Folkling Mysticism

Just as we need a heart to make our pulse pound, so too does the Rhythm require a drummer. The heart of the Rhythm lies within the Folklings. They are the immortals, who have been given new life by the Rhythm, and act as its guardians, maintaining the balance of nature. The Folklings are the gods of the Wood. They are entrusted with maintaining the cosmic balance known as the Great Rhythm.

Unlike gods in other settings, the Folklings rarely squabble with one another, for any strife between the Folklings is a threat to the balance of nature itself. The Folklings tend to keep to themselves, and rarely meddle in each other’s affairs. Though each Folklings is a powerful being in their own right, holding a great degree of autonomy over their dominion, each understands that they are but a small part of a greater whole. Like the themes of a concert, the Folklings are the harmonies that create the Great Rhythm.

As every downbeat has an upbeat to follow it, so too will the cycles of nature eventually start again—for even though the Rhythm can be faint at times, it is everlasting and eternal. Every denizen of the world, from the large to the small, from predator to prey, knows of The Great Rhythm: the beating force that is the pulse of life itself.

To the birdfolk, the Rhythm began with the sound of beating wings, but other folk of the Wood tell that it began with the thundering of hooves, the padding of paws, or with a tiny heartbeat. Birdfolk believe that two great spirits emerged from the Rhythm. They were the first Folklings: Ardea, whose wings usher in the dawn, and Tyton, whose wings are the shadow of night. They are the avatars of life and death, and keepers of the Rhythm.

Folklings
The Folklings are numerous, and the amount of Folklings that exist vary depending on the cult's beliefs. For example, Birdfolk tend to believe exclusively in Folklings featured in one of the few existing pieces of holy scripture, the Tales of the Folklings: Altus, Clhuran, Gesme, Reya, and Hanera. They, along with Ardea and Tyton, form the basis for the most commonly worshipped pantheon across Cathai, known as the Pantheon Seven.