Valis
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Goddess of Law, The High Queen
Part of the third generation of the Pantheon and the younger half of the divine 'Whispered Twins'. Her divine parents - Amael and Samua - care deeply for both her and her brother, even if they do not always agree with their wayward children.
You say that she is silent, invisible. But do you not hear her? The thunder, her judgement. Do you not see her? The lightning, her fury.
To dismiss her makes you a foolish man and fools do not survive long here.
To Valis, the actions of mortals are only important if they directly impact her plans. Their morals - right and wrong, black and white and all shades of grey - are nothing in her eyes. Murder is a means to an end, lying can be a useful tool against both your allies an your enemies. As long as a mortal doesn't cross her path and impede her plans, she is content to leave them well alone.
The exception to her 'leave the mortals alone' rule is those that follow and worship her.
In her eyes, actions speak louder than anything else a mortal may have to offer. She measures mortals on how they follow her and spread her beliefs. Those who fight in her name, speak out about her triumphs, and fully embody her leadership and authoritative traits are considered to be the most devoted to her. She has no love for those who wax poetics but do not practice those preachings. Though shrines, churches and sacred grounds matter little to her, there are a handful of places in Ma'rune that she holds dear.
Offerings to Valis are demanded when a mortal catches her eye. Someone who embodies her preferred traits will be asked to provide an offering, whilst those who defy her will find themselves scrambling for a sacrifice to appease her anger. Often, those sacrifices end up being the mortals who defied her in the first place. Denying her an offering can be a very brave or very foolish thing to do. During a period of radiance, if the tone of the denial is deemed respectful, Valis will accept the denial of the offering gracefully. During a period of umbrage, denying her an offering will very much result in the mortal's death or suffering.
She doesn’t particularly care for exclusive worship. All that matters to her is that her followers see her as the main deity - the highest authority. The only exceptions to this are for those who worship her brother, Sar, or her consort, Rielek; they are the only deities that she allows her followers to deem equal to (and rarely better than) her. She despises those that see Van-Hael as better than her, so is often at odds with his followers due to the nature of his religion.
Relationships
History
Valis and Van-Hael have worked together in the past to achieve common goals, but there has never been any real friendship behind the notion. Each time they have worked together has been a rather practical affair. More a means to an end than anything else.
Relationship Reasoning
Currently, the main reason for their rivalry is that Valis is trying to break free of the chains that have sealed their divine domain in darkness, whilst Van-Hael is trying to stop her. She believes that freeing the Pantheon from it's prison and starting anew is the best option of the Pantheon right now, lest they all fade away to nothing as time goes on. Van-Hael is actively trying to stop her because breaking those chains will unleash that darkness on the mortal realm, tearing it asunder.
Their rivalry also stems from the beliefs of their worshippers. Ever since the The Church of Van-Hael's creation, his followers have been at odds with the Nightsingers, and Valis has taken this slight against her followers personally.
History
Rielik, like the rest of her people, was grateful for the gods that had given them life. Out of all of them she felt most connected to Valis. As the Goddess of Law, representative of leadership and power, Rielik would call to her for guidance, though she never expected an answer.
Nor did she expect that the Goddess would ever turn her eyes towards her - a mere daelin, a mortal, her life the result of Valis’ own boredom driven mischief.
But Valis surprised her. She would join Rielik on hunts with the rest of the Court. At first, it was a source of entertainment, and a way to keep watch of her creations. Soon, it became something more for both of them.
Valis, though she was loath to admit it at the time, became infatuated with Rielik, whilst Rielik herself thought that the Goddess was just toying with her. So Rielik confronted Valis, seeking honesty, and Valis relented without much resistance.
Their night of passion changed things for Rielik. She began to think more and more about the offer that the Creator had put forth all those years ago - being divine would put Rielik on equal footing with the Goddess. That, and spending time with Valis had begun to change Rielik’s opinion on the other deities. She has seen things like a pure and genuine curiosity that seemed beyond a Goddess’ nature, she had seen Valis relax around her Court, she had seen a smile slip through a usually neutral expression. The Goddess that Rielik had come to know seemed less like a divine being and more like a normal person with every passing day.
Though Valis reassured Rielik that her mortality was not an issue, Rielik eventually approached the Creator and, finally, accepted their offer. Little changed in their relationship after that. Valis would act as Rielik’s guide through divinity and a confidante in her times of need, whilst Rielik brought out something in Valis that she didn’t think she would ever have - an understanding and appreciation for the mortals who shared their world.
Goddess
Favoured Forms
Valis will appear to mortals in the form of an ethereal, daelin woman
Divine Domains
At her strongest (radiance), Valis represents:
- Law and order
- Power
- Leadership and authority
At her weakest (umbrage), Valis represents:
- Immaturity
- Lack of discipline
- Manipulation
I stood at the peak and called up, up, up to the stormy skies above. I prayed and begged and pleaded for someone, anyone, to answer. For eight days I remained. And on the ninth, when I had all but given up hope, the last of my cries dying out like the embers of my fire, lightning struck.
The flash was magnifcent. Blinding.
When I blinked the spots away from my vision, there stood a woman. Eyes crackling, teeth sharp and white and bared, black hair billowing around her, wild in the wind.
"Pray tell," she said. Thunderous. The beginnings of a comman that I so desperately desired to answer. "Why did you sing for me?"
Sacred Places
The Gardens of Lysaer - her first creation, a small garden in Valissa that has since become the final resting place of the Whispered Twins
The Vaultyn Palace - the palace where the Emperor or Empress of Valissa sits, built in her honour, the very foundations blessed by her magic
Everlight Peak - her birthplace and a constant comfort, like the feeling of coming home
Sacred Symbolism
Lions - a representation of power and nobility. This symbol is often shared between Valis and Rielik as a sign of their unshakeable relationship
Rams - power
Elk - nobility
Crow - law
Adder - self control & judgement
arc laurel - laurels for ambition, success, renown
Angrec - royalty
Thorn-apple - disguise
Black tulip - power, strength, supreme elegance
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