Caralnis
Sender of Starlight and Weaver of Artworks
The matriarch and progenitor of the Elven pantheon. Because she has no parentage in the mythology and her origins are unstated, she is seen as an enigmatic figure more removed from mortal existence than other gods, yet is still held in great esteem and invoked by many. As with all gods, her domain has three aspects: a celestial body (the stars), a part of nature (Light), and a social principle (Artwork, especially textiles).
- As the manifestation of Starlight, she represents all stars which are not associated with a specific constellation. In principle, this means that when a new constellation is established, her blessing is needed to make it official. As stars are held in mythology to predate the acts of creation, she and the stars are associated with undiscovered secrets and hidden wisdom.
- As one of the three gods of Light, she represents the ultimate beauty of light that suffuses all existence, and to which all living things seek to reconcile. She is thus sought for inspiration in philosophical, intellectual, and especially artistic pursuits. She is also invoked by those who seek altruistic pursuits, citing the common light that all beings share.
- As the weaver of artworks, she is naturally connected to all forms of artistry, and of any craft which is not primarily functional. In particular she is associated with textiles, being one of the oldest crafts, and woven threads being seen by Elves as the physical manifestation of starlight. Spiders and silkworms are her sacred animals for this reason.
Divine Domains
The Stars; the Light of Beauty; Artworks
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Three stars, arranged in an upright triangle: the top star is three-sided, the left star is circular, and the right star is four-sided.
Tenets of Faith
Orders devoted to Caralnis live in collected monasteries where they create artistic products of all sorts, but especially clothing, tapestries, paintings, musical instruments, and books, both fiction and nonfiction. They promote literacy and the advancement of all forms of culture, and by distributing the books telling tales of the gods, they are primarily responsible for the continuation of the faith among common people, and for spreading it to non-Elves.
Prayers addressed to Caralnis are embroidered onto cloth, where they may be kept hidden on one's person or shown openly. Indeed, many articles of clothing bear such prayers as a primary part of their decoration, and artworks, even completely secular in nature, often entreat her blessing in some way.
Holidays
Winter Solstice
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Her official statue in the antechamber to the Hall of the Chosen stands on the left side of the grand corridor, between Arrehan and Rusasha. The statue looks toward the center of the chamber while its hands work a loom made of Verargentum. Its features resemble those of a Night Elf, but with some reminiscence of a Sun Elf. The statue is made of black granite, clad in silver and silk with platinum hair and amethyst eyes.
Apparel & Accessories
A gown of silver thread and silk, carries a small loom, or in some depictions, a harp.
Adherents of Caralnis wear linen or silk, with accents of platinum, the amount indicating rank.
Mental characteristics
Morality & Philosophy
In mythology, Caralnis is distant and seldom involved in the exploits of the gods. In particular, she refuses to directly interact with the creation or with mortalkind, preferring instead to make her presence known indirectly. However, on a few occasions she does make items for the gods to aid their purposes.
Social
"Light is in all of us, and from it comes everything that is good, yet it is also transient."
Divine Classification
God
Religions
Species
Children
Eyes
Violet
Hair
Silver
Height
2m
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