Pineism

= Pineism =

Theology
Pineists worship Pineolwii, a forest spirit made up of all trees. The theologist Chill Mystic describes it the best: 'Think of the nervous system in the human body. It ranges from the brain, all the way to the very tiniest synapses in the fingers. Every single receptor in the system is like a tree, while the system as a whole can be seen as “the forest” or the body of Pineolwii.'

There are currently 3 holy books of Pineism. The Book of Seeds, The Book of Blossom, and The Book of Rain. The Book of Seeds is the first book and mainly documents the basics of Pineism. This book contains a few small paragraphs on who Pineolwii is and how to worship them well: 'Pineolwii wants forests planted and lumber yards established.' and 'Pineolwii also accepts large offerings of bonemeal.'

The Book of Blossom is the second book and details the 5 Trunks, or ideas, that help us live a life in balance with Pineolwii. The Trunk of Seeds teaches us to maintain the forest by replanting what we chop down. The Trunk of Roots teaches us to care for everyone in the world, and to spread the faith. The Trunk of Branches teaches us to protect others. The Trunk of Prayer teaches us to pray to Pineolwii, and the Trunk of Soil teaches us to expand and protect nature and the 'Forest'.

The most recent book, The Book of Rain (It was revealed during a thunderstorm) tells people about who and what Pineolwii is. To quote Pineolwii: 'I am the forest and the forest is me, the trees think and they think as one, when the trees are dead I will die too. I am the forest and the forest is Me."

History
One thing referenced a lot in Pineism is the Great Deal or Sacred Pact. In the 'before times' Pineolwii gave early people 'the flesh of a tree', wood, in exchange for them spreading and protecting the forest. As time passed this ancient deal was forgotten, and the balance between civilisation and nature became uneasy to say the least. Vast tracts of land were cleared to make way for towns, and as the forest shrunk, so did Pineolwii's health and power. Here is a quote from the Book of Seeds: 'Ran was alone in the wilderness, and they felt the growl in their belly. Pineolwii spoke to them, and told them how the Great Deal had fallen apart. In exchange for the flesh of a tree, Ran promised to remind the players of the sacred deal, and he made the first shrine in the town of Ilothwii' In this moment, the Great Deal was rekindled, and Ran became the first prophet of Pineism.

PIneism became bigger when it was brought to the people of Paelliwa, a forest village at the end of the world. When people in Paelliwa migrated they brought the religion with them, spreading the faith in new continents. It was adopted in these societies easily, because these cultures already lived in harmony with Pineolwii, and the religion does not require people to abandon other gods.

Sacred Places
The holy places of Pineism are so far: The First Shrine in Ilothwii, the Deepwood in Paelliwa, and the Broken Trunk in Sindara. Interestingly, Ran was the second person and the first non-Sindarin to survive a jump from the top of Broken Trunk (the first being Revior Sindara).