#characters as deities

[ever-searching]

For Cain: a stuffed animal, one of the very soft ones that also has a blanket folded in a pocket.

Animals - symbols of what we are at our core, sometimes. Soft like an embrace or a parent’s love that was perhaps never given, the blanket providing warmth and shelter in the cold, cruel world. Is this toy new or old: does it hold signs of wear or have the scent of a freshly bought gift?

Whichever is the case, the offering is accepted, but a well-loved and worn animal is returned in the middle of the night, all fixed up and washed, and the blanket is gently wrapped around its owner. May you sleep peacefully this time - with hopes and dreams in place of nightmares - and for each tear you shed because of hurt caused by someone else, may they pay back tenfold in kind.

The Scorned Son, as this aspect of Cain is sometimes called, is the guardian deity of those who were forgotten, rejected or left behind. He is usually associated with abandoned children and street urchin, but orphans of any age can fall into his domain, as well as stray cats and dogs and anyone who finds themselves homeless, defenseless and destitute. His associated element is water.

Cain has no shrines nor holidays, though some celebrate him in the shadow of Little Ladies’ Day as the protector and avenger of those who do not fit the bill of being called princesses. Any offerings for him tend to be left on quiet piers, secluded alleys, graves and similar places, usually during nighttime.

[ever-searching]

Baati would leave a small, hand-carved wooden bead as an offering

Wood represents the trees - the land’s connection to the sky - and the carvings on the bead are like pathways. The offering is accepted with humility and gratefulness. When you next feel a warm breeze caress your face or hear a starling sing, may a friend’s hand join with yours, and may your path be easier to walk.

Narangelel is the deity of long journeys, sometimes likened to a minor aspect of Oschon. She is associated with wanderlust, self-discovery, migratory birds and the element of wind. However, she is also linked with tradition or one’s figurative roots, which is why she likes offerings related to one’s homeland or origins: in order to return home from a long journey, you need to know where you came from, after all.

Her holiday is celebrated in spring, on the first day with full moon after the snows have melted: the ideal day for leaving for a journey. In addition, when a traveller comes back, her name is often evoked in a prayer to rejoice their return. Her followers tend to be wanderers who are far from home - particularly Xaela - and she has no shrines. Any offerings are left on the side of the road, on top of a malm stone, or near a bird’s nest.

[ever-searching]

5. what would your muses be the deities of?

Cain: either deity of adventure and finding your way (whether in figurative or literal sense) or guardian deity of abandoned children.

Storm: deity of commerce, benevolence and honour (described more in-depth in this post).

Narangelel: deity of travel, wanderlust and migratory birds.

Lumien: deity of poetry, kindness and cats.

Merces: guardian deity of servants, loyal soldiers and bodyguards.

Sasameru: deity of knowledge, research and studying.

Brenda: deity of music, tradition and chivalry.

Chaz: deity of learning, self-improvement and breaking limits.

G’ilas: deity of sun, life and friendship.

Haldswys: deity of bravery, battle and self-expression.

[ever-searching]

If they were a deity - Storm

Minor deity of commerce, benevolence and honour Also known as: ’Even-Faced’ (or ’One-Face’), ’the Honourbound’, ’the Benefactor’ and ’Provider of Fortune’: the names for him are many.

Associated with: bookshops, merchants, bookbinders and written contracts – but also parental figures, second chances and charities Sacred plants: heathers (particularly white), spruce trees Sacred crystals/stones: granite, hematite and lapis lazuli Sacred animals: hawks, service dogs, pack horses Colours: ink blue, steel grey, sandy brown Food: rye bread, pot au feu Scents: ink, agarwood, scent of old books

Storm is usually depicted as a large man with a straight back and a nigh-emotionless face, though his race and age vary between descriptions and images. There are some tales of his journeys before he settled down and took his place beside the Twelve with other deities, and a few argue that ‘Storm’ isn’t his real name and that only the truest of followers may be granted with the insight of his real name.

Though Storm is a deity of commerce, he is only associated with fair trade and legal business deals. If someone tries to invoke his name while settling a deal that would harm the other party – or a third party – the ink of their pen will run and ruin the contract, and they will suffer notable financial loss. Honest deals, however, receive his Storm’s blessing. Some of his followers seal their contracts, business and such with the words “I honour the decision”: this is said to be the sign of an unbreakable promise.

Storm is seen as a benevolent deity who helps the down-trodden, and those who find themselves in a dead end (financially or otherwise) sometimes pray for his intervention; while he is said to be eager to help, he expects those who call for his succor to do good deeds for others. He is a strict deity, in his own way: adherence to one’s moral code and the law are considered a given amongst his worshippers.

His followers tend to be law-abiding enterpreneurs and common folk who wish to make the world a better place, little by little, though others may also invoke his name when making a promise or an agreement (as described above).

The best way to honour Storm is to help those who are in need of help, whether financially or otherwise, and to strive to be a good person. If someone wants to leave him an offering, anything that can be used to make ink is a good choice; he also accepts books, parchment, ink, pens and such as offerings. He doesn’t have any official places of worship, but some bookshops and charities may have small shrines dedicated to him – usually lined with books.

Storm has one holiday, which is celebrated on the third Sun of the first Astral Moon. However, rather than being carnivalistic in nature, it tends to be a day for paying any good deeds forward and seeking to expand one’s knowledge by reading. The merchants who worship him sometimes hold special sales on that day and/or donate some of their earnings to a charity of their choice.

(Tagged by: @thevoilinauttheory - thank you!) (Tagging: this has made rounds on my dash so I reckon everyone has done it by now... but if not, consider yourself tagged by me!)

[ever-searching]

For Storm: a set of illuminating inks, a basket of fresh bread, a cuboid paperweight of polished granite with hawk motif.

Hawk on granite: solid foundation joining with freedom and intuition, and together, they take a form that’s practical, reliable and even. The basket of bread is taken and distributed to the poor and the hungry, proving easy and healthy nutrition.

Illuminating inks, though? Hardly suitable for writing contracts or ledgers, but the Even-Faced seems to accept this curious bit of frivolity, too, seeing the worth of the full set and the value of experimentation. They are set in a corner on a table with a pile of parchments so visitors may find joy from them.

The offering is accepted and honoured, and the shopkeeper gives you a discount on your next purchase. If you are expecting negotiations, may the odds be in your favour - but beware white lies, for they are as easily exposed as the offered ink glows in the night. If your objective is honourable, you will get what you seek.

Storm - or the Even-Faced, as he is most often called - is associated with the element of earth, which might be why his worship tends to emphasize practicality in addition to honour. While personal amusement is not exactly frowned upon, it needs to be the kind which doesn’t harm others or consume valuable resources. Using your time to discover new things, however, is considered valuable, particularly if those discoveries can be shared with others in some ways.

Hawk is one of his sacred animals as the symbol of insight, courage and observation. His other sacred animals tend to be valued for their practicality and capability of helping people, such as pack horses and service dogs - but somewhat curiously guardian dogs are outside his domain.

(Inspiration drawn from this older post, though I tried to focus on things which were not detailed there.)