The Lady

(a.k.a. The Inheritor, The Noblewoman, The Chivalrous Knight)

Aphorism:
- For Victory, For the Heart
Whether whispered as a prayer or shouted as a challenge, this saying refers to striking at the heart to make sure a foe is slain. Knights use it in battle, priests use it when baptizing a new acolyte, and farmers use it when cutting a tree stump

Divine Domains

Main Domains: Nobility, Glory
Other Domains: Animal, Charm, Community, Law, War

Holy Books & Codes

The 11 Acts of The Lady
The Acts of The Lady were eleven miracles performed by the goddess The Lady throughout Caelestra. Recounted in the holy text of her faith (usually just called The Acts among her faithful) each of the then-mortal goddess's legendary episodes of heroism provides an example of Highborne virtues. The details of the stories vary between regions, though all have the same general themes. The Lady herself acknowledges that the lessons themselves are important, not the particulars.
The Acts

First Act
The Lady first slew Nakorshor'mond, cutting the unconscious bodies of those whom she would protect from the beast's stomachs.
The Second Act
In her second miraculous act, she defeated a coven of witches in the Autumnwood, freeing the woods from their tyranny.[2]
The Third Act
From the back of a flying griffon, the soon-to-be-goddess hewed Kadranth, the Iron Gargoyle's wings from his body, sending the so-called King of the Grey Mountains plummeting to the ground where she slew him in his falling-crater before he could escape. The crate came to be known as Grey Lake.
The Fourth Act
Calling upon Caspian's then-herald Valence, The Lady convinced a regiment of mortally wounded knights at the Second Battle of the Bastion to stay their ground against a horde of orcs until reinforcements arrived at dawn to rescue them.
The Fifth Act
In what is now considered her fifth miraculous act, The Lady smote Got Bloodfang at the Battle of Renfield, forcing the crippled Lord of the Gnolls into hiding in the depths of The Barrens.
The Sixth Act
The Lady instantly reforged her sword—magically shattered by the Whispering Tyrant—fusing it together with a prayer and an oath to end the wizard-king's evil.
The Seventh Act
The Seventh Act was the calling of the Undenying Light in Virtus, which is commemorated at the Seventh Church of Virtus. As a terrible storm shrouded the city in darkness, a pack of sea-ghouls attacked the city. The then-mortal Lady called for the Starstone to light the city; the Starstone Cathedral glowed with blue fire, and the stars shone rays of light that targeted the ghouls and allowed The Lady and the city's defenders to destroy them.
The Eighth Act
Convincing the deathknight known as the Black Prince to throw himself upon his sword as punishment for his evil is considered The Lady's Eighth Act. This righteous suicide redeemed the undead knight's soul and allowed him to be judged in the Halls of Isil.
The Ninth Act
In order to free nine righteous knights from imprisonment by the vampire-mage Damien Basil, The Lady gave nine drops of her own blood; when Damien Basil attempted to recapture them, she and the knights slew him.
The Tenth Act
In the absence of its rightful lord—the heirless patriarch of House Caspian—The Lady ruled the city of Virtus for a year and a day while its lord, bringing prosperity to the city despite constant attacks by shapechanging horrors, which she battled personally.
The Eleventh Act
In her eleventh and final miraculous act before ascending to godhood, The Lady cast her cloak before her into the Windless Sea; the common wool cloth straightened and expanded into a firm walkway across the sea, allowing her to enter the Cathedral and take the Test.

Tenets of Faith

The followers of The Lady are just and strong, crusaders who live for the joy of righteous battle. Their mission is to right wrongs and eliminate evil at its root. They serve as examples to others, and their code demands they protect the weak and innocent by eliminating sources of oppression, rather than merely the symptoms.
They may back down or withdraw from a fight if they are over-matched, but if their lives will buy time for others to escape, they must give them. Their tenets include the following affirmations.

I will learn the weight of my sword. Without my heart to guide it, it is worthless-my strength is not in my sword, but in my heart. If I lose my sword, I have lost a tool. If I betray my heart, I have died.

I will have faith in The Lady. I will channel her strength through my body. I will shine in her legion, and i will not tarnish her glory through cowardly actions.

I am the first into battle, and the last to leave it.

I will not be taken prisoner by my free will.

I will not surrender those under my command.

I will never abandon a companion, though I will honor sacrifice freely given.

I will guard the honor of my fellows, both thought and deed, and I will have faith in them.

When in doubt, I may force my enemies to surrender, but I am responsible for their lives.

I will never refuse a challenge from an equal.

I will give honor to worthy enemies, and contempt to the rest.

I will suffer death before dishonor.

I will be temperate in my actions and moderate in my behavior.

I will strive to emulate The Lady's perfection.

Holidays

Panathenaia (Starfall, 23)
This holiday is celebrated for The Lady. Often it accompanies tournaments, jousting, games, and festivities.

Ascendance Day (Harvest, 6)
The day is a joyous celebration for the faithful, with singing, pledging of friendships, and forgiving of old grudges.
To many, the Test of the Starstone represents the greatest of all challenges, yet for The Lady it was one of three storied promotions in her rise from The Maker's herald to a goddess in her own right. On the 6th of Harvest, The Lady's faithful observe the heroism of The Lady's life before her moment of ascension and celebrate the anniversary of the apotheosis itself.
The celebration takes place in several stages. Early in the day, troupes of performers—as often passionate amateurs as professionals—stage morality plays featuring the Eleven Acts of The lady, the heroic near-miracles and sacrifices she made leading up to her trials in the Starstone Cathedral. Scripts vary by region, city, and even neighborhood, but despite differences in setting, performance medium, and word choice, the themes and morals are all the same.
As the day continues, the priests organize jousts and mock battles, allowing anyone to participate so long as she can demonstrate enough skill to not be a risk to herself or others. The winners of these contests then face tests of mental acuity such as solving riddles, deciphering philosophical quandaries, and answering questions of honor and justice. Those who prove themselves in both contests are awarded a white cloak—representing the Lady at peace—styled after The Lady's own red garment to wear for the rest of the celebration. Feasting and singing follow the competitions, mirroring the jubilation that followed The Lady's ascension. This is occasion for making pledges of friendship and forgiving enemies, and priests circulate about the crowd offering The Lady's blessing to those who do and providing a moment's counsel or mediation for those who need an extra nudge.
The celebration typically ends before midnight, and the following day the priests and previous day's champions gather up the blunted swords from the mock battles, sharpen them, and distribute them among the church's armory and those of like-minded organizations so that all may remain vigilant against evil and prepared to strike it down.

Divine Classification

Deity

Religions

• The Highborne

Church/Cult

The Highborne

Aligned Organization

Plains of Caspian