Folian S'pae: Prayers and Holy Days

Prayers

There are no fixed times for praying to the Prince of Wolves. Clerics will pray for childbirth since that is a momentous occasion for a pack but also for a good hunt or for strength in defending a pack's hunting grounds from outsiders. They do prefer to pray outside and often leave cities or towns they are in in order to find a proper spot for prayer. Because of the individualistic, pack-like structure of the church, many packs have developed their own set of prayers passed down from parents to pups, generation by generation. A common theme in all prayers is the hunt, the seasons, and the well-being of the pack.

Prayers are generally short, often not more than a sentence or two, like: "Longstrider, make the wind turn so my scent does not carry toward my prey."

Most of the time, pack members pray individually, and each member chooses his own time to pay his respects to the Longstrider. There is one prayer that a pack utters together at the same time and which all packs recognize. This prayer, Wolves of Spring, is uttered at dawn on the first day of spring:

"Longstrider, winter has passed and we thank you for bringing our pack through it. Difficult as it was, with your guidance and foresight we now step forward into the dawn of the new year after our months of hibernation. Bless our pack with bountiful hunts that we may provide for our pack and have it expand. Give us strength to protect our hunting grounds and those that inhabit it against those who would destroy it. Grant us insight so that we will become like the wolves you love."

Holy Days

Because the only common prayer revolves around spring, it is not surprising that the Folianites give great importance to the first day of this season. To them, this is the day the new year starts, coming out of hibernation and starting the cycle of life again. A modest celebration is held from sunrise to sunset and it is on this day that a pack accepts newcomers who would like to join and grow the pack.

• Twilight Watch

  In addition to observing the change of the seasons, followers of the Longstrider celebrate a particular time called Twilight Watch during the month of Oclar. Varying from year to year, Twilight Watch involves nightly watches during the month awaiting for both Ausir and Orn to wax into full moons. When this occurs, the new year for the Folianite truly begins, and they meditate upon all the events that happened in the year that just ended. Many set themselves on new objectives and redirections of old ones are analyzed for change if necessary. The night ends with an offering of freshly caught prey, which is cooked on a gentle fire but not consumed.