Adaptable, Receptive

The people of the Waterbody are adaptable and receptive to the flow of life around them.  They move fluidly from one moon to the next, trusting that Yue will see them through.  They tend to have a comforting, soothing sense about them; many of the best healers in the world are part of the Waterbody.  Canoeing, sailing and fishing are ways of life; some parts of the waterbody never touch land.

Clothes tend to be plain and practical, made from the skin of marine mammals for their warmth and water resistance.  Many wear some adornment showing their devotion to Yue, most commonly a necklace with a white pendant, representing the moon.  There are people of the Waterbody with all skin tones.  Their eyes range from bright, glacier blue to cool, crisp black, more rarely a child will be born with eyes of seafoam green.

The Water Way

The people of the Waterbody are united through a common flow, the worship of Yue, the water goddess.  She is the all powerful deity of the Waterbody, the creator and sustainer of life, the balancer of all things.  When the world was but a chaotic and barren wasteland, devoid of life, Yue cast herself into the sky, creating the moon, setting the seas into motion, soothing the land and giving birth to first forms of life.  The people of the Waterbody trust in the flow of life that Yue has set into motion and trust in her to guide and protect them.

The Council of Elders helps guide the Waterbody and ensure that all of Yue’s people, the Yue’n,  are provided for.  They are eight elders from all parts of the commune, whose sacred duty it is to ensure Yue’s grace reaches all people.  They come together with the interest of all regions at heart, to direct the flow of resources so that everyone has what they need.  If ever a Yue’n were caught in an act that was harmful to Yue's lifestream, they would be excommunicated, cut off from the Waterbody and Yue’s abundant flow, not to return until they could prove that they were once again commited the Yue Way.

By Moon and Sea

Two main bodies guide and protect the whole.  The first is the Moon, the religious institution, the worldly embodiment of Yue’s heavenly spirit.  It is their duty to provide meaning and understanding to the people of Yue’s lifestream, to convey Yue’s higher truths, and unite the people under her unified flow.  The spiritual messages of the Moon hold immense power over the Waterbody, even swaying the Council of Elders.

The second is the Sea, the Waterbody’s navy, the most dominant force on the water, they protect the Waterbody and secure the resources that they cannot produce for themselves.  Their reach is long and their movement swift.  They patrol the seas, ensuring the safety of their merchant ships, even holding sway in international waters.  One would be hard pressed to find a port that does not harbor at least one ship of the Sea.  While some see them as a form of intercoastal law enforcement, one must not forget that they are dedicated servants of the Water Way, and that the lifestream of their people is their first priority.

In the Flow

Yue’n seek to follow Yue’s flow in all aspects of life, and will follow that flow wherever it takes them.  Yue works in many ways; sometimes she puts her followers through rough waters to help them learn and grow, sometimes she diverts them from the main body to learn a new way, and later bring them back to contribute what they’ve picked up along the way.  A devout Yue’n will not question their flow, trusting in Yue to guide in protect them.

Before setting out on a journey, a Yue’n will seek the blessing of the Moon, or risk becoming a free-radical.  A free-radical is a Yue’n who releases themself from the main flow without the Moon’s blessing.  Whether they maintain belief in Yue or not, they detach themselves from the whole and risk not being able to rejoin later.  For a Yue’n to become a free-radical, a force stronger than the moon has to pull them out of the flow, often leaving them floating in space, without any sense of direction, not knowing where they’ll end up, just a droplet in the air, subject to Yue’s mysterious Way.