The Life-Giver
According to the Life-Giver's followers, death is not an aberration but the natural state of things. It is the Life-Giver who, for a time, grants living things an exception.
Her priests contend that the Life-Giver was bound in servitude to the spirits empowered by the Raithar Empire, but this view is considered somewhat extreme and controversial outside of her temples. Most people are more comfortable if the gods are unassailable, and if their role or position during the empire's reign is not too closely examined.
Divine Domains
Life, Death, and Sleep, considered a partial state between the two. In health, sleep is when the Life-Giver "recharges" one's vital energy, allowing their life to continue.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Deer, especially white or pied deer. Bucks with leaves and greenery tangled in their antlers are also considered her messengers or avatars.
Tenets of Faith
To respect the spark of life, wherever and to whatever it is given. Inversely, to accept death as a natural and peaceful return to one's truest self. And finally, to abhor undeath and necromancy as a perversion of the true Gift.
The Life-Giver's most devout followers show respect for her gift by eating only "Deer-cut" meat, which has been raised and slaughtered in keeping with strict guidelines. Even fish must be killed swiftly and cleaned accordingly. They also consider it an act of devotion to keep themselves as healthy and fit as possible, or to make the most of their life in whatever way makes the most sense to them.
Holidays
The Life-Giver is honored at birthday celebrations and in funeral rites.
The Return to Death
Valoran funerals are simple affairs, focused on accepting the deceased's return to the natural state and thanking the Life-Giver for the time they had. A priest may preside over the burial, but it rural areas where none is available, anyone can perform the first rites.
After the funeral, it is considered best to keep one's grief to themselves, as much as possible. As such, mourners often seek out privacy until they feel more at peace with their loss. Even once they go out, friends and well-wishers will usually leave condolences with the mourner's House Guardian rather then expressing them directly.
More important than the first rites, are the second. After about a year, the skeleton is disinterred under the supervision of a priest of the Life-Giver and destroyed. Even the most rural will request a priest to visit to perform the second rites, though this sometimes require a longer wait than is ideal.
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