Elise is a manifestation of Time itself that the mortals of the Realms know as Destiny. She is the most powerful of her “siblings” though she does not sit above them in their hierarchy. She is also the Divine whos personality (as much as a Divine being can have a personality) is most opposite of her governed thread within the Weave. Elise is an impulsive and aloof Vethari who delights in freedom, discovery, and mystery. Her aloofness stems not from arrogance, but from confidence in her own abilities and her desire to be unburdened by troubles. She is a collection of contrasts an ancient Vethari who dislikes predicting the future, a traveler who cares nothing for her destination, a carefree creature of instinct haunted by a past stretching back eons, and a peaceful divine forced to battle with old enemies, eternally young despite the weight of ages and stars upon her.
Some believe Elise is flighty, frivolous, and easily distracted, but she has a cold side born of loss, tragedy, and battle. As the embodiment of Destiny, she always believes there is a chance for success, but knows that dreams can turn to nightmares and bright destinies can become dark fates; these opposites in her own nature define her and give her things to strive against. She challenges those who would corrupt her domain or who have wronged her friends or followers, striking at them with burning starlight, bad luck, and energies alien to the Realms.
Although her dominion over dreams and stars means that many seers, diviners, and mystics revere her as a Vethari of prophecy, she delights in the freedom of people to choose their own destiny. She prefers to use prophecy as a tool for exploration and creating choices, not for limiting action and snuffing hope, and finds "doom and gloom" prophecies and those that seem to guarantee good people will commit horrible acts. She hands out such warnings only in the direst circumstances, generally in dreams, and ifs he must send dreams that portend despair, she may grace a follower in need with the benefit of a helpful spell upon awakening (such as aid, manic vestment, prayer, protection from evil, or remove fear) that persists throughout the day. Thus, does she pair dark portents with hope that the outcome may still be bright.
When Elise has a message for one of her faithful, she prefers to intervene in dreams, sending simple impressions, visions, or even prophecies that the sleeper clearly remembers upon awakening. When dreams are unsuitable or time is short, she indicates her favor with flights of swallowtail butterflies, sparrows, dragonflies, geese flying in a four-pointed star shape, or the timely arrival of messenger birds. She typically shows her disfavor with dreamless sleep that fails to refresh the sleeper (as if the person had not slept at all), sore feet, messenger animals losing their messages, and minor travel accidents.
Elise watches over those who travel for any reason. Trailblazers, scouts, adventurers, and sailors all praise her name. Her influence over “luck” also makes her a favorite among gamblers, thieves, and others who rely on fortune for shady dealings. Elise teaches her followers to indulge their desires, experience all they can, and trust instinct as a guide. Her faithful are often wide-eyed, exuberant people, embracing the world in all its strangeness, and willing to jump in with both feet. Elisiens aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, their feet wet, or wide-eyed, exuberant people, embracing the world in all its strangeness, and willing to jump in with both feet. Elisiens aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, their feet wet, or their knuckles (or faces) bloodied while living life to its fullest. Critics call them hedonists, but that's an exaggeration, as worldly experience, rather than pure sensation, is their true goal. Ascetics, hermits, and meticulous planners are unknown in her church. Her faithful teach that it's better to ask forgiveness than permission, as sometimes a unique opportunity requires a split-second decision, even if it's a chance to touch a dragon's egg.
The Divine encourages her worshipers to believe in themselves and express their inner strengths, often in the form of music, dance, or theater. Many songs penned by her faithful become popular tunes for dancing and gatherings, and numerous old favorites are attributed to long-dead Elisien bards whose musical legacies have persisted for centuries. Some people believe the custom of a traveling bard paying for his lodging with a song stems from Elise's church, and like bards, followers of Elise encourage young folk to sing and dance in the hope of discovering hidden talents.
Elise usually appears to her followers as a blind but beautiful and remote acolyte of her faith. In this guise, she aids people in need or suggests relevant excerpts from her holy writings as a way to lead the faithful on the correct path. She is not above singing to lighten dour moods or dancing with those whose confidence is in need of reinvigoration. When Elise wishes to reveal her true nature, she transforms her common clothing into a billowing silken gown.
Devotee Benefits
- Divine Font: Harm or heal
- Divine Skill: Acrobatics
- Favored Weapon: Longbow
- Divine Domains: dreams, fate, luck, travel
Tenets of Faith
- Luck favors the bold. Your fate is your own to grasp, and to do so is to have Elise behind you.
- Change is inevitable. The righteous can ensure that such change is for the better.
- Rise against tyranny. Fight for the freedom of yourself and others when you can, and inspire others to fight when you cannot.
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