Wayism (A to Z Challenge, W)

Wayism

The Way is the Way.  Wayism is as much a philosophy as a belief in higher powers, while existing before the Sundering, it has spread widely since then filling a need among people for guidelines to live by.  The Way denotes something that is both the origins of and the motivating force of all that exists.  A good life is one that is lived in harmony with both the Way and each person’s unique individual way.

Wayist seemliness and ethics may vary depending on the particular school, but they tend to emphasize action through non-action, harmony with the natural world, simplicity, spontaneity, and the Three Jewels: compassion, moderation, and humility, which form the foundation of Wayist thought and action.

Wayism is in all ways, a faith of the people and is deeply intertwined with folk medicine and magic, divination (primary astrology and coin reading), alchemy and dealing with supernatural threats to the community.  Wayist Ghost Hunters are common in some areas and there is a thriving trade in Wayish charms and talismen.  Only in a few places is Wayism intertwined with the official power structure, usually at best, it runs parallel to the official government providing informal routes to negotiate around official problems.

As it is primarily passive and accepting, the Draconic Imperium has never seen any reason to impose ban or limitations on the practice of Wayism and even a few dragons have found themselves falling in harmony with the philosophy of the Way.

Wayist clerics have access to the following domains: Community, Healing, Repose and Travel.

Notes: While the name is entirely stolen from the Andromeda TV series, the philosophy of Wayism is entirely rooted in the Tao.

Photo from Kevin Dooley and used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.