I have had this painting in my mind for AGES but as the Three Clerics campaign nears its completion, I've had a lot of thoughts about Riona and her goddess Islina.
Islina is, and forever will be, Riona's everything. The goddess practically raised her. Riona constantly chased her goddess's shadow and was happy there.
But as Riona learned more about the world, and ventured away from her Cathedral, she became aware of the darker side of her goddess and how she's been manipulated and conditioned by her her entire life. How she was crafted from Islina to be nothing more than a puppet.
Yet still, she can't bring herself to leave Islina, regardless of how badly it hurts. She forces herself into niavity. Like wise, Islina knows what she's doing to Riona. She knows Riona's fate — to die in Islina's name just as she had in all her previous lives. Yet she can't bring herself to be fully honest with Riona, or let her go, in fear of losing her completly.
So the two remain stuck in a toxic cycle