Background, Core Beliefs, and Focus
Texto
The Isawa Mori is an expansive forested wilderness located in the middle of the lands of the Phoenix Clan. Some scholars postulate that long before the Empire came into being, the Isawa Mori, as well as other primeval forests like the Shinomen Mori, were parts of a far larger “world forest” that covered essentially all of what is now Rokugan. Time and the spread of civilization as the Empire grew caused this great primeval woodland to fragment and diminish, such that only remnants of the world forest remain today.
Moriko, which means “forest child,” is the name now used by a rōnin who worked as a caravan guard for merchants based in Sheltered Plains City. Almost ten years
ago, while escorting a caravan along one of the very few roads through the Isawa Mori, Moriko caught sight of a magnificent creature: an enormous white wolf. Moriko glimpsed the fantastic creature among the trees, following the caravan at a distance. She believed this to be an okuriōkami, a wolf-spirit guardian that sometimes watches over travelers. Strikingly, no one else seemed to see the creature, convincing Moriko that she had been granted a vision from Chikushō-dō, the Realm of Animals. Enthralled by the great wolf and the forest in which she had seen it, Moriko returned to the Isawa Mori, built a small cabin, and began to devote her life to understanding and protecting what she sees as a place where Chikushō-dō impinges closely on the Mortal Realm.
In the years since, word of Moriko has spread, and she has attracted a small group of like-minded followers. Some live in the forest with her, while others live elsewhere and periodically journey to her on a form of pilgrimage.
Based on this background, the GM decides to develop this religious group for use in an upcoming game.
Core Beliefs
This religious group, which the GM calls the Children of the White Wolf, believes that the ancient forest known as the Isawa Mori—perhaps as a whole, but at least in parts—is a place where the Mortal Realm and Chikushō-dō come close together. The Children of the White Wolf have come to believe that, in ancient times, the two realms were essentially one, with spirits from the Realm of Animals being very much a day-to-day part of what would eventually become the Empire.
The encroachment of civilization has changed that, splitting the two realms apart save for in particular places where portions of the primeval forest remain. The group holds that this is not how things were meant to be, and that it is critical to preserve what little of the Isawa Mori is left. The alternative— the ultimate loss of the remaining parts of the ancient forest—would be a disaster, causing all of the world’s animals to eventually die out, because no new ones could be born without access to places where Chikushō-dō could still be reached.
The Children of the White Wolf therefore believe that the forest, the animals within it, and Chikushō-dō itself must be revered and protected if the world is to be preserved. They further believe that the Realm of Animals is a fundamentally benevolent place; if animals are dangerous, it is only because it is their primal nature— because “hunt or be hunted” is the essential truth.
Focus
The Children of the White Wolf have a clear focus upon Moriko, who is the group’s founder and has developed and propagated the group’s core beliefs. Moriko is, therefore, not only the group’s leader, but also a “holy person.” Her strength of conviction, backed up by a formidable and charismatic personality, is the catalyst that prompted the group to form and now holds it together.
The group’s other focus is the okuriōkami, the guardian wolf spirit, who appeared to Moriko as she escorted the caravan through the forest all those years ago. To adherents of this religion, the wolf spirit is an embodiment of their beliefs. It has the feral nature and power of a great predator, but it is ultimately beneficial, because it protects those who travel through the forest. The wolf’s dangerous but benign nature perfectly encapsulates what the Children of the White Wolf believe to be true about the forest and the vital role it plays in linking Chikushō-dō to the Mortal Realm.
Texto do livro
Celestial Realms · Chapter 3: Power of Worship › Building a Religious Group › Background, Core Beliefs, and Focus · p. 124 p. 125
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The Isawa Mori is an expansive forested wilderness located in the middle of the lands of the Phoenix Clan. Some scholars postulate that long before the Empire came into being, the Isawa Mori, as well as other primeval forests like the Shinomen Mori, were parts of a far larger “world forest” that covered essentially all of what is now Rokugan. Time and the spread of civilization as the Empire grew caused this great primeval woodland to fragment and diminish, such that only remnants of the world forest remain today.
Moriko, which means “forest child,” is the name now used by a rōnin who worked as a caravan guard for merchants based in Sheltered Plains City. Almost ten years
ago, while escorting a caravan along one of the very few roads through the Isawa Mori, Moriko caught sight of a magnificent creature: an enormous white wolf. Moriko glimpsed the fantastic creature among the trees, following the caravan at a distance. She believed this to be an okuriōkami, a wolf-spirit guardian that sometimes watches over travelers. Strikingly, no one else seemed to see the creature, convincing Moriko that she had been granted a vision from Chikushō-dō, the Realm of Animals. Enthralled by the great wolf and the forest in which she had seen it, Moriko returned to the Isawa Mori, built a small cabin, and began to devote her life to understanding and protecting what she sees as a place where Chikushō-dō impinges closely on the Mortal Realm.
In the years since, word of Moriko has spread, and she has attracted a small group of like-minded followers. Some live in the forest with her, while others live elsewhere and periodically journey to her on a form of pilgrimage.
Based on this background, the GM decides to develop this religious group for use in an upcoming game.
Core Beliefs
This religious group, which the GM calls the Children of the White Wolf, believes that the ancient forest known as the Isawa Mori—perhaps as a whole, but at least in parts—is a place where the Mortal Realm and Chikushō-dō come close together. The Children of the White Wolf have come to believe that, in ancient times, the two realms were essentially one, with spirits from the Realm of Animals being very much a day-to-day part of what would eventually become the Empire.
The encroachment of civilization has changed that, splitting the two realms apart save for in particular places where portions of the primeval forest remain. The group holds that this is not how things were meant to be, and that it is critical to preserve what little of the Isawa Mori is left. The alternative— the ultimate loss of the remaining parts of the ancient forest—would be a disaster, causing all of the world’s animals to eventually die out, because no new ones could be born without access to places where Chikushō-dō could still be reached.
The Children of the White Wolf therefore believe that the forest, the animals within it, and Chikushō-dō itself must be revered and protected if the world is to be preserved. They further believe that the Realm of Animals is a fundamentally benevolent place; if animals are dangerous, it is only because it is their primal nature— because “hunt or be hunted” is the essential truth.
Focus
The Children of the White Wolf have a clear focus upon Moriko, who is the group’s founder and has developed and propagated the group’s core beliefs. Moriko is, therefore, not only the group’s leader, but also a “holy person.” Her strength of conviction, backed up by a formidable and charismatic personality, is the catalyst that prompted the group to form and now holds it together.
The group’s other focus is the okuriōkami, the guardian wolf spirit, who appeared to Moriko as she escorted the caravan through the forest all those years ago. To adherents of this religion, the wolf spirit is an embodiment of their beliefs. It has the feral nature and power of a great predator, but it is ultimately beneficial, because it protects those who travel through the forest. The wolf’s dangerous but benign nature perfectly encapsulates what the Children of the White Wolf believe to be true about the forest and the vital role it plays in linking Chikushō-dō to the Mortal Realm.