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apostles wander freely between villages, striking a living contrast by being educated and erudite but forever filthy and destitute • The Pa: Adherents of Pa are an offshoot of the Lexai that remain in the wilderness, shunning cities and any organizations larger than a family group Their teachings find widespread acceptance among the Chindi who, as a whole, embrace individualism and freethinking • Banarth, or “wish makers,” repeat a client’s wishes at special statues or fountains for a fee to help make them come true; during the spring rains, romantic hopefuls (or meddlesome parents) keep the banarth busy well into the evening weaving elaborate love wishes They often mark themselves with the red tear gemstones taken from regelthi stone worms (see Chapter 7) • Cheraah, or Chindi “doomsayers” are ironic actors hired to shout at buildings and families to indirectly bring them good luck Customs & Culture Chindi celebrate life in all things and their culture supports and honors life as much as possible They also have a wide variety of traditions and habits tied to the sun and the moons In good times, Chindan villages are joyful and active into the evenings with music and dancing Regardless, they curtail their evening activities beneath “paired 38 moons,” which they consider to be ill omens Chindi hold numerous festivals during the year, some of which are overtly procreative fertility rituals while others celebrate midsummer, the harvest, and other notable times of the year A unique Chindan festival—celebrated four nights after a settlement’s first post-Midsummer birth— is the Mothers’ Feast to celebrate any new mothers from the past year Nearly all Chindi are literate, and well versed in herbology and agriculture Organized public education is common in Chindi communities Any argument should be supported with appropriate quotations from literature, and few love arguments more than the Chindi Their enthusiasm for such verbal exchanges makes others think they are overly stubborn Letting a disagreement or argument escalate from words to blows brings scornful eyes down upon the offender Chindi welcome newcomer humans into the tribe through marriage or adoption They even allow newcomers to practice previous tribal traditions while among them In fact, many Chindi traditions shift and evolve over time, a consequence of their openness to individuality and new ideas Chindi distrust all Nordor, an attitude dating back to migratory days when competition for the best lands caused considerable strife and many battles They embrace the pachyaur as kindred spirits, though they are careful to avoid capture and enslavement Chindi feel that both the Kuad Ahir and Gare Attessa harbor dangerous agendas, so both groups are commonly persecuted among them Chindi despise the