Caretakers

The chosen few of the many tribes who have kept nature and man in balance over the centuries. They are the most important people in Eddonia and are held in varying levels of regard. A caretaker is chosen by an elder council or other tribe specific means and then offered to the goddess Jiah who then blesses her/him with binding magic that bonds the caretaker to his/her guardian. The ceremonies are mostly similar where the chosen is laid upon a stone altar, stopped naked, painted with dye that binds to the skin as tattoos after the blessing. The marking are specific to the guardian and the designs are passed down to a line of priests, they signify the caretaker as legitimate in case of an imposter. Some tribes will add other items to the chosen such as jewelry, a hairstyle, or small articles of clothing. But all must have their gentiles exposed and be mostly naked as their body will adapt to their climate and be impervious to weather.

Once a chosen has undergone the ritual, she/he will leave the village and seek out their new partner in the wild where the two will live the rest of their lives. They are not strictly bound by proximity and can wander freely and do as they like, but the guardian will find them thanks to their bond and then have his/her way with the caretaker before returning to his/her lair. Some take to their guardian like a devoted spouse, some take this as an honor and seek to uphold their position with dignity, others (rare) are more distant and avoid their duties as much as possible. So long as the balance is maintained, Jiah and the tribes care not how the caretakers live.

The reason most caretakers are female is that often Jiah children are male and that makes mating easier and they give off more pleasant pheromones. But most of them are not told that they will carry a child should a guardian perish for whatever reason. Guardians do not age, but are subject to mortal wounds and can be slain. Upon **** the caretaker is blessed with child and some time after she will give birth to the reincarnation who will the grow to maturity shortly after in order to be at full strength in a short amount of time. This knowledge is withheld as many would be turned off by not only having to give birth to something larger and often less comfortable than a human baby, but they would also be **** to have sex with what is essentially their child. Eddonia may be a strange place, but people don't take kindly to **** and other common taboos.