Clíodhna
Sylvan Goddess of Death, Sorrow, and Lamentation
The Banshee Queen; The Wailing Mother; The Keening Goddess
Beautiful, but mournful, the Queen of Banshees is a Solitary Deity among the Sylvan Pantheon, and is the Goddess of Death, Sorrow and Lamentation. She is the biological mother of Dearil (the Sylvan God of the Call of Death) and is considered the mother of all Banshees.
Quiet and generally considered quite shy, it is thought that Clíodhna was once a Goddess of Love who switched Portfolios after the death of her lover, the father of her son, but she rarely speaks of her early time as a Goddess. Some amongst the followers of the Sylvan Pantheon still consider her a Goddess of Love and pray to her as such, but her focus seems to have switched from love in general to "true love" which cannot be conquered by death. As a Goddess of Death she represents the inevitability of the end, but is not seen as a negative figure. Instead, she is viewed with hope and love, as she is the one who cares for and guides the Souls of the dead, as well as comforts those of the living. Her keening is meant to warn others to prepare themselves and those around them, rather than frighten.
Prior to the division of the Courts, Clíodhna originally created the Banshees to act as guides and supporters to powerful Fey families whose presence kept the Lands of the Fey in balance. This was to prevent great tragedies similar to that of the loss of her lover, and allow these Fey to make preparations so that those left behind would not suffer in their absence. However, some amongst the Fey feared the Banshees, and considered the Banshee Queen to be a negative influence on the otherwise bright and cheerful Fey realm. For that reason, she withdrew from the Court and became the first Solitary Deity. Clíodhna loves all Banshees as if they were her children, and treats them with gentle care.
It is known that Clíodhna is a lover of music, particularly beautiful songs, and before the Fey Retreat, she was known to occasionally appear in the Material Plane to listen to particularly talented singers.
Divine Domains
- Death
- Grave
- Twilight
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Holy Associations
Holy Symbol: A cloaked, hooded woman facing forward with long hair flowing from beneath the hood.
Favoured Mineral: Amethyst, Black Onyx
Favoured Animals: White Cats
Favoured Colours: Black; Grey; Purple; Green
Shows Preference to: True lovers and those grieving loss
Known Avatars
- Klea Shadowbell - Clíodhna can temporarily manifest in a Mortal appearance, often presenting as a pale-skinned, female, usually an Elf with dark purple hair and violet eyes, or a Duinesìth with pale purple hair and violet eyes. As an Elf, she tends to resemble a mixed-race Star and Shadow Elf, and as a Duinesìth is associated with the season of Winter. In these forms, she most often wears a dress of black and green. While it is significantly less powerful than her true form, it is still powerful enough to be ranked amongst the strongest Mortals. She rarely crosses into the Material Plane, so there have been few recorded instances of interactions with the Avatar known as Klea.
- Singing Wisps - A variant of the Will-o-the-Wisp, Singing Wisps are Clíodhna's messengers and appear as small balls of wispy purple mist that sing gently when approached. Encountering a Singing Wisp on the Material Plane means that Clíodhna is watching, or that there is a Banshee nearby that she is communicating with.
Common Manifestations and Omens
Clíodhna's most common omen is the wailing sound associated with Banshees, though hers is accompanied by an overlapping song of lament. It is rare for Clíodhna to manifest anywhere except the Material Plane, or locations within which a Banshee resides.
Tenets of Faith
Tenets
- Death comes for all and shows no preference
- Loss and sorrow are a natural part of healing
- To lament is to acknowledge the impact of the lost
- A sad song is better than no song at all
Common Prayers
"I offer my lament to the Banshee Queen, that my sorrows may be known and turned to better deeds."
Divine Goals & Aspirations
- To guide the dead to their rightful otherworld
- To support those left living with their grief
- To help prepare the living for loss
Physical Description
Identifying Characteristics
In her regular form, Clíodhna appears as a beautiful Fey woman of around 7'4", with a slim but curvy figure, outward-pointed ears and pale, white-violet skin. She has long, purple-black hair to her waist and vivid violet eyes. She appears to always have black-painted lips and dark purple-black make-up like tear-streaks from her eyes down her cheeks. Clíodhna has a pair of long, moth-like fairy wings upon her back, which have purple-blue-black membranes.
Special abilities
As Queen of the Banshees, Clíodhna's Keening Wail can cause opponents to become paralysed in terror and lose their minds temporarily. This effect can last for several minutes and is one of her primary forms of defense against attackers.
Additionally, her song of Sorrow's Lament can put those who listen to it to sleep. This can often be used in a benevolent manner, for those who are struggling with insomnia.
Clíodhna's Wave is a signature spell that has the power to mark two creatures and forcibly separate them. It then prevents the two from approaching each other, which can be useful for keeping two enemies apart or for preventing Healing spells being cast on a specific creature by another.
Apparel & Accessories
Clíodhna tends to dress in gossamer-like fabrics that both cling to and drift about her body. She often wears long boots and short gloves, with large portions of her legs and arms on show, as well as parts of her midriff. The crown she wears upon her head seems to be made of black and bluish-purple glass.
Specialized Equipment
Clíodhna's gloves have the ability to develop ethereal claws which can deliver strikes that drain the life-force from a person.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Na Sìthichean a Dh'eirich
Clíodhna is a Solitary Deity, tending to keep to herself with exceptions for Sileas the Pathmaker, as well as her son, Dearil. She has a cordial relationship with both Titania and Mab, and has on occasion met with Sioc, Herne and Oberon. However, Clíodhna prefers to not interact too much with any of the Deities, as she often finds that spending too much time with them makes her feel very tired, perhaps with the exception of her son. She is considered quite shy amongst the Pantheon, so many do not push her into interactions.
She does not particularly enjoy the company of Gealachciara, whom she feels has a distorted perception of the nature of balance. Additionally, Clíodhna harbours a deep dislike for Roisin Dubh, whose portfolio of Fey Undeath tends to clash with Clíodhna's Portfolio of Death.
Other Pantheons
As a Solitary Deity, Clíodhna prefers to keep to herself and does not tend to mix with members of other Pantheons. However, she is known to entertain Sychar on occasion, while she and The Raven Queen regularly share favourable correspondence.
Clíodhna dislikes the Unholy Pantheon for their associations with Undeath, and harbours a particular resentment for Nekros, who regularly attempts to usurp the Raven Queen's position.
Known Servants
While he technically does not serve her, Clíodhna's closest ally is her son, Dearil, who assists in her duties surrounding death.
She is otherwise served by numerous Banshees and Fey Spirits, including Singing Wisps, Mnathan-nighe, Caoineagan, and Caointeachan. She is also known to have Coin-Taibhse and Gràineagan Taibhseil keeping watch over her Realm.
Family Ties
Dearil, the Collector
Dearil is Clíodhna's biological son with her lover, who was tragically killed. He is a dedicated and loyal child who loves his mother deeply, and Clíodhna too loves him with all her heart. She laments that she does not get to spend as much time with him as she would like, but is always willing to make time for him should he need it.
Titania
It is believed that Clíodhna and Titania are distant cousins.
The Mnathan-sìthe
Clíodhna is considered both the Queen and Mother of all Banshees, as she is the one who brings them into being. For this, she is known as the Wailing Mother. Clíodhna is soft and gentle with all her Banshees, though she can also be firm and cold when necessary.
Ciabhan
It is thought that Clíodhna's lover and the father of her child was an Archfey named Ciabhan. While he is rarely spoken of amongst the Fey, and little is truly known about him amongst younger generations of Fey, Clíodhna loved him dearly and did not react well to his death.
Hobbies & Pets
Clíodhna is known to keep pet birds of various brilliant and beautiful colours and types. Her home in Carrig-Cleena is known to have a large aviary filled with verdant trees and plants, one of the few places within her Realm that contains abundant greenery.
The Banshee Queen
This title was gifted to Clíodhna by Titania, not long after she created the Banshees.
The Wailing Mother
A title mostly used by her faithful, it references her role as the Queen of Banshees and as their creator
The Keening Goddess
This title originally referred to her sorrow for the loss of her lover, but now references her position as Queen of the Banshees
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