Maleficent

Origins

The primary myth of Maleficent binds her very birth with the introduction of magic itself. It states that she was born pale skinned and silent, and her parents, assuming her dead, buried her behind their home. That same night, an explosive force of magic shot away from her in jagged, earth breaking lines, creating the leylines that are often associated with her symbology and source of all magical power. When her parents went to check on her grave, instead they found a glowing purple, green and blue swirling pool of energy in the now exposed hole, with the baby missing. Myths can vary on what exactly happened, with some stating she shot straight into the sky and became the brightest star, and others saying she grew, in an instant, into a full grown woman and began her work spreading magic to the world.

Places of Worship

Due to Maleficent's strong associations to leylines (places of intense magical energy) all of her temples and churches sit atop them, typically where 2 cross (though not always). Since the people of Malward believe they saw an image of her turning their back on them shortly before the country arrived during The Second Arrival, worship, and even mention of her was quickly outlawed by the newly elected leader of the nation. As a result, with her former places of worship destroyed, one can rarely find hidden shrines to her secretly tended to by those that do not believe she is to blame for the ruination of their homeland.

Followers

Considering even the mention of the name "Maleficent" is outlawed within Malward borders, all of her current worshipers are forced to privately practice their faith. If prodded, they often claim that she is not to blame for the former council of Archmages corruption of her magic that lead them to create the "immortality field" that wrapped the nation; That she still has not completely given up on the ruined country, despite their now undead nature and the new world they find themselves in.