In the isolated Cthonic realm of Mag Duinn, there is a religion practiced called The Ashen Bough, or, colloquially, The Old Ways. This religion is centered around appeasing the Goddess Nespera who is simultaneously petty, cruel and vindictive yet loving, nurturing and protective. Her moods mirror the wonders and perils of the natural world, and her worshippers adopt a reverence for nature as a result.

This religion, which has been practiced since the dawn of the realm, serves as moral guidance to the people who reside in the domain, and, in places in which The Old Ways are strictly observed, constitutes the whole of the law. These tenets are known as The Ninefold Path.

The Ninefold Path

All Life Springs from the Root: Reverence for the ancestors that came before us must be held as a sacred duty.
What is Taken Must be Returned: If a transgression is committed against you, so, too, must he who wronged you suffer.
The Goddess Wears Many Faces: She is a complex deity and her ways are not for us to question.
No Limb Stands Alone: As the tree supports the branch, the community also upholds its citizens.
Blood Nourishes as Water Does: Sacrifice yields abundance.
The Bough Remembers: A crime unseen will be met with divine punishment.
Growth Requires Shadow: Nothing can survive in endless light; darkness is essential.
The Path Shall be Embraced: You must follow the path you were born into until it concludes.
When the Ninth Branch Breaks, So Ends the Cycle: An ancient prophecy that foretells the endtimes.

Schisms

Since the great intrusion of Mag Duinn by the Cthonic Nazerack, many believers have started to question their faith. This has manifested in two primary ways: believers who only wish to worship the gentle aspects of Nespera, and those who seek to appease a vengeful goddess. These sects, which hold relatively small followings, are known as The Groundskeepers and The Mycelial Thread respectively. Most view them as extremists and dismiss their views as a misguided following of The Goddesses Word.