{Introduction and Appreciations} (You can skip this part if you wish hehe)

Hello people of Elyria! I am Verde (aka Grandmaster Verde in Discord) and I welcome you all to this grande post on a subject that I am truly passionate about!

Faedinism!

There are a couples of reasons why I decided to make this post now. Kypiq discrimination. That’s right. You thought discrimination only happens in the human world?! You can’t escape it! Elyria has its fair share of prejudice against the kypiq tribe. But that is not the main topic of this post (or is it?)

Another reason why I began this write up is to do with my unique vision of faedinism and a brief touch into the lore behind my settlement. (I also happen to be a mayor XD)

Before I begin I would like to thank a few members of the community. Firstly, I would like to thank Caspian for creating such a beautiful tribe in the first place (and the lore... and the vision of Elyria...). In the past, before Caspian posted the original design journals for tribes, I was the one who actually predicted the kypiq to be the "vegans" of elyria.

I was close though haha! We are actually vegetarians ;)

I would also like to thank the Kingdom of Ashland for accepting my wackiness and devotion to faedinism. I really hope they choose the kypiq kingdom because I am a follower of tribes and religion, not kingdom.

To Flawliss and Maulvorn, thank you for your passion of religion in regards to Virtori. Your flow of creativity really gave that push to start this write up... and Johan for his soothing voice... ;)

I also like to thank my peeps from the Treetop Canopy! You guys are the best! I love that I actually have a kypiqfolk as friends that are willing to also follow the kypiq tribe over their kingdom! Amazing indivduals who have a love for Coe that i truly admire and try to emulate as much as possible.

Thank you, reader for taking the time to read my post! I hope you enjoy what I have got in store for you and hopefully I can entertain your imagination. I will be providing citation from Caspian and Snipehunter whenever possible.

With all that being said lets move on to the what faedinism actually is.

{What is faedinism?!} (and my unique take on it)

"The Kypiq are Faedin, an animist religion that roots much of its belief in the forces of nature. The Faedin believe that the physical and spiritual planes are inextricably linked, and that all living things - not just Mann - are filled with spirit. This belief is demonstrated throughout many, if not all, facets of a Fae's culture, from their ceremonial practices, to the prevalence of animal and plant symbolism in their artwork.

Like other religions, all Faedin share the same basic tenets but there are individual differences between the various tribes of Mann. For example, while the Brudvir believe that only animals have spirit - and trees, insects, and other living things do not - the Kypiq believe that all living things are filled with spirit and should be protected. As a result, the Kypiq have become the protectors of the wild and have, as part of their religion, vowed to kill no living thing if it can be helped. As such, while the Kypiq will gather nuts, berries, and other seeds from plants, they're unlikely to eat roots or other floral components which would kill the plant. Similarly, while a Kypiq can eat meat from a fallen animal, they do not hunt. Their unwillingness to kill has allowed them to gain the trust and faith of many a forest creature, leading them to be skilled animal tamers. Legends even tell of some Kypiq who were able to talk to animals." (Caspian)

My Summary & Analysis: Kypiq faedinism is a branch of faedinism that believe all living things are filled with spirit and should be protected, especially plants and animals. As a result, kypiq faedins do not participate in the intentional killing of animals and/or plants. Kypiq can, if absolutely necessary, eat an animal or root of a plant, but only if that animal had "fallen" or "if it cannot be helped" (IE starvation, disease, psychosis) Kypiq are naturally against hunting, and as a result, have gained trust with the animals, making them excellent animal tamers.

From the break down of what faedinism constists of, I have come to realize that the kypiq branch actually has a lot of maternal qualities to it. Kypiq protect the forests and all living things that reside in it. They do not hunt animals. They favor the preservation of wildlife. And with this in mind I further developed an idea of faedinism.

{The three aspects}

I formulated the three branches of faedinism into the following aspects. Note: Faedins only veiw these aspects as being the closest to their approach to the spirits, somewhat a manifestation, that further grounds their belief.

The Mother Fae (aka Fae goddess, Life bearer): This represents the kypiq branch. As mentioned previously, I believe kypiq faedinism actually has a lot of maternal qualities. Protectors of the voiceless, nurturer of nature, lovers of spirit, non-aggressive tree huggers... lol! With this in mind I came up with the kypiq religion having motherly figure as their aspect.

The Father Fae (aka Wolf Fae, Wolf spirit, Brud Fae, Odin?!)

"...the Brudvir believe that only animals have spirit, while trees, insects and other living things serve only as part of the food chain for the more advanced species."

"They believe that all souls begin their journey as animals, and that only through repeated experiences and multiple lifetimes can a soul ascend to the form of a Mann. As a result, they have developed a meaningful kinship with most animals of the forest and are among the best animal tamers in Elyria. And while they must hunt to survive, they view their killing as providing the animal another opportunity to ascend to Mann-hood." (Caspian)

This represents the brudvir branch. I believe brudvir faedinism actually has a lot of paternal qualities. Leaders and protectors of the pack, dominance over all other spirit, highest order of nature (ie belief that the brudvir are the top of the food chain), agressive but respectful tree murderers >;( I love how the Brudvir actually do respect the animals and plants they kill, it has that assertive nature that is reminiscent of masculinity. And the concept of ascending from a lesser spirit to a greater spirit gives off this idea of heirachy that i believe is an honorable contrast the Mother.

The Beast/Demon Fae (aka The Wild One/Hunter, Instinct, Devourer, Panther, Kakaan)

"...the Janoa believe that killing and consuming another creature causes it to become a part of oneself; that the hunter will inherit some part of its spirit and attributes. It is for this reason that The Hunt is so important to the Janoa, as only through conquering the fiercest and most cunning creatures can the Janoa demonstrate their outer strength, and increase their inner strength." (Caspian)

This represents the janoan branch. I believe janoan faedinism... is just pure barbaric! I mean my GOD! It is right there in Caspian's write up. They literally devour spirits as a source of gaining power! The hunt out of shear pleasure. Am I being too biased against janoans? Yes! And rightfully so as a kypiq lol!

So this concludes part 1 of my series! There is still much to discuss. For example: How do the mother faedins worship? General misconceptions of kypiq culture and so on. If you have any questions don't be afraid to leave a comment below!

Also if any one who is super passionate about Brudvir and Janoan faedinism, or even kypiq faedinism, could leave any other suggestions and their own take on the religion that would be fantastic! On that note I will catch you guys later! ^___^