Ksieryca, the Broken

The Broken Mother, Lady Moonlight

Oh mother sweet and kind, broken, still divine.

For the gift of knowledge, silver blood spilled upon the coastline

Oh mother, being split into shards,

Did we miss it by our fault, was it in the cards?

— Shards of the Mother, Psalm 12

Divine Domains

The Moon, Fertility, Magic

Holy Books & Codes

• Whispers of knowledge; A series of prophecies, dream interpretations and symbols from before the cataclysm. This tome is normally studied heavily by priestesses of the moon, as well as young Sylvar diviners.The priesthood of Shards holds elections on which prophecies, sigils and recurring are added to this tome, with new versions being published once every ten or so additions.


• Shards of the Mother; A book on the lessons of the mother post cataclysm. This is the more common tome, kept by most worshippers in their homes. This tome contains the tenets of faith as well as psalms, and lessons of the priesthood. Many of these pertain to matters of trust, keeping of secrets and matters of forgiveness.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Priestesses of Ksieryca wear moonstone crescent pendants. Pendants made of moonstone are reserved for the clergy of the Broken Mother. The general population favour pendants made of silver, amber or wood. Charms made out of bones of household animals are also popular amongst the rural populations. Tattoos of arcane symbols and even whole runic phrases can be found on the more academic faithful in Sylmaneth

Tenets of Faith

1. One's word is an imprint on their being. A broken word, is a broken soul.
2. Know thy land. Learn it's voice and in need, it shall whisper back to you.
3. Even the mother has a face of shadow. No man is made of virtue alone. To be real, one must keep a balance.
4. A family chosen is a bond of blood and sweat. It is everlasting.
5. Every hand has a weapon to fit, one must simply look - in the right hand, a tome is as deadly as any blade.
6. No bell should ever ring twice. A lesson worth learning must only ever be said once.

Holidays

Followers of Ksieryca celebrate each full moon with a communal ritual. This includes chants, prayer and calling to the mother for a successful month. Celebrations normally last from sun dawn until the following morning. Surplus of food is used up during this time, with song and dance in the moonlight. Children conceived during this ritual night are considered to be a blessing upon the family.

The largest celebration in Ksieryca's name, is the longest night of the year, in Midwinter. Feasts of meat and preserved fruits take place in each home. Gifts are exchanged between family and friends, and at the stroke of midnight, families venture into the centre of the settlement, where the priesthood of Shards conducts a large scale ritual to replicate the shielding of Sylmaneth. After the ceremony, priestesses ordain weddings, families and new couples can receive free divination, and people celebrate with bonfires and song until the sun rises. The population sleep through the day and continue celebrations for the whole week, until the turn of the new year.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

It is no secret that Ksieryca wishes to be whole again. It is a clear source of frustration for her and her followers alike. In the current state of things, Ksieryca is exposed and weakened. Her eagerness to share knowledge with the mortals of Varen led to this crippled state. Since the cataclysm, she has become more reclusive; followers of the mother have experienced less direct contact from her, visions are rarer and less clear when they do appear.

Divine Classification

Deity

Church/Cult

Sisterhood of Shards

Year of Death

73 MF

Circumstances of Death

The "death" of Ksieryca pertains to the people of Aren and their expedition to the moon, which ended in the shattering of the Moon, and hellfire falling onto Varen.

Eyes

Empty, cracked eye sockets

Hair

None

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale white with grey spots

Ksieryca and the Cataclysm

Before the New Dawn era, Varen was dominated by the Arenian empire. These people were extremely advanced. Simple micro-chips were capable of replacing faulty organs. Vehicles travelled at unimaginable speeds and long distance communication through technology rivalled that achieved through magic. But the people of Aren were ever curious, and aimed to travel to the Moon. Despite plentiful doubts and cries of heresy, they did it. They managed to make it happen. Nobody knows what happened when the Arenian's arrived and began to mine the moon for its resources. All the people of now know is that whetever the Arenians did, caused the explosion and death of the lady Moon, sending hellfire down onto Varen and creating The Lunar Scar.

Further reading