An Amaranthine of vigor and strength, Cairith is the
patron spirit of the cervans. The energy that Cairith
oversees is the cause of slow, steady growth and longevity. In living beings, this force manifests as
the ability to run,
jump, grow, and become strong. Ancient forests, where plants
cover the trees and giant beasts are endowed with the intelligence to speak, are seen as signs of
Cairith’s blessing. Cairith
teaches that adversity brings strength, but his teachings differ
from those of Altus. Altus encourages his followers to seek out
challenges, where Cairith sees life itself as a perpetual struggle.
The true test of survival is always against oneself and one’s own
limits. By persevering in spite of these limits, Cairith counsels
his adherents to triumph over the forces of death. This struggle
must one day end, of course, and so the followers of Cairith
seek to honor the daily triumphs of life as they happen. An
existence is considered well-spent if it was lived unflinchingly,
even in the face of sorrows and hardships. Cairith adamantly
opposes necromancy as those made undead truly cannot appreciate life’s struggle
Cairith is described as a mighty stag with antlers covered in
moss and flowering vines. He is massively tall, and wherever he
walks plants sprout from the earth. Where others see a tangle
of vegetation, Cairith sees the plan of nature unfolding. All
cervans profess a kinship to Cairith. But rather than claiming
him as a direct ancestor, he is seen as a guardian spirit. Some
say he was the first to be born from the land when the Dawnmother gave Everden life.
Cairith guided the first cervans, and blessed them with
many gifts so that they might survive in the primitive forest.
One of these gifts, the power of The Sight, is attributed to
Cairith. Certain cervans are gifted with The Sight, and this
allows them to glimpse events that have occurred in the past,
present, and future.
Cairith finds reverence among rangers, druids, healers, and
community leaders. Paladins invoke his dogma to give heart
to those they defend. Cervan diviners gifted with the Sight call
upon Cairith in their rituals. Cairith also has many followers among common people, especially
humblefolk who have
suffered hardships.