The Valen Traditionalists

To be still is to be dead. The tide must turn. The season must shift. So must we.

Core Concept

The Tide-Faith are the orthodox heart of Valen society. They are the guardians of the old ways, a faction whose entire worldview is built on the sacred, unquestionable truth of the Great Cycle. They see their seasonal metamorphosis not as a burden, but as a divine gift, a physical enactment of the universe’s fundamental rhythm. To them, the struggle of the change is what gives life its meaning.

Species

• Primary: Valen (exclusively traditionalists).

Ideology (Faith / Fiction)

• Core Faith: “The Cycle is All.” Their entire spiritual and social life is an expression of this Faith. They believe that both the Builder and Dreamer forms are not just necessary, but holy. To be only a Builder is to be a mindless drone; to be only a Dreamer is to be a useless navel-gazer. Truth, wisdom, and a complete life are found not in either state, but in the graceful transition between them. Their rituals are tied to the solstices, celebrating the coming change.

• Core Fiction: “The Parable of the First Shift.” Their creation myth tells of a time when the primordial Valen were two separate, warring peoples: the Sun-Children and the Shade-Dwellers. They were locked in a cycle of mutual destruction until a wise figure taught them that they were not enemies, but two halves of a single, necessary whole, destined to inhabit the same bodies in an eternal, harmonious dance. The myth explicitly warns of a “Stone-Prophet” who will one day tempt the Valen with the “lie of a single season,” an act that would shatter the sacred balance and bring ruin.

Goals & Motivations

• To preserve the traditional Valen way of life and the sanctity of the Great Cycle.
• To protect their sacred sites—the deep-cavern “dreaming-groves” for the Shade-Season and the sun-drenched “building-plains” for the Sun-Season.
• To resist the corrupting influence of both the Amaranthine and the Still-Form heretics, whom they see as two sides of the same sterile, unnatural coin.

Player Interaction

• The Traditional Path: Choosing to align with the Tide-Faith is to embrace the core Valen experience. Your gameplay will be defined by the seasonal rhythm. Your quests will involve community-building, performing seasonal rituals, defending your culture from outside influence, and trying to bring the “lost children” of the Still-Form back into the fold.
• A World of Subtle Beauty: The Tide-Faith are deeply connected to the natural world. They are masters of Cultivation and may possess unique insights into the rhythms of the Tapestry itself. They are wary of outsiders but can become profoundly loyal allies to those who show respect for their traditions.