Anve'Reldende Elara

The Great Avandora



The Anve'Reldende Elara, or the cultural religion of Alliran Elves, focuses on what is known as the Avandora. This is a collection of eighteen various Divinities commonly worshiped by the many Elvish ethnicities of Saleh'Alire. However, it's certainly incorrect for one to say that all of the Deities within the pantheon are worshiped by all Elves, let alone by all Elves at all times.   Indeed, in reality the Avandora are only truly considered a single pantheon in that they originate with the Elves in the first place, and their worship is rarely found outside of regions controlled by Elves- save, perhaps, in Tolara, which remains a unique religious case as a whole ... Instead, while all Elves are religious in one way or another, in their own ways? Religion and faith are neither centralized, nor codified, among them. The Avandora are typically divided into a variety of categories- or subpantheons- with certain Elvish groups actually worshiping one or more of the specific divisions which fall beneath this greater whole.
Because of the Pantheon's age, it's unknown how many of the Elven Deities are merely Deified Archfey maintained from the stories of their Faewildian ancestors- or true Divinities who ascended to the Weave by Material law. Irregardless of the truth of any of their natures, questioning their legitimacy is one surefire way to make an enemy of their people; all Elves take their religion incredibly seriously, regardless of who they worship (or how pious they really are).

Ve Anve'Famira

  Roughly translating to "the Holy Mother and Father" and containing Elistrae and her consort Farenthal, this grouping occupies what is arguably the most important position of the Elven pantheon according to all Elves, and is the first of two major exceptions to the idea that Elves have no universal Divinities.  
▼ Eilistrae ▼
Epithet
The Dark Queen   Gender
Female   Symbol
Three Crescent Moons   Colors
Silver   Domain
Nature - Moon
▼ Farenthal ▼
Epithet
The Bright King   Gender
Male   Symbol
Rising Sun   Colors
Gold   Domain
Nature - Sun
  These are the first and the last. The all and the nothing. The dark, and the light. The all that is, and all that is not- and the potential for all that may come to be ... For that reason they occupy the highest rank for all Elves irregardless of any other inclinations of worship or belief, and receive the first offerings in all rites performed within their various religions.  

Ve Anve'Tri

  Though various ethnicities focus their attention on only a handful of the Avandora, the second of the two major exceptions to the subdivision rule is the Ve Anve'Famira- who are worshipped by all Elves (save, perhaps, the In'alan) as a core trinity. This trinity is considered the parents of all Elvenkind, and consists of Anheara and her two consorts Corellon and Enoreth.  
▼ Anheara ▼
Epithet
The Wisemother   Gender
Female   Symbol
Three interlocking triangles   Colors
Silver, Purple   Domain
Truth; Wisdom; the setting sun (Dusk)
 
▼ Corellon ▼
Epithet
The Father of Magic   Gender
Male   Symbol
Crescent Moon and Star   Colors
Blue, Purple   Domain
Magic and the arcane; Arcane Technology
▼ Enoreth ▼
Epithet
The Tomekeeper   Gender
Genderless   Symbol
Three interlocking circles   Colors
Bronze, Blue   Domain
Time; Knowledge; Libraries; the rising sun (Dawn)
 
While the different Elven ethnicities may maintain other figures as more important to everyday life and culture, the Anve'Tri are also nearly considered universal. In fact, outside of Ve Anve'Famira, they are the only additional Deital grouping that are still given significant religious respect by all of the Elven ethnicities- even if they don't place emphasis on any of them them as central religious figures.
Among certain smaller cults, the figures of this Trinity are often syncretized with other Divinities. Most notably this includes the Lunar syncretization of Anheara with Eilistrae- and the Solar syncretization of Farenthal with both Corellon and Enoreth.
  This does not necessarily mean they are worshipped, however. But they are, at the very least, always acknowledged and given respect by all Elves.  

Satra Anve'Tor ai v'Anve'Hora

  The 4 "sisters" and their "Husband"- not all of whom, according to other Sophonts at least, necessarily meet the gendered "requirements" of such titles; these are primal elemental deities of chaos and creation in equal measures, and the fundamental blocks of both life and survival.  
▼ Faenya ▼
Epithet
The Azure Plume   Gender
Female   Symbol
Flying bird against a cloud   Colors
Silver, Light Blues   Domain
Nature - Wind, storms, and rain; Performing and Oral Arts
 
▼ Darahael ▼
Epithet
The Forgewife   Gender
Genderless   Symbol
Anvil and Flame   Colors
Gold, Oranges, Yellow   Domain
Nature - Fire; Blacksmiths, Woodcarvers, and Carpenters; Volcanoes
▼ Ilienna ▼
Epithet
The Fair-Haired Maiden   Gender
Female   Symbol
A wave crashing against a rock   Colors
Blue-Greens, White   Domain
Nature - Water; Sailors, and Fishermen; Travel (Water Jewelerysmiths, Weavers and Spinners
 
▼ Niadhovar ▼
Epithet
The Stone Giant   Gender
Trans-Feminine   Symbol
A shining, fasceted Emerald   Colors
Green, Browns, Bronze   Domain
Nature - Earth; Merchants, Trade, and Commerce; Pottery, Stonemasons, Sculptors, and Painters
 
▼ Tarsellis ▼
Epithet
The Black Archer   Gender
Genderless   Symbol
An apple pierced center by 3 arrows   Colors
Dark Greens, Yellow   Domain
Survival, Forraging, Gathering, and Hunting; wild animals, and the untamed wilderness
  These Deities are most commonly worshipped by the Thai'lar and Ma'aelra in particular; the Thai'lar tend to place heavy emphasis on Tarsellis (Anve'Hora Vila, or “The Wild Husband”) as chief of the Divine- while the Ma'aelra, on the other hand, typically place their emphasis on the four elemental Deities (Satra Anve'Tor, or “The Four Sisters”) that sit opposite them.  
When we first came to delta we were led to the tree by Tarsellis himself ... It was known to us by its rich purple, which made clear that it was his gift and blessing to us. And on this, we built our greatest city to honor him.
— A Thai'laran telling the story of how they came to the Nang Kap'ahu Delta in Tolara
 

Mora e'Anve

  Mora e'Anve is less a group and more a title bestowed upon a single Goddess: Sehanine; while arguably more important to the E'Celaena and Caenala'Vi, Sehanine is closely connected to Anve'Famira ai Anve'Tri and plays an integral role in the hierarchy of the Avandora as a whole- acting as the spiritual and metaphysical guide, both of the Gods themselves, and of all Elvenkind.  
▼ Sehanine ▼
Epithet
The Oracle of the Avandora   Gender
Genderless   Symbol
An Eye with a Full Moon as its pupil   Colors
Silver, Dark Blues, White   Domain
The Unknown, Mystery, and Secrets; Travel; Divination and Dreams
  It is Sehanine who acts as Divine Prophetesses and Oracle; who interprets dreams and omens; who keeps the records of all that once was, all that is, and all that will ever be; who counsels the Divine on the ways to best help Elvenkind- and who acts as their messenger to the Elves; and who guards closely the secrets of Divinity, and introduces the Elves to the great mysteries of death when their time has come.  
Some niche religious cults found among the Caenala'Vi also include Analor and Falon’Dir in this category of Deities. The E'Celaena are also known for holding this belief- though among the E'Celaena, it is accepted as standard. In both cases, though, Analor and Falon’Dir are considered either consorts to Sehanine, or merely her aids.
 
▼ Analor ▼
Epithet
The Green Bough   Gender
Male   Symbol
Ornate Vial of Blood   Colors
Dark Red and White   Domain
Healing; Illness, Disease, and Suffering
▼ Falon'Dir ▼
Epithet
The Guiding Light   Gender
Genderless   Symbol
A lit lantern   Colors
Black, White, Silver   Domain
The dead; The Afterlife; Rivers and Streams; The Crossroads
 
The E'Celaena in particular consider Sehanine a tri-faced Goddess of masks who switches masks whenever she switches domains. This has lead to the formation of a minor cult among them which considers all three of these Divinities a single being altogether, without the association of masks at all.
 

Anve'Vaenna ai Anve'Dannae

  The title of this group roughly ranslates to "The Builders and the Destroyers", and it includes the largest group of dieties- all of whom maintain connections to both the positive and negative elements of society and civilization, morality, and the like.   While Elves are often seen as the overly indulgent purveyors of the beautiful, an often overlooked aspect of Elven society focuses on the social contract; etiquette, manners, and all related things are of paramount importance to the Elves- and those concepts are embodied beautifully in two figures of the Avandora: Allophira, and their consort Cellarinia. These figures represent social and cultural moors, society, and the joy and celebration of community.  
▼ Alophira ▼
Epithet
The Hearthmother   Gender
Genderless   Symbol
Leaf of a Laya Tree   Colors
Gold, Light Green   Domain
Community; Culture; Social Contracts; Joy and Celebration; Food and Drink; Performing Arts
▼ Cellarinia ▼
Epithet
The Summer Rose   Gender
Female   Symbol
Turdor Rose in Pink   Colors
Bronze, Muted Pink   Domain
Romance, Love, and Marriage; Domesticity; Children; Joy and Celebration
 
Though incredibly rare, there are certain pockets of In'alan (and some rare Thai'lar, even) who worship Allophira and Cellarinia as a single syncretized figure- typically under the latter's name ... To those who do so, this combined Deity is the mother of all civilization, albeit one much more transient in nature than the "originals"; some minor elements of Orlaene's nature of overindulgence can be found in this syncretization- particularly in regards to the consumption of food and drink at communal celebrations marking important community events such as births, deaths, and marriages.
  Orlaene and Mesaltrune, two of the darker figures, lurk on the edges of this duu- representing the unweaving of society; one through overindulgence, and the other through the illicit. The final figure, Vandria, represents the ever-swinging pendulum of war: Its necessity for protection, but also its capacity for destruction. But while Deities like Allophira and Cellarinia are upheld as the epitome of society, the others are not always worshipped except by individuals in specific fields of work. Rather, by the average person, they are offered-to more in exchange for them ... Turning a blind eye from them, so to speak.  
▼ Orlaene ▼
Epithet
The Ruby Chalice   Gender
Trans-Masculine   Symbol
Ornate Chalice   Colors
Gold, Purple, Bronze   Domain
Overindulgence; Oppulence; Ecstacy; Illicit Substances; Celebration
▼ Mesaltrun ▼
Epithet
The Beggar King   Gender
Male   Symbol
Two Coins   Colors
Silver, Black   Domain
Thieves, Smugglers, Assassins, and Spies; Urchins and Orphans; Beggars and the Poor; Social Outcasts
 
▼ Vandria ▼
Epithet
The Dread Wolf   Gender
Female   Symbol
Two swords crossed against a shield   Colors
Bronze, Brown, Red   Domain
War; Justice; Revenge; Protection
  Regardless of who is (or isn't) worshipped from this grouping, all Elves recognize that the lows of existend must come with the highs. And so this grouping is seen as one representative of the balances of society in all its forms.  

The Mother of Mercy

  Unique to Tolara in particular, is the worship of Imalda e'Yisonn- a figure known as The Winter Sun: Beloved Hero and Mother of Tolara; she was an E'inaran woman who now holds a special place in the eyes of all the Elves of the continent (but especially the other Tolaran E'inari), as she was responsible for saving those who became the continent's first settlers after their ship wrecked off its coast (leading to the continent’s initial discovery, and the founding of the city of SaetharKori).     Some cults venerate her as an Elven Deity in her own right. But most merely consider her Divinity-adjacent due to her lack of proper ascention to the Weave; not wholly mortal, but not having met the criteria of full Divine Ascension, either. Still, she is widely celebrated in Tolara and even has her own religious holidays among the people (including the celebration of Semain e'Imalda Fenenia).



Cover image: Manuscript by Sam Moqadam

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Author's Notes

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I absolutely love getting feedback on my setting and its worldbuilding. I love it even more when people poke and prod at it, and ask questions about the things I've built within it. I want both. I actively encourage both. And it makes me incredibly giddy whenever I get either. However, there's a time and a place for critique in particular- mostly when I've actually asked for it (which usually happens in World Anvil's discord server). And when I do ask for critique, there are two major things I politely request that you do not include in your commentary:   ➤ The first is any sort of critique on the way I've chosen to organize or format something; Saleh'Alire is not a narrative world written for reader enjoyment... It's is a living campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons. To that end, it's written and organized for my players and I, specifically for ease of use during gameplay- and our organization needs are sometimes very different than others'. They are especially diferent, often-times, from how things "should be organized" for reader enjoyment.   ➤ Secondly, is any critique about sentence phrasing and structure, word choice, and so on; unless you've specifically found a typo, or you know for a provable fact I've blatantly misued a word, or something is legitimately unclear explicitly because I've worded it too strangely? Then respectfully: Don't comment on it; as a native English speaker of the SAE dialect, language critique in particular will almost always be unwelcome unless it's absolutely necessary. This is especially true if English is not you first language to begin with. My native dialect is criticized enough as it is for being "wrong", even by fellow native English speakers ... I really don't want to deal with the additional linguistic elitism of "formal english" from Second-Language speakers (no offense intended).   That being said: If you want to ask questions, speculate, or just ramble? Go for it! I love talking about my setting and I'm always happy to answer any questions you have, or entertain any thoughts about it. Praise, of course, is always welcome too (even if it's just a casual "this is great", it still means a lot to authors)- and if you love it, please don't forget to actually show that love by liking it and sharing it around. Because I genuinely do enjoy watching people explore and interact with my setting, and ask questions about it, and I'd definitely love to hear from you... Just be respectful about it, yeah?


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