Zorya
Goddess of the stars and navigation
Zorya, The Morning Star, is a Prime deity of the Creators' Pantheon. She is a goddess of the stars, navigation, truth and the safety, one of the 3 elven sister goddesses. According to myths, the Morning Star created the first connections between her elven children and the nature around, filling the new life with fey essence and giving out the knowledge of druidic art. The first elves were also created by the Zorya, and so the Morning Star is considered their Creator.
Among the followers of this goddess are a lot of druids, artists, earth genasi. travellers, nature keepers, though her religion is mainly spread among elves and half-elves.
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Among the followers of this goddess are a lot of druids, artists, earth genasi. travellers, nature keepers, though her religion is mainly spread among elves and half-elves.
While in the Era of Rebirth she shared the role of Guardian of Destiny with her sisters, Nicha and Zorya (according to legends, they weaved the fate for newborns, predicting their talents, attributes, lifespan, path and death), in Era of Searching that role belongs entirely to Mokosh.
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Appearance
The Morning Star is commonly depicted as a quite elegant and graceful elven being. She's alluring, with long free hair and an elegant crown made out of silver, with shining transparent crystals, that are reminiscent of dew, and set of peacock feathers, symbolizing her royal place in elven culture. Her clothes are made of pastel blue, green and pink colours, with a slight transparency to them. Many early elven art pieces were inspired by the Morning Star, and elements of her visage or symbol can be found in most elven architecture.
History
Lunar Discord
The information about the split in the elven society is known only from the official records of the Silfurskogur Lands and the underground libraries of the drow Empire. Moreover, the testimonies are quite different, but the fact that the split began with a quarrel between Nicha, Zorya and Mokosh is an integral part of this legend.
From the Silfurskogur chronicles:
Back when the Alfaren people lived under the same banner and were only settling in new lands, other deities of the Creator Pantheon turned to their divine leaders, 3 sisters known as the Night Mother, the Morning Star and the Moon Lady, hoping to create close ties between the Alfars and other peoples. Although their cultures and views were very different from those of the short-living races, Alfaren leaders agreed to the proposed alliances.
Some of the Alphars, who favored forests, nature, and activities such as hunting and farming, easily found common ground with the primitive races. But those who preferred things beyond the ordinary understanding, made no attempts in building friendly relationships with other races, greeting foreigners with apprehension and distrust. They called themselves Dakiralfs.
Their lives were much more esoteric and strange to the human eyes. They mendled with magic and forces not of this world, seeked knowledge in the darkest parts from the beyond, disregarding any signs and warnings, that this will bring only chaos. As Dakiralfs learned more of their arcane arts, they became bolder in their use of magic, prioritizing their own selfish desires to the safety of lands and people - and their distrust for other races was enough of a reason for them to use newfound magic skills out in the open. Humans rightfully were fearful of these magics, as at that time none of them knew how to feel the magic, let alone wield it - and Dakiralfs had no desire to share their knowledge with the world, feeling as only they were entitled to it. Even though Humans were patient and ready to wait until Dakiralfs built trust and understanding with them, the Dakiralfs had no desire to change, to open themselves to new aliences, to understanding. These differences of views led to many conflicts and it seemed there would be no end to them.
Not once did the Dakiralfs try to convince their Alfaren bretheren to cut all of the ties with other races, completely seperate themselves from the rest of the world and retain the purity of their kind and culture, but no Alfaren believed in such viewes.
After years of this fragile coexistence, the Dakiralf's disdain for Humans made itself known in full. For years they've been secretly using their magics on Humans, threating them no better than testing subjects, but one day they crossed the line more than ever, leading to horrible losses among Humans. Driven by grief and sorrow, the human tribes attacked the Dakiralfaren settlement, leaving many dead on both sides.
As if this bloodshed wasn't enough, the Dakiarlfs wanted Humans to be punished. They gathered all Alfars, calling everyone to turn to violence and revenge, yet other Alfars were horrified by the bloodlust of their bretheren. Then, the Morning Star appealed to the compassion of Dakiralfs, trying to let them see how much suffering already spilled into the world. She called them to put an end to the deaths, It seemed that Dakiralfs saw the evil of their ways, and they bowed their heads to Star's wisdom, letting go of the hatred and putting their brothers and sisters at ease.
Yet all of it was just a ruse.
Secretly, Dakiralfs called for the Night Mother's interference, letting all of their resentment and hate guide their prayers. Answering the calls of her children, the Night Mother granted the magical gifts in the hands of her followers, giving them a way to fullfil their plans of vengence. Under cover of the night, the Dakiralfs made their way into the Human settlements, leaving destruction and death with their own hands.
Children and their parents, old and young - no one survived in the wake of Dakiralfs. It was a terrific tragedy, that left everyone horrified and grieving. When the Humans came with the justifing accusations against the Dakiralfs, the murderers stood their ground, stating that there could be no peace between their worlds. With aching heart, the Morning Star tried to open their eyes to the atrocities they've commited, yet again and again the Dakiralfs fought back against her pleas, snapping as wild animals on any Alfar who dared to approach them. Even the gentle dream-like touch of the Moon Lady couldn't soothe that fire that raged inside them.
And then, the Morning Star senced it - the chaos that flowed in their veins, poisoning their perception of reality. She reached out, determined to calm that darkness with her star light. But as she did, the Night Mother, her dearest sister, appeared right beside her, dragging her away from the blinded by chaos Dakiralfs, covering them inside her shadows. The Night Mother's face was distorted by anger and fury, as she screamed "Do not touch that void", as she reged "Do not damage that gift". No matter how hard the Morning Star tried to convice her, that that was the root of all their problems, the Night Mother did not listen, instead directing her anger on Humans and their kin. And when the emotions reached its peak, when it seemed that Dakiralfs and the Night Mother were ready to pounce on foreneigrs, the Morning Star, alongside other Alfars, stepped forward, facing their bretheren and daring them to attack. The Moon Lady begged both sides to stop, but all fell on deaf ears - the Night Mother scowled and stricked first.
In the darkest of times, known to Alfar, the war between their people raged on and on, driven by anger, hatred and evil, that for years grew inside Dakiralfs and the Night Mother. Many cities and shrines were burned, many families were broken. And then in the heat of battle, the Morning Star got the upper hand of her sister, yet she couldn't find it in herself to take her life - a pure love, that the Night Mother had no issue to exploit it. She tricked the Morning Star at that moment, and when it seemed that the Night Mother was ready to lay the finishing blow to the Morning Star, when she held her on the edge of the blade, the Moon Lady, used her divine power on the Night Mother, staining the holy moon Rudatül with the divine blood.
After that, wounded and tired from long years of battles, the two sides signed a fragile truce. Yet, when the Dakiralfs were faced with the demand to stop using chaos for their own gain, they turned away and left the surface all together, cutting any ties with their kin - the Night Mother made sure, to cover their tracks.
Only the red moon Rudatül remained as a reminder of the war between the Alfars and sisters, once a year covering the moon Hores and enveloping the world in its red glow.
Chaining of Semargl
"Zorya is the guardian of Semargl's prison, as he was chained to star Polaris"War of The Burning Skies
...White Crusade
...Worship
by Felixora
The peacock and star are considered sacred symbols of the Morning Star.
All main temples of the Morning Star are located in the Silfurskogur Empire, the main being in the city Hallendith.
Among the Morning Star's worshippers are elves and their descendants, as well as many travellers and druids. Her clerics wear silver circlets and gossamer robes of the brightest azure and silver.
Holidays
Elvensun, or Midsummer, is a holiday dedicated to the Morning Star and her creations. An annual festival takes place in the capital of Silfurskogur Empire. It's accompanied by a fair, with different treats, entertainment and contests - all to glorify the name of the Morning Star. Elven dancers and artisans prepare a wondrous and magical dance parade, that includes different types of illusions, lights, and artistic performances.
Commandments of the Morning Star
- Don't be afraid to get lost - it is the only way to find the secrets of our world.
- Protect the universal harmony in the world through saving of long forgotten sites and ancient artefacts.
- Be the brightest star, when darkness takes hold of the world.
Links
- Zorya is based on personification of dawn (Zorya) from Slavic mythology. Wiki link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorya
- The concept of "Destiny sisters" is based on Slavic legends of three sisters, Sudenitsy, that predict fate of a newborn on the 3rd day after their birth. The youngest sister predicted the wedding day, talents, gifts and future family of the newborn, the middle sister predicted the illnesses and troubles that will happen in their life, and the oldest predicted the day of their death. The legends of three sisters is present in the legends about Zorya as well - Zorya among many was considered to have 3 different aspects, or 3 different star-sisters (Morning Star, Midnight Star and Evening Star). These three women are often aspects of time (past, present, future) or age (young girl, mother, old woman) or life itself (creator, guardian, destroyer).
General information
| Classification | Greater deity |
| Titles |
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| Province |
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| Common symbol | A star, formed
by 4 crescent moons which continue into star sides, atop of a circle. |
| Gender | Feminine |
| Pronouns | she/her/hers |
Worship
| Worshippers |
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| Holy day | Elvensun or Midsummer |
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Spouses
Children
by Felixora
Alignment chart
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