Deolaters

Overview

“Deolaters” is used by avout as a broad label for God‑worshipping communities beyond the walls of the maths, sometimes pointing to a specific congregation and sometimes to a wider set of traditions. In mathic iconography this stream is at times contrasted with Hylaea as followers of Deat, but in everyday speech the term functions more generally for extramuros believers and their institutions.

Purpose and Structure

• Organized life commonly takes place within Arks, a family of extramuros affiliations. Examples that Deolaters may belong to include the Bazian Church and communities described as a Counter‑Bazian Ark.
• Institutional forms vary: cathedrals and basilicas in towns, and (in some regions) monasteries with adjacent retreat centers that host visitors. Some settlements are visibly organized around a central ark building that serves as the focus of worship and community events.
• Political posture varies by ark and region: some communities emphasize preserving their apartness from the surrounding culture, while others are described as actively pursuing civic influence; which specific arks fit these descriptions may be debated in‑character.

Practices

• Worship centers on God; observed rites include a pre‑meal prayer that symbolically recalls sacrifice, followed by praise and petitions.
• Services can be quiet or, in some congregations, notably vigorous, with loud, participatory singing. In at least one counter‑Bazian community, worship is followed by a communal picnic on the village green.
• Devotional tokens are sometimes displayed in everyday settings (for example, hanging in vehicles).
• Language and music used in certain Deolater settings (e.g., Bazian monastic houses) employ Orth that is largely intelligible to mathic listeners, with very old prayers sounding notably similar in form.
• Scriptural literacy is emphasized by some isolated sects, with congregants studying texts directly; in one such group, Classical Orth was learned to avoid reliance on translations.
• Some communities study scripture in Old Bazian directly, emphasizing reading in the original language.
• In some regions, locals customarily carry sidearms; this was explained as a local tradition rather than a threat.

Known Members/Associations

• Named adherent: Ferman Beller, a driver who identifies with the Bazian tradition and coordinates lodging at a nearby monastery/retreat.
• Estemard—described as a Deolater living near a remote butte; interacts with a counter‑Bazian community in the nearby village.
• Ganelial Crade—a driver from a Deolater community who travels north with the group; he identifies his community’s lineage with Saunt Bly and characterizes the Warden of Heaven as an offshoot of his faith.
• Related group: Warden of Heaven—discussed by characters as an extramuros movement treated by some Deolaters as a breakaway; in this account it is portrayed as growing and drawing adherents away from older arks.
• The term “Deolater” is also used colloquially by avout to refer to outside proselytizers or ark‑affiliated helpers encountered during openings and journeys.

Recent Activity

• A mixed party of avout and volunteers traveling extramuros accepted hospitality at a mountain retreat operated by Bazian monks. The hosts opened meals with their customary prayer and presented the visitors with books before seeing them off the next morning.
• The same traveling party later came to a small settlement organized around a counter‑Bazian ark, where the townsfolk held a lively service characterized by loud singing, followed by a large picnic on the green that welcomed visitors.
• While staging in and around Norslof, travelers interacted with members of a Deolater community; a local elder offered hospitality, and an apostate relative of a Deolater driver assisted with outfitting and later joined the journey north.
• In discussion of public reticules, an Ita observes that topics such as the excavations at Orithena on Ecba and “the Teglon” draw a mix of highly reputable and low‑repute posts; Deolater voices are mentioned among those contributing to the discourse, and sorting signal from noise is acknowledged as difficult.

Status/Access

Active and diverse across the extramuros world. Deolaters are frequently referenced in teaching as a familiar comparison and sometimes appear offering practical aid (transport, lodging) to travelers.