Sokolme, The Daughter

God of Magic, and the Moon

The Daughter, the Blade of Winter
Sokolmé ^{(so-KOHL-mey)} is known by mythos to be the creation of Kurn, and for that reason is mostly commonly known as The Daughter and referred to as feminine by the peoples of Armea.
Unlike many deities, Sokolmé has a permanent physical presence in the material, mortal realm in the form of the moon. The darkest, most distinct features on her surface form the likeness of a sword hilt, with lighter features implying a blade.
During the equinoxes, also known as the Night of the High Magic or the Night of the Eye, when she aligns behind the Lunar Eye the ‘blade’ appears as an aurora that stretches from her hilt and through the center of the Lunar Eye to bathe the entirety of Armea in coruscating silver, crimson, and shadow.
During the solstices, when Sokolmé aligns in front of the Lunar Eye, the auroral ‘blade’ forms as it does with the equinoxes, but directed out to the stars and away from Armea instead, and the moon itself appears to vanish. This scintillating display fading off into the depths is the only physical sign in the sky of the moon that remains for the duration of what is known as the Night of No Moon or the Night of No Magic.

One Moon, Three Faces

The Divine Auspices
The Daughter is a single physical object in the sky that is known by three intertwined yet distinct aspects, each with her own name and demeanor. The Divine Auspices have been known to the peoples of Armea since The Daughter's birth, during which she emerged, blood red, into and from Armea’s shadow.

Ilkanoa

The First Daughter, the Red Moon, Firstborn-From-Blood
Ilkanoa ^{(ill-KAHN-oh-uh)} rules over the schools of Necromancy and Transmutation, as well as the universality of magic itself. As she transitions between the other two Divine Auspices, her influence over their Schools of magic waxes and wanes accordingly, and it is at its height during the totality of a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses of all kinds are considered holy to this Divine Auspice, as are the moments during moonrise and moonset near threshold of the horizon when she is veiled in reddish hues.

Sasiroa

The Silent Daughter, the Black Moon, Born-Between-in-Secret
Sasiroa ^{(sa-SEER-oh-uh)} rules over Abjuration, Enchantment, and Illusion. Her influence corresponds to waning phases, with the height of her influence being during the new moon. Solar eclipses of all kinds, but especially total solar eclipses, are considered holy to this Divine Auspice and a testament of her power.

Arasnoa

The Seeking Daughter, the White Moon, Lastborn-And-Brightest
Arasnoa ^{(a-RAZ-no-uh)} rules over Conjuration, Divination, and Evocation. Her influence corresponds to waxing phases, with the height of her influence being during the full moon. The times when the moon is visible in the fullness of the day are considered holy to this Divine Auspice, regardless of the phase, as it is only Arasnoa that can compete with the splendor of the sun (without having to occult it to do so) when they share the sky.

Signs & Symbols

Holy Symbol
The common and widely recognized holy symbol of Sokolmé is a solid red circle flanked by black crescents and ringed in white, surrounded by a blue-black glittering ring. When the Divine Auspices are represented individually, their symbol a simplified version: a solid circle of their corresponding color. Ilkanoa and Arasnoa’s variations are surrounded by the same starry ring, while Sasiroa’s is often ringed in gold instead.
Another, older version of Sokolmé’s symbol is a grey circle with the shadow of a sword hilt, with a downward pointed blade overlapped by three crescents in red, black, and white order. As the cults that worshiped The Daughter began to focus more on venerating one of her Divine Auspices over the others, this symbol fell out of common usage and was replaced by designs specific to that Auspice.

^{A holy symbol of Sasiroa, as it might appear in the form of a pendant made from black pearl and gold.}

The Sacred

The equinoxes and solstices are considered sacred to The Daughter in all of her Divine Auspices, as each one represents a transition between them.
Pearls are also considered sacred. It is believed that they are formed out of the moonlight that filters into water, where the light is it is collected and reformed by mollusks. All pearl-producing creatures are therefore also considered holy to The Daughter, and are typically not eaten outside of ritual. Species of similar varieties that do not produce pearls may eaten as part of a normal diet without restriction.
Devotees take extreme care to harvest pearls from oysters, clams, and mussels without harming the creature, so they can be returned to continue producing pearls. With species that cannot have their pearls extracted without being killed in the process, they are usually harvested only in times of great need, when death is part of the intended magic for the pearl’s use, or when the creature has been found already deceased. Harvest almost always occurs in the winter months, and the exact month depends on which Divine Auspice the harvester favors, or which school of magic they are hoping the pearls to have affinity for.
It is a commonly held convention that the paler the pearl, and thus more like Arasnoa it is, the better it is for the divination. Diviners and devotees of the Seeking Daughter sometimes go to great lengths to attain the palest of pearls that are harvested in the light of a full moon, believing that a spell focus with such a powerful tie to Arasnoa will make their divinations much more potent, and allow them to accurately Identify even the most hidden of curses.
The first Pearl of Power is believed to have been shown to a devotee by The Daughter herself, infused with her magic, and the knowledge of how to create more. The importance of pearls for the creation of this magic item, as well as for a spell component for certain spells, has brought more secular markets into contention with followers of Sokolmé when the demand for profit takes priority over respect of the sacred. It is not unknown that followers of Sokolmé have come into contention, sometimes brutally and violently so, with those seeking to exploit the precious resource with harvesting methods deemed to be sacrilegious or unsustainable.

Divine Classification

Middle God