Wintermark religious beliefs

Birds are sacred to the Winterfolk, who believe that they bring a child’s soul at the moment of their birth and carry it away at the moment of death. A bird’s wisdom is contained in the feathers that allow it to fly and birds discard a feather when they are done with an idea or thought. Kallavesi mystics often collect feathers and wear them for a lunar month, to absorb the discarded thoughts. Some wealthy Winterfolk keep birds of prey, to ensure that the heaviest and most powerful souls are brought to their children when they are born. Birds favour souls of their own nature, so a bird of prey usually carries the soul of a warrior or great hunter, while an owl or a raven usually brings the soul of a wise mystic or a cunning scout to be reborn.

The priests of Wintermark provide spiritual and moral guidance through the tales of the greatest heroes of the past. Called Stormcrows, they wear the traditional Kallavesi feathers and a black or grey tattered and layered robe. The Stormcrows learn old verse which recounts the feats of the paragons and other heroes although they rarely repeat more than a stanza when preaching. Communal worship is important to the Winterfolk; a Stormcrow provides the moral centre of every Hall, pushing them to perform the deeds their souls long to achieve, and to live up to the legacy of the heroes who have gone before. Their duties are often very serious, but many also strive to be the heart of the community, providing cheer through the dark winter nights and reminding their fellows of the joys of being alive. A Stormcrow might find himself preaching the need to laugh in the face of death, conducting grand and glorious death rites, or testing their congregation with riddles. Whatever form worship takes, it usually ends with music, laughter and feasting.

Inevitably the Stormcrows favour those tales that sing to the Wintermark spirit. Pride and Courage are prized above all things followed closely by Wisdom. Tales of ambition or prosperity are usually reserved for those Thanes who seem to be exhibiting an unseemly tendency towards caution or miserliness. In battle, however, at least one Stormcrow will try to remain by the side of whoever has command at all times. In this way they seek to remind them that it is a warrior’s place to show Courage, but a Thane’s place to show Wisdom.

In Wintermark it is considered a cowardly, childish thing to gossip about the inadequacies or misdeeds of another. Instead the Stormcrows serve as a sort of confessor; anyone can go to them and share a story of a misdeed or failing they have witnessed, and then depart secure in the knowledge that the Stormcrow will deal with it. The priest seeks out the truth of the matter and deals with the situation as openly or discreetly as he sees fit. When a Stormcrow says “the birds told me” they mean that someone has confided in the Stormcrow, but the priest will not reveal the source. Likewise a person who feels guilty can seek out a Stormcrow and confide whatever it is that is prompting the guilty feelings. A Stormcrow can lay a penance, and witness the completion of that penance, effectively absolving the person of their shame.

Stormcrows also serve as witnesses to what their people say and do. In Wintermark it is important to carry through on any deed that you have claimed you will do – they have no patience for empty boasting. This embodies the Virtue of Courage as well as the idea that it is important not to go back on your Skein. Stormcrows fight alongside Winterfolk who have made boasts or claims for their achievements in a coming battle or who have otherwise set themselves a particularly dangerous task. In this the Stormcrow serves two important roles. Firstly they can carry back the tale of a good death or vouch for the honesty of accomplishment if a person survives the battle. More importantly a Stormcrow knows that by acting as a Watcher they can bolster the courage of the person they are watching, helping them to stay true in the face of their fear.

In Wintermark, battle is seen as an opportunity for individuals to exonerate themselves for any failings or wrong-doings they have committed. Wintermark heroes who are convicted of serious crimes, or who feel great guilt over a personal failing, become Skeinless. The Skeinless fight alongside a warband rather than as part of it and seek out the most dangerous fights in the hope of redeeming themselves. Those who do so and survive may eventually rejoin their warband if their sentence is complete, and their crime or failing is never mentioned again. Those who have not have been able to redeem themselves through acts of bravery and valour continue to fight as a Skeinless until they prove themselves or die.

It is common for several Skeinless to fight together in battle to improve the chances of all and some groups of Skeinless take an oath to continue to fight together as a warband until all have proven themselves. If worthy, such bands often attract a Stormcrow, who fights with the band even though he or she is not Skeinless. The Stormcrow provide spiritual guidance as well as witnessing their efforts to redeem themselves.

It is traditional for a warrior who dies in battle to be interred in the charnel-lakes of Kallavesa. Wealthy Thanes usually pay for a beautifully crafted wooden boat for their body which is then sunk beneath the waters. Paupers make do with a reed raft. Kallavesi mystics are skilled at preserving bodies for the long journey to Kallavesa. In the past there has been conflict between the funereal mystics and the priests of the Necropolis in Highguard. The Highborn have strong traditions regarding the funerals of heroes and especially Emperors, and have several times tried to claim the remains of Winterfolk who they believe would be better honoured by being interred in their marble crypts than lying in the swamp alongside their ancestors.