Peltless

The Peltless are Selkies rejected by The Khilaia and by Selkie Culture more broadly. They have either been denied or lost their Selkie Pelt by dishonorable means.    The Khilaia, who control the sacred Khilaian Isles where Selkie Pelts can be earned by young selkies, create Peltless lineages by condemning a person or community to perpetual exile - an excommunication. A person can be excommunicated for committing a high crime, for stealing or assisting in the theft or traffic of another selkie's Pelt, for selling their Pelt, or for acting in open rebellion against direct orders from the Khilaia. Known pirate crews or selkies who unlawfully raid trading partners may face excommunication, for example. Adults who are excommunicated will often have their pelts seized and buried by the Keepers of the Dead - as if they had died.    The majority of Peltless people are descendants of excommunicated selkies or selkies who are too isolated and poor to access selkie shipping networks. While many are simply stuck in this social class by misfortune and poverty, all are treated as potential criminals by many in the Khilaia.    Peltless people often are absorbed into other realms and cultures, but some keep elements of Selkie Culture alive.