Member of the Priesthood of Pishe
Full Title: Reverend Pit Veridicus the Abbot of Pishe, Pishe's PR Representative
Occupation: Hippy, Pishe priest and bouncy person.
Nationality: Morporkian
Citizenship: Ankh-Morpork
As the youngest member in a family of priests, Pit was destined to join the church of Pishe before he was even born. This happened somewhat earlier than expected when, 4 years old, Pit refused to leave the temple without his older brother Pli, who had just been initiated as a novice in the church. Their parents, after having discussed the situation with the temple elders, decided not to tear the brothers apart by force, and allowed Pit to stay behind with his brother, rather than taking him along as they continued their missionary travels over the world.
Thus, Pit grew up in Pishe's temple in Ankh. His education was mainly guided by Kilan, one of the temple teachers, who taught young Pit to respect life and serve Pishe in the best ways a child can do. Pit took these lessons by heart and tried to bring them in practice, first by saving small insects from drowning in Pishe's pool, later - when he was old enough to wander the city by himself - by bringing home lost children, visiting elders and finding lost pets a new home.
He didn't get actively involved in fights. After all, as Kilan had discussed with him, who was he to decide who was right and who was wrong, if any? And you can't really fight violence with violence. Instead, if people were fighting around Pit, he just looked really sadly at them, and the sight of the small boy in a robe and with flowers in his hair, looking like that, often left people feeling a bit awkward and not too much in a mood to go on hitting each other.
Of course, wandering around in Morpork in a funny dress and not really looking very tough, Pit couldn't always prevent nastyness. The first time a streetgang teamed up on him, he didn't think of running away quickly enough, and would have been toroughly beaten up, if Pishe hadn't interfered. But Pit, praying for help, accidently performed his first ritual, and a wave of water splashed over his - very surprised - oppressors, giving him the chance to get away.
From that day, Pit studied the rituals of the church, and soon learned not only to splash people, but also to make light (very useful when reading before going to bed), and bless people.
As Pit grew older, he explored more parts of the city of Ankh-Morpork and the places surrounding her. He talked to people from all parts of civilisation; from Sto Lat nobles and farmers to Morporkian beggars and sailors in the docks. This, and his training by Kilan never to judge people, gave him a broad and tolerant view of people, which, although quite naive, never really brought him in trouble. He also learned a lot - languages from sailors, playing a guitar from street musicians, history, culture and many other things.
In the temple, he progressed to the greater rituals. He turned away from the smiting of evil most members of the clergy considered natural, and instead focussed on the bringing of life and healing. He visited Pishe's temples in other parts of the world and did some missionary work far beyond the places where most priests were willing to go, but always came back to the temple in Ankh, which he called home.
This hasn't changed. Pit, 17 years old, still lives in apothecary gardens, keeping good contact with his parents, brother, direct cousin and other members of the family (the ones, at least, who worship Pishe or can find it in their heart to accept that their far-away-cousin does). Although Kilan has passed away from old age, Pit remembers his lessons and is now himself a temple teacher. He spends most of his time trying to help people, occasionally getting abused, making music, visiting new places and spreading love amongst the locals. And being happy and generally having a good time. For that, after all, is the most important thing.
A proud, old family, the Veridicusses are split into many branches. Originally a small set of people dedicating their life to the search for the truth, the family has long since found their way into the many priesthoods on the disc.
Of course, being divided over several priesthoods has not made the members of the family more unified. Even those who live in the same street often refuse all contact with each other.
Occasionally though, there are those of a more tolerant persuasion, who accept that family, after all, is family, however misguided they might be, and take their relatives for who they are.
Pit originates from one of the Pishite branches, whose members have specialised in doing missionary work. Travelling the world, they visit small villages, desert tribes and sometimes new continents to spread the word of Pishe and to bring Her showers of mercy to the inhabitents.
As a youngster, Pit's father stopped a virgin sacrifice in the forests near J'Nub Avr and taught the people alternative ways of worship, making them sacrifice flowers instead. He fell in love with the girl he saved, and asked her father for her hand in marriage, which he was granted after collecting 5 buckets of flowers. Two years later, their first child, Pli, was born. They took their son along on their travels, as was usual in the family.
For 8 years, Pli was an only child, only occasionally accompanied by his younger cousin Pri. But then his parents decided to take a second child, and Pit was born.
Pit and Pli happily enjoyed their childhood together and with their parents, untill the time came that Pli was old enough to be trained as a priest. He was initiated in the temple of Ankh-Morpork, but young Pit realised this meant they would be leaving his brother behind and after the ceremony, when his parents tried to take him back to their residence in town, he shook them off and ran towards his brother, clinging on to him, refusing to leave. In the end, the brothers were allowed to stay together.
Some years later, they tracked down several of their relatives living close and visited them. Although most family members slammed the door shut in their faces (unwilling as they were to accept that their own flesh and blood would worship another deity than they did), some were quite happy to embrace these small strangers into their hearts.