Cult of Verena

Goddess of Wisdom

Wise Verena, the Goddess of Learning and Justice, is the wife of dark Morr and the mother of Myrmidia and Shallya. She is generally depicted as a tall, classically beautiful woman, and usually carries a sword and a set of scales. As the patron of justice she is concerned with fairness rather than the letter of the law: she opposes tyranny and oppression as much as crime.

Worshippers

Verena is worshipped throughout the Old World, especially in the south. Her devout followers include scholars, lawyers, and magistrates, as well as some wizards of the Colleges of Magic, particularly of the Grey and Light orders.
The cult of Verena has no rigid hierarchy: it is said that Verena alone heads the cult, and no mortal intermediary is needed because truth is self-evident and requires no interpretation. Temple priests from the Order of Lorekeepers are tasked to preserve knowledge and communicate it to the community. They keep up a voluminous correspondence with each other, exchanging information and news.
Priests from the equally influential Order of Scalebearers are much sought after to act as judges, arbitrators, and go-betweens, because of their famed impartiality and mastery of the law. The Order of Mysteries is much smaller and less well-known, and contains warrior-priests who seek lost and forgotten lore, wherever it may lie. The last major order is the Knights of the Everlasting Light, templars famed for their sword skills, sense of fairness, and legendary bad luck. Verena’s cultists usually wear plain white robes, symbolic of pure truth and impartiality.

Holy Sites

Temples to Verena can be found in most cities and larger towns, generally situated in the administrative or university quarters. Most libraries and court-houses include a shrine to the goddess, and smaller shrines can be found in the homes of many scholars and lawyers. Temples usually have colonnaded facades, with symbols of the goddess and allegorical figures of learning presented in low relief. Inside is a large statue of Verena, normally seated with a book in her lap, a pair of scales in her left hand, and her right hand resting on the hilt of a sword. Smaller rooms lead off from the main temple, including a library and chambers for the attendant priests. Each temple has at least one meeting room where negotiations can take place under the eyes of the goddess.

Penances

Penances set by Verena normally involve the recovery or preservation of knowledge, the righting of an injustice, or the resolution of a dispute. Cultists may also be sent to recover a long- forgotten book of lore, or to mediate in a difficult quarrel. This could be anything from a farmers’ boundary dispute to unpicking the complicated politics of two realms on the brink of war.

Strictures

• Never refuse to arbitrate a dispute when asked.
• Always tell the truth without fear or favour.
• Protect knowledge at all costs.
• Combat must be a last resort when all alternative routes are fruitless.
• Never become a tool of injustice or heresy.

Blessings of Verena
Blessing of Conscience
Blessing of Courage
Blessing of Fortune
Blessing of Righteousness
Blessing of Wisdom
Blessing of Wit

Successor Organizations

• Order of Mysteries
• Templars of Everlasting Light
• The Lorekeepers
• The Scalebearers

Leader

Manfred Archibald

Leader Title

High Priest