Mitéra IV is similar in size to Earth, sporting seven continents from the fossilized remains of a proto-god named Mother. It is rich in many resources, which has allowed civilization and life to flourish since its creation. The predominant religion across Mitera, coined Maternism, focuses on Mother and her immediate children: the Primeval. Over the centuries, due to Mother’s lack of direct communication, the Primeval have taken on most of the limelight in the general populaces eyes; and while some sects of denizens worship the wider pantheon equally – dedicating specific seasons, months, or holidays to each of Mother’s children – others devote themselves to specific Primeval (especially those who live a deity’s territory).

General worship includes prayer, offerings, and acts of service done in the deity’s name. Each of the Primeval have specific festivals held in their honor, and in modern day, they have become widespread holidays that even those not dedicated to worship may celebrate. Extremely dedicated followers may find themselves rewarded with a Gift – an elemental ability tied to whichever Primeval awarded the power. Swyns, however, are born with an inherent Gift due to the genetic link they share with Mother (though can still receive a further Blessing, which may or may not fall in line with the elemental ability they already possess). Individuals can possess multiple Gifts, but it is considered extremely rare.

The word Swyndler was derived from the old English spelling of swine – swyn – from the Old World, and the word Swindler; the former chosen due to the pig-like appearance of their muzzles, and the latter thanks to their natural inclination to collect various items (colloquially earning the name ‘pack rats’) for personal troves.

Of course, there are also several subspecies of Swyndlers: Thalaswyns, large semi-aquatic Swyn originally built for maritime duties, and their avian-centered counterparts, the Hoscines; Swastrugi – Sastrugi Swyn – a form-shifting subtype developed for more specialized tasks as well as their mutated were-counterpart; and the Augoar and Boaroul, the result of messing with the purity of Swyndler DNA sequences.

*Note: Swyndlers are a personal species I am working to port my Grem2 into! They are considered AU forms of my grems.