Syllyn

Goddess of the Elves and Sacrifice

Believed to be one of the first Gods to arrive on Ehldaron, Syllyn is also one of the most mysterious Deities to ever have existed. Very little is known about Her, but what is known is that She is responsible for the long lifespan of the elven race as well as their believed reincarnation. The gift Syllyn granted the elves came at a tremendous cost however, namely the Goddess’ own life. The elven people have never forgotten her sacrifice, and to this day most of them revere Syllyn as their main Deity. Without Her the Elven people would’ve been very different, and without Her there wouldn’t have been other Elven Gods. She has made the elves the exceptional race that they are today.
As the main elven deity Syllyn is of course mostly revered by elves, although even to other races the sacrifice that She made was significant enough to consider her as one of the most powerful Deities in Ehdlaron’s pantheon. That is why, even outside of Elven lands, Syllyn is revered as the Goddess of Sacrifice.
Beliefs and purpose
Nobody knows for sure whether the elven race existed before Syllyn’s arrival on Ehldaron and She simply granted them their long lives, or whether Syllyn is in fact the creator of the elven race. What is generally accepted however is that Syllyn once walked amongst the elves, and that the elven people used to be quite different long ago. Powerful elves are sometimes able to draw upon the memories of their earliest incarnations, some of which actually met Syllyn. They describe the Goddess as a beautiful, elegant, transparent blue, four-eyed humanoid, yet simultaneously also quite alien in appearance. This makes her one of the few Deities that beings alive in current times are able to describe physically.
What exactly Syllyn’s believes were, if She had any, is unknown. If there ever were any written texts they have all been destroyed or are lost to time. Of course, Syllyn is known for her incredible love for the elven people. As the race’s main Deity, it is believed that Syllyn loves her people unconditionally, and that she simply wants them to live long and prosper. She granted the elves unique magic, secret knowledge, a special connection to nature, as well as an incredible lifespan to help them achieve that goal. Many elves consider Syllyn to be a Goddess of Harmony and Peace as well. They believe that the elven people should live in harmony with nature, which includes the other races on the realm. As long as the other races don’t harm the elves, they should not hurt them in return. This is however a heavy point of debate for the elves, as not all of them agree with this peaceful way of life. As the elven people have such a long lifespan compared to many of the other races on Ehldaron, most elven societies have become rather reclusive, and stay away from other nations. Additionally, most elves don’t like to share their unique knowledge and gifts. This has resulted in the relationship between the elves and other races to often be cold and distant, with each side keeping to themselves while keeping a close eye on the other.

Followers
As the main Deity of the elves there are few of them that do not worship Syllyn. The most well-known example of elves that do not worship the elven Goddess are the Drow, as they prefer darker and often more vile deities. Temples and shrines to the Goddess of the elves can be found all over elven territory, and they are usually quite beautiful and integrated with nature.
Despite Syllyn being believed to be dead, she still has clerics and priests that worship her and gain the ability to channel divine power in return. This is not unlike Synia, Goddess of Justice, who is also believed to be dead but still grants divine powers to her followers. This leads some to believe that a part of Syllyn has survived, and may still be out there. This is heavily debated however, as there are also many who claim that Syllyn was simply so strong that simple idea of her is powerful enough to grant her devout servants these abilities.
Clerics and priests of Syllyn are of course often elven in nature. These worshippers do their best to help their people any way they can. The loyalty of these worshippers to their own race is unquestionable. However, they are often suspicious around outsiders, although never downright hostile unless provoked. While it may not be easy for outsiders to gain the trust of followers of Syllyn, once they do these clerics and priests will prove themselves to be loyal and valuable allies.
As Syllyn is a member of Ehldaron’s pantheon of Gods of she is also commonly worshipped by the other races. However, no non-elven nation has the Elven Goddess as their main deity, and dedicated temples to Syllyn are also rare outside of elven lands. If they do exist, they are often built and preserved by elves that left their home.
In very rare instances a non-elf may gain the ability to channel Syllyn’s divine magic as well. This usually only happens as a result of one of two things. The first possibility is that a non-elf may simply embody the idea of sacrifice so much that Syllyn’s magic is shared with the being. This can happen to a person that, like Syllyn herself, is willing to give their life for something greater. While not necessarily connected to the elves, those who become a Cleric of Syllyn in this way can usually be found roaming the world, pledging their life in service of others that need it. The second instance where a non-elf can be granted Sylln’s power is when an outsider joins the elves, and essentially becomes one of them in mind and spirit (although of course, not physically). It is rare but certainly not uncommon for outsiders to be welcomed by the elves, and some of these outsiders end up pledging their entire lives to the safety and welfare of the elven people. They become as dedicated to the cause as the elven clerics of Syllyn, and as a result they may receive the same abilities.

Divine Domains

Elven & Sacrifice (Arcana, Life, Light, Nature)

Divine Symbols & Sigils

8 pointed star, with the southern starpoint being the longest

Divine Classification

Transcendent God

Alignment

Neutral Good