Xiratec Luraka

The Gathering is a specific branch of Faedranism which casts the altruistic goddess of nature as a crueler deity known as the Lady of Thorns. The adrassi of the obsidian court worship her from within massive stone temples, bringing with them offerings of worked leather, carved animal bones, and their very best food. Rumors sometimes reach the shores of Arethal that these sacrifices involve the deaths of their own people, but such gruesome rituals have long since fallen out of favor with the Lady’s followers. Instead their holidays are spent competing in sport, feasting, and parading from temple to temple atop brightly decorated terror lizards.

The day-to-day life of a member of the Gathering involves smaller daily sacrifices. When drinking, it is customary to dump a splash of alcohol onto the ground that the Lady might enjoy it too. Hunks of cooking meat are left on the spit to sate her hunger. These offerings are not seen as optional by those who worship, as the goddess’ fury is known to be both real and deadly. It is said that her anger shows the hunting beasts of the jungle the quickest path to those who deny her tribute.

The only thing worse than leaving the Lady of Thorns hungry would be to harm her handmaidens: The spore nymphs who call the Ajayan Rainforest home. These dangerous creatures are considered holy figures, though young worshipers are advised never to come too close to them - No matter how beautifully they glow.

Most Obsidian Court communities are led by a Thorn Priest, a member of the Gathering who dedicates their life to self-sacrifice in the name of their people. These priests must be nominated by at least ten other adrassi and then make a pilgrimage to Thornsire, the great tree of Ildresk, in order to place a hand-print of their own blood upon the trunk. If the aspirant is accepted by their goddess, the tree will drink and their hand-print will disappear from the ancient bark overnight. If the hand-print remains to be licked off by beasts or washed away in the rain, their priesthood has finished before it even began.