Traditions & Prayers

[Hades]

CHIEF'S TRADITION

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As you have read, the most important tradition in the Tribe must be kept, and that tradition is the Chief's Successor. If it isn’t kept it is seen as a bad omen to the Tribe as a sign of bad things to come, especially after poor leadership. The dying Chief spends his remaining days with his or her successor in The Ancestors Path. It is the job of the successor to bury the dead chief without any help; the healer accompanies them to perform the prayer for safe passage to Nam’ipokai. Once this is done, the new chief must drink from the pool created by the falls. Both parties are under oath to keep secret forever what they have seen.

ELDERS TRADITION[/size]
It is an elder’s tradition to bury a dead elder in a secret spot. The eldest elder must perform the prayer to Nam’ipokai for the safe passage of the spirit to enter into the spirit world. This tradition is older than the Chief’s Tradition. Elders are sworn to keep whatever they witness secret for the remainder of their lives.

HEALER'S TRADITION[/size]
The Healer takes their To-Be down the Ancestors Path to be accepted by the Ancestors themselves. If the pup is accepted when they come of age she may begin her training, if not then a new To-Be must be found. Many Healers have ignored their ancestors and taken the rejected To-Be to be the next Healer, this usually doesn’t end well. The first Healer who ever committed this act lived longer than was expected of her as punishment. As a healer you are not allowed to retire to the elders den, so she had to endure her long life as Tribe healer. This is only one of the ways healers have suffered for the choice against the ancestors.

NAMES TRADITION[/size]
When a pup becomes a To-Be they are named: ‘To-Be _their birth name_’. They have not yet earned their full Tribe name. When a To-Be comes to the end of their apprenticeship they are given a special task by the Chief, chosen by the Elders, to prove themselves worthy of their full name. If they are successful in completing their task they are given their full name, for example: Little Raven (Black Wolf), Lone Cloud (White wolf), Rain that Falls (dusty grey wolf), Swift Eagle (Describes a Hunter), White Bear (Describes a White Warrior). These are the names used only among the Tribe; they are never given to outsiders unless they just happen to hear it. They more commonly use their Birth Names around the camp or out hunting, or for just usual conversation. The Name is a sign that the To-Be has been accepted into the Tribe.

THE HEALERS PRAYER[/size]
"Ancestors, hear my prayer. _Chief’s Tribe name_ has led a noble and honorable life. Accept _him/her_ among your honorable ranks. I now ask that you accept _New Chief’s Tribe Name_ as Chief of the Toopi." [The New Chief must now drink the water of the Falls]

It is said that they can feel the life of the ancestors flow through them when they drink, and they see their chief’s spirit reflected in the water fall itself. The Healer is a witness to this.

It is said that if the new chief is not accepted they can feel the life drain from them and in the water fall the reflection of a rotting wolf appears. The Healer is a witness to this.

THE ELDERS PRAYER[/size]
“Ancestors, this is my prayer. _Elders Tribe Name_ has lived a long life. I ask that you accept _him/her_ into your ranks as _their rank in life_.”

It is said that if the wolf is accepted the spirit of the first Tribe Warrior/Hunter will appear and take him/her away.

It is said that if the wolf is not accepted the spirit of the buried wolf will appear and walk off into the forest as if lost and confused before fading.

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