Mueta Alta - Religion of the Adventurer

Throughout the continent many brave souls set out every day for lands unknown. Some do it for glory and fame, some for adventure, others for the promise of a better life. Whatever the reason these people have each answered the call to seek out whatever mysteries lay out beyond the horizon.

Many would call these people brash and reckless. To most, it seems that the ideal way of life is to stay in their quiet homes and not wish for anything better. They see adventurers as crazed madmen. They may not be wrong in many cases.

Although those that call themselves adventurers may be few in number they have a great passion about them, a passion that can be infectious. Those passionate folks that had no one place to call home still seemed to yearn for a sense of community, however dim it may be. The answer to this for many has been Mueta Alta, the Adventure’s Faith.

Beliefs

The adventurers who follow Mueta Alta believe that anything is possible if you want it hard enough and that your greatest desires are out there waiting if you’re brave enough to take them. It is a tough religion for tough people.

Book of Mueta

They have no priests or actual organization. The only thing that actually solidifies it as a belief system is a manuscript called the Book of Mueta. The origin of this book is unknown, though some believe that an unknown Divinity created it hundreds of years ago. This Divinity is referred to as Mueta, or wanderer. Adventurers are known to invoke the name Mueta, both as a curse and in prayer.

Regardless, adventurers have been making copies of the book and passing it amongst themselves for generations. Several iterations of the text now exist and there is some debate amongst scholars as to which is most accurate to the original, but the lack of knowledge to the actual author makes determining this extremely difficult.

All iterations of the Book of Mueta contain a collection of poems and musings on the sactanty of the unknown and what could be referred to as the spirit of a hero. There never seems to be any outright declarations of exact precepts, but the general idea seems to be “fortune favors the bold”. There is one story that appears in all versions that tells of an unnamed man who sets out to seek his fortune and through a series of amusing encounters saves a town from a cruel lord. The town then names him their leader and he lives the rest of his life in wealth and comfort. The tale reads not unlike a children’s fairytale, with the hero prevailing because he really wants to more than anything else. Though it is simplistic in nature the story illustrates the overall tone of the Book of Mueta.

Due to the general way that book is written and the nature of those who follow its teachings, there are many interpretations as to what the book actually means. Most believe that the stories imply that adventure and seeking the unknown are the noblest of pursuits. They use this idea to reject regulated rules of society and form their own micro cultures. By and large, adventurers who follow this are decent enough fellows and simply want to live life as they want to, however there are those who use these ideas to justify any action that benefits them. They believe that the Book of Mueta teaches that if you can take it, you should, consequences be damned.

Common Phrases

While there are many ways to find Mueta Alta adventurers, some of the common phrases spoken amongst them are sure to make them stand out among the crowd. Phrases such as “I hear the horizon calling”, or “The horizon calls” are commonly spoken amongst these adventurers. One might even hear them speak of others in this sense, stating that “they have heard the call of the horizon.” Often, when phrases like this are spoken they’re wistful or inspirational, though it isn’t unheard of for folks to use it derogatorily if someone is known for running off on a whim.

Another commonly heard phrase is “Mueta wills it.’ This is often used to justify something impulsive, whether it be good or bad.

Rituals

There are no exact rituals in the Mueta Alta as it is not an exact religion. The closest thing to this is the practice of parties of adventurers camping together whenever they can. After the standard practice of travelers swapping stories of their journeys, it is traditional for a story to be read from the Book of Mueta and a lively debate ensues regarding what the tale or poem actually means. This can sometimes be quite dramatic and entertaining, especially when the drink has been flowing.

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Note to Writers:

In reality the Book of Mueta is in fact a collection of children’s stories. It was penned sometime during the Age of Iron, not by a Divinity but by a wealthy widow who intended it to be used to entertain her grandchildren. It became popular amongst commoners and was often carried by traveling pioneers and homesteaders. Because it was so widely distributed it was one of the few pieces of literature to survive the purge.

Travelers often carried the book and would read passages during the evening meal. This tradition grew into a full blown ideology and even superstitions of a Divinity that was behind the original text grew. Today it is rare to find a group of adventurers without a copy of one of the versions of the Book of Mueta.