Hythness

Structure

The structure of Hythness is three tiered. The Council of Cirithlings at the very top, followed by the Rithards, and finally the faithful masses.

The Council of Cirithlings

The Council of Cirithlings is the highest authority in Hythnetic faith, it is made up of the ‘cirithlings’. ‘Rithlings’, (or feminine ‘ritherling’), are equivalent to priests in Cathirianism, cirithlings are therefore roughly equivalent to cardinals, although collectively wield absolute power on matters of faith.

The Council elects its members from the available rithlings and there is no limit to to the number of cirithlings that can sit. Usually, the number is proportional to the number of rithlings, with an aim to balance the representatives for each deity.

There is no regular time or place for the Council to meet, instead it being convened upon the request of a suitable number of rithlings or a majority of cirithlings. What precisely, a 'suitable number' is, is also left vague. At times, the requests of two rithlings have been enough, whereas at others a request from over one hundred rithlings did not result in the Council convening.

This is known as all requests, meetings, and edicts are recorded in the Tome of Aloffa, (Aloffa being the first cirithling). The Tome is expansive, details of every temple and cirithling, including dates of dissolution, destruction, or death are kept to meticulous detail. Containing several volumes, it is one of the most precious artifacts of Hythness, and is carefully a jealously guarded.

Although it records details of the cirithlings, it is actually penned by the rithlings of each Capital Temple, with each temple having a copy, (although Pardith’s' copy has been lost and the copy from Seva is awaiting restoration after their Capital Temple was burned). From it, it can also be seen that there was a time that there were no cirithlings left to form the council. In such a case the rithlings made new appointments from amongst themselves, relying on the Tome for guidance.

The Rithards

The Rithards are the equivalent to priesthoods in other religions, with any professional theologian being part of it. While technically it is a flat organisation, offering no distinctions based upon rank, certain factors do affect influence. Foremost among these is seniority. With rithlings urged to undertake lifelong education, and not just theological, older members are often highly competent in other areas.

After seniority, the other major factor is which Rithard the rithling hails from. Each deity has a Rithard associated with it, thusly a Rithard for a more popular deity will likely be larger, and command more influence through popularity.

The Capital Temples

The final point of note is that of the Capital Temples. Each deity has a single temple dedicated to them that is given special significance. The term relates to a designation as opposed to a structure in of itself, as any temple can be declared a capital by the Council. There are however some unofficial requirements for such a declaration, the most pressing amongst these being security, as a capital temple will be expected to look after a Tome of Aloffa. This means that temples kept away from national borders and more permanently constructed are preferred.

Once temple is declared as a capital it will either be given a copy of the Tome to look after, or expected to produce its own by travelling to other capitals to transcribe their Tomes.

Magic

As mentioned above, Hythness has no official stance on magic, however for a long time prior to the Gnoman conquest, it was an important means to an end. While the majority of Hythnetic cultures were competent hunters, gatherers, and agriculturalists, mundane skill can only take you so far. If an animal is sick, or your crop is blighted, you may well turn to magic, but mages were hardly common, so an over reliance on it was considered irresponsible. In the Rithards, a magically awoken individual could use magic to enhance their skills if they wished to, however there was no particular emphasis on magical education over other disciplines, with the exception of the Rithard of Pardith.

Deities

The deities of Hythness are believed to be the origins of various animals. Each species therefore is worthy of respect, however, depending on which deity is foremost in the culture will depend on what the manifestations of worship are. Typically, a Hythnetic devotee will worship the primary deity of their culture and then any secondary deities they may wish to.

Gwerinbryg

The attitude towards the animalistic Gwerinbryg is eminently hostile. Ironically, this is strongest among the followers of Gelden and Equina, normally considered to be some of the more peaceful deities in the religion. The reason for this will be apparent however, as while all Gwerinbryg are close to being facsimiles of the divine creatures the Hythnetics consider sacred, the plaereid are clearly horse-like in appearance.

In the pre-Gnoman era, the Gwerinbryg would be at best excluded from Hythentic cultures, but it was not uncommon for the hostility to turn to violence. This was not helped by the general savagery of the time and that nomadic lifestyles where preferred by all, the chances of coming across a devotee were high.

Seva, the Bearer of the World

The mythos of Seva arises from simple observance of the natural world, but the religion of Hythness is built upon it. The story goes that Aloffa, while seeking the knowledge of the world, came to a lake to bathe. While sinking into the temperate waters he spied, on the opposite side of the lake, a companion also taking some relaxation time. An otter, reclining, and in its paws clutched a single smooth, pearl-like stone. Enthralled, Aloffa hurriedly began scrawling in his notebook, noticing the care the small creature afforded to the pebble. Initially, this was a record of the endearing behaviour, but quickly spiralled into a divine occurrence as the otter began to speak to Aloffa.

It praised his courage and discipline, and told him he was destined for great things. The understanding he sought, it said, would not be found easily. Aloffa would need to prove himself. The otter called themselves Seva, and challenged him to find her siblings in the beings of this world. He was told it would take his life, and the life of generations to come, but Seva granted him her blessings, urging him forward. This was the origin of Hythness, with Aloffa going forth to both find the other deities and forging the religion that would help him.

Depictions

Seva is depicted as a black river otter, holding a pearl, and with ribbon like tails of deep blue, symbolising the river currents surrounding her. The stone is sometimes absent, instead replaced with an eight-pointed star, somewhat akin to a historical navigation tools.

The Rithard of Seva

Like many Rithards, to become a rithling of Seva, one must first be accepted as an untherith. This is fairly straightforward, with a candidate merely needing to convince a temple to take them in. The next step however can take much longer. Seva mandates a set number rithlings, a number that cannot be exceeded and ideally should not be under prescribed. Historically therefore, the untherith would need to wait for a current rithling to pass away. In the past century however the Rithard has suffered greatly, owing to the encroachment of Gnomic nations on Hythnetic territory. Many temples were burned and many rithlings killed, often choosing to stay and defend their temples despite often having no military training. Even with the rise of Sexenia offering a reprieve, the inexperience of the majority of rithlings has lead to slow training and Seva’s Rithard has struggled to recover. For this reason, the number of rithlings is still well under the desired amount.

Practices

Temples of Seva are built exclusively next to bodies of fresh water, rivers, lakes, and marshes. Generally isolation is preferred as this tends to be were their favoured animal, otters occur, but some of the older temples have had villages,or even cities, spring up around them. The Capital Temple of Seva used to be based in Carnton in Lorvyre, but was destroyed following an invasion by Warslavoj in 1362 MH. Currently it has not been reassigned.

Offerings:

Seva is one of the most discerning of deities when it comes to offerings. Unlike others they will refuse most metallic offerings, only accepting currency. Food is of course acceptable, and a popular item has also been shoes, which are handed to the rithlings. These are then either kept for the temple upkeep, or cast into the waters nearby the temple.

Pilgrimage and Hospitality:

Due to the often remote nature of Seva’s temples, it is common for a devotee to have to travel to make an offering. This has then developed into a pilgrimage of sorts with more weight being placed on travel to more remote locations. In turn, the temples have had to adjust to be more accommodating providing lodgings and food for pilgrims. Even the most remote temples therefore are well equipped, often able to accommodate guests, sometimes for entire seasons.

Temperance Ritual:

Imitating Aloffa, rithlings will bathe in the nearby waters, regardless of the time of year, and pray to Seva. This ritual is conducted regularly, although less often at colder points in the year and provides an important opportunity for private reflection. The rithling also has the opportunity to observe the health of the water within which they bathe which is necessary to ensure that otters can inhabit it.

Relics:

The Rithard of Seva is one of two that have an acceptance of relics. Unlike mundane items deemed to be of significance, (like the stones the gather on the alters of their temples), relics are deemed to have been granted some external holiness, either from a blessing from Seva, or from the individual that bore them.

Seva’s Pearl is second only in Hythness to a tome of Aloffa, and the most valuable relic of the Rithard. The Pearl is a highly polished sphere of quartz, about the size of a fist. It was said to be held by Seva when she appeared to Aloffa, and by touching it, the faithful believe they can communicate with the Bearer of the World directly. It was smuggled out of the former Capital Temple prior to it’s sacking and is currently held at the Temple of the Unified in Lywick, the displaced rithlings taking up residence in the eastern wing of the temple complex.

The second most prestigious artifact in the Rithard’s possession is ironically one that does not belong to the, and is thusly seldom seen. The Coat of the Trickster is a pard fur cloak, that is said to be able to shift to the will of the wearer. It originally belonging the Rithard of Pardith, but once they disappeared, leaving the cloak behind, Seva’s rithlings took custodianship of it. It not belonging to them, to use it would be highly controversial, and as such, it has never been used. It is kept and preserved by a team of Seva’s rithlings and was originally kept in Palingvyre. Following the Rithard’s struggle however, the rithlings were forced to relocate to Lywick to train a new generation of untherith.

Lothred (Laurum: Leos), the Fearless, the Forest Lion

As one of the most fearsome predators in the north, the forest lion is unsurprisingly considered a holy animal. Admired for its ferocity, strength, and courage, the cultures who follow Lothred tend to follow martial traditions, valuing the ability to both defend one's own land and to conquer anew.

Due to the forest lions being so dangerous, the treatment of them by the followers of Lothred changes very little, as they should be given a wide berth, regardless of one's view of there divinity. Where, however, other Hythnetics may kill forest lions, either to protect themselves or livestock, Lothred's faithful will only do so if absolutely necessary. Indeed, one of the more common occasions would be as an act of mercy, putting an injured lion out of its misery so it need not suffer the indignity of a slow and painful death.

Although far from domesticated, the lions within these cultures are notably less aggressive and, to an extent, live within these societies. A few of Lothred's temples do have forest lions prowling around them, having been 'tamed' by the rithlings there. This taming is something of a misnomer, such temples are usually remote as the unpredictable nature of the lions would otherwise undoubtedly lead to accidents.

Depictions

Lothred is typically depicted as a huge forest lion with red fur, maw open and roaring. The red, some say, symbolises the blood of many a battle won, while others insist it is a sign of his superiority, foregoing natural camouflage as he his far too strong to need to hide from his foes. Lothred is the primary Hythnetic deity in Leodama.

The Rithard of Lothred

The rithlings of Lothred garb themselves in the pelts of their cherished animals, of course, only harvested after the animal has died from natural causes. The rithlings are not only religious leaders, but also military tacticians, with the first step of a career in the Rithard of Lothred being to join the military. There is no formal application procedure, as the Rithard choose candidates themselves, usually from the upper-middle of the military ranks. Presuming the candidates are willing to accept the position, they then undergo physical, mental and theological education. An accepted candidate is an untherith and becomes a rithling, (or ritherling), once their education has been finished.

Practices

The specific practices of Lothred’s followers are rather niche. Outsiders, and even some faithful, are often uncomfortable with being close to these practices as many revolve around blood, (another reason that temples are often situated away from population centres). The Capital Temple of Lothred sits in the Leodamite wilderness.

Offerings:

The best offerings for Lothred are live sacrifices, bled upon the altars at the temples and then butchered. Prepared or raw meat can also be offered, as well as weapons used in hunting or warfare, (these particularly common in the case of broken or damaged items). The lowest offerings are small denominations of currency, which are usually offered during prayer, although prayers can be made without them. Each Lothred temple contains a pool of mixed blood diluted with water, within which the offerings are placed.

Up to two-thirds of any edible sacrifice may be used in charitable causes, (often feeding the poor), but the remainder must go to the forest lions. This will either be those kept by the priests themselves, or those in the locale.

Blood Scribing:

The historical lack of literacy among Hythnetics, (although by no means unique to them), means many rithlings take on the roll of scribes and dictators, however the Rithard of Lothred take this to a new level.

As ritual bleeding is a common part of worship for rithlings and untheriths, alongside the blood from sacrifices, there is a commonly a surplus of blood in Lothred temples. This is, (among other uses), mixed with thinning substances, typically willow or fish oil, or, (in rare cases, garlic), and stored in corked phials. When needed, the phial will be unsealed and animal fats added, allowing it to be used as a form of ink. The rithling or untherith will then scribe the desired message with said ink.

Typically, this is done for particularly significant messages, for example, Writs of the Deceased, or for artworks. The writing is believed to be long-lasting and confers a longevity upon the item it is scribed upon. Human blood is the most commonly used, but also second in expense to lion’s blood, (which is extremely difficult to obtain as it must be harvested following the natural death of the creature). Cheaper alternatives are various animal bloods a nd faithful may select the blood of a secondary divine animal instead. In addition, the rithlings also offer normal scribing, although this obviously does not have the smae religious significance.

Braving Ritual:

Warriors imbibe a concoction of lamb’s blood and various other ingredients prior to battle, which lowers their inhibitions, and having a soothing effect on the mind. This is coupled with extreme exercise to offset the dulling of other senses.

Although the ritual can be conducted by any Lothred rithling, only Leodama employs the ritual on a broad scale. As it needs to be done prior to battle, something not always predictable, it has lead to rather odd tactics to be utilised by the Leodamite military. Leodamite armies will often force march to the field of battle and then immediately charge the enemy, a shock strategy, that proved very effective against opposing foot troops.

Victorious Sacrifice:

In addition to the typical offerings made at temples by the public, after victorious military engagements it is customary that battlefield offerings are made to Lothred as thanks for the victory. These must be overseen by a rithling and involve the ritual breaking of an opponents weapons coating them in the blood of the faithful soldiers, to be placed in the temple pool at a later date.

In the situations where an enemy leader is captured, an offering of their blood can be made. This is not an execution. Lothred cherishes the hunt, not a the slaughter of a captured beast. The bleeding instead is more of a signal that the hunt has been successful.

Gelden and Equina (Laurum: Geltia), the Unified, the Stallion and the Mare

Gelden and Equina are the common ancestors of all modern horses. Like the forest lions of Lothred, horses are valued for their strength and courage, but unlike Lothred, they are also valued for temperance, companionship, and wit.

The Unified are the oldest deities in Hythnetic pantheon and their followers have the longest history and as such they are often far more integrated into culture than the other deities. Examples of this are in the cases of the Gelts, (Geltvyre), and Sexens, (Nossex, Thyssex, Messex), whose lifestyles heavily involve horses. Many desirable modern breeds trace their origins back to Sexen or Geltic stablemasters.

Depictions

Both Gelden and Equina are most commonly depicted as horses, Gelden a galloping stallion, Equina as a rearing mare, typically both are sorrel in colouring. Gelden is sometimes given golden wings and rams horns if worshipped as a leading deity, even above Equina. This is an exceedingly rare depiction, unique to a few former capital temples, as it was deemed too similar to depictions of Geltia.

Geltism

During the Gnoman conquest the Gelts attempted to hide there faith, and merged the two, referring to the pair as a single entity, Geltia, (the origin of their name). This worked for a time, with the Gnomans believing it to be a reference to the land, however prolonged occupation meant this secret was eventually revealed. With Geltic Hythness on a similar precipice to the rest of the world, Geltia became a symbol of resistance for the dwindling Hythnetics, and once the Gnoman Empire fell, worship of Geltia spiked despite Cathirianism being woven into society. The depiction of Geltia is Gelden, winged and horned with crescents.

This branch of Hythness would become known as Geltism and was already frowned upon by the other followers of Hythness, considering the merging of two deities to be disrespectful and a perversion of the image of the Unified. Things would not improve as Geltism grew in popularity in Geltvyre and the typical Hythnetic beliefs began to shift. A natural consequence of the merger of the male and female deities was the incongruence with Geltia being the progenitor of horses. As such, Geltia became hermaphroditic, impregnating themselves to bear the first horses and other animals, such as cattle and sheep.

This all came to a head in 971 when the Cardinal of Hedderdon Setch, (the highest Cathirian religious authority in the country), made a formal application to have Geltism syncretised. The request was accepted and caused immediate fallout between Geltism and Hythness.

A core tenant of Hythness was to hold no other beliefs. Old religions could be renounced, but the syncretisation of Geltism was a step too far. The Council of Cirithlings threw out the Geltists, (devotees of Geltism), and declared the practice heretical, revoking the Capital Temple of Neve and demanding the conversion of Geltian rithlings, lest they be expelled. The Geltist Rithard refused and thusly was decreed heretical.

This may well have been an error on behalf of the Council, as all it did was cement the independence of the Geltists. They would establish themselves as a Syncretised Church within Cathirianism, worshipping Geltia as the Great Lord and discounting the other heretical Hythnetic deities. For more information on the Priesthood of Geltia and Cathirianism.

The Rithard of Gelden and Equina

The Rithard of Gelden and Equina is the most influential of the Rithards, with the largest number of cirithlings hailing from it. The selection criteria is fairly loose, with the rithlings choosing untherith apprentices based upon personal preference. It is a tenant of the Rithard that its rithlings train at least one untherith during their career, although there is symbolic significance in taking two untherith of the opposite sex, to mirror the Stallion and the Mare. The Rithard is one of the few that allows its members to marry, although only from within the Rithard and only for heterosexual couples, again in reverence to the unified deities they worship.

 Elevation from untherith to rithling as at the discretion of the overseeing rithling, so it is not uncommon to find untheriths who are older than some rithlings. It has also lead to situations where an untherith may be permanently stuck in this position as their rithling has passed away. In such an occasion, and once a untherith has undergone at least three years of training, they are given the title of eorlyte, recognising them as equivalent to a rithling.

Practices

Unlike Lothred, the practices and rituals of Gelden and Equina have much broader appeal. When an individual considers a Hythnetic temple, they will often think of a Temple of the Unified, as these are typically placed in cities. The Capital Temple of the Stallion and the Mare was moved to Lywick, Thyssex in 1385 MH, following the assignment of Hythness as a state religion.

Offerings:

Perishable offerings are valued in Temples of the Stallion and Mare as they are often situated close to those in poverty. In addition people often give items related to the keeping of horses, notably, horseshoes have taken a particular superstition among these Hythnetics as bringing good luck when donated. Offerings are either fed to the horses in the temple stables, mounted upon the walls of the sacred halls, or melted down to be recycled and provide income for the temples maintenance.

The Death of an Animal (the Feasting Ritual):

A special diet is particular to the rithlings of the Unified in that they are generally vegetarian . The only circumstances in which meat will be eaten is if the animal has passed away naturally, at which point a feasting ritual takes place. The animal is butchered using a ceremonial knife while prayers are spoken, if the animal is male they are addressed to Gelden, if female, to Equina. Every member present at the temple will then attend a dinner together were each edible part of the animal will be cooked and eaten.

It is considered a great honour to be given the opportunity to cook for such an event and often important members of the community may be invited to do so. Many will refuse however, as it does require skill, while undercooked meat is neither here or there, to consume overcooked meat is a grave sin. The belief is that the potential of the animal has been lost and thus its soul has been disrespected. In such an event the offending cook is barred from the temple regardless of standing, even cirithlings have been barred from particular temples. Over time this has meant these feasts typically serve undercooked meat, as cooks er on the side of caution and in some parts this is now expected.

The remainder of the animal that is not cooked can then be dealt with. This depends upon the facilities available at the temple, if no tannery is available for example, the skin may be donated to a local tanner for use. The hooves or horns may be carved into effigies, or mounted in the latter case, eyes, blood and other fluids will be preserved for remedial uses, and any bone will be ground into fertilizer for temple gardens, or transferred to a temple that needs them, (see Gardens)

Communion:

Communion is a ritual whereby a rithling attunes to the spirit of an animal. This can be done for a range for reasons, including mere company, if an animal has expressed loneliness in a prior communion, but is most often done in order to aid other services, (see Shoeing and Veterinary Care).

The rithling prepares a concoction that is drunk by themselves and the animal in question which causes them to enter a state of calm. The rithling will then ‘ask’ the animals permission to attune. It may seem odd, especially as there is no clear way in which the rithling visibly communicates, but it is not uncommon that the rithling will claim permission was denied. Only if permission is granted will Communion commence. The rithling will implore the spirit for the wanted information, before passing this along to the owner of the animal.

Communion takes place in private, with only the rithling present and many are sceptical of the practice, claiming it to be fraudulent. Others are not so cynical and claim it is an essential service. Whatever the truth maybe is reserved for the rithlings themselves.

Temple Complexes:

Typically, a Temple to Gelden and Equina will be made up of several buildings collectively forming a complex. None of these are wasted and while these temples are seldom self-sufficient they are often bastions of industry and extremely beneficial to their localities, providing a range of services. Each temple will have a stables, but other buildings may vary.

Smith:

Unsurprisingly, all rithlings in the Rithard are given training on training and breeding horses. The temples almost always have a stables, so a natural addition is that of a blacksmith. The Rithard will invite applicants to be trained in smithing, particularly farriering, making them able to work in the temple smithy. This practice uses donated or sourced materials to craft horseshoes, as well as stirrups.

Veterinary Care:

As mentioned, rithlings are expert horse handlers, this however extends to other livestock as well and a temple vet will often charge a nominal fee to diagnose and treat sick animals. Horses have priority in this queue, but in Hythness many animals are considered to have divinity and the act of caring and curing one is a form of worship in of itself.

Tannery:

The temple tannery is are rare building within the complex, given that rithlings will only use the corpses of naturally deceased corpses, a tannery will only be found where there is high demand for such services. Hides are often in poor shape upon delivery therefore, but rithling tanners are experts in extracting the most usable material possible while maintaining the highest quality. Where supply is present therefore, a tannery can be the most profitable part of a complex, as demand for Hythnetic leather is always high.

Gardens:

Calling the areas used for agriculture in a temple complexes ‘gardens’ is generous, as these often serve virtually no decorative purpose. Any garden in a Temple of Gelden and Equina is often a raised square bed, divided into four quarters. Three quarters are in use, while one is fallow and will be fertilised using bone and manure. Crops that can be fed to animals, or provide food for the rithlings are the most regularly grown, although if a herbalist is present, more esoteric items may be grown. The heavy use of bone fertilizer has lead these gardens to be known as ‘whitesoils’ and those that attend them ‘Whitefingers’.

Courtyard:

A temple complex with a courtyard is both rare and prestigious. It signifies that the complex has existed for a long time, when space was not an issue in a city, or that the temple has amassed great wealth. Courtyards serve as meeting points, additional gardens, (these actually decorative), and also use for other rituals.

Pardith, The Trickster, The Fickle Pard

Pardith is the closest Hythnetic deity gets to being malevolent. A trickster by nature, he takes great pleasure in tormenting those who displease him or show themselves to be unworthy. Within Hythness, he is viewed more sympathetically, a necessary force to regulate the inner selfishness that all invariably succumb to. What makes him, (and his followers, for that matter), controversial, is the lengths they perceive this justifies punitive measures.

Retellings of stories undoubtedly exaggerates and bends the truth, and it is hardly clear if Pardith’s myths were even true to begin with, but what was taught of him was certainly darker than that of the other deities.

In one tale, Pardith punishes a group of thieves, by turning them into deer and having Lothred hunt them. The Indomitable only realised what he hunted when he tore into the flesh of the first and was disgusted. After returning the deer to their former selves, he chastised Pardith, accusing him of making him act dishonourably. Pardith replied that there was no dishonour, that thieves had deserved punishment and that turning them into deer gave them a better chance of survival when being hunted by Lothred. Lothred responded that he did not hunt those who could think, and that they would have been dealt with by others of their own kind. The Fickle Pard sighs, saying Lothred is foolish and slicing the throat of the throat of the maimed creature as it reverted back to human form.

In another tale, the Trickster poisons a lake being tended to by an elven rithling of Seva. This turns the water acidic, and when the rithling comes to bathe it eats away his skin and kills the creatures of the lake. While lamenting the death of the elf, the remaining rithling of the temple are confronted by the Pard, who puppets the corpse. He speaks with the elf’s voice only identifying himself as Pardith after admitting a string of accusations at the other rithlings. They are corrupt and blasphemous, not worthy to worship his sister and so, in a cruel act, he has taken the few pure souls from them, the creatures of the lake and the elf, and freed them from befoulment. The waters will return to normal, he professes, only when the rithlings are redeemed. Variations of the story exist, in one the rithlings redeem themselves, creating a shrine to their elven friend and causing the waters of the lake to become clean again. In another however, they fail, falling to their hubris and judging themselves as redeemed. Each dies in a different way, one from food poisoning, one entering the lake believing the waters to be safe again, only to be burned, another is crushed by a falling statue. The only survivor flees the temple, driven to insanity. Depending on the tale, they either die after being eaten by a pard, some say Pardith himself, others say a wild beast, or lives, cursed with immortality to wander the wilderness for eternity.

As evidenced by the above, much of Pardith’s actions were to morally arbitrate and ultimately adjudicate on those that stray from the doctrines of the faith to which they belong. His followers too, fill this niche, regardless of how unpopular they may be for punishing the ‘wicked’. It should also be mentioned that despite some animosity between Pardith and other deities there is no particular deity with which he feuds. Furthermore, as much as he may be viewed questionably, he is recognised as divine and thus is still worthy of worship and respect.

Depictions

Pardith has a range of depictions and appearance. The deity inherently is able to take on any form, but their true form is considered to be a sable-furred pard, with silver spots. Other forms he has been known to take include many humanoid forms, humans, elves, gnomes, halflings, and even a dwarf in one story, of any gender. He is also able to take control of corpses, as indicated above, and can appear as various shadow-like beings.

Rithard of Pardith

Even for Hythness, Pardith’s followers where notoriously unstructured. The only method for selection would be at the discretion of a current rithling, who would take on an untherith to shadow them. After the untherith was deemed to have proved themselves they would would need to visit a cirithling for further approval. Records indicate that an untherith visiting a cirithling would virtually never be declined, but this may be explained by the relative rarity of this occurrence. The exact criteria that would result in a visit to a cirithling is unknown, but it is assume to be a highly discerning process. As such the Rithard of Pardith was by far and away the smallest.

Practices

Temples are very rare for Pardith, typically it does not suit the needs of the Rithard, (discussed below), and so they they generally pick a few locations with which to settle. Due to this, the concept of a Capital Temple is redundant, the temples that exist are the Capital Temples of the Fickle Pard. One existed in Jesellborough, Palingvyre, and another in what is now Niçoja, Warslavoj. The two temples effectively covered the North, and each housed the cirithlings of Pardith.

The term ‘existed’ is deliberate here as in the early 1300s MH, the entire Rithard seemingly disappeared. The reputation of Pardith was enough to leave the temple in Jesellborough undisturbed, although it quickly fell into ruin, while the temple at Niçoja was destroyed by Warsic forces in 1312. The whereabouts of the cirithlings is unknown, as are any of the rithlings or their untherith proteges. Some say that the Rithard is extinct, while others say it has gone underground. In Hythness, the prevailing sentiment is that this is irrelevant, if Pardith’s rithlings are not around to deliver punishment to the deserving, Pardith will assume this role, in many ways a far more terrifying prospect.

The practices of the Rithard of Pardith went extinct with them and recounting them is an exercise purely in academia.

Judges and Executors:

Despite the grim phrasing, the rithlings of Pardith seldom dispense death as a sentence, instead often favouring more pragmatic reprisals. Corporal punishment does feature heavily, although is typically reserved only for religious professionals. Generally they are limited in their judicial roles by the nations within which they roam, in Hythnetic states, there is more freedom to carry out their roles, whereas in stricter places, they are lucky to be called upon to settle a tavern brawl, let alone making an impact in wider society.

Branded by the Shadows:

Given the loose structure of their hierarchy and the far spreading nature of the Rithard, it became necessary for for rithlings to be able to identify themselves to each other, and those outside the Rithard. As such, each rithling would take on a dark brand, granted by a cirithling who would wield a particular type of relics, a Poker of Pardith. Each Poker is consonantly heated at it’s tip upon which sits a brand. Each brand is unique and there was known to be internal factionalism between different branded. Two of the pokers disappeared with the Rithard, but the third reappeared in the collection of the Warsic royal family some years after the disappearance of the Rithard.

Magic:

The Rithard of Pardith was unique in it’s mandating of magical education. This may seem odd, given how rare mages where, but it appears that the Rithard had some way of granting magical prowess to its rithlings. It has never been confirmed, but it seems impossible that the Rithard would strike lucky in every untherith they selected being magic. The alternative is that the Rithard could detect or test for magic and be selected accordingly, but where would be the mystery in that.

Relics:

As mentioned, the Rithard of Pardith is one of two that gathers and maintains relics. The Poker and Coat have already been mentioned, but there are a whole host of other items utilised by his rithlings and cirithlings, many of which have been lost and long forgotten.