Marzana
Marzana, the Raven Lady, is a Prime deity of the Creators' Pantheon, though she joined the pantheon after the Rupture. As a goddess, she emerged from the blackening feathers of Lada's wings, taking over the role of permanent death and transition in Mriyar.
The Raven Lady is known to be the patron of death, transitions, entropy and cold. Because of this her church is widespread all around Sarmatan, mainly consisting of people wishing for change in their lives, the dying and their families, fighters of undead, gravediggers. Because of the close link between Marzana and cold season, common folk built a lot of traditions around the winter and the Raven Lady, often leaving her gifts in winter, hoping that she'll take it to their deceased relatives or tones down the freezing weather.
Another common group of worshippers of the Raven Lady are vampires who, as legends say, are her children. Among their society, she is known as a Blood Mother.
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The Raven Lady is known to be the patron of death, transitions, entropy and cold. Because of this her church is widespread all around Sarmatan, mainly consisting of people wishing for change in their lives, the dying and their families, fighters of undead, gravediggers. Because of the close link between Marzana and cold season, common folk built a lot of traditions around the winter and the Raven Lady, often leaving her gifts in winter, hoping that she'll take it to their deceased relatives or tones down the freezing weather.
Another common group of worshippers of the Raven Lady are vampires who, as legends say, are her children. Among their society, she is known as a Blood Mother.
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Appearance
In most of the depictions, the Raven Lady is seen as a pale woman, neither young nor old. The upper half of her face is covered by a translucent dark fabric, fixed on a semicircular crown, that is made out of black twigs, raven feathers and red roses - all covered in hoarfrost. Her long white hair curls behind her back, fading away into dark mist. The white dress she's wearing is embroidered with black and red threads, and her any other visible part of her skin is covered in raven black feathers.
In one of her hands she always holds a sickle - one, that she uses to reap the soul of the dead.
History
War of The Burning Skies
...The Rupture
...Worship
After the end of War of the Burning Skies, the newly founded church of the Raven Lady quickly gained popularity, filling in the void for those who were uncertain about their souls after death. Where before people were certain, that their souls will go through the Wheel of Rebirth and return as the same soul, now it changed - after the death the souls journeyed into Shadowland, to the arms of the Raven Lady.
by Felixora
Her church is widely accepted all across Sarmatan, the only exception being Dangean Kingdom, who threat the Raven Lady with caution and watch her rare followers very closely, sometimes making them outcasts among the people. In Rosidor Empire the Raven Lady is one of the official Prime deities, having her main temple in the capital, Grozogorsk, as well as Raven Divine as one of the members of the Trinity, the ruling elite. One of the sacred places in Sarmarian Republic, in the city Sedniv, in White-feathered hills, is also dedicated to the Raven Lady.
The church of Marzana has a tradition. If a child shows strong empathic abilities, they can be sent to the church of Raven Lady, where they will be taught to become a Herald. These are psychics who walk from village to village, from city to city, where they feel the approach of death, and with their abilities they help the family of the deceased or the dying himself, to experience the passing easier, let go of sorrow and pain faster.
Because of this, they are called the Heralds of Death, since their appearance always means death in the area. Additionally, due to the fact that they take over the emotions of others and feel them much more sharply, outwardly they completely suppress their own emotions and seem to be insensitive dolls for the majority.
Among the church of Marzana, this is considered a very honourable title.
Holidays
Marzana's Winter is a day dedicated to the Raven Lady. It is believed, that on this day Raven Lady exits her home realm and travels over lands of Yava with her retinue of spirits, sending severe frosts and blizzard all around.
People, wanting to protect themselves from the cold, put gifts on the window: pancakes, jelly, cookies and kutya.
Another tradition is to decorate trees in the villages and cities with sweets, so that Marzana and her servants could take them as gifts to the ancestors.
Another day of remembrance and praying to Marzana is Shadow Day. It is the holiday of the resurrection of the "spirits of the dead" and the last day of the year when Shadowland is the closest to the Yava Realm. With the onset of Marets, people begin rituals of visiting the graves of their loved ones, leaving them with treasures and prayers.
Commandments of the Raven Lady
- Respect and maintain the natural cycle of life, once one is dead they are to remain dead.
- Sorrow will not bring back the fallen. Let go, and help others do the same.
- Change is a natural way of things - do not fight it.
Links
- Marzana is based on goddess Marzana (Marena/Mara/Morana) from Slavic mythology, Wiki page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morana_(goddess)
General Information
| Classification | Greater deity |
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| Common symbol | Flying raven
over two crossed sickles |
| Gender | Feminine |
| Pronounce | she/her/hers |
Worship
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Children
by Felixora
Alignment chart
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