The other option was to join the Manifest Path but man, that religion is just so boring. It's bordering on not even being a religion! I want exactly as you say: superstitions for the characters, instead of pure logic.
The fact that Koli chose to use the existing deity-level entities in his religion rather than making up others does not mean that the Manifest Path is not a religion, and I get really tired of that.
Daimon Lords are
more powerful than many deities in older cultures. If you don't like the Path, fine. Stop trying to say it's not a religion.
And anyone who thinks that the Manifest Path is actually based on logic has bought Koli's propaganda. I can name a half dozen logical fallacies on every page of the tMP wiki that completely invalidate every facet of the religion. The best analogue would be some of the math/religion cults. Look up Pythagoras, for instance. Supposedly, everything was based on math. In actuality? Total bull!@#$.
