Desna

The Song of the Spheres

Desna was one of the first deities, but while her peers burdened themselves with the task of creating the world, she spent her time building the heavens. She knew that there would be plenty of time for her and her followers to explore the many wonders of the world later. She's changed little since those earlier days, and she and her followers delight in exploring the world.

Appearance

Desna is a goddess often described as a beautiful elven woman, with butterfly wings containing all the beauty of a clear night sky. She is often depicted as having dark hair, silvery eyes, and a coy but distant smile, wearing diaphanous gowns and sometimes accompanied by swarms of butterflies.

History

Desna is an ancient goddess of freedom and luck, and is credited with the creation of the heavens. She was one of the first deities of this incarnation of reality.
In her earliest days a god who was an enemy of the goddess Lamashtu, was her mentor. Lamashtu laid a trap for that god and stripped him of his beast domain, ripping it from his godly essence. As he died, he gifted Desna with the domain of travel; she has traveled the planes and worlds since, opposing both oppression and Lamashtu wherever she encounters them, and spreading her word while making an effort to experience new wonders when she can.
Long ago before the Age of Empires, Desna was among the original gods who battled the Rough Beast who sought to destroy the world, and were eventually able to contain him in the Dead Vault.

Relations

Desna is strongly opposed to Lamashtu due to the murder of Desna's one-time mentor, and wishes to reclaim the domain of beasts. Cayden Cailean is known to be a suitor of hers, but she keeps aloof of most godly affairs; past traumas and her desire for freedom lead her into fewer interactions with other deities than most. She is involved in a polyamorous relationship with Sarenrae and Shelyn, and opposes both Rovagug and Zon-Kuthon for control of the night, which she wishes to be a time of wonder and beauty. Night hags are known to bear an undying hatred for Desna and go out of their way to torment her followers, if possible even trying to steal their souls.

Realm

Unlike most of the other deities, Desna has no true realm in the Great Beyond, although she does occasionally travel to a small castle that floats above the rugged beauty of Elysium. Her true home Cynosure, a demiplane manifested on the Material Plane as a bright silvery-blue star. Her palace, the Sevenfold Cynosure, rests at the plane's heart, and exists simultaneously in Elysium and Cynosure when Desna wills it to manifest in Elysium.

Providence

Desna generally communicates with her followers through dreams, sending images, feelings, or even prophecies that stick in the recipient's mind after waking. If there is not enough time for dreams, or they are otherwise unsuitable, she can send swarms of butterflies, sparrows, dragonflies, or geese that fly in a four-pointed star shape. When displeased, she can withhold a restful sleep, make sure the mortal gets sore feet, has a travel accident, or that a messenger animal loses its way.

Servants

Desna and her faithful hold creatures that symbolize freedom and the night sky as beautiful and holy. Butterflies are a particular favorite, and the appearance of swarms of them is often seen as a sign of the goddess' favor. Other favored creatures include the azatas, and certain fey creatures of the night. Her divine servitor race are the thyrliens, winged azatas who watch over those traveling by night and who are the warrior counterparts of the gentler lyrakien.

Unique servants

Some of Mother Moon's known servants include:

• Nightspear: This black and silver spotted avoral is a fierce ally of the Desnan clergy, and often sings in battle.
• Sorrowbrand: A dramatic lillend composer with black, star-dappled scales and feathers, Sorrowbrand wears many black ribbons and enjoys inspiring mortal songs.
• The Night Monarch: Appearing as a massive butterfly-like creature the size of a dragon, the night monarch is the herald of Desna.

Church of Desna

Desna is the goddess of travel and journeys, and there are few who traverse the roads who wouldn't spare her a prayer or a simple-worded plea for benediction. Scouts, sailors, and those who travel for travel's sake make up a large number of her followers, though her focus on luck also makes her a favorite deity among gamblers and thieves. Whatever their calling, followers of the Song of Spheres search the world for new experiences, and try to live their life to the fullest. The church of Desna has few temples, as its priests rarely settle in a single location. The faithful of the Great Dreamer can be found on the roads of the world.
Desna is held in special affection by many halflings, especially those who travel or seek adventure. Traveling halflings take tokens of the goddess and frequent her shrines along their journey. They attribute their special luck and some halflings' ability to jinx as a gift from the goddess.

Clergy

The informal clergy of Desna is primarily composed of clerics, though on occasion bards are called by some song or whisper in the night to follow her path. Her clergy usually garb themselves in white robes with black trim and silk caps, highlighted by varied decorative elements (especially among priests of high status), and usually accompanied by one or more starknives.

Temples and shrines

Temples of Desna are few and far between, with most locations no more than roadside shrines erected in her honor. Travelers often leave markings and dedications in newly discovered areas and secluded locales. Those few temples that do exist often serve as observatories and are open to the night sky, with plentiful texts, charts, and instruments to help track the stars and determine astronomical events. 
Dedicated to the faith of Desna, seven bell towers are believed to have existed at one point throughout the central continents. The seven towers represented the Seven Towers of Desna's palace and each tower housed a sacred Bell of Mercy. Pilgrimages to all seven towers were often undertaken by Desna's faithful.

Holy Texts

Writings sacred to Desna tend to be easily portable, written in simple language and often containing references to exotic, beautiful places and roads containing a shrine.

• The Eight Scrolls: These writings detail Desna's early days and the basic edicts of her faith.
• Shrine Wall Writings: Almost all Desnan shrines are covered with the observations and prayers of travelers and priests of her faith, containing the wisdom of the road and hints for the start of new journeys.

Holidays

• Ritual of Stardust: This holiday takes place around both the winter and summer solstices. When the ceremonial fires burn low, the faithful throw sand mixed with gems into the embers and make wishes and pledges for the months to come.
• Swallowtail Festival: Every year on the first day of the month of Resting, the followers of Desna release cages full of swallowtail butterflies, an act that honors a story told by the faithful.

Divine Classification

Greater Deity

Religions

• Aeryon

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Current Location

Elysium

Honorary & Occupational Titles

• The Song of the Spheres
• The Great Dreamer
• Starsong
• The Tender of Dreams
• Lady Luck
• Resplendent Goddess of Fortune
• Goddess of the North Star
• Queen of the North Star
• Mother Moon

Current Residence

The palace Sevenfold Cynosure, Elysium

Eyes

Galaxy Blue

Hair

Chestnut

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Fair

Height

5'7''

Weight

115lbs

Holy Symbol

Pathfinder Statistics

Divine Domains

• Chaos
• Good
• Liberation
• Luck
• Travel

Favored Weapon: Starknife

D&D 5e Statistics

Suggested Domains

• Nature Domain
• Twilight Domain