A Drakari religious belief that all living beings are intended to co-exist in a single, global community. This religion is primarily followed by the Matari and is well known for its focus on nature and spiritualism.
This article is a work in progress and may be incomplete or subject to change.
Finding its roots in Matari culture, the Natural Civilization is a belief that all living beings - Plant, animal, and Drakari - is part of a global, co-existing civilization. According to the beliefs of this religion, all living things have spirits and are sacred.
The religion lacks a tangible deity. Instead, followers worship the animals and plants around them, as well as worshipping themselves and their own bodies. Worship is typically done at shrines, natural features, and temples constructed in the wilderness. Small effigies of wildlife, plantlife, or even of Drakari are carved from wood or stone and left as offerings.
The followers of the Natural Civilization are traditionally lead by a woman, selected by nature itself when the previous leader dies. As part of the traditional day of mourning, women from all over Mataga gather outside Matagano, forming a wide circle around a central pen. The animal contained in this pen is then released and allowed to inspect the candidates. Whomever this animal decides to stay with becomes the newly chosen leader of the Natural Civilization.
When the Altara Krieus first came to power at the beginning of the 2nd Era, many followers of the Natural Civilization opposed him. He was male, only showed respect to Drakari, and enforced his desire for unity with war and violence - All three of these things were in direct conflict with the beliefs and religious laws of the Natural Civilization. While the Matari saw violence as a natural part of life, killing for the sake of killing and power was forbidden as sin.
The Natural Civilization's following began to dwindle, however, as the Drakari-Ta united the people, and the common Drakari began worshipping him as their god instead of the old beliefs. However, the old beliefs became prominent once again with the colonists of Takri. Far from home and the influence of the Drakari-Ta, these colonists, primarily made up of the Matari, found themselves in an inhospitable environment that they felt was testing them and their faith.