These fanatics seek out remote stretches of wilderness to better commune with their deities. It’s not that they dislike cities, or other communities, but rather they believe they are closest to their patrons when in the heart of unspoilt wilderness… or so they claim.[1a]
The real reason for their isolationist tendencies is their desire to perform the ceremonies and rituals that celebrate the wild nature of Taal and Rhya. They regularly ingest strange herbs and chemicals to enter trances and experience bizarre visions they believe hold the kernel of divine lore. In some extreme groups, they go so far as to pierce their flesh with wooden hooks and suspend themselves from trees to transcend the bounds of mortal flesh and enter the spiritual domain of the Gods.[1a]
Celebrants, as they call themselves, have little concern for their appearance or cleanliness, and so they are repellent to more refined societies. Infested with lice, ticks, and other parasites, they stink beyond belief, reeking of the unusual tinctures they ingest and the herbs they smoke. As well, most have open sores from exposure and their disturbing rituals, giving them the appearance of plague victims, or among the truly ignorant, Beastmen.[1a]
As a result, once a person joins the Celebrants, they rarely return to their former lives. Divorced from their family and friends, they seek succour from each other and the harsh and unforgiving wilds. Since many vile denizens haunt these same lands, most Celebrant sects end abruptly as food for the ravenous beasts of Chaos.[1a]