Mage/Theme/Orders/Unnamed Nation/Cortical Precepts
The Children of the Tree refer to themselves as Scions. Not in the sense of the Diamond orders, who use such terms to style themselves inheritors of the legacy of the Supernal itself, but in the horticulturalist's sense. A grafting, or offshoot, given life of its own. This has given rise, in more modern days, of Children referring to one another as Shoots. Or any play on that word. "Big Shooter", for example. "Straight Shooter", likewise.
They have become an amalgamation of ancient wisdom and modern learning, maintaining the beliefs of the original Unnamed of the Lenape people, while welcoming any of a like mind to join with them. It's become a technoshaman's Order as a result, with old beliefs and practices coming to new life in contemporary times. They subscribe to the belief that if a teaching no longer seems sensible in a contemporary setting, then their understanding of the teaching was incorrect; not the teaching itself. They constantly return to their foundations, build and rebuild, learn and relearn. Germinating, shooting forth, flowering, and dying. Genesis and destruction, in a constant cycle of revelation guided by the Mysteries of the Martyr's Tree.
- Nurture the Soul in All Things: The Children of the Tree arise from an animist tradition. It is no secret that spirits exist in most every object of the fallen world, within the realm of the Shadow, and on occasion cross the gauntlet between worlds to exist in this reality. This precept touches on this truth to a degree, but by far exceeds it in scope. The Supernal is Truth. All that exists in the fallen world is a reflection of its ideal concept which exists beyond the Abyss. By nurturing plants, they become more like their ideal self. By nurturing animals, they become more perfect. By maintaining our tools, they are made better. By encouraging others, you improve them, too. The Supernal and the Fallen World will never again co-exist if the world is left in its present state. Fallen. Diseased. Fractured by conflict and strife. The fallen world is a patient in need of healing, and the Children are its nursemaids. The work is unending, but it is necessary. Vital, even, to the awakening of the world's dormant souls.
- Humanity is the Family of All: The Children see themselves in others. Once an Awakened has made the choice to join with the Children of the Tree, they are family. Not grudgingly, not hesitantly, not on a probationary basis; immediately, totally, and as though it had always been so. This comes with the expectation of reciprocity. A family member once adopted has their day on the chore wheel, and will be expected to immediately provide nurturing support and familial loyalty to each and every other Child in the Assembly of the Unnamed Nation. Beyond this, they seek to make others view the world in such terms. To see beyond the artificial distinctions of race and gender, into the living breathing vibrant soul of the other. The sympathies that this mindset generates are potent, and were a key to the staying power of the Unnamed, even when outnumbered during the War of the Unnamed in the late 17th century.
- The Wisdom of the Many Outweigh the Will of the One: In a world where the Diamond run the show, meritocracy is often considered the rule of the Awakened. The one with the biggest bat does the commanding, and all others follow. That is anathema to the Children, in truth. Any decision worth making for the entirety of the nation is worth making after due deliberation and consideration of every option before them. If it's true that the Supernal exists in the reflection of the Fallen World, then surely seeking the input of as many minds as possible for any given problem will reflect more supernal truth into the deliberations than the will of a single Hierarch or Magister. They don't make rash decisions which impact others, and they absolutely do not go against the decisions reached once the deliberations have ended. This means that once they choose to act on a matter, they can bring the totality of their membership to bear on the matter.
Rote Skills: Occult, Persuasion, Survival