Syltheris
(a.k.a. The Radiant Queen)
Syltheris manifests as a figure of breathtaking, almost painful beauty and perfect symmetry. Her skin radiates golden light from within, creating the impression of a contained sun that brightens or dims with her emotions. Her features combine the best aspects of elven beauty—almond-shaped eyes of shifting amber and gold that seem to contain galaxies of wisdom, high cheekbones that catch light like faceted gems, and lips that appear to constantly whisper the secrets of creation. Her hair flows like liquid sunlight, extending far beyond her physical form to merge with rays of actual sunlight, allowing her consciousness to touch anything the sun illuminates. She typically wears diaphanous robes woven from pure magical energy and morning light, adorned with living flowers that never wither and crystallized dewdrops that catch and refract her inner radiance. A crown of intertwining silver branches studded with white blossoms rests upon her head, symbolizing her authority over the natural cycle of growth and renewal.
Worship of Syltheris centers around harmony, enlightenment, and the nurturing aspects of order. Her followers include elven rulers, high mages, healers, and artists who seek to create works of perfect beauty. Devotional practices involve meditation during dawn hours, the tending of sacred gardens arranged in geometrically perfect patterns, and the composition of complex musical harmonies believed to resonate with the fabric of creation itself. Many adherents maintain small crystal prisms in their homes that catch morning light, creating rainbow patterns they use as focuses for daily prayers and contemplation.
Temples to Syltheris are rare formal structures, as elves believe the goddess is most present in natural settings touched by both sunshine and ancient magic. Their sacred spaces typically center around ancient groves where towering trees have been carefully guided over centuries to create natural cathedrals. Within these spaces, elven artisans create "light sculptures"—arrangements of crystal, precious metal, and enchanted flora that interact with sunlight to create complex patterns of illumination that change with the seasons. The heart of each sacred grove contains a "Radiance Pool"—a reflection pool positioned to capture perfect symmetry between the sky above and its reflection below, used for scrying and communion with the goddess during perfectly clear days.
During the summer solstice, followers hold the "Festival of Unending Light," a day-long celebration where elves remain awake from sunrise to sunset, engaging in continuous artistic creation, magical study, and harmonious music-making. They believe this concentrated focus of creative energy helps renew Syltheris's radiance, which in turn maintains the cosmic balance between creation and entropy. In regions where seasons change dramatically, elves also observe the "Ceremony of Returning Light" after winter solstice, celebrating the promise of the sun's return with elaborate illumination rituals designed to guide Syltheris's attention back to lands that have dwelled in darkness.
Divine Domains
Life, Magic, the Sun, and Order
Holidays
The Festival of Unending Light (15th of Eryndal) - A day-long celebration where elves remain awake from sunrise to sunset, engaging in continuous artistic creation, magical study, and harmonious music-making.
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