Stripping Path

Pictured: The seal of the Stripping Path.

The Stripping Path is the most prominent of the religions of central Keltia. Although, the religion is most commonly practiced by the Haifan people who live and work within the borders of the Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa, the Stripping Path also enjoys a strong following across Keltia, in regions such as Hamland, and across Passio-Corum.

Beliefs

To the extent that it recognizes the Triality of the Oversouls, or the relationship between the universal forces of order, chaos, and mystery, the Stripping Path is regarded by most scholars as a variant of the Pallisican Religion. It is not, however, regarded as a formal branch of the Pallisican Religion, for the primary reason that there is not within the Stripping Path a tradition which places an emphasis upon any notion of a struggle between the Universal Forces of order and chaos. In contrast to the religion of the Pallisican peoples, which promotes the destruction of chaos by means of the creation and preservation of order, the Stripping Path regards chaos as the supreme, indestructible, unavoidable governing force of the universe. Whereas in the Pallisican Religion, order is regarded as the absolute highest end, or the thing which most closely resembles the divinity which existed at the beginning of time, the Stripping Path regards the universal force of order as an ephemeral, illusory force, which in many ways serves to distract humanity, and other forms of life, from the actual nature of the chaotic universe. While the Pallisican Religion reveres the pursuit of order as the highest of all spiritual aims, the Stripping Path approaches the concept of order from a much different perspective, instead viewing it as an almost insidious illusion which prevents spiritual beings from finding meaning in a chaotic universe.

This difference in views relating to the exact nature of the Triality of Oversouls manifests most prominently in the fact that while the Pallisican Religion is an agnostic religion which does not formally recognize the existence of any particular god or set of gods, the Stripping Path is a theistic religion whose adherents worship Bacchus, an extra-Micrasian god who, the religion maintains, embodies the most prominent spirits of chaos: madness,intoxication, and violence. The worship of Dionysus is a fundamental component of the belief system of the Stripping Path; virtually all of the religions various ceremonies, rituals, and individual practices, honor each in their own way one of these three aspects of chaos, and are aimed at cultivating a relationship between practitioners of the religion and Dionysus. The worship of Dionysus is the element of the Stripping Path regarding which the authorities of the Pallisican Religion have historically expressed the greatest amount of aversion, even despite proclamations by the Oracle Ruler, Opyeme Amor, that it was the Pallisican Host Spirit which ushered the worship of Dionysus into central Keltia. The worship of Dionysus, furthermore, also contributes to a significant degree of lawlessness around the Strait of Haifa. Among the most devout practitioners of the Stripping Path, and the most radically committed of the worshipers of Dionysus, are the pirates who constitute organizations such as the Bacchian Vine Fleet, and the notorious priestesses of the Cult of Maskmakers whose illegal operations exercise considerable influence across the Haifan, as well as the Pallisican spheres of influence.

Politics

The most popular religion of the Haifan peoples across the planet's eastern hemisphere, the Stripping Path is the most common religion along the Strait of Haifa, and is among the most commonly practiced religions in Passio-Corum. The rise of the Stripping Path in Passio-Corum has resulted in calls for a reform of the Pallisican Religion, though such calls have almost all been rejected by authorities within the New Zimian Temple Authority. This unwillingness to adapt to a changing religious climate in Passio-Corum has resulted in religious and political divisions between the nation's Pallisican and Haifan populations.

An Expanding Religion

A convert to the Stripping Path prays at the Shrine of the Satyr King.

Since its emergence in remote rural communities along the Strait of Haifa in the late-600's and mid-700's WG, the Stripping Path has rapidly grown into a global religion which is practiced not only in eastern Keltia, but also around the Sea of Storms and Captive Sea. In addition to being the most commonly practiced religion of Haifan people around the world, the religion has also gained a strong following amongst the Pallisican, who originate in Passas, and the Gamesman peoples of northern Corum. It is believed, furthermore, that with the establishment of trade relations between the Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa and Shireroth, the Stripping Path may soon emerge in parts of Benacia. Among the most notable avowed practitioners of the Stripping Path is Kan Zen, the Companion of the Pallisican ruler Opyeme Amor.

Perhaps the sole leading contributor to the spread of the Stripping Path in recent years is the Hammish Civil War. To that extent, the Stripping Path has, since the assassination of Donat Ravaillac, spread very rapidly across Keltia and beyond. Although there are as of yet no official statistics, it is believed that since the outbreak of the war 34.88 PSSC, the number of practitioners of the Stripping Path has increased by roughly 5%, making the religion the second or third most commonly practiced of Keltia's major belief systems, second only to the Pallisican Religion. The Stripping Path has gained a considerable following in southern Apollonia, furthermore, due in large part to the War of Lost Brothers and the related, persistent regional instability caused by the actions of the government of the Florian Republic. In light of its rapid expansion around the globe, some countries, in particular the Kingdom of the Union of Caputia, have adopted policies aimed at managing the spread of the Stripping Path.

Orders of the Stripping Path

Orders of the Stripping Path are formal religious institutions that espouse teachings which correspond to those of the Haifan religion. Such orders include, but are not limited to those listed in the table below.

Order Flag	Order Name	Order Type	Location	Nation of Origin
	Guild of the Cult of Maskmakers	Magic	Blore Heath	Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa
	Bacchian Vine Fleet	Pirate	Mylecia	Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa
	Maenads of Mylecia	Healthcare	Mylecia	Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa
	Knights of Mt.Nysa	Proselytizing	Mylecia	Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa
	Israati-Haifan Nationalist Movement	Political	Mylecia	Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa
	Ministry of Zartosht	Proselytizing	Zartosht	Passio-Corum
	Sons of St.Andre	Proselytizing/Political	Poblenou	N/A

Holy Cities

Holy cities are cities which play a particularly important role in the Stripping Path, whether it be political, social, strategic, or otherwise. Generally speaking, such cities are designated by the authority of the Priestess of Agripinilla.

City Flag	City Name	City Location	Notes
	Mylecia	Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa	The birthplace of the Stripping Path, Mylecia is regarded as the religion's most holy city.
	Rouge	Maritime Markets of the Strait of Haifa	The home of the mystical Centauri Rouge, Rouge maintains a status as a holy city on this basis that its rulers were the first beyond the Strait of Haifa to convert to the Stripping Path. The conversion of the rulers of Rouge to the Stripping Path is documented in the play entitled The Epiphany of Arachnia.
	Zartosht	Passio-Corum	The center of the the Stripping Path in the Eurani continent, the city of Zartosht is governed by the Basileusa of Zartosht, the high priestess of Dionysus who is responsible for protecting and honoring a statue which is regarded as the religion's most holy relic.
File:FlagPoblenou	Poblenou	Apollonia	The center of the Stripping Path in Apollonia, it is said the the Haifans of Port St.Andre were guided to Poblenou by none other than Hermes himself.
File:Tel-AminandLewisburg.png	Tel-Amin and Lewisburg	Caputia	Located within the borders of the former Free State of Haifa, Tel-Amin and Lewisburg were recognized as holy cities after the Caputian government declared them to be safe-zones for practitioners of the Stripping Path during a period of extreme sectarian violence.