Neria, The First Smith
Neria, also known as the First Smith or the Burning Mother, is one of the two first deities to have ruled Eina, having been born alongside it at the dawn of creation. When they decided to split its rule in two, Neria chose to govern the land, moulding it into hills and mountains as she saw fit and placing her fire deep inside them to serve as forges and kilns with which she crafted the first Giants. She is the goddess of Fire, Volcanos and Craftmanship, holding great power in both creation and destruction.
Symbols
Neria’s symbol, the Burning Orb or Kasfaris, sometimes considered a depiction of the heart of the goddess, is meant to represent her dominion over both the land (represented by the orb) and fire (represented by the flames). Her Favoured Animal is the Tortoise, which according to legends was the weakest and most fragile of the lizards before she gave it its shell. Her Favoured Colour is Orange, the colour of fire and lava, and her Sacred Weapon is the Maul, the tool she used to craft the land into hills and mountains.Description
Neria favours feminine forms whenever she can, as well as warm colours. Redheads were once revered as blessed by the goddess, and even today they are still associated with her. She is also sometimes depicted with dark skin, especially in association with her destructive side, to echo the colour of ash and burnt ground. As such, it is highly recommended to flee or at least be wary whenever you encounter a dark-skinned redhead.Personality
Creation and destruction stand in balance within Neria. She sees one as the natural consequence of the other, in an eternal circle. Everything created will in time turn to dust but, at the same time, it is from the ashen soil of a forest fire that new life will grow. Neria considers destruction not as a terrible thing to be avoided at all costs, but as a force of change and a way to allow new creation. As such, she dislikes both senseless annihilation and excess creation, as they both disrupt the balance she cherishes. To partake in such actions is one of the few ways to anger the usually calm goddess, as she is naturally protective and nurturing. In particular, she favours those that like her create with their hand, artisans and crafter that mould the world around them into useful forms.Worship
Though one of the original deities worshipped by the primordial giants, Neria has seen her cult slowly dwindle as she was replaced by the more modern Simnas as the favoured god of craftsmen. This somewhat saddens Neria, but even reduced in number her worshippers still pray fervently to gain the blessings of the deity. Since its inception, the cult of Neria was split into two major aspects. There were those that saw the destruction she could wreak through volcanic eruption and forest fires and prayed to her either to be spared such ruin or direct it toward another. But there were also those that saw the blessed heat that she provided, and how her fire was one of creation. These worshipers chanted her name to provide them inspiration and guide their hands as they attempted to shape the earth into a new form. As time went by, both cults merged into one, melding traditions and beliefs from both to create the current church of Neria. As such, while the great majority worship Neria as a force of creation, it does not obfuscate her power to cause havoc. This is reflected by those that pray to her, mainly small artisans and local smiths but also arsonists and sappers. The worship of Neria usually takes the form of the crafting of small effigies at her image, though any craft made by hand can be devoted to her. It is not rare for artisans to carve the face of Neria or her symbol on the handle of their tool, in hope that she will then guide their hands and give them inspiration. Fire also is a major element of her worship, with people gathering around great pyres to pray to Neria. The ritual practice of controlled burn is also present, though rarer. Neria is especially revered in mountainous regions, both in the north-west of the Kaladean continent and in the islands of the archipelago. Here small temples dedicated to her crop up more regularly, easily recognisable due to the great flame that is tended to day and night at its heart. The biggest of those is of course her Great Temple in Ephea, an old monolithic structure built by giants ages ago, with rivers of lava running from it and at its centre, the eternal light of the Everflame. But Neria cares very little for the size of the temple, and ultimately every heart, every kiln and every forge can be just as much a place of worship to those that truly believe in her. The clergy of Neria is mostly made up of people that revere her power and understand the importance of balance between creation and destruction. They are known to be a pragmatic kind, though not without heart, spreading the name of their goddess through hard work, often involving themselves with great projects such as the construction of massive structures. Clerics of Neria are easily recognisable, not only thanks to their orange attire, but also the famous steel balls that they carry on them. Those balls contain a fire originating from one of the temple pyres and serve as a reminder to the clerics that the warmth of their goddess follows them everywhere. Some even weaponized the object, carrying it in a way similar to a flail.Divine Domains
Holy Books & Codes
The Ashen Runes
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Symbol: The Burning Orb
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Favoured Animal: Tortoise
Favoured Colour: Orange
Sacred Weapon: Maul
Tenets of Faith
Holidays
15th of Nereos: The Renewal of the Flame (Traditional day where sacrifices are made to the Everflame and every continual flame is renewed in the sacred pyres.)
Divine Classification
Deity
Alignment
True Neutral
Realm
Church/Cult
Children
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