Eleryonism/Novice Guide Resources

Introduction Letter

You should start by sending a letter introducing the aspirant to Eleryonism and yourself. This letter should go over the basics of Eleryonism and outline the process that the aspirant is undertaking.

Brother Randwulf,

I have spoken to Priest Joaquim and he has asked that I be your guide which I am more than happy to do.

Your path to becoming a full member of Eleryonism is well defined and I will help to guide and assist you along the way. Some who start the path do not walk it to its end. We understand this and do not harbor any ill feelings towards those who have lost the way. The light shines for all differently and shines at different times. Those who have lost their way may once again find it and will be welcome to resume their journey once more.

We will begin your journey by going over the basics of Eleryonism. Eleryon is the first star you see peak over the horizon in the evening. Its light is the first to combat the darkness that threatens to envelop us at night. This, of course, is allegory for what Eleryon truly does for each of us. We believe that all have a destiny in life, a true purpose. None can tell you what your destiny is, it is up to you to discover your own. Eleryon helps us to realize this destiny. This guidance normally comes through dreams. For this reason, the interpretation of dreams is central to our theology. You will be taught how to interpret your own dreams and also help in the interpretation of others. If your dream relates to yourself, it is ultimately up to you to realize the final interpretation. However, if your dream is about others, then you may not assist in the interpretation. You must relay your dream as well as you remember it to the rest of the order and our brothers and sisters will discuss its interpretation.

As I said, your goal will be to identify your destiny and realize that destiny. Followers destinies may not coincide and may even seem at odds with each other. For this reason followers may find themselves on opposite ends of the battlefield.

The first leg of our journey is to help you to better know yourself. This is accomplished through a series of open ended questions. You will be asked what you would do in certain situations. There are no right or wrong answers as long as you speak honestly and openly. The next leg will be the interpretation of your dreams. So, while on the first leg, please write down any dreams you think may be more than dreams. You can normally identify these by a sense of them being important, waking up remembering them better than normal dreams, and they may even seem real.

Before we get started, do you have any questions?

In the Light,

Izabelle (Priestess of Eleryonism)

Self Discovery Questions

After the introduction letter you will answer any questions the aspirant my have and then begin guiding them in earnest. The first step is to ask questions that will lead the aspirant to a higher understanding of themselves. Understanding oneself is the first step to understanding one's destiny for example one who abhors violence is not likely to have a destiny filled with battle and therefore should take that into account when interpreting their dreams. Each question's answer should lead to the next question. For this reason there are not and cannot be stock questions beyond perhaps the first question. The Guide must be able to react the the aspirant's questions and ask new questions that help them to better understand themselves.

As stated previously, the first question could be considered stock or a solid stepping stone. However, you are not required to use this as your first question. You may feel free to use your own if it suits your needs better.

Q: You and I are on a quest to find a rumored artifact of the gods. After a long journey we finally find what is known as the Vial of Life. It will grant the drinker her most inner desires, be that money, power, happiness, divinity, etc. However, there is only enough for one of us. I reach out and grab the vial for myself saying, "The Vial is mine!" What do you do?

The purpose with this question is two fold. First we are trying to determine the type of person the aspirant is. Is he or she willing to fight a friend and leader in their religion to take what is rightfully theirs? Second, we are to guide the aspirant towards taking the Vial if it is not in their nature. The aspirant must first learn that no one can stand between them and his/her destiny, not even their priests. After this question we would continue trying to determine the nature of the aspirant and always guide them towards their true destiny.

Q: You are standing at a crossroads, equal distances from your family estate and your capitol when two two messengers arrive simultaneously. The first message is from your ruler and asks for your immediate presence. The second message is from your family requesting your immediate return. Just as you finish reading the second, a messenger pigeon arrives with a letter from your priest, who also happens to be an equal distance away in another town. He too, requests your immediate presence. Taking into account that it will require the same amount of travel time to answer any of the summons and all three are in different directions, what would you do?

This question is to determine the aspirant's loyalties. Is he or she more loyal to their ruler, family, or religion? There are no right or wrong answers, as stated before. This question, however will help us to know what to ask next. For example, let's pretend the aspirant answered:

A: Of course I would report to my queen, my country could be under attack and if I didn't respond immediately my family and priest could all be killed.

This answer lets us know that the aspirant puts a great deal of weight on all three but puts more weight on the ruler since they have justified to themselves that they can better help everyone by responding to their ruler. It also tells us that they trust the ruler enough to not be summoned so without just cause. In light of this our next question should delve further into this loyalty.

Q: After years of loyal service, you begin to notice changes in your ruler. His behavior becomes erratic and he starts making rash decisions. He plans to start a war with a neighboring realm that is much stronger than your realm. The war will likely result in the destruction of your realm. What do you do?

The answer to this question will tell us if the aspirant is devoted more to the welfare of the realm or the ruler. We also leave it open ended and not multiple choice. This will allow the aspirant to come up with creative or clever answers that we ourselves my not have foreseen. Answers such as these tend to be more telling.

You will continue this question/answer process until you believe the aspirant has had appropriate self discovery to begin interpreting their dreams.

Interpretation of Dreams

Once the you and the aspirant have completed the self discovery leg of the journey, it is time to begin assisting the aspirant in interpretation. Encourage the aspirant to relay any and all dreams of significance. Then assist them with interpreting the dream. Remember that as long as the dream is about themselves you may assist but the ultimate interpretation is theirs. If it is about others then you may tell them the interpretation and have them give you their ideas but they cannot know the true interpretation. Bring in other members to assist at this point if possible.

Recommendation for Advancement

After you believe the aspirant has a good grasp on interpretation you may send a recommendation to the Council of Five for promotion. You task as Novice Guide is now complete but you are encouraged to keep open communication with the aspirant as they continue their path and encourage them to participate in interpretations for all members.