Neithur

Neithur - Watercolour by King Fisher Arts

About

<--Brief description of the religion including cultural connections, and regions where it exists.-->

First Appearance

Neithur arose from a collection of mixed beliefs and practices around death and the afterlife from various groups within the region. Commonalities solidified into standardized practices of the faith, including funerary practices. The concept of Neithur as a god of time, came from southern peoples who studied the celestial sphere and believed that time was a separate entity which laid out the fate of mortals.

Neithur

Other Names

Neithur

Waejiran god of death, the dead, time, and memory. He is sometimes called the Keeper of the Gate. Neithur is most often depicted as a figure robed in ash grey funeral shrouds wearing an expressionless full face mask of bronze. He is considered timeless and capable of seeing forwards and backwards through time. He is also attributed with the ability to slow or stop the aging process in mortals; part of what keeps the Children of Neithur unaging and near immortal. Neithur oversees the passage of the souls of the departed; it is through his door that all living things pass, to be carried to Silat, to rejoin with the creator and await rebirth.

Neithur is not to be feared, but welcomed, as Waejirans do not see dying as an end, but as another turning of the life wheel. Neither was born of directly from Silat.

Key Dates

1st of the 9th Month

Neithur's Day - As the leaves turn and the cold month's approach, one is reminded of their mortality. Neithur, the God of the Dead, who guides souls back to Silat, is celebrated and families will gather to remember their departed loved ones.

Double full moon

The Calling - A celebration outside of the annual calendar which occurs whenever both moons are full together over a three night period. Devotees of Neithur believe this is the night when wayward dead can be gathered by Neithur. This event takes place during the same nights as the Festival of the Moons.

Church Hierarchy

Holy Seat

Waejiradur

Pontiff

<--top cleric in the hierarchy-->

Cardinals

Archbishops

Bishops

Priest

Acolytes

Laity

Clerical Orders

Brothers of Ash

The Brothers of Ash are a primarily involved in the funerary process of building pyres of palm wood, and tending to the burning of remains of the deceased. They also process the ashes and bones for various religious purposes.

Fighting Orders

Olineitar

A fighting order dedicated to the containment, study, and eradication of dangerous undead.

Tenets of the Faith

<--basic beliefs structures-->

Heresies

<--Sectarianism-->

<--Briefly describe heretical ideas or behaviours-->

The Celestial Realm

Other Names

<--describe the realms as perceived and depicted by believers.-->

Divine Servitors

Children of Neithur

Other Names

Son's of Neithur / Daughter's of Neithur

Priests and priestesses of the Waejiran god of the dead, who willingly undergo a transition to an undying state through an elaborate ritual. They are required to relinquish their will and soul to their god in order to serve as living agents indefinitely. The process of becoming a Son/Daughter of Neithur involves an unbreakable oath. Even dying is only the beginning, not a way of getting out of the promise, as one gains a sort of immortality after death. If Neithur finds them pious enough to grant their desire, they remain alive well beyond their mortal life expectancy. Their bodies slowly deteriorate, and require constant upkeep to keep their physical integrity. They are not truly immortal and can be destroyed, but if they avoid catastrophic injury will continue to exist indefinitely. These liches are the most dedicated members of his faith who still direct the church in everyday affairs. The current head of the church has been a Son of Neithur for nine centuries.

Persons

Shalaras Neithurus (accolyte)

Siontarias Neithurus (high priest)

Zectaras Neithurus (olineitar)

Stories

Cheating Death (fifty word fantasy)

Gift (fifty word fantasy)

See Also

Children of Neithur

Festival of the Moons