The World of Layonara
Layonara World Lore => Histories/Content of Layonara => The Pantheon => Topic started by: EdTheKet on September 16, 2004, 01:47:00 pm
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Aliases: Mother Nature, She Who Shapes All
Race: Human
Alignment: N
Worshippers Race: Mostly humans
Cleric Alignments: TN, LN, CN, NE, NG
Domains: Air, Animal, Earth, Plant, Water. Clerics of Katia combine the Animal or Plant domains with one of the other domains.
Governs: Nature, forests, agriculture, plants, gardens
Dogma:
Layonara is Nature. Without Nature there is no Layonara; therefore, aid, protect and defend Nature. Oppose those who seek to unbalance Nature.
Clergy Favored Weapon and Clothing:
Clerics and Druids of Katia often wear leather armor dyed in green and brown hues, as worked metal makes them feel out of touch with Nature.
Followers of Katia usually use large wooden staves, which are actually strong, almost straight straight branches “given” by trees. They also often use longbows.
Clergy and Temples:
Katia’s dogma is interpretable in many ways, making her faith somewhat individualistic. So, although the clerics and druids of Katia seek to protect and defend Nature, just exactly how this is to be done varies. Despite the differences in interpretation of the dogma, however, the clergy strives to be viewed as a friendly and good faith, since that is more beneficial. There are those who help nature takes its course by nurturing the forests and the plants, planting and nourishing new growth, and helping and nursing sick animals. These are the ones who are generally seen by the populace and have given the Katian faith an aura of good.
However, there is more beneath the surface than meets the eye. There are also those who believe that Nature cannot survive without their help. Civilization is spreading across Layonara and is proving a threat to its wilderness. Already, the forest that once covered Mistone completely has been severed into forests of a smaller size such as the Sielwood, the High Forest, and the Dire Wood. Roads have been laid across the wild plains and agricultural fields spread every year to feed the mouths of those who live in the ever-expanding cities.
These more extreme followers of Katia will use drastic measures to prevent the felling of the forests, the cultivation of the plains, and the expansion of the cities. They will not shy from breeding fierce animals and setting them loose in order to make areas less safe and prevent villages from expanding. They will also not shy from covertly sponsoring bands of brigands to frequent certain areas, making roads less passable and allowing them to be grown over again.
However, regardless of how a follower of Katia interprets the dogma, they realize that everything involving Nature takes time and planning. It might take years for their plans to bear fruit, just as it takes years for a sapling to become a tree.
Because of Katia’s dogma being subject to interpretation, there is not one Church of Katia. Followers are loosely organized and tend to live in small groups, with each group being headed by its most senior member. There is no strong, central hierarchy.
Temples to Katia cannot be found in cities, but are groves secreted away deep in the forests, or large standing stones at the edges of forests.
Clerics of Katia pray for their spells at sunrise. Prayers to Katia usually involve terminology referencing Nature, like plants, animals, or weather.
Special holy days are the first days of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Constellation:
Katia’s constellation is aptly named ‘Her Eyes’ for the sixteen starred constellation that holds the shape of a pair of slender eyes. The uninitiated believe this constellation to be the way that Katia herself watches her creations grow and prosper on Layonara, others know better. Sitting in the Western portion of the sky, Katia’s constellation is not visible until late in the night. Though prayers are usually presented to Katia via the planting of a tree or the healing of an animal there are four times every year that prayers are directed towards ‘Her Eyes,’ midnight of the beginning of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, when the constellation shines it’s brightest.
Allies and Enemies:
Allied: Aeridin, Lucinda, Kithairien, Folian S'pae, Grannoch
Friendly: Rofirein, Ilsare, Deliar, Toran, Shindaleria, Xeen, Prunilla
Neutral: Baraeon Ca'Duz, Beryl
Unfriendly: Dorand, Goran, Branderback, Aragen, Az'atta, Sulterio, Vierdri’ira, Mist
Enemy: Pyrtechon, Vorax, Shadon, Corath, Grand