Cult of The Restoration
Gith Religion
Source-Luopolus-A former human caravan guard for House Vordon, who was a long term prisoner.
What passes for Gith spiritual life is distinctive among most of the sentient races of Athas in that they seem to have no connection to either the Elemental planes nor the spirits of the land. Thus cases of Gith Druids are almost unheard of and with the very rare exception of a sect of Silt Clerics near Draj,** Gith have no Clerics.
Why this occurs is unclear but conversely Gith display a high aptitude for the Way and psionic practitioners fill this void among the Gith either as leaders or close advisors to Gith leaders. They via their gifts provide healing and forewarning to their tribes. Young gith who demonstrate a talent for the Way are as prized as those who show strength of arms and aggression and in the deeply competitive world of Gith childhood are honed from an early age into future roles.
Perhaps this lack of connection to the natural world or this rejection by these entities is why Gith unlike other races seem to have less of a taboo about arcane magic and "defiling" in general as many Gith leaders of larger tribes often are led by Defilers or have one among their leaders.
How could the Gith revere the power of the land, when a Defiler can so easily destroy it?
This is not to say that the Gith abhor nature or even that they would not respect the POWER of a priest or druid, nor that they have some hostility to nature.
More accurately the Gith see themselves as living in nature but above it, not a part of it. Animals, Resources...are all things to be gained, used or exploited as the need allows.
In the absence of Gods or Elemental or Spiritual lords, the Gith practice a form of ancestor veneration via the eating and consuming of flesh of their honored dead.
This is noteworthy as while the Gith regularly consume the flesh of other races, they rarely eat their own unless under extreme duress.
More so the consuming of Gith flesh is more of a sacrament than for survival and Gith have been known to in rare cases allow the relatives of a slain Gith rival to collect their remains so that they can be consumed by family. In cases where a Gith leader is killed by a underling, the usurper may often host a proper feast of his former foe, along with taking his rivals mates and get into his/her own to solidify and justify their claim of leadership.
The Gith often make shows of honoring their ancestors during times of astrological importance, "Comets, Eclipses, Solstice and Equinox, Meteor showers...." The chief among these observances is known as Starfall
The Gith seem overly preoccupied by astrological bodies and the interpretation of them as omens, The Sun,stars and all seem to have significance in deciding future actions to when a child is born to when to attack or not. These offerings are to ensure the continued guidance and intercession into the lives of their descendants. The Athasian moons of Ral and Guthay are thought to be where the Gith ancestors reside and to where they go after they die.
Gith ancestral worship seems to take on odd aspects among a subset called the Cult of The Restoration or the Restorationists... as these Gith speak of their ancient ancestors in ways that do not seem congruent with contemporary Gith norms.
They talk of ancient Knights and powerful weapons. They say the ancients could "move between worlds" on a whim and have powers beyond that of the Sorcerer Kings. That the Gith came to the Tablelands via ships across a "silver river" and that the Gith of the Tablelands were sent here to be tested and judged as worthy until the day that the ancients return to retrieve those who have been devoted in observance of ritual and familial duty.
Like all races in Athas...these myths of a more glorious past are most likely just folklore...even most traditional Gith roll their eyes at them..but no one denies the Cult's exceptional abilities with the Way of the unseen.
