Ixutabmut

Ixutabmut (lit. "Spirit-Plant Death") is the spirit of death in Rostran Esotericist lore. The veneration of Ixutabmut is most common among the High Rostran faithful.

Divine Domains

Death, Plant, Earth; Balance, Renewal

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Ixutabmut's most prominent attributes in Esotericist lore are his iloi (intelligence), iparda (perception), and ixa (spirit). Generally, ritual sigils executed in connection to Ixutabmut are drawn with plant- or fungus-based pigments and the points delineated with torches or (most often) oar-markers.
Like Ixeunvatio and Ixovaqitetsu, fermented beverages are frequent and suitable offerings to the spirit of death. Unlike those more jovial deities, however, Ixutabmut is not concerned with the actual potability of said beverages. Indeed, middens, compost piles, and scrapyards are also sources of cast-off objects which may serve as ritual foci to Ixutabmut, though celebrants are not expected to keep or consume them in contrast to the offerings to other members of the Esotericist pantheon.
These occasionally outre offerings derive their justification as ritual objects from the connection between Ixutabmut to the concepts of both death and fertility, which Esotericists regard as two aspects of the natural cycle which join the temporal realm to the The Curved Time end-to-end. Unlike in many cultures, Ixutabmut, as a harbinger of death, is not regarded as an evil being; after all, in order for new things to be born, what has come before must eventually step aside.

Tenets of Faith

Supplicants to Ixutabmut are said to gain the benefits of closer contact with those who have passed beyond the horizon of death. By binding the spirit unto themselves, the faithful seek to increase the potency of their subsequent ritual sigils, commune more directly with the spirits of the dead, promote the growth of plants, coral, and fungi, become courageous in the face of death or suffering, and presage the lethal potential of actions soon to be undertaken.
Ixutabmut's supposed precognitive gifts are said to be less far-reaching than those of Ixaumosana, but he also grants a greater degree of certainty. On the other hand, 'good' pacts and ritual sigils associated with Ixutabmut offer stronger protection against all forms of 'undead' mythological creatures, including the dreaded Ixulova Tun, regardless of whichever spirit normally holds sway over theses creatures. Ritual sigils of Ixutabmut are a near-ubiquitous fixture of traditional Esotericist funerals - the spirit, among any worshipped by the deceased in life, is called upon by the family and community to guard and safely conduct their lost member to the peace of the spirit world.
While Ixutabmut may be invoked to work against the interests of a supplicant's enemies, this is generally considered ill-fated because, while the current iteration of the target may suffer and die, Ixutabmut will grow upon their spirit and recreate them in the world as something better than what came before.

Divine Classification

Nature Spirit

Religions

• Rostran Esotericism

Alignment

True Neutral

Ethnicity

High Rostran

Other Ethnicities/Cultures

• Voluntarist Verdial

Church/Cult

Rostran Esotericism

Gender

Male

Eyes

Amber spheres

Hair

Dark green leaves

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Light green

Modern Interpretations

As with the Knappists' reinterpretation of the Forgist Creator, the modern cult of Ixutabmut has been significantly affected by contact with the Vale Verdial people. Some fringe Hierophants have suggested that, like the mythical ovistrix, verdials may inherently have a closer connection to the spirit world than most other sentients due to their plant-like nature. For their part, verdials who become aware of this unorthodox belief have reactions ranging from flatteredness and pride (in the case of the supremacist Verdant Order) to discomfort, embarassment, or even fear.
Rarely, verdials familiar with the Esotericist faith and the tenets of Ixutabmut adopt the worship of the spirit of death for themselves. These rare verdial adherents to the Esotericist faith reason that Ixutabumt is spiritually connected with the ability of Caudal lichen to survive the death of their hosts through the process of verdialization and horizontal gene transfer. This faith community also contains a large number of Rostran voluntarist verdial, and, as such, the spirit is often depicted in religious imagery as a verdialized Rostran with green skin, eyes, and leafy hair.