Viera (VEE-ay-rah)
Goddess of the Hearth
The Caring Mother, the Flame of Art (a.k.a. The Homefire, She Who Provides)
Viera (she/her) is goddess of the home and hearth, of fertility and agriculture, of art and crafted beauty. She is patroness of defenders, of healers, of midwives and mothers, of farmers and animal husbandry. Whereas the much older goddess Tephera takes the role of an older sister to the very life she created, Viera takes the responsibilities of a mother. She nurtures, guides, and protects. She is fire, like Zuvinar, but hers is the flame of life, the flame of artistic inspiration, the fire that warms the heart and lights the night. She is sister to Idrigoro, the forge god, and yet more than sister. Born of the same titans of fire and earth, they are twins, two halves of the same soul, of the same divine fire, born of the earth rather than the heavens.
All of the crafts needed to keep a home, she teaches. And every hearth in every home, provides a vantage from which Viera watches and guards all people. More than many other gods, she is a patroness of civilization. She and her twin are younger half-siblings to Velotaras and Rothar.
Shapes and Messengers
Viera appears as any and every kind of creature, but always female, round, and full bodied. Her hair is usually greying, her face dominated by a kindly smile and pronounced laugh lines. When presenting as a humanoid, she always seems to be a mature woman, the epitome of a mother in the culture in which she has appeared. She possesses a comforting beauty (as great or greater than any other goddess), a soothing appearance and presence. When she speaks, her voice brings both inspiration and solace. She is quiet, but confident and wise.
Her weapon, should she need one, is the scythe, befitting her role as a harvest goddess, but she is more likely to carry a long sheaf of grain, lit with an eternal flame that burns neither her, nor the sheaf, though it burns hot to all others.
Her messengers are rabbits, or pigs, recognizeable by their pale color and the fire in their eyes. Rabbits are sent to those in the wilds or on long travels, while any pig might become prophetic when Viera needs to send word. The goddess also speaks through flames, using any stove, fireplace, or campfire as a conduit for her voice.
Divine Domains
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The symbol most often used to represent Viera is the Burning Sheaf, a bundle of grain stylized to look like it is on fire, or is made of fire. The sickle and scythe are likewise her symbols, as are the circular firepit or the fireplace in the wall, whichever is the most common type of hearth in her region. Some even represent her with a squat bronze stove.
