Tyton, the Nightfather

As day turns to night, so must all things end. Respect the power of death, but fear not the end, for it is part of the rhythm.

Tyton is depicted as an immense black barn owl. It is believed he ushers the night in by spreading his wings over the sky. Tyton also governs time, memory, and death. As the sun must set, so too must the light of life give way to the darkness of the grave. Rather than being seen as a frightful figure, Tyton is looked upon as kind; he greets the old, the frail, and those at the end of their lives as familiar friends, guiding their souls peacefully back into the Great Rhythm, where they will be reborn, in time.

When not occupying the sky, it is believed Tyton resides in the lands of death. It is not an afterlife; rather, this is a part of the Great Rhythm where everything is cold, dark, and eternally still. His abode lies beyond the parts of the Rhythm associated with life, a divide impossible for mortals to cross. Even other Amaranthine find travel to the lands of death difficult, except for Altus, who resides there with Tyton for most of the year, only leaving to bring winter storms across the land.

In addition to guiding the souls of the dead, Tyton is associated with the coming of old age, and the keeping of memory. When Tyton is invoked at funerals, it is to remember those who have passed, and to recall their lives and deeds. He watches the living, patiently observing all beneath him. Tyton can learn all there is to know of your life by watching your dreams. Because Tyton watches the living from birth to death, he is known as “Father Owl”.

Tyton frowns upon those who would seek to enslave the souls of the dead using necromantic magics, and those who would desecrate the tombs of the deceased, as these actions corrupt the natural cycle.