Riding
Take caution when you travel through the wilderness of the Dàni . Even the damn rocks might be spying on you.Everything has a spirit. At least, that's what Dàni shamans believe. Every person, every animal, every plant, every rock. Most people can live their lives without ever noticing or interacting with the spirits, but for those with enough patience, a whole new world is opened up. By "riding" a spirit, you leave your body behind and join another, experiencing the world through that creature's senses.
Building the Connection
Most people can ride only one type of being. To become a rider, a person must leave their home and venture into the wilderness, alone. Some people search out a specific type of animal, while others find a place that speaks to them, sit, and wait to see who comes to them. Either way, when the animal they wish to ride is nearby, they attempt to quiet their mind and reach their spirit out to connect with the animal's. Sometimes, this is a long, drawn out process of patience and endurance as someone attempts to connect with a bat in a tree or a fish in the nearby river. Other times, it is fast, full of intense emotions and energy, such as attempting to bond with a bear or a wolf. There are many cases of first timers being killed when trying to connect with a carnivore; usually, only the more skilled people who have already bonded with something docile attempt multiple connections with dangerous beasts. Making the connection is not the final step and you can still fail at this point. Once a link is made, the human and the creature must exchange a tiny piece of their spirits. The animal gain's a fraction of a human's wisdom, while the human gains a piece of the animal's instinct. Even more significantly, the addition of the animal's spirit to their own means the human has a connection to all creatures with a related spirit, i.e., all rabbits, or all sturgeons.Non-Animal Connections
Although bonding with an animal is by far more common, rarer forms of riding exist in which a person bonds with plant life or even inanimate objects. These are much harder to do, as their spirits are much quieter and more foreign. The abilities are slightly different for these unorthodox bonds, as a rock cannot be compelled to get up and move. However, an experienced rider who is truly in tune with the spirit of a rock - or, as in the case of the most powerful rider to exist in legend, an entire mountain - can understand the world as the rock experiences it. They find it difficult to translate the understandings they gain during riding into human language.Riders in Society
Riding has been practised by the Dàni since time immemorial. Being a rider is not the same as being a shaman. There is usually only one shaman in a village, and they serve as an intermediary between humanity, spirits, and the gods. Sometimes a shaman is also a rider, but it is not a requirement.The Introduction of Timilism
Traditionally, it was practised only by members of Bear clans, as they are supposed to be more spiritual and in-tune with nature than clans on the Scimitar Cat side. That distinction has broken down, especially in the west, where more and more people are converting to Timilism and abandoning the traditional perspectives of spiritualism. The conversion of people to Timilism from their indigenous religion has not left behind the practice of riding, but it has changed the perspective of it. Rather than thinking of it as exchanging spirits, Timilist riders think of it as making a connection with the chiig the flows through all life. Riding blurs the distinction between life forms and brings someone closer to the Divine creator, whose essence gives life to all things.Non-Spiritual Uses
While riding has always been a personal, spiritual connection with nature, there are many cases of it being functional in society. The rare rider with a connection to plants is an amazing gardener and depending on the type of plant they are joined with, they can encourage bountiful harvests. For this reason, they are always honoured and celebrated residents of a village. Someone who can ride rats is also useful for their ability to push them away from food storage huts and prevent a village from being overrun with rodents. A bat can carry messages long distance, and fish can be coerced into nets. Those who have managed to ride large, powerful animals are especially valued for protection and fending off threats with the aid of a bear or a tiger.Riders and the Military
In recent years, the Kingdom of Aralia has sought to enlist riders in their military and use their abilities to strengthen the country. They are valued as spies, though the military's favourite are the ones who can bring powerful animals into battle. This practice is frowned upon by more traditional Dàni, who see riding as a spiritual practice that shouldn't be used for warfare.
Related Ethnicities
