Sawvarism

What is Sawvarism?
Sawvarism is the teachings of Sawvare (saw-vaw-ree). The followers of Sawvarism try to listen to the environment around us. They will avoid mining too much and overusing crop land, as well as preserve enough life to make up for their hunting and killing, and use only as much water as they need to. Sawvarins do have gods, but they aren't beings who watch over our realm from another, they are the world and its many different elements. Sawvarins will not tell you that your ideology is wrong, they will welcome you into their homes, but they will not bring you into their rituals.

The other realms are lands the sawvarins refuse to visit if possible. Preferring to get needed materials from other people rather than going into those realms to gather it themselves.

Sawvarism History
The first sehr, Sawvare the quiet, observed the civilized people and saw corruption and exploitation. Sawvare chose to listen to the world around her, and the this unlocked a library of stone stones, vines, and water. Sawvare could hear the world itself, not the animals living within it.

Sawvare brought children into this world who she tought to listen to the world, to preserve it and be king to it. Sawvare is long dead now, but her descendants hold Sawvare's teachings and wish to pass on that knowledge to as many people as they can, just as Sawvare did for them.

Vinko - god of life
Vinko brings all life, Vinko is all life. Vinko is the mother, father, and child. Vinko is very caring of its creations and spreads as much diversity as it possibly can.

Vatro - god of death
As one might expect; Vatro brings death, or rather Vatro collects death. All who lose their grasp on Vinko are collected by Vatro. Some believe Vatro also acts as a guardian for Vinko.

Vatn - god of water
The supporter of Vinko, often supported by Sel with it guiding Vatn's clouds. Vatn is the oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, and all other forms of water. Vatn is known to change Fald's appearance. Many believe Vatn to be Fald's parent or creator. Some stories claim that Vatn also donates itself to Ve-haro.

Fald - god of land
Fald is often kind, giving the stone for homes, the soil for plant life, and the many metals we use. If we exploit Fald too much, fald is likely to bring down itself on our miners, killing or severely injuring them.

Sel - god of wind
Sel controls the winds, allowing it to move Vatn's clouds and guide sailors. Some stories say Sel pushes our world around Sillag and spins it to create years and distribute Sillag's heat.

Ve-haro - god of storms
With the help of Sel, Ve-haro gathers storms to cause chaos as well as create beauty and Vinko. Some stories claim Ve-haro to be a water thief, stealing from Vatn.

Sillag - god of heat and light
Sillag is the great light in the sky, providing us warmth and light; many traves connect Sillag with fire itself, which has supported and guided us.

Ccote - god of the dark
Ccote is the absence of light; the bringer of illusions, fear, and nightmares. Ccote is the monarch of stealth and warrior of Vatro.

Sehr Ve-zet
[pronounced seh-rr vey zet] The sehr ve-zet is the leader of the sawvarins, they take the place that was left empty by Sawvare. Their mission is to teach others of sawvarism and how to listen to the world.

Sehr
Sehrs are the moral guides of sawvarism, they assist the sehr ve-zet in teaching others of sawvarism. While there can only be one sehr ve-zet, there can be two to five sehrs per aken-om.

Trave
[pronounced traw vey] Traves are just the followers of sawvarism. it is their mission to learn the teachings of Sawvare and how to listen to the world.

Aken-om - Place of Worship
[pronounced ay ken om] The aken-om is anywhere used for rituals and speaking to the gods. The aken-om is not required to be a building, you may consider it the world around you, but some prefer to gather somewhere for it. If you consider nature your aken-om then the aken-om requirements can be ignored.

Aken-om requirements
Plant life throughout. Stone, dirt, and grass floors. Water along the walls. Fire in brazier. An opening or window in the ceiling around the middle of the structure. dead things (such as skulls or dried up plants) in chests or spread throughout.

Rituals
Most "rituals" are ones that have natural blessings, like keeping hunting to a minimum allows life to continue and grow, or closing off a mine that hasn't provided resources in a while would allow a new mine to be made that likely has more luck. These aren't rituals where the gods will bestow us some sort of miracle or random objects.

Regrowth ritual
If a forest has been completely or almost completely destroyed, this ritual is performed. A chest full of foods, valuables, or both is buried as a sacrifice and a tree planted atop. We ask the world to bless us with the regrowth of the forest. This could either result in the world providing us the bonemeal needed to bring the forest back, or a large portion of the trees springing into full growth.