Siaradwr
The head of the religion are the siaradwr. They have the privilege of living higher on the mountain than any other, and descend, often for prolonged periods to offer spiritual guidance and lead rituals. Typically, this is in groups with the siaradwr splitting to travel further afield if necessary. While they are amongst the faithful, siaradwr are provided food and lodging. Offerings are also given to them to return to the mountain. In addition to siaradwr, are the pell, a group of siaradwr who travel and live in solitude.
While anyone can become a siaradwr, closeness to Llais is perceived to be of the greatest importance when attempting to ascend. As such, it is the asgelledr that are deemed most suitable for future siaradwr, owing to them being found in the lower caves of the mountains. Next are the ceiwryn who cluster in the dense forests at the mountains base, and finally the plaereid who historically would stray furthest from the mountain roaming the open plains far from Sirmynydd or Larravonti.
Ascendancy
The final goal of any siaradwr, ascendancy is truly unknown other than that the they shall climb the mountains and not return for year, or even permanently. It is spoken with reverence by the clustiau, who are equally ignorant of what precisely it is.
Speech Rituals
Speech rituals are the core of Llaissmynist faith. They often involve entire communities and are universal between the clastiau, seeking to elicit the most clear and important reactions from the mountain. The faithful believe the voice manifests in the workings of the mountain and that only the most holy are able to discern the true speech of Llais, from the natural occurrences of the peaks. Even when Llaiss speaks, deciphering the true meaning of their words is difficult and even the sagest of the siaradwr would not claim to be definitive in a reading of these omens. A rockslide may be an expression of anger or a warning, and two siaradwr may give different messages to their clustiau.
The Dawnslleuad, or ‘Moon dance’, is a ritual performed at the beginning of each lunar cycle. The community gathers at the base of the mountain in forest clearings and set pyres in the moonlight. Special herbs and flowers gathered from the area are used to colour the flames and siaradwr inhale the vapours and imitate the natural, fluid motions of the smoke. This trance like dance, alongside the bright fires are meant to awaken the mountain, the moon becoming an eye for Llais to gaze down upon their followers. The speech here is interpreted by the weather, as clear skies are needed both for the ritual and interpretation of the moons phases, so prolonged periods of overcast nights are considered to be ill omens of fortune.
The Gosodiad, or ‘Placing’ ritual, is one of the longest of the rituals to partake in. It involves the gathering of items deemed to have special significance by the clustiau. This could be seeds or blooms of particular size or beauty, trophies from a significant hunt, or handmade items that would otherwise be valuable to the owner. These are then given to the siaradwr on their return to the mountain, with a view that the should be placed as high on the peak as possible as an offering. The Gosodiad also serves as an initiation for prospective siaradwr, as ascending the mountain is dangerous. Initiates can be injured or even killed in such attempts, but death does not necessarily mean failure.
Death
Death is a persistent and pervasive aspect of mountain life, be it from predators or the environment. Llaissmynists believe that the mountains hold the souls of the dead and believe that the body acts only as a temporary hold on this. Upon entering the mountain they are judged by Llais. Judgement results in a verdict to be housed among the stars which they believe can be touched by the mountains peak, or be trapped beneath the mountain as punishment. The clustiau believe their bodies should be used in part of the cycle of life, and just as they hunt and kill for food, offer their bodies back to be devoured by the wild animals of the land and sky.
Each race has a different way of honouring the body of the dead, but all have a common theme of using the natural order of things to facilitate the freeing of the soul.
The plaereid are the least superstitious in this regard and would historically leave their corpses in the open. The most nomadic of the three Gwerinbryg, there was little risk to the herd to abandon a corpse and indeed, it could actually be a boon to draw away predators. If the deceased was well respected, it would be customary to leave them on a raised platform, or lay them to rest closer to the mountain itself. Once corralled however, the plaereid began to adopt ceiwryn practices as they no longer had the same territory to observe their traditional practices.
Ceiwryn tend to live statically, in small tribal communities so abandoning a corpse in of itself is a less viable option. Bodies are still left to nature, but the ceiwryn have a series of groves where they hang the corpse to be eaten by forest animals. These areas are remote and have become sacred places for the ceiwryn over time. For safety, the whole tribe will often go together, which too has developed its own nuance. The senior siaradwr will lead the procession and read stories of the life of the deceased, good or bad, imitating the judgement of Llaiss. While each tribe have their own groves, the most desirable are those closest to the mountains.
Finally, the asgelledr, where sky burial is the universal practice, difficult to reach plateaus are chosen and the corpses are then consumed by scavengers. Piety determines the height of the plateau that may be used and there is a prestige in being taken to particularly dangerous locations, the belief being the more one is respected, the greater the sacrifice willing to be made to honour them. This may also being extended any siaradwr regardless of creed and initiates undertaking the Gosodiad ritual. The danger this poses also means the act should not be wasted and for those deemed to have strayed from goodness, the asgelledr have a ‘punishment’ for the corpse by throwing them into ravines along the mountains edge.