Saint Daralena

Our Lady, Maiden of God, Mother of the Faithful Daralena

Then, God came to the Handmaiden
In multifarious faces and multifarious voices
And the Handmaiden prostrated herself before them
And was filled with hope and awe.
"Weak one, we will make you strong,
"Lowly one, we will make you mighty."

Verse 3 of the Canticle of Our Lady, from the Ballad of the Ancient Voyage

And then came upon the caravan of Our Lady
A monstrous horde, born of the fallen gods,
That Amalor itself, whence they came, would abhor.
And the Maiden of God raised her walking stick,
And the Godheads conspired that the staff transform
And become a mighty sword that she would wield.

Verse 37 of the Canticle of Our Lady, from the Ballad of the Ancient Voyage.

Divine Domains

In the Vekirati, Hamingatsen and A'ot Sects, Saint Daralena is not divine at all. The Hamingatsen Sect places the least importance of Daralena believing that her prophetic revelation came to her and all her followers she was simply their leader rather than having a more important sacred duty.
The the Vekirati and A'ot Sects, Saint Daralena was the original prophetess of the true faith. The Vekirati sect also teaches that she was the first mortal to enter the Golden Citadel since the schism of God and that she waits their tending to the Citadel awaiting the end of the world. The A'ot Sect has no such teaching, believing instead that her soul, as with any mortal was split amongst the Godheads at her death and will only reunify at the end of the world.
The fourth and final major sect, the Bi'tsng'ot Delta Sect or Ancient Voyage, believes in the ascension of Daralena directly into Heaven before she died. They believe she is the regent of Golden Citadel and will rule there until the reunification of God. Unlike the other major sects, they pray to Daralena directly who they see as having a direct role in affecting the lives of mortals. She is mostly seen as a compassionate, motherly protector who defends the weak and the downtrodden. Unlike the Godheads, Daralena has a nuanced and mortal perspective on the world, this is frequently suggested by the Ancient Voyage clergy as the reason the Godheads chose to bring her into the Golden Citadel rather than allowing her to die.

Holy Books & Codes

There exist a number of early, though poorly dated, papyrus codices which may be contemporary to Daralena or written shortly after her death which detail her life and teachings. These codices, called the 'Palemnae' in Amalorian, are fragmentary and some may be fake. Most of them are held in the Grand Cathedral of Our Lady of the Golden Citadel (also known as The Anchor) in Bi'tsng'ot Delta. 
There also exist around 30 stone carvings that date from shortly after Daralena's death which are concentrated in central Nangkap, around Vaitaret.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Daralena is very often depicted in one of two forms: as a handmaiden in simply clothes and often crowned, or as a warrior wearing plate armour and holding a sword and shield. 
In all four major sects, Daralena was attacked by followers of the Old Gods when she journeyed west to proselytise. She was sacrificed on an alter to the Old Gods by being stabbed through the heart. In the Vekarati and Bi'tsng'ot traditions she was not killed and instead ascended to Heaven. The symbol of a glowing heart pierced by a dagger is therefore frequently used in those sects. In the Bi'tsng'ot sect, the heart is often crowned.
In the A'ot sect, the most common symbol of Daralena is a stone tower split in half by a glowing sword, a reference to the story of Daralena casting down the Old Gods' temple in Barastagar.

Holidays

All four sects celebrate a holiday dedicated to Saint Daralena and especially focussing on her death or ascension. 
In the Ancient Voyage traditions, Saint Daralena's Day is the most important day of the year. It is celebrated on the 15th of Persirion and commemorates Daralena's ascension to the Golden City after the worshippers of the Old Gods tried to murder her. The preparations for the holy day begin at least a month in advance. The streets, homes and businesses are decorated with red and gold representing the blood of Daralena and the Golden Citadel. On the day, a precession of dancers and musicians in fine clothes lead the faithful through the streets to the temple where a service of joyful singing takes place. This is often followed by a vibrant festival where street vendors sell food and decorative dress jewellery and minstrels play music in the public squares. The day after Daralena's Day is usually considered a day for celebrating with family.
In contrast, the celebrations of the Vekirati Sect (on the same day) are generally private family affairs. People usually go to the temple in the morning and then gather in their family homes in the afternoon for a large meal. They also decorate the streets and their homes but not to the degree seen in Bi'tsng'ot Delta. In fact, many wealthy citizens of Vekirai travelled to Bi'tsng'ot Delta for Daralena's Day to join the festival there.
Daralena is celebrated on two days in the A'ot tradition. There is a joyous celebration involving music, dancing and feasting on the second Valneva of Imarat (the 10th Imarat this year). This celebration marks the destruction of the Old Gods' temple in Barastagar by Daralena at the start of the slave rebellion. The solemn day is on the 3rd Valneva of Persirion (the 20th Persirion this year). This day commemorates the death of Daralena. The day is marked by fasting and silent prayer. It is common for flagellants to walk the street on this day, beating themselves and begging the Godheads for forgiveness. 
The Hamingatsen Sect commemorates the death of Daralena on the 12th day after the 5th new moon of the year. This year (170AU) this will be the 34th Koudelon. The event is marked by three days of fasting and solemn songs which are associated with slow and sorrowful dances.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Daralena may have been born in Amalor (modern day Vekirai) or in Barastagar, a now lost city likely somewhere near modern Vaitaret, sometime around 1000BU. Most stories have her as a handmaiden to a noble woman in the Ancient Amalorian Empire. In the traditions of the Ancient Voyage, she was the handmaiden of the Harbourmaster's wife in Amalor. 
She was an important figure in the Amalorian slave rebellion which was either a consequence or cause of the fall of the Amalorian Empire. In the Polyarchist tradition, the Godheads came to her and made her their messenger. She then lead an army of former slaves against the Amalorian government. She is credited with the destruction of a number of Amalorian temples. Polyarchists see her as the foundress of their faith.
After the war, she travelled around North-East M'dia with her disciples, proselytising. She was set upon in the west by remnant followers of the old Amalorian gods and sacrificed on a ritual altar by a dagger through her heart. In the Bi'tsng'ot Delta and Vekirati traditions, she was saved by the Godheads who tooks her, still alive to the Golden Citadel where she remains. In the Hamigatsen and A'ot traditions, she truly died and her soul was divided amongst the Godheads as every mortal's soul is.

Social

Religious Views

Daralena's own religious views are hotly contested by Polyarchist scholars. No records of her own writings exist and some have suggested that, as a slave or servant, she would have been illiterate. There exist a few fragmentary ancient papyrus codices and stone steles that contain limitation information about her travels and teachings. Most of her story was recorded hundreds of years after her death and based on oral tradition.

Divine Classification

Saint, semi-divine per some sects

Species

Espirion

Church/Cult

Polyarchism

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Daralena is referred to by a great many titles. She is frequently describes a the 'Maiden of God/the Gods' or as the mother of the faithful. In the Ancient Voyage of Bi'tsng'ot Delta, she is the central figure of the faith and is sometimes called the 'All-Mother' or the 'Custodian of Heaven' in reference to her supposed role as the caretaken of the Heaven before the reunification of God. In the Vekirati Sect, she is not considered to be divine, instead serving principally as a prophetess and thus she is sometimes called the 'Voice of God'.

Date of Birth

Unknown

Circumstances of Death

Either ascended to Heaven alive or was captured and executed

Birthplace

Possibly Vekirai or 'Barastagar', a now lost city

Aligned Organization

Polyarchism