Post by Seraphstye on Aug 23, 2011 12:03:47 GMT -5
About
This is a group of characters that worship the Goddess of the Waters. Feel free to read through this massive page of info and feel free to submit your character if you'd like to join!
Religious Information
Type: Henotheism
Direction: Outwards
Focus: Personal Tranquility
Afterlife: None or Unknown, as the Goddess of the Waters is not affiliated with death. However, her more devoted followers believe they'll be able to spend an eternity with her in death.
Worshippers (include): Merchants, Travelers, Ship Crews, Fishermen, Lovers, and Druids.
Passed Down: Via a strong oral tradition with some writings
Creation Myth: None or Unknown, when it comes to the creation of the universe and earth. As for the creation of the moon, it's said that she made it out of her favorite rocks on the bottom of the ocean
Symbols
Symbol(s): A crescent moon with a teardrop between the points.
Holy Colors: Silver, All shades of purple and blue
Gods and Goddesses
Deity: The Goddess of the Waters.
Names: Lady of the Lake, River-woman, Moon-mother, Queen of the Deep. (and perhaps others)
Aspects: Water, Tranquility, Passion, Emotions, Passage, Travelers, Commerce, Weather, Trade, Animals (of the water or at least those that spend much time near the water, also includes creatures like mermaids, nymphs, etc.), The Moon (Earth's), and Navigation.
Appearance: A divinely beautiful woman. Tall, lithe; and long, flowing, hair; and a solemn demeanor and appearance. Little or no clothes. Portrayed with many different hair and eye colors, but always with a bright skin tone.
Interaction: Rare. Many claim to see and interact with her, but none of these have been confirmed or proven.
Origin: Many wizards and other scholars have attempted to discern what kind of creature the Goddess of the Waters is. Some have claimed that she is a cunning water fey, but many water fey many of them are cheerful and flirtatious, which is opposite to how the River-woman is described in the stories. Others say that she is an Angel or Demon, an outsider from one of the alternate planes, but these cannot be proven either, as angels have wings and demons are a lot more malevolent. She may be some sort of Immortal Witch (Perhaps the Lady in the Lake in the stories of King Arthur), but -again- these haven't been proven. There are no official stories on how she came into being, not even stories about her mother or father. Oddly, no fey of the water has ever reported interacting with her.
Clergy
Name: The Clerics of the River-woman
Titles: River-daughter (if female), Lake-man (if male).
Gender: Both (but mostly female)
Alignments: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Good
Function: Spiritual protectors, Missionaries, Teachers, Spiritual Advisors.
Lifestyle: Variable, depends on the member's background.
Family: Large (children encouraged)
Distinguished By: Tranquility, Powers, Silver hair, Purple eyes.
Becoming a clergyman(woman) is a simple, yet difficult task. One must approach a cleric and announce their will to become part of the clergy. After being deemed worthy, that person must then go and pray over a natural pool of water (or river) on a full or new moon, they must be alone for the entire process. Those who succeed will be overwhelmed with a sense of tranquility and peace that will stay with them until death, or until they forsake the religion. Once this supernatural calm is attained, they are then part of the "church". Other than the sense of tranquility, they gain no powers or other odd features. The children of the clergy are much different.
The children of the clergy are born with silver-hair, purple eyes, or both (which is said to be the same hair and eye color of the River-woman). These children are born just as tranquil as their parents, and remain that way for the rest of their life (though there are the odd cases of these children suddenly regaining their emotions). These children are considered the daughters and sons of the Goddess of the Waters. They are called River-daughters or Lake-men. They're often extremely beautiful and attractive, remaining that way for the rest of their days. These children, on birth, become part of the clergy.
As these children age, they become more and more solemn. They become quiet and speak only in short sentences. They usually "talk" with small gestures; nodding their head, shaking their head, shrugging, etc.. They don't become emotionless, but they will not show off much (if any) expression in their movements, face, or speech. Smiles are kind of out of the question. Their writings are very to the point and generally don't show much more expression than what they'd normally show in person. As far as affection goes, the best they can really do is hold hands or hug. Saying something like, "I love you", is practically unheard of for them. To others, they can seem emotionless (if not soulless), but those who get to know them can see beneath their tranquility and truly appreciate them.
These children will eventually be granted powers that tie into one or two aspects of the Goddess. For example, a child with power over the Water and Travel aspects, will perhaps have the ability to influence the seas and put wind in a boat's sail. Of course, these children may choose to leave the clergy, in which case they will lose all of their powers and their peace. In this state, they are free to express themselves, although many will probably not know how (as they've probably not even smiled once in their entire lives)
Worship
Worshipping the Lady in the Lake is a simple task. Unlike other religions and worship ceremonies, it does not require any special equipment or sacrifices. To worship, one must simply pray quietly, that's it. Although more devoted followers and members of the clergy may attempt to pray while immersed in a natural pool, this is not required.
Sins
As a casual worshipper, you can't really sin against the Lady in the Lake. However, if you're a devoted follower or a clergywoman(man), there is a single sin that can be committed. The sin is literally, "To be disturbed". The Lady in the Lake prefers things to be calm, tranquil, and quiet. However, this only applies to ones own self, which makes committing this sin kind of confusing.
Essentially, a follower can murder, lie, and shout as much as they want. But, if doing those things cause the follower to be "disrupted" and it breaks their tranquility, then they've sinned. For example, you can poison someone's drink and murder them... unless you felt guilty when you put the poison in the drink and/or you were disturbed by their death throes and corpse.
To atone for the sin, the follower must isolate themselves and pray in peace and quiet for 24 hours.
Holidays and Festivals
Full Moon
On the night of a full moon (or nearly a full moon), it is believed that the River-woman herself is traveling with the light of the moon. It's considered best to travel on these nights. Her more devoted followers tend to keep watch for her on these days, especially near water, in hope that she might appear to them.
New Moon
On the night of a new moon, it is believed that the River-woman is resting. It's considered best to stay put (and not travel) on these days. Her more devoted followers are most hospitable on these days, giving travelers a place to stay till the Full Moon comes around.
Eclipses (Lunar or Solar)
On these days, it is believed that the Moon-mother is meeting with the God or Goddess of the Sun. It's widely thought of that the River-woman is friends (or perhaps lovers) with the Sun and they get to visit each other on the day of eclipses. A common superstition is that when two people embrace for the duration of the eclipse, their friendship (or love) will be everlasting.
Cultural Aspects
Coming of Age: 13 years old
Coming of Age Rite: Not celebrated
Marriage: Between two people
Marriage Rites: Quite solemn, simply spending a certain amount of time alone with your fiancée after both agree to be married.
Death Rites: The deceased's beloved must kiss the corpse. If the deceased was not married or even in a relationship, then someone who had/has a crush on them must volunteer.
Prevalence: Many casual worshippers, but few devoted members.
Outsiders: Are welcomed
-HISTORY-
The worship of the Goddess of the Waters started some hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of years back in what is now modern day Finland. In those ancient times, the people used to worship spirits that supposedly had control over nature. It wasn't odd for the people to pray and perform rituals for these spirits before doing certain things. For example, performing a ritual before swimming, essentially asking the spirit of that body of water to help them stay afloat. It was during one of these rituals that the Goddess of the Waters appeared.
In a certain village in ancient finland, it was tradition for the bridge and groom to spend some amount of time apart from each other, with friends, before their union. The bride-to-be was wandering the length of a nearby river, in the company of what could now be called bridesmaids. It was by fate, perhaps, that a breeze of cold air ran between their numbers and blew something precious belonging to the bride (what could only be described as a beloved piece of jewelry) into the river, sinking to the bottom. The girl would've jumped in after it, but she was stopped by her friends. It was only safe to enter the water if they asked permission of the spirit of the water. So, they sat and prayed, performing the required ritual. The bride stood close to the water's edge the entire time, weeping, and making sure not to lose sight of the item which she cared so much for. It's said that her tears streamed down from her face and landed into the lake, which caused a reaction.
According to legend, the tears awoke the River-woman. She arose from the waters, with the item in her hand, which she returned to the bride. It's said that she dwelled among the girls for a short time, and they did not fear her. When the girls returned home, they had a very calm, tranquil demeanor. Many of them confessed their love to their crushes that night. And, of course, they told everyone about their experience with the River-woman. The vert next day, the entire village went to see her, and she appeared for them. This is where her worship first began, after that moment in that small village. Over time (as people moved away from the village, and as the village grew larger and became a center for trade) the stories of the River-woman spread across Europe, and soon there were reports of her being spotted around the globe.
In those ancient times, where belief in myth and legend was strong, the River-woman had a large group of worshippers. Although, at first she was only recognized as a Goddess of the Waters. She soon became affiliated with tranquility, passion, emotions, navigation, the moon, weather, trade, passage, commerce, and even the creatures of the waters (fish, mermaids, etc.). However, in these modern times, her worship has died down quite a bit, at least in the non-magical (mundane) world. In the magical world (where things like Papagena Boarding School are known), she still has quite a large following and has many casual worshippers.
Legends
Coming soon
Members
None yet, post here if you want to join!
Q&A
No one has asked any questions yet, feel free to ask a question in a post below!
This is a group of characters that worship the Goddess of the Waters. Feel free to read through this massive page of info and feel free to submit your character if you'd like to join!
Religious Information
Type: Henotheism
Direction: Outwards
Focus: Personal Tranquility
Afterlife: None or Unknown, as the Goddess of the Waters is not affiliated with death. However, her more devoted followers believe they'll be able to spend an eternity with her in death.
Worshippers (include): Merchants, Travelers, Ship Crews, Fishermen, Lovers, and Druids.
Passed Down: Via a strong oral tradition with some writings
Creation Myth: None or Unknown, when it comes to the creation of the universe and earth. As for the creation of the moon, it's said that she made it out of her favorite rocks on the bottom of the ocean
Symbols
Symbol(s): A crescent moon with a teardrop between the points.
Holy Colors: Silver, All shades of purple and blue
Gods and Goddesses
Deity: The Goddess of the Waters.
Names: Lady of the Lake, River-woman, Moon-mother, Queen of the Deep. (and perhaps others)
Aspects: Water, Tranquility, Passion, Emotions, Passage, Travelers, Commerce, Weather, Trade, Animals (of the water or at least those that spend much time near the water, also includes creatures like mermaids, nymphs, etc.), The Moon (Earth's), and Navigation.
Appearance: A divinely beautiful woman. Tall, lithe; and long, flowing, hair; and a solemn demeanor and appearance. Little or no clothes. Portrayed with many different hair and eye colors, but always with a bright skin tone.
Interaction: Rare. Many claim to see and interact with her, but none of these have been confirmed or proven.
Origin: Many wizards and other scholars have attempted to discern what kind of creature the Goddess of the Waters is. Some have claimed that she is a cunning water fey, but many water fey many of them are cheerful and flirtatious, which is opposite to how the River-woman is described in the stories. Others say that she is an Angel or Demon, an outsider from one of the alternate planes, but these cannot be proven either, as angels have wings and demons are a lot more malevolent. She may be some sort of Immortal Witch (Perhaps the Lady in the Lake in the stories of King Arthur), but -again- these haven't been proven. There are no official stories on how she came into being, not even stories about her mother or father. Oddly, no fey of the water has ever reported interacting with her.
Clergy
Name: The Clerics of the River-woman
Titles: River-daughter (if female), Lake-man (if male).
Gender: Both (but mostly female)
Alignments: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Good
Function: Spiritual protectors, Missionaries, Teachers, Spiritual Advisors.
Lifestyle: Variable, depends on the member's background.
Family: Large (children encouraged)
Distinguished By: Tranquility, Powers, Silver hair, Purple eyes.
Becoming a clergyman(woman) is a simple, yet difficult task. One must approach a cleric and announce their will to become part of the clergy. After being deemed worthy, that person must then go and pray over a natural pool of water (or river) on a full or new moon, they must be alone for the entire process. Those who succeed will be overwhelmed with a sense of tranquility and peace that will stay with them until death, or until they forsake the religion. Once this supernatural calm is attained, they are then part of the "church". Other than the sense of tranquility, they gain no powers or other odd features. The children of the clergy are much different.
The children of the clergy are born with silver-hair, purple eyes, or both (which is said to be the same hair and eye color of the River-woman). These children are born just as tranquil as their parents, and remain that way for the rest of their life (though there are the odd cases of these children suddenly regaining their emotions). These children are considered the daughters and sons of the Goddess of the Waters. They are called River-daughters or Lake-men. They're often extremely beautiful and attractive, remaining that way for the rest of their days. These children, on birth, become part of the clergy.
As these children age, they become more and more solemn. They become quiet and speak only in short sentences. They usually "talk" with small gestures; nodding their head, shaking their head, shrugging, etc.. They don't become emotionless, but they will not show off much (if any) expression in their movements, face, or speech. Smiles are kind of out of the question. Their writings are very to the point and generally don't show much more expression than what they'd normally show in person. As far as affection goes, the best they can really do is hold hands or hug. Saying something like, "I love you", is practically unheard of for them. To others, they can seem emotionless (if not soulless), but those who get to know them can see beneath their tranquility and truly appreciate them.
These children will eventually be granted powers that tie into one or two aspects of the Goddess. For example, a child with power over the Water and Travel aspects, will perhaps have the ability to influence the seas and put wind in a boat's sail. Of course, these children may choose to leave the clergy, in which case they will lose all of their powers and their peace. In this state, they are free to express themselves, although many will probably not know how (as they've probably not even smiled once in their entire lives)
Worship
Worshipping the Lady in the Lake is a simple task. Unlike other religions and worship ceremonies, it does not require any special equipment or sacrifices. To worship, one must simply pray quietly, that's it. Although more devoted followers and members of the clergy may attempt to pray while immersed in a natural pool, this is not required.
Sins
As a casual worshipper, you can't really sin against the Lady in the Lake. However, if you're a devoted follower or a clergywoman(man), there is a single sin that can be committed. The sin is literally, "To be disturbed". The Lady in the Lake prefers things to be calm, tranquil, and quiet. However, this only applies to ones own self, which makes committing this sin kind of confusing.
Essentially, a follower can murder, lie, and shout as much as they want. But, if doing those things cause the follower to be "disrupted" and it breaks their tranquility, then they've sinned. For example, you can poison someone's drink and murder them... unless you felt guilty when you put the poison in the drink and/or you were disturbed by their death throes and corpse.
To atone for the sin, the follower must isolate themselves and pray in peace and quiet for 24 hours.
Holidays and Festivals
Full Moon
On the night of a full moon (or nearly a full moon), it is believed that the River-woman herself is traveling with the light of the moon. It's considered best to travel on these nights. Her more devoted followers tend to keep watch for her on these days, especially near water, in hope that she might appear to them.
New Moon
On the night of a new moon, it is believed that the River-woman is resting. It's considered best to stay put (and not travel) on these days. Her more devoted followers are most hospitable on these days, giving travelers a place to stay till the Full Moon comes around.
Eclipses (Lunar or Solar)
On these days, it is believed that the Moon-mother is meeting with the God or Goddess of the Sun. It's widely thought of that the River-woman is friends (or perhaps lovers) with the Sun and they get to visit each other on the day of eclipses. A common superstition is that when two people embrace for the duration of the eclipse, their friendship (or love) will be everlasting.
Cultural Aspects
Coming of Age: 13 years old
Coming of Age Rite: Not celebrated
Marriage: Between two people
Marriage Rites: Quite solemn, simply spending a certain amount of time alone with your fiancée after both agree to be married.
Death Rites: The deceased's beloved must kiss the corpse. If the deceased was not married or even in a relationship, then someone who had/has a crush on them must volunteer.
Prevalence: Many casual worshippers, but few devoted members.
Outsiders: Are welcomed
-HISTORY-
The worship of the Goddess of the Waters started some hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of years back in what is now modern day Finland. In those ancient times, the people used to worship spirits that supposedly had control over nature. It wasn't odd for the people to pray and perform rituals for these spirits before doing certain things. For example, performing a ritual before swimming, essentially asking the spirit of that body of water to help them stay afloat. It was during one of these rituals that the Goddess of the Waters appeared.
In a certain village in ancient finland, it was tradition for the bridge and groom to spend some amount of time apart from each other, with friends, before their union. The bride-to-be was wandering the length of a nearby river, in the company of what could now be called bridesmaids. It was by fate, perhaps, that a breeze of cold air ran between their numbers and blew something precious belonging to the bride (what could only be described as a beloved piece of jewelry) into the river, sinking to the bottom. The girl would've jumped in after it, but she was stopped by her friends. It was only safe to enter the water if they asked permission of the spirit of the water. So, they sat and prayed, performing the required ritual. The bride stood close to the water's edge the entire time, weeping, and making sure not to lose sight of the item which she cared so much for. It's said that her tears streamed down from her face and landed into the lake, which caused a reaction.
According to legend, the tears awoke the River-woman. She arose from the waters, with the item in her hand, which she returned to the bride. It's said that she dwelled among the girls for a short time, and they did not fear her. When the girls returned home, they had a very calm, tranquil demeanor. Many of them confessed their love to their crushes that night. And, of course, they told everyone about their experience with the River-woman. The vert next day, the entire village went to see her, and she appeared for them. This is where her worship first began, after that moment in that small village. Over time (as people moved away from the village, and as the village grew larger and became a center for trade) the stories of the River-woman spread across Europe, and soon there were reports of her being spotted around the globe.
In those ancient times, where belief in myth and legend was strong, the River-woman had a large group of worshippers. Although, at first she was only recognized as a Goddess of the Waters. She soon became affiliated with tranquility, passion, emotions, navigation, the moon, weather, trade, passage, commerce, and even the creatures of the waters (fish, mermaids, etc.). However, in these modern times, her worship has died down quite a bit, at least in the non-magical (mundane) world. In the magical world (where things like Papagena Boarding School are known), she still has quite a large following and has many casual worshippers.
Legends
Coming soon
Members
None yet, post here if you want to join!
Q&A
No one has asked any questions yet, feel free to ask a question in a post below!
