Yldia

The Force of Death

But in his sister, Yldia, was death, for she knew that all beauty must ever be temporary or it shall no longer be considered beautiful. And this thought filled her with a deep and profound sadness, and she wept. Whithersoever her tears fell, there also became death and wrought into the world deserts and wastelands. But she is compassionate as well and seeks to keep the children of Solun from her pain, and so they come to her in times of grief and over loss of loved ones and they are comforted.

Creations 2:6

The Force of Death and the Goddess of all things lost is not one many people seek out. Not on account of negative feelings towards her or wickedness being affiliated with her veneration, but because it has become common practice to only pray to her in times of grieving for lost loved ones. Indeed openly worshiping her is seen as asking for trouble or inviting of bad luck. This unfortunately presents a rather negative perception of Yldia to outsiders, when in fact she is one of the more compassionate of the Forces.

Divine Domains

Of all of the Forces of Creation, Yldia is in fact the least influential. With social customs making it more or less taboo to openly worship her outside of a period of grieving for the loss of a loved one, this is really the only time she is worshiped and very few temples exist in her name. That said, her symbols and imagery is quite often found in graveyards, tombs and catacombs often with statues of her built at the rear of the plot to overlook the souls of the departed in their journey from this world. Before making use of a plot of land as a graveyard some of the few priest of Yldia (or of any other Force is one is not available) will dedicate the land to her.

To many visitors native to other plains, or indeed people unfamiliar with the veneration of Yldia, it would seem that there was a negative relationship between mortals and Yldia. This could not be further from the truth. Since all mortals know that in the end death will inevitably claim them, and their eternal souls reaching their intended place of rest is in her hands. This has created a much warmer relationship between Yldia and mortality than that of the other Forces, indeed one of a more maternal nature.

Yldia's duties as the Force of Death also transcend into the Astral worlds as well as the physical ones. Traditional teachings believe that while Solun is the judge of a person's soul and the ultimate decider in which of the heavens or hells they go to rest, Yldia is the one who both advocates for the mortal's soul as well as guides them to their final resting place. It is common practice when one is dying to offer a final prayer to Yldia begging her aid in the final judgement before taking a vow of silence until one passes to show their trust in her advocacy.

Holy Books & Codes

The Tome of Solun

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Her symbol is a black calavera, engraved with blue filigree.

Tenets of Faith

Yldia does not have followers or disciples in the traditional sense, but to a degree everyone in Unorrea is, at some point, her follower. Followers of Yldia express their faith in her through traditions of mourning and funeral rites. This is often expressed by wearing gray during periods of mourning (usually one year to eighteen months) and making frequent visits to graveyards to pray for her aid in the judgment of their loved ones and for assurance that the soul of the dearly departed will be tended to properly.

There are a few temples dedicated to Yldia throughout the realm, many of them take on death as a theme and thus serve the public as mausoleums or tombs for important people alongside being a temple to Yldia. The greatest examples of this are the elven pyramids in Nemelia, the Shattered Islands and Southern Equikora. These temples to Yldia have several chambers throughout their lower levels that serve as public meeting places for the public to gather to pray, while also serving as tombs for great kings, prophets and chieftains. The Upper Room or Cenacle of the elven pyramids beneath the prominent "roof-combs" of the temples serve as holy rooms where the priests gather to make offerings to Yldia to protect them and their flock from death until the proper time comes.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Much like other Gods of death for different Pantheons, Yldia's main focus and goal is preserving death, both it's finality and its inevitability. As a result she is aggressively hostile to anyone who uses magic or other means to cheat death or bring someone back from death. She sees this as an affront to her power, and in insult to her divinity and has been known to lash out wrathfully towards these individuals. Legend tells it was just such a person who brought ruin and death to the ancient city of Ttalnisa in the Shattered Islands.

Yldia understands that death is a natural part of life and a crucial part of Solun's plan for her children. It was for this reason that she created death, although it brought her such pain and sorrow. While she is openly hostile to those that would cheat death, she is very supportive of those who work to around it. While some assassins and death dealers claim to be of her patronage, she is more supportive of morticians, grave diggers, priests and other members of society who's role it is to ensure death is handled properly and with respect.

Like Batyx, she keeps herself distant from mortality, however legends have been told of her form walking battlefields granting a peaceful death to those suffering from fatal wounds. One would not be blames for thinking that she abhors life and revels in death, but in fact she values life more than almost any other Force only recognizing that death is an important part of a mortal's journey. Anyone who gives up their life to save another is considered to be favored by Yldia, and received with great honors into the afterlife. Myths have been told for ages of her descending into the nine levels of hell to save souls of wicked mortals who had redeemed themselves in the end by sacrificing themselves for another, and carrying them into one of the heavens.

As the force of death she appreciates those who serve death with respect and reverence and any who would bring death to those who have abused her creation for their own interests.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Like Xutosi, Yldia is often depicted as an elven woman wracked with grief. Tearlines mark a face marked with ruined makeup, and her eyes express a sadness that would make the most positive of mortals fall to their knees weeping. Her clothes are simple and dark, and her hair is long and black and usually draped in front of her face.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

She would love to not be the Force of Death and dreams of an immortal world where her sadness cannot exists.

Social

Social Aptitude

While most would expect Yldia to spread her sadness to those she deals with, when interacting with mortals she is actually the sweetest and kindest and most sincere of the Forces. She doesn't want anyone to feel the sadness that she is the source of, and seeks to comfort those in need of comfort whenever possible.

Relationships

Teldir

Younger Brother (Trivial)

Towards Yldia

-2

0

Dishonest

---

Yldia

Older Sister (Trivial)

Towards Teldir

-2

0

Dishonest

---

Divine Classification

Goddess

Religions

• The Church of Creation

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Church/Cult

The Church of Creation

Spouses

Siblings

Gender

Female

Aligned Organization

Forces of Creation

Other Affiliations

• The Church of Creation

Ydlia's Champions

Suggested Alignment: Lawful, often neutral or good

Suggested Classes: Cleric, Rogue, Warlock, Fighter

Suggested Cleric Domains: Death, Grave, Order, War

Suggested Backgrounds: Acolyte, Haunted One, Soldier

Yldia's champions tend to be those surrounded by death such as priests, morticians, gravediggers and soldiers who face death on a daily basis as well as take the lives of the wicked in service of protecting the lives of the innocent.

Earning and Losing Piety

You can increase your piety score with Yldia by increasing her influence throughout the world in concrete ways by performing acts such as:

• Dedicating a new graveyard in a frontier settlement to Yldia

• Defeating undead or those who have created the undead

• Defending a graveyard, tomb or crypt from robbers, bandits or monsters

• Offering prayers for the souls of fallen enemies, or otherwise showing profound respect or reverence for death

You can decrease your piety score with Yldia by diminishing her influence throughout the world, contradicting her ideals, or undermining her grave influence throughout the world by performing acts such as:

• Senselessly killing people when there was a more appropriate alternative

• Bringing people back from the dead through any means

• Desecrating a grave or raiding a tomb

Yldia's Devotee

Piety 3+ Yldia Trait

As a potential champion of death, Yldia seeks to keep you from dying to further her influence throughout Unorrea. You may cast the False Life spell without any material components a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You recover all expended uses of this trait when complete a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this trait.

Yldia's Votary

Piety 10+ Yldia trait

The grave has no hold over you. When damage dealt to you would reduce you to 0 health points or less, it instead reduces you only to 1 health point. Whenever you use this trait, you cannot do so again until after you complete a long rest.

Yldia's Disciple

Piety 25+ Yldia trait

You naturally draw on the necromantic energies of death. Whenever a creature dies within 10 feet of you, you gain temporary health points equal to your level.

Avatar of Death

Piety 50+ Ydlia trait

You increase your Constitution ability score by 2 and increase it's maximum rating by 2 as well. Once per long rest you may cast the Shadow of Moil spell with no material requirements. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.