Deity Drop 10: Findeladlara
What do you think of, when you think of a deity of the arts? Some probably think of a god of revelry and expression, while others might think of one that seeks to preserve art wherever they can. Most probably think of something somewhere in between, preserving beauty while also bringing new and innovative beauty into the world.
Findeladlara, elven goddess of architecture, art, and twilight, skews heavily to the side of preservation rather than innovation, to the point where some detractors think she and her followers are stagnant elitists viewing their traditional art forms as superior to all others, and perhaps there is some truth to that despite her being a goodly goddess.
However, to The Guiding Hand, preservation of tradition is perhaps the most important part of keeping a culture alive, a viewpoint that was reinforced and heavily validated by Earthfall, where she took a direct hand in guiding the elves that stayed behind on Golarion during the calamity. This is where she got her epitaph, as well her aspect of the twilight, watching over her people during one of the darkest moments of the planet.
And so Findeladlara teaches that the art and structures of elven culture must be repeated and preserved, so that they endure no matter what destruction comes.
Findeladlara takes the form of a beautiful elven woman of whatever ethnicity of elvenkind is paying her homage, wearing the traditional dress of those people.
The Guiding Hand has a mobile realm that wanders Elysium and sometimes touches on the border of the Maelstrom, though not much is known about it other than its name is Horizon Heart, and it dwells in the perpetual twilight of the horizon, unable to be reached by the uninvited, the crystal palaces lit beautifully by the colored light of sunset.
The worshippers of Findeladlara are exclusively elves, befitting her focus, and are almost all artists, artisans, and architects seeking to preserve elven traditions and culture. However, at the same time, they are not completely xenophobic, and indeed offer others their hospitality when asked, though always with a measured hand to not bring harm to their people with misplaced generocity, and a wary eye watching for treachery.
Findeladlara occasionally comes into conflict with Shelyn due to their differing views about what art is worthy of praise and what purpose it should serve, the two mutually believing that the other is wasting their potential. She does get along well enough with the rest of the elven pantheon, but has little contact with other goodly deities, keeping to herself aside from sharing some interests with Desna. Interestingly, Finderladlara has recently been moving her realm close to that of the risen goddess Nocticula, perhaps eager to establish a friendly relationship with another goddess of the arts. However, her following mirroring this with the clergy of the Redeemer Queen has some traditionalists up in arms.
No specific servants are listed for The Guiding Hand, but it can be assumed that she counts many azatas in her service, as well as probably some beautifully-crafted sapient constructs.
Her domains include Air, Artifice, Chaos, Community, and Good, with the Azata (by way of Chaos or Good), Cloud, Construct, Friendship, Home, and Whimsy subdomains, reflecting her elemental associations with community and culture, her creative aspect, and a little bit of elemental mastery, which is admittedly a bit out of place.
Her Second Edition domains, by comparison, are cities, creation, family, and star, with the option of protection as well. This drops her air connection and replaces it with an association with the stars to reflect her twilight nature and role as a guide in dark times, all while keeping her focus on architecture and on protecting elven people and culture. Her clerics can also create tools from nothing, reshape stone with a touch, and create extraplanar demenses to rest in.
Like other members of ancestral pantheons, Findeladlara didn’t get much attention in First Edition, so there is no official obedience for her.
Findeladlara has not been specifically mentioned in Starfinder to my knowledge, but the current suspicion and xenophobia demonstrated by most elves on account of the Gap definitely feels like her teachings taken to their most negative aspect, so she’s likely still around, trying her best to guide her followers in recovering and preserving as much elven history as possible despite the effects of The Gap.
And that does it for this week! I hope you enjoyed it, and look forward to more options next week!
