Southern Rito

The southern rito of the golden continent are the ones that, as their name implies, live in the southern areas of the land, particularly in the warm rainforest-like region in lower Faron and along the coast. They're mostly tropical bird-related, and as they live in a temperate area where the weather is mostly forgiving, and their environment is brimming with rich and varied flora and fauna, they don't have to hunt for food like the Northern Rito do. Rather, they get by, more than even, on forage and cultivation, and some small-scale agriculture. Their diet is primarily vegetarian, making them 'habitual herbivores'. They are capable of eating meat like the rest of the rito race, but their lifestyle and environment make it uncommon and far from necessary.

They focus heavily on the arts, and in addition to the musical aspect of their culture, they also have highly advanced and intricate fibre arts practises, pottery, and woodworking. The most widely practised crafts for the majority of the southern rito tribes are music and weaving, specifically. There are many different instruments that their watarara play, but the watarara are not the only musicians. Every southern rito learns to sing as part of their upbringing, and most continue to sing either as a personal hobby or as a social activity. It is also not necessary to be a watarara to practise playing an instrument, either, but those who pursue their instrument most seriously are more likely than not to train as watarara. As for weaving, it is not just an artform but an important life skill for southern rito to have, and it is another thing that is taught to all fledglings regardless of gender or future trades.

Due to Faron's somewhat tropical climate, they have wet and dry seasons. During one part of the year, the region is prone to drought, and the southern rito rely on large reserves of stocked up food and resources while their crops stall and natural vegetation diminishes. During the wet season there is a boom in plant and animal life as heavy rains turn the land completely green again. The downside is that those heavy and constant rainfalls also frequently grow into full-on tropical storms, and there are many severe floods, which is a major reason why the rito's homes are high above the ground, in thick clusters of trees and reinforced against strong winds.

They build their roosts around the trunks of tall trees, using the trunks as central support beams which rise up through the middle of the roost, and many rito like to spend time relaxing perched on the already nest-like tops of the frondy trees. They create both privacy and shelter for their roosts using layers of thickly woven, felled and plaited panels of fabric. The outer side is also layered with large palm fronds stitched together to create a water-proof tarp which protects their roosts and nests from heavy rains and wind.

Unlike the northern rito, the rito of Faron do not primarily worship Din. The Golden Goddess they follow most is actually Farore, which is more common in the southeast regions of the golden continent. Many different groups associate meteorological events with Farore, and the southern rito are no exception. Wind especially is an element heavily associated with Farore. The southern rito believe that the yearly battering of storms are the work of Farore. Farore is the goddess of courage, after all, and bravery is a necessary quality to have in order to thrive in that environment, even if their daily lives are mostly free from threats of violence from enemies or predators. Rather than seeing the storms as divine punishment or threat, they are instead a gift, as they prevent the rito from becoming complacent and keep them strong, even when the fullness of their bellies is promised.

The storms aren't their only challenge, however. Another reason why they stick to the treetops is because while the ground is teeming with sources of food, there are also other dangers. Large, dangerous animal predators in the forms of jaguars in the brush and crocodiles in the water mean the tribes' foragers need to be smart and swift in order to keep themselves safe while gathering food. Sometimes, while communicating with their northern counterparts, the southern rito will be asked why they don't attempt to hunt or battle these fierce animals, but that would conflict with the southern rito's pacifist philosophy. The jungles of Faron are plentiful in resources, there is more than enough for them and also for all other lifeforms around them. There is no need for competition, and any animal that might try to attack them is not doing it for malicious reasons that would warrant retaliation, it is simply their nature. The same way that violence is not considered to be in the nature of the southern rito. However, they do not judge the northern rito for being hunters and warriors, they understand that their way of life would not be sustainable in the harsh winters and brittle summers of the north, just as the northern rito's way of life is not suited to the southern jungles.