the mountain pass and into the dense fog in one last attempt to return to where they have come from.

Taboos of this philosophy include greed, industry, and restraint.