Keepers of the Lead Settler

Without the Drake, we would not have Magic, but without the Settler, we would not even have souls.

— Common doctrine among the Keepers

Background

Same gods, different faith

The Keepers of the Lead Settler are an old religious sect based in the Chezrian deserts. While technically a sub-faith of the The Dozen, they hold that the pantheon is led by the Settler, not the Drake.

They hold that the Settler gave people across all of Neyush sentience in the form of souls, the only thing separating the people of Neyush from the animals.

The Drake is still an important part of their faith, in much the same way that a given brick is an important part of a house; it's necessary and does an important job, sure, but it wouldn't even exist in its current form and usefulness without the foundations holding the whole house up.

Old god, new tricks

There is even support for this theory in modern Alchemy.

Of the six planetary metals, Lead is usually associated with Neyush.

A magical place

by Pan

The monks that look after the temple in which the statue lives maintain that the Settler rewards their faith with an unparalleled ability to connect with people and help them overcome personal problems.

In truth, all the monks here are Settler Conduits that spend their entire lives strengthening their connection to the Sphere, whether consciously or not.

The giant heap of Lead that makes up the statue probably helps too--Lead is the element used by alchemists to work with energy from the Settler.

Reptile Therapy

Either way, the mental benefits to spending time with the Keepers of the Lead Settler are very real. People who stay with them unanimously report feeling calmer, more connected to their loved ones, and more aware of--and comfortable with--themselves.

Unfortunately, the Keepers are very traditional in their faith, and only allow tilkens to make use of their hospitality. Whether this long-standing adherence to old rules is intentional in order to maintain a stronger link with the Setter is unclear, but they're definitely doing something right, judging by the millions of pilgrims they've had over the years.