Occupations

Paladin (Daijiin-Ron)

Priestess/Priest (Shukkami/Shukku)

Druid (Shizenshu)

Are responsible for maintaining the balance in Bishani at the environmental level. The Druids of Bishani are the most trained in the concept of Feng Shui, both within the home and within the kingdom.

Assassins (Syrith Nilath)

What little the public knows of the Syrith Nilath is from an old passage from their charter long lost to the public. The Syrith Nilath was once, long ago, public, but these days it seems to of faded away into legend.

"We are the Syrith Nilath, the Goddess' chosen. She grants us to go where we will and be unnoticed, so that only the select few will know her message. She grants us hunters cunning, so that none may escape her word. She grants us home in every shadow, so that Her prey may not avoid our gaze. Do you follow the path set for you, but feel a longing for one that has escaped you? Do you feel drawn to the unseen corners of Bishani, while your own home grows more distant? If this is familiar, if you feel hints of our blessings, than seek out your path within the shadows, there you shall be found."

These are the basic beliefs of the Syrith Nilath, taught by word of mouth to fledgling Assassins, and is stored away in private libraries within the ever-relocating guild centers.

We are the most blessed of the Jillhani, and the most humble. We have been chosen to deliver the Goddess' gravest message, and have been blessed to better carry out our sacred duty. Yet to flaunt our blessings is to spit them back into the face of the Goddess. One whom does this has lost all honor, they do not deserve to be Jillhani, much less Syrith Nilath. The message we carry is all that is to be known by those whom are not themselves Syrith Nilath, as messengers none need know of our presence. It is only the message that is important, we need not distract.

We do not sell death. When an honorable Jillhani hands over his silver he is not paying to have one killed. He is not paying for anything. When a Jillhani hands over his silver it is because the Goddess has shown him whom she has marked, and he is thanking the Goddess for Her guidance. From that point on it is for the Syrith Nilath to deliver the Goddess' sacred message of death, and return to Her the chosen Her eyes have set upon. Those that believe that they are simply being paid to kill, those that go about their sacred duty as if it was a job are not true Syrith Nilath, and they too shall be chosen to return to the Goddess should they continue their dishonor.

The above code would translate into the game in quite a few ways. The first section is quite simple. To show off your skills as an assassin is dishonorable. Little splat. To show yourself as an assassin is dishonorable. Bigger splat. To reveal another as an assassin is treacherous -and- dishonorable. Really really messy splat. Gives a nice cult motivation to keep themselves secret.

The second section is a bit more jibberished, sooo. The Syrith Nilath are in no way mercenaries. If one were to call them a mercenary they'd feel quite happy to disembowel them. Silver paid is likely to be held within a guild fund, and what is rewarded to the assassin is, to the assassin, considered another blessing. Not payment. To carry out a contract is not a job, it's a sacred duty. A Syrith Nilath does not kill for the coin but for the honor of performing such a vital service for the Goddess. Of course sometime one would seek out the Syrith Nilath for the silver, but if he does he'd better do some damn good acting like he's doing it for the honor, because to treat such a sacred duty like a meager "for the silver" job would be like insulting the Goddess! And should his greed-based motivations be found out by the guild-SPLAT!
Also, an assassin would not show of his riches. If he was a noble, than he may use it to buy fancy-showy clothes and the such, he'd do that if he wasn't an assassin, but if a servant was to do the same people would wonder where he got the silver.

That brings to mind another thing, the Syrith Nilath live double lives. They have their position, be it merchant, noble, whatever, but one way or another they find a way to perform their "Higher duties" without revealing themselves. Some Syrith Nilath, however, may shed their old life entirely, faking a death or vanishing altogether. They may be working within and about a "guild home" location, or staying in the shadows looking for potential Syrith Nilath to train. Some may simply wear a disguise kit (if they're created in Comraich) all the time and act like simple peasants.

Necromancers

Ji'Coi

The merchants and craftsmen of the Ji'Coi combine the two aspects of ancestor worship and practical necromancy. They tend to build elaborate shrines, much like the Ji'Mal. Tribute is paid to ancestors whom brought a great deal of Honor to their family, and such shrines are considered a mark of status in the eyes of some. While the Ji'Coi have necromancers of their own, they are still rare enough that those of the Ji'Ken are often employed for their services. While greatly respected, these River Necromancers are usually given wide berth and left alone, as their practices are sometimes considered slightly dark. Regardless, they are seen as a necessary accommodation, as no Ji'Coi family would risk bringing dishonor to the ancestors that protect their homes. Shrines to the dead are often decorated with masterwork craftwork, quite often including pieces done by the dead ancestor. Esteemed stoneworkers often will craft their future remain containers, in the hopes that their passing will be with honor and they may join the ranks of their family's shrine. Those who die with disgrace often have their crafts destroyed in elaborate rituals, designed to ward off the evils of the Oni.

Ji'Mal

The nobles on the mountain primarily concern themselves with the ancestor worship of the Honored Ones - Yukkon, trusting that by honoring their dead, the spirits will in turn protect them from the machinations of the Oni. Elaborate shrines are often setup, no expense spared, in order to please and pay homage to the dead. Skeletons are rarely displayed openly, the bones instead being placed inside intricately carved marble boxes. (or chests...?) The procedure of giving rest to the dead is elaborate, with only the most advanced initiates into the Mysteries being given the honor of the last rites. An uninitiated can easily offend the spirit of the dead, causing anger among the ancestors. A terrible enough transgression could theoretically anger even Ji'Kalna herself, the Honored Ones being her own chosen. (Undecided whether the House Priest/ess or a House Necromancer of some sort takes care of this) Those responsible for the care taking of such shrines (IE, read those from the last sentence) are also considered responsible for keeping the spirits of the Honored Ones satisfied and protecting the House from the machinations of the Oni. One could assume they do an apt job, as the zombies of the jungles have yet to climb the mountain and invade the Houses.

The duties of the Necromancers for the Houses are a bit more complex due to the existence for the natami stones. The natami were once believed to be part of a sacred tablet that was shattered to create the seven individual house natami stones. These seven stones house the spirits of those of each house and being sacred relics require the attention of both the house priest/ess to appeal to Ji'Kalna to grant the spirit a place within the natami and the necromancer to guide the spirit into it's proper place. Because of this many of the house members are careful to stay within Ji'Kalna's favor so they are assured a place within the house natami. The natami ceremonies of the priest/ess while short is began slightly before the necromancer ceremony which requires a longer amount of time to complete. Both parts of the ceremony are required to place a spirit within the natami.

Ji'Ken

Those who live along the River, have a much more immediate threat. The Oni are known to inhabit bodies, walking the world as Zombies and Skeletons. And it is in the treacherous jungle that the malicious spirits often find these remains. The River Villages are the most immediate threat, and the Oni are known to throw themselves at them mindlessly. The Necromancers of the Ji'Ken, are those who protect the villages against such incursions. The Goddess has blessed them with great wisdom and power of the dead, and woe to the Ji'Ken who dishonors one so intricate to the well-being of the community. Children fear them, adults warily respect them, and the elderly patiently await their arrival.
Again, while the Ji'Ken necromancers are responsible for entombing the remains of the dead, there are very rarely more then a handful per Village. Their services are generally needed often enough, that they become a rare commodity. Indeed, some wander from village to village, helping where they are needed most. As a general trend, female necromancers will often stay within a village, tending to it from the outside, while the male necromancers often will safeguard the village from the outside, hunting the Oni in the jungles. While it is unknown whether it is possible to destroy a spirit, it does seem to postpone destruction.