The Old Path in Aramán refers to the ancient practice of druidism, particularly as followed by the orcs of that world,[2] which was nearly erased from existence by the Shapers who sought for their millennia of rule to be the only path by which mortals could access the divine; however, the Old Path survived.[3] The term refers to both the process of reincarnation and a metaphysical location adjacent to the Tenebral Reaches. It is described as a dark wood, past the edge of death, which souls of creatures journey through to become reincarnated.[4] The druids have named it, and lit the way for souls to follow.[5]
Fan art of the soul of Occtis Tachonis being pulled apart in the forest of the Old Path, by Shrugs.[art 1]
The followers of the Old Path defended the idea of reincarnation, under the belief that a corporeal body is merely a vessel for an immortal soul,[6] each of them being part of the song of the world.[7] This idea felt as anathema to the immortality of the elves[4] who, even in death, stayed linked to their soul in the Garden of the Spirit. Specters and other forms of undead also rejected this, moving away from both the Old Path and the potential afterlife beyond.[8]
There were those, after the death of the gods, that preyed on the bereaved by telling them that the Old Path would have their loved ones' souls sent to oblivion and the void, and offered a path to a brighter resting place, for a price.[9]
Trivia[]
- During Campaign Four, a "follower of the Old Path" seemed to refer to any practitioner of the druidic arts.[10]
References[]
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 1:58:41.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 1:08:44.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 2:35:18.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 See "Branching Paths" (4x05) at 0:41:49.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 1:19:44.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 2:00:51.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 3:41:06.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 1:19:44.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 0:06:59.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:43:47.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of the soul of Occtis Tachonis being pulled apart in the forest of the Old Path, by Shrugs (source). Used with permission.
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