The Piper

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:: This article is about the god and corresponding mythology. For the character who is also known as "a piper," see Mazkh Giji.
A god whose worship originates from Lyzots, the Piper is known -- perhaps unfairly -- as a grim and foreboding figure due to the extremist cults that abduct civilians and sacrifice them in his name. The majority of the Piper's worshipers are zhijis, and they usually claim that the Piper has dominion over the jungles of Lyzots, but there are some non-zhiji worshipers who consider him a general god of music.
==Appearance==
In lore, the Piper is depicted as a zhiji with a hooded cloak, his hood pulled over his face to hide his identifying features. He always has a flute with him, and it is said that he conceals himself so that those who hear his call will pay attention to his music and not what he looks like. Apparently, the Piper will commonly disguise himself as a beggar on the streets playing songs for loose change. Those who aid him will find themselves blessed in years to come; those who pass him by or scorn him, especially if they are supposed to be worshipers of the Piper themselves, will hear a mocking, jeering tune whenever they face hardships in their life so they know that it is the Piper punishing them.
==Religion==
"By-the-book" worshipers of the Piper have an emphasis on music and speech. They believe that the Piper inspires through music, and that those close to him can hear his gentle, soothing songs during times of need. Consequently, there are countless songs written in the Piper's name, though they tend to be less focused on glorifying the Piper himself and are more dedicated to concepts that will produce the most awe-inspiring music. Because of the Piper's tendency to disguise himself as a beggar, many non-cultist worshipers of the Piper also have places set aside in their homes as homeless shelters. Though quite uncommon, there are some worshipers of the Piper that will even allow their homes to be used as a haven for geralkki luts, and they are often the only places in lirastot or zhiji-heavy societies that will openly accept geralkki luts.
The cults dedicated to the Piper are incredibly extreme in their perception of the Piper as a downtrodden member of society. They are focused around ways that they have been victimized; in the case of zhijis, the most common people in these cults, this would be the rest of society "siding" with their enemy, the lirastots, and trying to keep them from having their rightful dominion over Lyzots' bountiful lands. Rather than offer shelter to the outcasts of society, they enact their own justice by attacking those who benefit from the society that has made victims of them. Their victims are normally lirastots abducted from their homes and then later sacrificed deep within Lyzots' jungles, but "outsider races" are not safe from cultist attacks, either.
The cultists view non-extremist worshipers of the Piper as those only giving lip service to the god, whereas traditional Piper followers will refuse to associate with the cults. Typically, only the cultists build shrines or temples and have organized hierarchies; traditional Piper followers view the religion as more of a personal or family aspect of life.
Category:Gods
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