Ourania

Ourania
Realm	The Moon
Symbols	The phases of the moon, the number '3', and ouroboros.
Relatives	Kastalia (daughter)
Allies	Neraeos, Babel, Scarlatti
Enemies	Prince Slith, Lord of the Undead Legions
Order Name	Order of the Moon
Temples	Temple of the Moon, in Tasur'ke The Tower of the Moon and Stars in Hashan

Ourania, Goddess of the Moon is the celestial lady of the dark night. Taking claim to the dark cosmo and the luminous orb, She is served by her devoted handmaidens of the stars.

A Goddess of both light and of darkness, She is neither good, nor evil, nor neutral. She is as She chooses to be, as quick to create as to destroy, and as quick to curse as to bless.

History

Elentari Lokelinde-Danial, once a guildmaster of the Serpentlords Guild, by the grace of Sarapis, ascended to become the Goddess of the Moon. Though She had transcended mortality, the newly risen divinity retained Her mortal affinity for the northern city of Hashan, and continues to lead and shape it even to modern times through Her service as that city's patron. She is a member of the Triad of the Night, though the strength of Her bonds with the other members of the triad has lessened over the course of the ages.

Many years after She had ascended, the Goddess Ourania retreated to a protected place beneath the Eastern Ocean to sleep. Decades passed, and those dedicated to Her ways struggled to preserve the old faith. It was not until the year 385 AF that the Goddess reawakened, rising from beneath the oceans, and resuming Her place within the garden of the gods. It is said that as She arose, She shed a single tear of regret for Her underwater refuge, and that that tear was caught and preserved by Neraeos, God of the Sea. That lone teardrop, shed by the moon and nurtured by the sea, eventually grew to become Kastalia, Goddess of Lakes and Rivers.

In the year 425 AF, during the Eternal Night, the Lady was attacked by the minions of Prince Slith. Those minions were quickly dispatched, but some damage was done, and She retains no small malice towards the undead prince. During the same event, the Lady's High Priestess, Isillinde, revealed herself to be working in collusion with Tavarius, and severed herself from the Order of the Moon.

580 years after the fall of Seleucar, the Wyrd, a prophetic servant of the Goddess, approached the city of Hashan with dire news: the Goddess was separated from Achaea. Bringing with her the gifts of moonstone and prophecy, the Wyrd urged the great Houses of the Crown to take heed. At once, those of the Merchants of the Crown, the Black Lotus, the Spirit Walkers, and the Cult of the Serpent Lords placed a moonstone within their sacred halls, and waited with bated breath. It soon became clear that the Wyrd indeed possessed a prophetic gift, as the great Arbor Crystallina shattered and bathed Tasur'ke in dust. The spectral energies of the mighty tree flailed and seeped into the moonstones, which glowed with ethereal light. In the dead of night, as the Wyrd did claim, a great ritual took place: before the Dome of the Triad within Hashan, the mystical powers of the moonstone were drawn outward to form the shadow of the Arbor Crystallina. In the inky sky, a glimmer of light streamed downwards, burning a blazing trail in the darkened firmament. The falling star, unwavering in its course, plunged toward the very heart of the Crown of the Ithmia and, when it struck, caused a great tremor to shake the world. Shards scattered throughout the city streets, and rippling lights coursed through body and building alike. Slowly, the fragments pulled toward the shadow of the tree, piecing together until the Arbor Crystallina stood whole once more, resplendent in its lucent beauty. Still, the Goddess of the Moon remained absent. In silence, a lone member of the Order of the Moon stepped forward, timidly caressing the crystalline bark. At once, a mote of light shone deep inside the tree, shimmering through the branches and leaves. Finally, the glow erupted from the crystal confinement and ascended into the sky. It was there, high above the Dome of the Triad, that the sparkling light erupted into the luminous form of Ourania, Goddess of the Moon, returned to Her home once more.

The Order of the Moon

Ourania, ever an enigmatic and elusive Goddess, is worshipped by a divine order that looks to Her for guidance and understanding. The Order of the Moon is led by the Shepherd of the Stars, and three Sages associated with the three major visible Moon phases. The Lady is called the lamp-bearer, the revealer of the way, and it is said that great wisdom can be achieved from dedication to Her.

Divine Symbols

The holy symbols of Ourania are the differing phases of the moon, the number '3', and ouroboros.