The Walking Way

The Walking Way is the dominant way of life in the eastern lands of Majere. Its name comes from the path that its founders took through the mountains separating Majere and the Westlands. Escaping an apocalypse in a wet, fertile land, those exiles learned to suffer in a hot and inhospitable wasteland. Their way of life evolved into the Walking Way of today.

The principles of the Walking Way can be condensed into three core rules, each derived from the hostile conditions of Majere. The first Rule of the Walking Way is the Rule of Self. Self sufficiency is held above all else. One must be able to survive alone, with as little reliance on others as possible. Settlements are small, and usually composed of one or two families. Using magic and technology, they operate independent of any other settlements, and strive to live indefinitely without the assistance of others.

The second Rule is the Rule of Two. It is perilous to live in Majere, and the speed at which danger can occur would give most Westlanders whiplash. Therefore, every man is accompanied by another, in groups of two. From this, odd numbers are considered suspicious. Most Majerians would rather round to an even number, even in totally innocuous situations. Odd-numbered groups of people are considered a threat. Even life-long enemies, forced into acting together due to circumstances, would rather ally with each other than break the Rule of Two.

The third Rule is the Rule of Weapons. In short, every Majerian keeps a weapon of some kind close by. Most choose to keep guns, although knives, staves, or even a heavy rock would do in a pinch. They consider this so important that they will even bathe and sleep with a weapon within reach. When a man is detained or imprisoned, rightfully or otherwise, his weapon is deprived from him. This is considered very shameful, and most find the idea to be downright unnerving.

Over time, certain leaders became influential and created the positions known as Baronies. Although the Western word for this is derived from land-owners, Barons do not place great importance on property. Instead, they are highly respected leaders, and each are considered the head of a sub-discipline of the Walking Way. Each Baron receives a Discipline from his predecessor, augments it with his own understanding, and then passes it down to his successor. Naming each Discipline for its lineage would be increasingly complicated, so the common term is to simply refer to it by the number of the Barony associated with it. There are fifteen Barons in total, with each Baron accompanied by a Second, in accordance with the Rule of Two. By tradition, the Second is instructed in their Baron's Discipline, along with information known only to the Barons, in order to succeed the Baron.

In their sixteenth year, every Majerian must make a pilgrimage to Carth; An enormous tree in the middle of Majere, growing strong and green despite the desert surrounding it. They must pick one who has already made their pilgrimage, and the two journey to Carth from their settlement. There, the pilgrim spends a month becoming a full member of the Walking Way, and an adult in Majerian society. The Majerians are secretive about this period, and refused to name specifics to a Westlander like myself. I am told that at the end of this pilgrimage, the pilgrim receives their first gun. More research is needed in this area by Westlander scholars.

One final aspect of the Walking Way is the worship of ancestors. Families pray to ancestors for aid and guidance, and rigorously maintain burial grounds, crypts, and tombs. Observable results occur after praying to ancestors, especially when that ancestor had some personal relationship to the topic of the prayer. If a Majerian has an ancestor who was particularly good at a task, praying to him will result in a better result. My colleagues believe this to be a form of magic, although the average Majerian would take great offense to this implication. Prayers, burial rites, and tending to the dead are under the charge of priests. Priests are also responsible for the creation of the ammunition for their guns. One priest may serve three or four settlements, traveling between them as the month passes.