Zedona

Goddess of Winter and Destruction

There was a time when Zedona was known as simply the “Goddess of Winter”, one of the four seasonal Gods, and thus one of the most powerful Deities in Ehldaron’s pantheon. Winter could be very harsh and dangerous, but also calm and beautiful, much like the Goddess Herself. During these ancient times Zedona was also known as the most beautiful of all Gods, stunning mortals and Deities alike with both Her own beauty and that of winter wherever She went.
However, everything changed with the arrival of Zedona’s younger sister on Ehldaron, Ophinne. Ophinne was even more beautiful than Her big sister, and it didn’t take long for Her to be crowned as the “Goddess of Beauty”. This infuriated Zedona, as She considered the crowning of Her younger sister to “Goddess of Beauty” as an insult to Her own beauty. Zedona began to grow an immense hatred for the mortals that had begun to revere Her younger sister, as well as the Deities that invited Ophinne within their ranks, and lastly and most notably of course the Goddess of Beauty Herself.
Eventually this hatred resulted in Zedona turning against both mortals and other Gods alike. She swore to destroy all those that failed to see Her beauty. The places She visited experienced winters far worse than ever before, as they grew more deadly and more destructive. Wherever She went, Zedona left behind a trail of death and destruction as the cold winds of winter froze and shattered entire cities or buried them beneath mountains of snow. Only the most powerful of the Gods were strong enough to repel the ice-cold fury of the Goddess of Winter, and Zedona quickly earned the additional title of Goddess of Destruction. She had become a hateful Goddess with a singular objective: to cover the unworthy in an eternal harsh winter that destroys all life, as punishment for insulting Her beauty. Even in current days, with the Gods being banished from Ehldaron, Zedona and the season of winter remain feared by most, although revered by a rare few.

Beliefs and Purpose
When Zedona was known as simply the “Goddess of Winter”, she was responsible for the season of winter. A harsh but necessary part in the cycle of the seasons, which She made more bearable by making it beautiful.
After turning Her back on mortals and Gods alike, Zedona’s goals changed. As punishment for insulting Her by naming Her younger sister the Goddess of Beauty, Zedona wanted to cover the entire world in an eternal winter that would bury everything beneath ice and snow. All beings, whether mortals or Gods, that had in some way insulted her would die a cold death, their cities destroyed, and lands made unliveable. In the end, all that would remain was She Herself, and those that helped Her achieve Her goal, as long as they too don’t insult Her in one way or another.
However, it is important to note Zedona does not crave mindless destruction. Her main focus lies on those that She feels that have insulted her, meaning her so called Cold Fury is often aimed at those that worshipped Ophinne, or any of the Gods within the Caretaker pantheon, of which the Goddess of Beauty is a member of. Aside from her little sister, Zedona also holds an incredible hatred towards Celios, God of Summer and Light, because He has welcomed Ophinne amongst the Gods and granted Her the title of Goddess of Beauty. In addition to this, as the Goddess of Winter, she also considers the God of Summer to be her counterpart, a natural enemy. Despite this more targeted destruction, any Deity that takes any action against Zedona will also be counted amongst Her enemies and will eventually feel Her wrath as well. This, of course, has resulted in almost all good and more neutral Deities to have slighted the Goddess of Winter and Destruction in some way.
Another notable trait of Zedona is the Goddess’ pragmatism. She is known for taking any action that furthers Her own goals the most, no matter what it is. She has no problem working together with other Deities or even mortals should they both have the same goal, and should some kind of alliance be in her best interests. Conversely, she has no problem betraying those that she is working together with if it suddenly seems far more beneficial to do so. She cares little for laws, rules, and order, but She is also not interested in constant chaos and conflict. She simply does whatever suits Her own interests best.
While Zedona often speaks about inflicting Her Cold Fury on those that do something to slight Her, She is often considered to be a very calm and calculating Deity, not as wild or raging as many often expect her to be.

Followers
As Zedona is one of the 4 Seasonal Gods, depictions of Her can be found in most general temples, despite Her being considered to be an evil Goddess. Many commoners often try to please or satisfy Her in some way, by praying to Her, praising Her beauty, or making small offerings for Her. This is done more out of fear for Her cold fury, rather than an actual form of reverence, as it is commonly believed that as long you keep Her happy, you’ll be safe in the cold winter. Most priests and clerics, however, frown upon this practice, seeing it as a betrayal of the Good Gods. They often believe that as long you stay true to the Good Gods they will be able to protect you from Zedona’s wrath.
Outright worship of Zedona is banned in most nations, although She does have pockets of followers spread around Ehldaron. Some are lone individuals, others large groups, and there is even an entire nation, The Realm of Frostheart, dedicated to Zedona. All of these followers want the same thing as the Goddess they revere. To cover the world in true beauty: an eternal winter that covers everything, destroying anything and anyone unworthy of the Goddess of Winter and Destruction (or themselves). Like the Deity they revere, these followers are often very pragmatic people, doing whatever they can get away with and willing to work with others should they deem it necessary or beneficial in some way.

Divine Domains

Winter & Destruction (Tempest & Death)

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Icicles crashing down

Divine Classification

High God

Alignment

Neutral Evil