Qidranians
Followers of Qidra, God of Nature
“Strong winds make trees grow deep roots.” “Some of us walk in the rain. Others just get wet.” “Forget not that the fecund ground delights in the touch of your bare feet, nor that the wind yearns to play with your hair.”
The Temple of Qidra controls extensive land in western Toreen, with seven settlements in its borders (including the city of Themesk). Grand Temples are found in Camfor, Dromfor, Themesk, Esterkeep, Coth-Rom, Sikafor and Avaben. The Prelate of Qidra, Armand Adelard, is based at the Grand Temple in Camfor, but as is befitting worship of the God of Nature, the most holy Qidranian site is Bilberry Grove in Duskwood. Bilberry Grove, some 80km north-east of Coth-Rom, lies in the deepest and densest part of Duskwood. Senior clerics of Qidra journey here once every five years to take part in the Mysteries. Themesk functions as the district capital.
The most prominent Qidranian is the King’s nephew, His Royal Highness Lord Aalart of Ashkeep.
Clerics of Qidra wear items of green and a ring made of tin set with a magnet. They speak a secret language which has a specialized and detailed vocabulary dealing with nature and natural events. The clerics are guardians of both the great forests of the wilderness and the smaller woodlands that lie next to cultivated fields. They act as a living bridge between the wilderness and those humans (such as hunters, loggers and trappers) who dwell on its borders. They are able to learn the languages of woodland creatures, and can identify plants, animals and pure water with perfect accuracy. Clerics of Qidra can draw power from earth, stone, storms and clouds, are resistant to cold and the effects of thirst, can sense avalanches, volcanic eruptions and rockfalls, and are adept at animal handling and animal lore. Travellers embarking on a journey through wild lands invoke Qidra for protection.
Qidranian ceremonies are always conducted outdoors and usually in the wilds. Rituals like atonement, communion, confirmations of birth, fasts, meditation, prayer and purification are private affairs, usually attended only by the individual guided by the attendant cleric. Major ceremonies are usually accompanied by feasting, with special rites of libation for each kind of ceremony. An animal sacrifice is usually performed. When an individual seeks to be confirmed as an adult (usually at the age of 13 or later) he or she spends a period of time under the tuition of a Qidranian cleric, after which the aspirant enters the wilderness and has to survive on their own for a time. When they return from the wilderness, they are greeted with much joy and a communal festival is held in their honour. The most important calendrical ceremony is Leaf-and-Root, held on September 3, when all Qidranians take part in a feast to thank Qidra for the bounty of Nature. Particularly devout or important followers of Qidra are buried in the wilderness in a secret grave consecrated by a cleric of Qidra. Only one other person, the closest family member, is shown the location of the grave. Less devout followers are burnt on a funeral pyre during a solemn ceremony overseen by both clerics of Qidra and Arawn. The Qidranian Mystery Celebration is the most elaborate of its kind and is performed in Duskwood. It takes place on the last three days of spring and the first three days of summer.