The Painted Lady

The Painted Lady is the mystical priestess, for the lack of a better word, of Alreia. The term Painted Lady is a rough translation, and in Alreian the exact words have a slightly different definition. The Alreian word "painted" could also be translated as appointed, chosen or destined, while the term "lady" is never used for mortal females, but only for female deities.

The Painted Lady is viewed in similar light as an actual goddess; admired and respected by all, and even prayed to under certain circumstances. It is believed that the Painted Lady is the reincarnation of Geom Aurea, the creator of life.

Metamorphises

Painted Lady is not a title simply given to a person. Instead, it is received when the previous Painted Lady passes away and a new one must arise. The identity of the next Painted Lady cannot be entirely certain until the moment she arises, but assumptions can be made. The current Painted Lady regularly travels the lands of Alreia to meet young girls with the potential of arising as the next Painted Lady. These girls, known as Caterpillars, are taught in the way of the wings. After their metamorphises, a ceremony during which a Caterpillar passes into womanhood, they become Aurea’s Maidens and join Aurea's Flutter.

When the Painted Lady passes away, all Maidens between the age of fifteen and thirty may attempt the trial of the second metamorphosis. What the trial entails exactly is kept strictly secret and is only witnessed by Maidens of Aurea’s Flutter. Only one Maiden comes out victorious. She will metamorph a second time and become the Painted Lady.

Societal role

The Painted Lady has a special role and function in Alreian society. Her being the reincarnation of the great Geom Aurea makes her the head of religion. While most religious practices are daily and personal rituals, and mainly performed at home or personally at a shrine, bigger festivities are led by the Painted Lady.

For one of these festivities the Painted Lady does not only lead the ceremony, but is the only person who can perform it. This is the ritual of Crossing, the last day of a person's life cycle. During this ritual, the Painted Lady guides the souls of the diseased to the afterlife.

Additionally, her clairvoyant abilities grant her the powers to predict the country's welfare, and thus she performs an advisory role to the country's monarch.

Mystical Abilities

The Painted Lady is greatly gifted in the mystical arts and possesses both innated and practiced abilities. Like all other Maidens, she possesses the ability to spell-cast and enchant. Unlike the other Maidens, under the right circumstances, the Painted Lady is able to converse with her predecessors. This special gift is bestowed upon her after the second metamorphosis.

To channel magic, the Painted lady is in possession of a staff, passed down from the previous to the next Painted Lady. The mystical staff of the Painted Lady is a most peculiar mystical object, as it seems to be alive and part of the Painted Lady herself. When not carried around, the staff is stored, and summoned upon need, from within her body.

Type

Nobility, Honorific / Ceremonial

Alternative Naming

Aurea Reincarnated, Aurea's Chosen