An ancient saying among the Arathee is "The more a man sees, the more a man realizes how blind he truly is." For the Arathee, it is the pinnacle of foolishness and arrogance to try and and assume who the creator of the earth was. If the creator had truly deemed to tell someone his identity, why was there so much dissent and controversy among religions? Although they will give little outward sign of it, the Arathee despise this hubris, and they both despise and pity those who show it.

What the Arathee do agree on with others is that something must have created the world, something must keep the days flowing and the stars turning, and that that something did and does all of it for a reason. As to what that reason is? We are far too insignificant to even infer what it might be.

While humans might not be able to know why, they can figure out a portion of the how, and possibly a who. The Arathee know that the future falls down upon the world like a gentle fog, and thus the future can be ordained from the stars. The present occurs as the fog touches the ground, and the past is buried underneath.

This revelation about gazing into the future is what brought the Arathee to the mountains to begin with, as the legends hold. When the first Seer looked upward and saw the future, he lead the Arathee to the mountains as it was the closest to the sky, and thus closest to the future.

Ever since then, the Seers have guided the Arathee through times hard and soft, and provided guidance on paths unseen by mortal eyes. All Seers are male, for no reason anyone can remember, and with people so close to the border of the world, few dare to try and change tradition.

Most Seers live at the tops of mountains, or as near as they can find a cave or other spot sheltered enough for living. Some have two locations, on slightly farther downhill for the winter or when storms hit.

The Arathee know that the future lies in the sky, and that skilled Seers can see it there. They know that every man and women's life hangs like a string from the stars, slowly sifting down to be woven into the fabric of the world.

They also know that what lies in the sky is not definite, and that those who are strong enough can shape their own destinies. Only the strongest of men and women can do this, and most who have live on in story and legend.

On a similar note, the Arathee believe that if a body is burned after death, the spirit will rise on the smoke and return to the sky, where it may be reborn later. Contrary to the many other culture who seek rebirth or afterlife for the majority of their people, the Arathee only burn those who achieved great deeds in their lives, or did great amounts of good. For the Arathee, being burned is approximate to Sainthood.

For the most part, those who are buried are gone forever, buried beneath the ground into the endless past. There is one way to reach those who came before, and that is through volcanoes. Volcanoes are the only conduit down into the past, but that connection is dangerous. If you get too close to a volcano, it is likely that a vengeful or jealous spirit will come out and drag you down, never to be seen again.

While the Arathee hold no animal sacred of itself, they believe that birds can see the future, as they can fly up to it. As such, they have a greater respect for other cultures who hold birds in high regard, and find religions focused on birds (such as the Vraichems) less silly.

TL;DR

The Arathee believe that some form of God exists, but that humans are too insignificant to comprehend it all. They believe that the future is above them and falls downward. Seers (only male) can look into the sky (primarily stars, but also clouds and stuff) and "read" the future. While their is a set future, strong willed people can change their destiny. If a body is burned after death, the spirit will be reincarnated. If it is buried, it is gone. Reincarnation is of a similar status as of sainthood, in terms of rarity and honor. Volcanoes are ways into the past, but are scary. Birds are cool.