Deepwater Seer

Far off in the northern lands of Askvìniké, an ancient civilisation is nestled away in the snowy caves. The Mörkallen people are deeply spiritual and perform many rituals which connect them with their culture. These rituals are not focused on the gods, but instead focus on themselves, and their ancestors. While they acknowledge the Gods exist, they do not worship them, so their rituals are unique and center around their own history.

The term Deepwater Seer is not used within the Mörkallen, anyone in this role is simply known as a seer. The term Deepwater Seer was coined by outsiders, who needed a term to differentiate the Mörkallen seers to others.

Becoming a seer

Children are sometimes born with birthmarks, and the Mörkallen believe these marks are where the ancestors have passed on their knowledge and made a permanent connection. Those with no or subtle birthmarks go about their lives normally and are raised with the rest of the clutch by the lärin, but the children with prominent birthmarks are raised and trained differently. They are noted in their history's as being "connected" and are raised by seer lärin, a group of caregivers who only raise and train Seers. Those who are trained as Seers from birth are not forced into the role, after the turning of their first decade, the child is able to decide if they feel connected to the role and can choose to move away from Seer teachings if they so desire. At this time, Mörkallen who are not marked also can move to Seer training if they feel they have a deep connection with their ancestors, though this is uncommon.

When a Seer in training reaches adulthood, the Själarin, or elder seer will meet with each and discuss their future and their role. This meeting is very secretive; only those who go through it know what happens and it is an honour to go through. The Själarin will first have a lengthy discussion about what the individual feels suits them best, and which parts of seerism they fit in. A ritual is then performed by the Själarin in conjunction with the new Seer, where they commune with their ancestors to get guidance on their journey. The ritual is physically and mentally draining and can take anywhere from 15 minutes to multiple hours. Once complete, the Själarin and new seer will both be in agreement on their role within the Mörkallen. The newly anointed seer will have the ritual documented in the histories by a scribe and begin their work.

Being a seer

Once a seer is chosen, they step into one of many roles. All seers can perform duties outside their designated role, but each role comes with a large enough

• Själarin - the most revered role, only one is chosen at a time. This is the highest role one can receive among Mörkallen. The Själarin is the elder seer, the oversight and leadership. This is the only seer role to come with a unique title. Toward the end of a Själarin's life, another is chosen as a successor.
• Host - a host is a seer who allows the ancestors to speak through them. When someone needs guidance or needs to recall history, they consult with a host seer who will perform a ritual to allow their ancestors to speak directly through them. When they are not assisting another Mörkallen, they spend their days in deep meditation, listening to the ancestors and filtering through the chatter to find any prudent information. The host seers work closest with the Själarin, often receiving tasks directly from the elder.
• Seer Lärin - a lärin is someone who raises children and teaches them. The seer lärin is someone who has gone through seer training and been designated to raise and teach future seers.
• Guide - a guide performs the day-to-day rituals for the broader Mörkallen. This can be assisting with prayer, mediation or by leading the many rituals around everyday activities.
• Envoy - an envoy is a seer who is able to reach ancestors outside of the Mörkallen with ease. They have a gift for talking to those in the afterlife from all civilisations and use this knowledge to keep the Mörkallen connected, and to share knowledge form around Askvìniké.
• Scribe - a scribe is someone who is responsible for documenting all of the Mörkallen histories. This is done by documenting the current changes, roles of individuals, births and deaths. The scribes work closely with hosts, so information is communicated back and forth between the present, and the ancestors.

There are many roles that a seer can land in, but they all are intertwined, and work with each other. Some have more direct connection with ancestors, and some are more connected to the present world. Together they bring harmony and a deep spiritual connection for the Mörkallen and their ancestors.

Perception

Seers within the Mörkallen are not held to a higher standard, or to a different societal level to others. All are equals with the exception of the Själarin who is treated looked upon as a leader by most. They are only trained separately; they still live amongst the rest of the civilisation and lead normal lives.

Outside of Mörkallen, the Deepwater Seers have a varied reception. Many disagree with their practices, deeming the frequent communication with the dead as unnatural, and the "possession" of hosts as dangerous. Some understand and respect the seers, while some fear and demonise them. With the group being so rural, many never get to meet a Mörkallen, the fear of the unknown often plays a large part in their spotted reputation.