Lunaris
The Moon
Lunaris (pronounced loo-NAH-riss), sometimes called the Tidebringer, is the moon of Namyria and one of the four Primordial Deities that created the universe. She is the mother of the Star, the Shadow, the Storm, and the Steed.
The cult of Lunaris, better known as the Church of the Night, forms the entirety of the following and adoration of the moon. Lunaris blesses her servants with powers of the night and darkness to act as her unseen hand in preserving the delicate balance of the world.
She guards over the night, protects the flow of the spirits of the dead in the Cycle of Life and Death, and keeps the Timewheel turning along with her sister Solaris, encompassed by the endlessness of the Void.
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Dogma
The Timewheel must keep turning. The universe is in danger should it ever stop, so it must keep turning. The Moon and the Sun twins perform a complex dance in the Void, to push the wheel forward. There are forces, natural and otherwise, that emerge from creation and can upturn the delicate cycle of life and death, the integrity of which ties directly to the power of the twins and their dance. For Lunaris, those who tamper with the powers of life and death in search of ways to extend their lifespan on the world far beyond the accepted limits, like the infamous Lich, are most dangerous and disgusting. A mortal that doesn't die is a soul that doesn't return to the Plane of Death, and therefore doesn't feed the cycle, causing a tip in the scales to the side of life. On top of this, a soul carries power, accumulated through its experiences and memories. A life that lasts too long could not only give too much power to her sister, but could potentially awaken Naminus and unravel all of creation. It is for this that all those who seek to live beyond what's given to them must be terminated, to preserve the balance.
History
Role in Creation
Lunaris and her sister Solaris were the ones who convinced their partner Aetherius to put Naminus to sleep, to allow the First Children to seize his power and start creation. Once he was asleep and within the void, the sisters immediately began the Cycle of Life And Death, a constant dance and flow of energy that rocks Naminus and keeps him asleep. Soon after this, the first children encased him in the layers of the Inner and Medium Planes, where he remains to this day.
The First Stirring & The Moonfall
See article: First StirringCurrent Role
Lunaris oversees the side of death of the Cycle of Life And Death, a complex dance performed with her sister Solaris, that keeps Naminus asleep. At night, she carries the souls of the dead to the Plane of Death, where their souls are turned into pure energy, and fed to the Plane of Life, where they can emerge as new life during the morning.
Relationships
The Primordials and the First Children
Lunaris loves her partners Aetherius, and Naminus, who she had her four Children with. She is heartbroken by the events that led to creation, with Aetherius forced to eternally watch over his sleeping brother Naminus.
She lovingly watches over her children, the Star, the Shadow, the Storm, and the Steed every night, guiding them until her sister brings forth the light again.
She cares deeply for her sister Solaris, who she is a direct opposite of. Regardless, she also sees her as an equal who she needs in order to preserve the beautiful creations of their children.
The Anaetherials
Those who cross the boundaries of mortality and reach peaks large enough to call the attention of the gods are a risk to the world as a whole, for they risk awakening Naminus, who will destroy all once he does. She values the creations of her children too much to let such careless creatures roam. Some have even tricked her into escaping the universe.
The Eternal One
Amongst the Anaetherials, there is one who Lunaris despises most: Xyrcanas Stargazer, the First Immortal. He was the first to break free from the cycle of life and death by his own means, through means of dark and sickening ritual that turned him into something both alive and dead, a Lich, greatly disturbing the balance of the Cycle of Life And Death. Once outside of the reach of her powers, all she could do was ask Aetherius to cast the Eternal One out of the universe, where he could no longer endanger the balance and Naminus' slumber.
Appearance
Lunaris embodies the moon of Namyria, the guiding force that guards the night, although some days she is also seen dancing along with her sister in the morning sky, if only dimmed in comparison to her sister's radiance. While her sister rises and falls every day, Lunaris runs at a different rhythm, in a staccato of sorts. She has the appearance of a massive white sphere, covered in small holes, the channels through which the souls of the dead pass into the Plane of Death located within her, and with one massive crater, a piece of her that is missing since the Moonfall.
Phases
The Cycle of Death to Life is shown on her surface, as she shifts between lighter and darker sides and the days of the month pass. The side of her that faces Solaris is always bright with the cleansed energies from the Plane of Death, which she sends to her sister, feeding the Plane of Life. Her dark side shows the still-waiting souls of those who have passed, being turned into new life. This cycle normally lasts 28 days, with the darkest of nights, the black moon, being used as a reference for the calendar systems to mark the end of every month. There are, however, black moons that last more than one night. It is believed that when many souls pass on within a short period, such as plagues and wars, they flood the Plane of Death, delaying the Cycle of Life And Death by a few days. These extensions don't last more than a day or two, but there are legends of black moons that stretched on for weeks, in times of great cataclysm and death.
Divine Intervention
While life dances to the sight of Solaris, waking up at dawn and going to rest at dusk, it is the world itself that dances to Lunaris, the seas themselves rising and sinking in her rhythm, as if seeking to grasp her pearly beauty. Most times, she might respond to mortals as a veiled face staring from the moon, or by moving objects near them.
Servants
[Moon creatures].
Church of Lunaris
The Church of the Night is a religious cult dedicated to the worship of all the gods of night, that is, Lunaris and her four children, the Star, the Shadow, the Storm, and the Steed. They believe that the fires of the sun and the light that it brings are harmful, blinding, and that they will one day burn all life away. Instead, the gods of night and shadow provide a cloak to shield themselves from the burning light. They stand in direct opposition to the Church of the Light, who worship Solaris and her children as the protectors instead, and blame the gods of night as the authors of the corruption that drove the Dark Lord Xarros to commit his acts of genocide and evil.
Clergy
The Lunars of the Cloth tend to wear silvers and dark blues, with hooded cloaks and gloves to protect themselves from the light. They proselytize mostly at night, where Her shadow blankets the land.
Followers
People who worship Lunaris tend to do so as part of worshiping one or more of her children, but for the most part, it is the creatures of the night who look up to her with adoration, such as werewolves, vampires, and other races who are too sensitive to the effects of the light. The .
Divine Domains
Moon, night, afterlife and gravity
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Lunaris is often represented as a blue or silver half moon, seldom with a small marking in the side; the missing piece from the Moonfall.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Just like her sister, she aims to keep Naminus asleep throughout eternity by maintaining the balance of the Cycle of Life And Death, particularly by fighting those who would abuse the system to preserve their life beyond what is natural.
Divine Classification
Primordial Deity
Realm
Church/Cult
Children
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