Six Mothers

The Six Mothers are the Creator Gods of the Pashak . They are said to have scratched the first pashak out of trees tree trunks, licked them out of salt and dug them from the ground; to have coughed them from their throats, pricked them out of rush matting, and bled them from their own veins. The root of a pashak's temperament is said to be formed of their unique mixture of the Maternal Humours: earth, salt, wood, hair, rushes and blood.   A pashak's natural vocation, meanwhile, is said to be indicated by the colour and pattern of their fur, and the mother whom they most resemble. The subset of pashak with similar markings is called a grace, and a shared grace is an informal social bond which may, on occasion, provide either advantage or obligation. The names of the Mothers are private, guarded from profane ears by their priests, and they are usually simply referred to by their markings and the grace that they rule over.   Mother Spots, Grace of Hunters, is the eldest and wisest of the Six, and as such is the patron of leaders, as well as hunters, scouts and those who seek, whatever their quarry. Her children are patient, but bear a grudge, and are marked by any distinct, rounded spots or rosettes, form the clear, black spots of a leopard to the freckles of a lion. Hunters are associated with the humour of blood, linked to contemplation and wrath.   Mother Mottle, Grace of Climbers, is the craftiest and most independent of the Mothers, patron of travellers, guides, builders, and of those who aspire to greatness from humble beginnings. Her children possess larger and less defined patches of dark and light colouring, or sometimes a mixture of spots and stripes. Associated with the humour of earth, Climbers are said possess a stalwart, quiet courage.   Mother Stripes, Grace of Warriors, is the strongest and fiercest of the Mothers, slayer of fiends and arch-foe of the Demon Jackal. She is the patron of all those who live by the blade, and the ultimate arbiter of honourable conduct, whether in battle or not. She is also responsible for judging the slain and is a god of soldiers, lawmakers and lawkeepers. Her children may be tiger or tabby-striped, but always associated with the humour of salt, fierce and hard.   Mother Brindle, Grace of Leapers, is the swiftest of the Mothers, patron of athletes and messengers, whose children are as determined as they are agile. Leapers are grey, tan or brown, with vague bands of darker and lighter colouration too indistinct to be considered stripes. Associated with the humour of rush (sometimes called straw,) Mother Brindle's children are typically playful, but competitive.   Mother Moonstone, Grace of Watchers, is most obviously a patron of guards and sentries, but as the most observant of the Mothers, she is also the mother of assayers, clerks, spies and scientists. Her children are pale-furred, with few pronounced markings, but not necessarily white. Blue eyes are also associated with keen sight, but also sometimes with deafness. Phlegmatic and glib, Watchers are associated with the humour of hair.   Mother Midnight, Grace of Tricksters, is the most cunning of the mothers, and the youngest. Stealth and deception are her gifts, and her children - known by their pure, dark fur, whether true black, grey, brown or blue - are viewed as natural liars, salesfolk, confidence tricksters or politicians, and also associated with more respectable careers such as assassin and burglar. Associated with the humour of wood, Tricksters are fiery and flexible.   While the pashak only acknowledge Six Mothers, Yainah legend speaks of a seventh. The Laughing Mother, Grace of Scavengers, was a minor god whose attempt to create life produced the lineage of sickly, pashak-like creatures who became the Yainah. The humour of the Laughing Mother's children is bone, associated with hunger, desperation and madness..