Ubo

Ubo is the Maetah God of Wolves and Winter. The sacred number of Ubo is 6, and he blesses births of twins or triplets. He is considered the son of Mustyoch and twin brother of Lob, God of the Boars. Ubo's worship evolved from the beast cult of wolves and is the patron deity of hunters. With the transistion of Argaevaligne to a monontheistic religion, his worship is official outlawed, but still cusually honoured in smaller towns and rural areas. Shrines to Ubo are built in hunting blinds and markings left at the edge of woods and overgrown fields. In olrd times, Ubo was honoured at the beginning of winter, and his shamans would emulate the hunting styles of packs of wolves in order for small tribes to survive the harsh winters of the northern Rhiat.

Ubo is still worshipped in Maetah lands outside of Argaevaligne, and in Ramush, Nipend, and parts of Ghikarn'ngai. Only in rural or hunting communities do many dedicated priest exists, but his shrines are common. Shrines and temples are built in great conical structures of stone, often covered in moss or sheets of peat in damp or colder climes. The outside of the structure is hung with bones and skeletons of hunting kills usual deer or other large beasts. Inside the shrine, a central fit bit is kept continually burning, even in the hotest months of the year. Hunters and rural folk consider it unlucky to come across a shrine without the firepit burning, and will usually call off any hunts for the day and tend to the fire, even if the no priest actively monitors the shrine.

Priests of Ubo are usually skilled hunters, and often leaders in smaller towns or villages. In tribal times, the priest of Ubo was the most valued advisor of the chief, and also skilled in the arts of war. Priests dress in heavy white or grey robes or furs and wear jewelery from the teeth of wolves and other beasts. Daily prayers are said at sunset each day, with no fixed weekly celebration. His annual feast is upon the start of winter or first snowfall, when huge quanities of food are consumed with faith that Ubo will provide for the lean winter months. Other worship activities include a fast the night before a great hunt, the donation of a leg of any kills to the priests, and the burnt sacrifice of the runt of the litter from any lairs found