Alayi was the eldest and most authoritative priest in the tribe, and in fact, he was the most powerful person throughout the tribe's three thousand miles.
Every year, he would take a significant portion from the tribe's meager income and select outstanding young people to travel the world in search of the 'Apostle of the Fire God,' as described in the sacred scriptures.
In reality, Alayi himself knew better than anyone that searching for the Apostle of the Fire God was merely an 'excuse;' his true intent was to hope that these outstanding youths would come into greater contact with the outside world and bring back real knowledge to help the tribe grow and prosper—or, to put it another way, to save it from the brink of extinction.
Alayi never doubted the existence of the gods, nor did he doubt the existence of true apostles.
