Var-Matara, Aspect of Hunt
Nothingness clashed with Matter for the fourth time, bringing forth a new world into existence; and from the initial hit came forth the first rule of this new world, the first Aspect to govern Aclara: a law of fang and claw, a rule of might and survival. Hunt, and be hunted. The spark flew and tore a hole into the Veil of the yet-to-be-filed Aclara, birthing a plane of luxurious rainforests and noxious swamps, of grasslands that stretched for ages and mountains that basked under the sun. The spark stretched itself, filling this world with beauty and ferocity; and from its embers rose Hunt, with a bow in their hands and wolf cubs sleeping at their feet.
The first Divine Aspect to be created, Var-Matara represents nature, or the primordial connection of all living beings. Ruling over the concept of Hunt, or "the World acting upon Itself", Var-Matara is responsible for maintaining the cycles of life and death all across Aclara. It is their duty to oversee each biome and ecosystem; however, they almost never intervene to aid individuals, as saving an animal from death is denying another one's survival. Var-Matara is quick to act, however, when sentient species threaten the natural habitats of animals, or the species themselves.
Many hunters ask for their divine help during hunting activities, or simply show respect for nature. Oftentimes, nobles will personally leave the organs of the hunted animals as offerings for the Aspect's avatars, making sure not to throw away the game as they keep the trophy for themselves.
The Realm of Hunters
Var-Matara's home plane is Tsuder, a land inhabited by very few sentient creatures that call themselves "Matsarii". They live as nomad tribes and use bare-bones tools, weapons and magic spells in order to hunt and survive. The lands of Tsuder have the purest form of mana in all of Aclara - many plants and wild animals have evolved the ability to harness it over thousands of years, making them able to cast spells as well.
Divine Domains
To Hunt and to be Hunted: Var-Matara is attuned to all aspects of nature, from the beetles roaming the earth to the trees that cover plains and hills, from the peaceful herbivores to the cruel hunters of the night. Through the act of hunting, one can connect to the natural flow of life and death - an existence ruled by the most primal urges, freedom through abolishment of higher needs. In Var-Matara's eyes, there is nothing more important than survival at any cost; any hunter not careful enough can become prey in an instant. Such a balance is hard to maintain, yet nature never strives to create or preserve an equilibrium. Live to eat and die to be eaten. Nothing more, nothing less.
Var-Matara is one of the least worshiped Aspects because of their affinity towards unintelligent life; however, the few worshipers are very loyal to the Way of the Hunt; most of them are hunters themselves, some of which live their entire lifespans as far away from society as they can. As long as people don't disrespect the forests, the animals, the act of hunting or nature in general, Var-Matara will offer their support to those who need it, even if they don't ask for it.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The crescent moon and claws is the representative symbol for Var-Matara across all the religions of Aclara; while every culture reinterprets these two cornerstones by adding their unique flavor, the original sigil depicts the crescent with its gap towards the lower-right part and with three identical cuts starting from its center and escaping through the gap - the claws of beasts reaching the very stars as gods succumb to the cycle of life.
This symbol will always appear at night, on rocks, tree bark and even soil - any place that's clearly visible. It is quite easy to spot it from far away, as the mark will glow with a pale white light, resembling moonlight; seeing it is very important, as it serves as separators between the hunting grounds and the rest of the forest. Anyone - and anything - that enters the area, be it by accident or willingly, is considered a participant of the Hunt and will have the mark appear on their body. The only way for a participant to escape is to survive until its end; after the Wild Hunt ends, the markings will disappear.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
As a Divine Aspect, Var-Matara has only one goal: preservation of nature throughout Aclara, even if it comes at the cost of the sapient lifeforms that inhabit the planes. While they are aware of the threat posed by the Jin-Iataxi, as long no animal or plant is hurt, they will not intervene. If the Veilborn hurt nature even a little bit, they will get splintered by the divine retribution of the Divine Aspect as hundreds of arrows will fall like a shimmering rain upon the dark creatures.
There is another, more personal goal that guides the actions of the Aspect - to have their most fervent followers serve by their side as a pack. To make sure only the strongest and most cunning hunters get the chance of living next to them, Var-Matara periodically sets up a hunting event for them, one that can take place on almost any plane from Aclara and that lasts for a couple of days - the rare and terrifying season of the Wild Hunt. Most mortals have only two-three chances to even participate in it, as it occurs once every ten years on a randomly-chosen plane. Still, those who take part in the Wild Hunt (willingly or not) and manage to survive (or even hunt down a follower of the Aspect) will be given the chance to become part of the divine pack and live the rest of their life as a mythical beast. All the beasts in Var-Matara's pack are such "winners", chosen through the laws of beasts and nature to sit at the apex.
Comments