The Umati & Umisi

The Umati are a vast gathering of holy spirits born from death in the presence of life when Tonta and Ekundayo first encountered each other in the Underworld. They act as protectors upon the Path of Dead, and fight an eternal war against the denizens of the abyss known as the Uhtenim that prey upon the souls of the world of the living. They are akin to angels as they often sing with their second and third voices a beautiful song called the Suni Arlessa. Their fourth voice sings the Song of the Mermaid, which unites them under Umat's leadership when neither Tonto nor Ekundayo are commanding them. Their fifth voice sings the Song of War, taught to them when Umat sought knowledge from the Goddess of the Elves, Celvanya.

### Prominent Umati

* Umaya the Daughter of Death
* Raisa the Infinite Field that Sows Beauty in Their Hearts
* Shai the Fire that Illuminates the Abyss
* Sehja the Blue Mountain that Purges the Unwise
* Rasmus the Shining Wave that Crashes upon the Vile Horns
* Kaj the Recursive Word that Debates the Darkness
* Kaia the Sorrowful Veil Gazing Upon Her Hunger
* Ili the Frozen Ocean Fleeing the Unrepentant
* Darja the Cold Forge Connecting the Dead
* Charis the Red Wing Healing the Faithful
* Cajsa the Docile Talon Denying the Wrathful
* Ataya the Painful Night Before the Truth
* Nahia the Green Song Seeking the Virtuous
* Joran the Vanquishing Spear that Annihilates the Accursed
* Ophelia the Burning Sigil that Sears the Fingers of Fear
* Esha the Black Promise that Seals the Void
* Ramal the Infernal River that Drowns Their Sorrow
* Dahab the Cloud Shield that Protects the Lost Path
* Hazim the Vicious Mockery that Reveals Cowardice
* Jabari the Penitent Chain that Redeems the Weak
* Sasha the Furious Sage that Awakens the Dreamers
* Thana the Storm Serpent that Vanquishes Corruption
* Thula the Shattering Sky Defending the Great Gate
* Anuka the Accusing Shadow Steps Further into Despair
* Dakarai the Broken Gale Mending Their Shapes
* Nakato the Questioning Scar that Whispers a Secret
* Lesedi the Vigilant Hammer Strikes at Wickedness
* Frath the Painful Light Purges Fear from Their Hearts
* Jojo the Envious Mask Loves the Living
* Ayotunai the God Crown Praises the Divine
* Yejide the Dark Voice Knows Salvation
* Pam the Endless Star Sleeps Before the End

## Features & Traits

The Umati were the Uhtenim that had been slain and consumed by Ekundayo during the Age of Fire, and then reborn when she disgorged them during her encounter with Tonta. They retain their Uhtenim characteristics, but have become aligned with creation and serve the divine instead of adhering to their primal and destructive natures.

Like the Uhtenim, all of the Umati are capable of altering their appearance and becoming unseen to mortal eyes. As spirits of the Underworld, the Umati cannot interact with the physical world and the living unless summoned through a powerful spell, or inside a location where the spiritual world overlaps with the physical world. Such sites are very rare, and should be considered sacred. The presence of too many mortals can pollute such a site, preventing the spirits of the Underworld from being able to manifest.

The Umati are immortal, but cannot give birth. There were three million, four hundred and fifteen thousand, and thirty-three Umati born in the Age of Fire, but no more have been created, and their number continues to diminish during their war with the Uhtenim. Unlike their enemy, the Umati are capable of combining their forms to become different entities with a new name and magic. Theoretically, all of the Umati are even able to fuse into a single entity, but such an event has not ever occurred throughout their history.

## Culture

The Umati are trapped in an everlasting conflict with the Uhtenim that seek to devour the souls of the living, and have had to embrace a very militaristic society. Towers of bone and flesh stand vigilant beside the Path of the Dead, while others have been converted into fortresses that orbit Mundus Pits, or simply wander the Underworld on a journey of violence.

The Umati rely on the fact that the Uhtenim are not aware of the location of Dol Arlessa, and have yet to destroy the Path of the Dead. The advantage of the towers provide the Umati with a means of overcoming how vastly outnumbered they are in battle, however the greatest advantage of the Umati is the Silver Sword wielded by Umat. The artifact is source of nigh infinite energy that allows the Umati to fight without concern for their stamina or magic.

The Umati cannot die, but they can be captured by the Uhtenim and reverted back to their original selves. In every battle, the greatest priority of the Umati is the recovery of their fallen, in hopes that in the future, Ekundayo and Tonta will return and revive them. The Umati have even attempted to capture and transform their enemies, but such tactics have had very limited results.

### The Umisi

Despite their desire to feast upon souls and shatter the Shard, the Uhtenim are sentient and can be negotiated with. There are those among their number that have provided aid to the Umati in exchange for a limited amount of souls sacrificed to them. This is considered to be the greatest shame of many of the Umati, but only through such an arrangement have they been able to survive.

Some of the Umisi are even accepted into the ranks of the Umati as friends and compatriots, though whether this is because they have proven themselves loyal and have learned to resist their evil lineage, or because many of the Umati are rather amoral themselves is unknown... The Umisi do not fear their demise in battle against their kindred, as they will be left alone and their corpses will regenerate after a time unless used as construction materials.