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syltris

Syltris's Religion

Syltris is the Lensmoorian Goddess of the Wheel. Her faith is chaos-aligned. Followers of the Goddess can be identified by one of four symbols: an Ethereal Wheel, a silver loom, a cerulean staff or a pair of sable shears. These symbols represent the core ideals of Her faith. The passage of Time itself is an ethereal Wheel that spins the Tapestry of Fate on Her loom, measures the threads with Her staff, and then cuts threads with Her shears. By nature of Her dreaming so long, Syltris is known as 'The Dreamer', and by that token Her holy symbol gives a boost to dreams.

The Goddess most frequently appears to mortals as The Maiden, as Her forms of Mother and Crone are more solitary in nature. However, in recent history She has shown both these forms when Her will demands. Her aspects change without warning, and sometimes unprovoked; such is the nature of the Tapestry when the desires of mortals are imprinted upon it. The Goddess is clad in raw magic and the clothes of ancient warriors who first willed Her into existence with their beliefs; the magic fuels both Her staff and Her shears as they guide Her hands upon Her loom.

Syltris created a link between the Tapestry and the Birch Forest, and Her Temple can be found there. It is a series of open-air stone pavilions, a callback to earlier times and also to allow the forest to largely remain undisturbed. The Temple itself is navigated by magic transport to further prevent disruption to the wilds around it. The influence of the earliest followers of the Goddess can still be felt in the Temple itself.

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The Great Tapestry shifted as the Divine Maiden woke. 'Why did you stop dreaming?' the threads of the tapestry whispered to Her mind. 'Our story is not yet complete.' The Maiden smiled.

'It is time to let mortals weave your threads,' She responded. The Great Tapestry shifted again in acknowledgement. The Maiden raised Her hand to the cloth, and Divine Power rippled through it. The threads shimmered and extended, casting a Weave over the realms. The Maiden took up Her place in the Pantheon of Lensmoor, casting Her influence over those who would follow The Wheel.

Syltris represents the combination of Fate and Time. Unsatisfied that either element alone could influence the world properly, Syltris decided to sleep for centuries and let those aspects manifest singly; the elements were larger than her status as demigoddess. Her dreams created the Great Tapestry that Fate holds influence over, with one very interesting side effect. As the Maiden dreamt, dream remnants formed a Wheel that Time turned, creating that unrelenting and quick-changing passage.

The Wheel serves as the constant movement of Time as it affects the world. The Maiden turns the Wheel and helps ensure that nothing remains stagnant; everything changes and is repurposed as Time marches steadily forward. If this progress and change is ignored, a person risks being crushed between the spokes as the Wheel spins.

Syltris disagrees that Fate is inevitable, and encourages Her following to weave their own destiny using the tools at Her disposal. Her Loom weaves threads, Her Staff measures them, and Her Shears cut them. The Great Tapestry is then modified as its threads are manipulated in a manner that helps keep up with the turning of The Wheel. Her following is encouraged to ascribe to at least one of those aspects, but those who embrace more than one find Her favor quickest.

Because Time is an ever-changing passage, the Goddess will appear to Her following as the Maiden, the Mother or the Crone, depending on which of Her aspects is in focus at the time. Her whims, and Her form, changes as Her aspects wax and wane.

Background

Long ago, as the world was forming, a young Demigoddess watched as Divine Powers divided up aspects important to mortalkind to lend Their influence to. She saw Fate and Time divided; one Neutral and one Chaotic, ruling different continents. The Demigoddess frowned, for She believed there was no division between these elements which depend so heavily on each other. Unable to make Her voice heard, She entered into a deep sleep.

As She slept, the Goddess Tsanya who once ruled Fate disappeared. The God Ardante, Keeper of Time, vanished to be replaced by the Goddess Sudeva, governess of Time and Transformation. Then Sudeva too faded, and the elements of Fate and Time were left ungoverned with no influence on either continent.

Then, the heavens shifted. Scars of a centuries-old war were torn asunder. The Demigoddess found Herself awake, a new power pulsing through Her veins. As She stretched out Her hand, She found that the Wheel which turns the hands of Time responded to Her command. Taking Her place among the Gods at long last, the Goddess Syltris rules over this Wheel and the Great Tapestry whose threads are interwoven with its movement.

Personality

Syltris is a capricious Goddess in some ways. The differing aspects of Her personality manifest themselves in Her appearance. The Maiden has a playful side, somewhat childish in its creativity and mannerisms. The Mother, by contrast, exhibits none of this behaviour. It is replaced by a nurturing and encouraging nature. The Crone, however, has a malicious side. Those who encounter Her should be wary; Her temper is short, Her urge to destroy is strong.

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syltris.txt · Last modified: 2023/04/15 18:15 by electra

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