larwood wrote:What are the long-term benefits of rites?
Permanent bonuses to various skills or stats
larwood wrote:What do they do for me, other than something to occupy my time and skill points?
see above
larwood wrote:Are the rites in Zorai, Matis, and Tryker better than the Fyros one?
Zorai has three of them. One similar to the axe plan that gives a Non-Racial Buckler, One that gives 50 sap, and one that gives the Absorb Damage stanza for harvesting.
Tryker has two of them. One for range crafting that allows a non-racial Bow-Rifle and a harvesting rite that gives a free extraction time bonus.
Matis officially has 2, but there is a hidden 3rd one. All three of them give 50 focus.
If they are "better" or not is a matter of opinion. The non-racial crafting plans may not be the most attractive pieces (actually, they look rather like props from a Viking movie... or, dare I say it, something an Orc would wear) but the ability to use any nations mats on them makes them quite useful. Other things like the absorb damage stanza make harvesting a lil easier. Plus having a lil extra sap or focus ain't too bad either
larwood wrote:How many of them are there?
8 plus the "hidden" one
larwood wrote:Who do I talk to in each place? (ie... matis, zorai...) And wehre can i find them?
You must have a fame over 34 with the civilization that you're attempting to do the rite with. Usually you can talk to the Intendant of the Capital city and they will provide you with the Encyclopedia page you have to fill out. However, there are rites that are simply "discovered" by doing missions, etc. It is usually the larger rites that give the crafting plans, stanzas, etc. that are received from the intendants.
larwood wrote:Are they worth doing?
I think so. They're fun to do and the bonuses can come in handy
larwood wrote:Can anyone provide me with some information?
Yes, send me a tell in game and I'll give you all the info you need
larwood wrote:Is there a website that has them mapped out to save me loads of time running around looking for that specific NPC? (is that cheating?

)
Yes, the Ballistic Mystix site is a life saver!
http://www.ballisticmystix.com/npcFinder.jsp