Lo'thieren (The Last Watch)

It is known in the Religion of the Five Children that when a person is close to death, Maker comes to take their soul to live in the Great Tree. A chosen few become Spirits to serve the Gods.
In the Spirit World, there exists Black Dogs. These dogs are trained to hunt for people who are close to death, so that Demons of Alitheus can steal the souls away before Maker arrives. It is because of the reason the Last Watch is performed, to keep the Demons and Dogs away so that the persons soul ascends to the Great Tree.

History

It is an extremely ancient tradition that dates back to the beginning of Animan civilization. Due to the banishment of Magic leading to less evidence of the religion, it has started to fall out of practice among more progressive circles.

Execution

Family members and/or friends will gather in the house where the dying is. The dying person is kept in a separate location from the fire, in order to hide from Alitheus, whether it is in a different room or behind a curtain of sorts. Family members and/or friends stand guard to aid and protect the dying, and decorate the house with symbols of Maker in order to welcome her in. They will also tend to the fire. Priests are welcomed into the house to bestow blessing.
An important part of the Last Watch is the Last Feast. Friends and family will come together to celebrate the life of a loved one with a large dinner. It is important to note that the Last Feast is not spoken of on the hearth.
In the mornings, it is common for tea to be made and shared, a symbol of unity and solidarity of the family.
This tradition encorages family members to continue living with their older relatives and provide them a quality of life. Those without families can pass peacefully under the watch of Makers priests in the Golden Temple.
When the dying finally passes, priests of Maker are welcomed into the home to take the dead away. The dead go to the Golden Temple to be cleaned up and prepared for the funeral.

Components and tools

Food is very important in this ritual. It is common for families to have a 'potluck', as cooking too many things on the fire will show Alitheus evidence of a dying person. It also brings in a small blessing from each home into the dying persons home, so that their homes blessing will be amplified to aid in protection.
Makers symbols can also be brought in. It is common to see aspects of nature (buds in spring, flowers and mushrooms in summer, leaves in fall, sticks and bones in winter) decorated in the house. The morning tea is sometimes made from these.
Other symbols can include representations of Maker and Batan, and family symbols.

Participants

Family members and close friends of the dying person are the participants and executors. The roles in the ceremony are assigned by the Head of the family. If the new Head has not been passed down, then the first step of the ceremony is for the dying to name a new Head.
The dying have a very 'hands off' role. Their role includes rest or socializing, eating, or even just sleeping the entire time. Its really up to them how much they want to participate.

Observance

The amount of time the ritual takes place varies every time. It always ends two days after the death of the observed, when the funeral happens. When Magic existed, it began when the dying begins to see Black Dogs. Without Magic, it was harder to know when to start, and is typically initiated by the dying themselves. The ritual can be observed for days, months, and on rare occasions, over a year.

Related Ethnicities

• Gaian