The East PacificBoard

Origins
In the beginning, the Wind of far-reaching possibilities danced with the Sea, Mother of All. Wavecrests formed in this dance, glinting silver, until one day a wavecrest took a different form - a form that could embrace the long-forsaken remnants of the Sea's attempt to embrace the land. This was the Dolphin.

Challenge
"Mark my words," the Dolphin declared, "there is no one among the consecrated that my Mother does not care for. Depart from me if you cannot heed these words." And hundreds departed. "Now, consecration. It is given freely through the salt in your blood. If you cannot bear this extension, depart from me." And forty departed. "You are all one family, and must serve one another as the parent serves the child." The Dolphin paused but no heart stirred to leave at these words. "So you remaining children are my worthy ones, my servants. Gather near."

Tools
At the dawn of the next day, the Dolphin spoke again: "You are my faithful servants, are you not?" All those assembled answered yes. "Then let me provide for you, for it is a poor master who does not supply his household. I will give you influence over the world."

"For health and strength, use iron and consecrated water at the very least." Asked why, the Dolphin became impatient and said, "Do you not know the blessings of my Mother? Do you not know the blessings of your own blood?" Then the questioners became ashamed, and they said, "take this power from us." The Dolphin did so gladly. "Some are unfit for power. These will not receive my blessings, no, not even my Sight."

"For protection, use sand at the very least, as the Sea's protecting arms circle around the land."

"For harmonious relationships, use milk at the very least, as our Mother provides for you. And indeed She does still provide, though you are far from her." They said, "Great teacher, how can this be so?" and the Dolphin fell silent. It was silent for seven days; at the end of this a questioner approached and said, "Great one, I am sorry I doubted you." Then the Dolphin consented to speak again.

"For purification, use onion at the very least, as it summons the Sea's protective gift to clear your eyes."

"Affirm your consecration to me," The Dolphin said after some thought. The people fell upon the sand and kissed the Dolphin's skin, and all those who did so felt a shift within themselves. The Dolphin said, "Now you follow my purpose, so I grant you my Sight." The people were astounded and some crept away, despising the new insight in their hearts.

After some time, the Dolphin spoke again to those assembled and said, "there is one more gift I give to you, the greatest one of all." The people were greatly amazed and they clamoured to know, but the Dolphin was silent for three days and nights. Once a hush had descended, the Dolphin said, "I give you this knowledge. Those who are the same in My sight may carry one another's burdens. Do you understand?" And they did not understand until a young man started weeping. He said to the Dolphin, "does this mean I can take my brother's illness from him?" and the Dolphin said "it will kill you instead. Is this your wish?" The young man nodded and the Dolphin made Its chosen make it so.

Departure
On the fifth day, the Dolphin departed back to the Sea, leaving nothing but purpose, magick and song. Five of the people's number found they had no choice but to gather and hear the Wind, and after some time these people began to speak. There was such inspiration in their words that they were chosen as the leaders of the faith; it seemed their was no other option when the people heard them speak.

Aftermath
As the Wind directed them, the leaders spoke of many sins and virtues. The first sin they addressed was harm. "Clearly," they said, "our Mother loves all consecrated beings, every one of us with salt in our veins, for indeed our blood is holy water. Does this mean, dear brethren, that we cannot eat flesh? No, not at all, for as the Dolphin eats the lesser fish some things are meant to be. But we must heed the difference between greed and necessity: if a man needs food he must eat, it is the way of the world, but if there is other food available he must not kill or else cause great pain to the Sea. Now, there is more to harm than killing - wanderers at night need shelter, it is harm to turn them away cold. Children need love and teaching; it is harm to starve their hearts. All need to eat; it is harm to hoard food while others go hungry. Should someone depend upon a thing for their survival, it is harm to take that thing away. If someone hoards and harms, however, we harm them by simply standing by; we must correct their harmful ways and let them feast upon the Dolphin's Truth." Then the people said, "Surely it is fair to let a person keep what they have worked for?" and the leaders answered "As the Wind has said, it is harm to withold the necessities of life."

The second sin they addressed was denial. "In turning away from our Mother, ceasing to revere the Wind and thank the Dolphin, we deny them. This is unacceptable as they have made it clear they love us and expect love in return. In failing to meditate, we deny ourselves as well: we harm ourselves as we are cut off from the source of life. We too are children of the Sea."

The third and last sin they addressed was self-obsession. "Look ahead," they exhorted the people, "not towards the back of your skulls! Look to the left and right of you and see the need, see the beauty of everything the Sea has made. See the rich loveliness of your brethren's internal lives. See love and let it flow from your eyes out through your hands again."

The people asked for virtues then, and the five answered: "Why do you say virtues? There is only one virtue you need, and that is to follow the Dolphin. We are already consecrated; we need not prove ourselves worthy, but nonetheless we will be worthy as we follow the Dolphin's Way."

Several days and nights had passed by this point, and the people grew uneasy. "We do not know how to do this," they confessed. "We are not perfect. We will go astray." The five smiled like the sun and said, "We and our successors will always be here to lead and serve. Fear not." So the people's minds were put at rest, and the Wind brought more laws concerning marriage (to one person for life), worship (strive for the consistency of the Sea in your offerings of time), offerings (the spirits deserve them), clothing (modest), work, rest and more as the community struggled to find its way.