Shiva-Nys

Controlled fury in motion, a valkyrie of divine retribution, and the onslaught of a blizzard poured through the tip of a spear; all accurate depictions of the warrior goddess Shiva-Nys. Descriptions of her avatar’s battlefield prowess, impressive even for an immortal student of war, fail however to capture the true essence of the goddess, inasmuch as any body of work can truly capture a divine. Too often devouts see the spear, but look past the buckler. They see the cold steel of determination, but mistake the intent. Shiva-Nys fights not to destroy, but to preserve. Her strength is that of conviction for what she is fighting for, the countless devouts that pour their hope and love into her being, and knowing that while she fights at the forefront of any formation that her flanks are guarded by those she trusts. Hers is not an easy path to imitate, but for the braves who seek to stand between the innocent and those who would tread over them, there could be none more rewarding.   Patronage: Shiva-Nys is the patron goddess of communities, from the smallest hamlet to the largest metropolis. She signifies the strength of ties forged between folks who unite to achieve more than they could on their own, and seeks to protect those who forge such bonds. To become greater than the sum of their parts is the ultimate achievement for any group in her divine eyes. She is favored by town guards and village watch-folk who are trusted to protect their communities against the dangers of the wilds and those that lurk in the dark. Some soldiers wear her favor when they march to battle, hoping the Warrior Queen will bless their spears and unleash her carefully controlled fury on their foes. Town leaders pray to her to grant them wisdom in their decision making, and her name is oft invoked at the beginning of council meetings. As the goddess of pacts merchants will often swear by her name to officiate deals. To lend weight to their oaths, some folk will swear to supplicant themselves to her judgement should they forsake their promises.     Worship: Those who offer worship to Shiva-Nys typically do so in a communal form in order to strengthen their bonds to each other as well as to the goddess. Each community will meet once a week or month depending on travel distance to the nearest meeting place, which need not be a temple but may simply be a town square or hall. Devouts who may want to offer prays on their own will focus on a diamond of some sort to mediate. The poorest peasant may draw a simple diamond shape in the dirt, or trace a diamond in a bowl of grain, while those wealthy enough will keep an actual diamond (a blue diamond if it's available), or perhaps a sapphire, on hand for spontaneous prayer. In colder climates it's popular, particularly for children, to carve a diamond form from ice to carry. No matter the form of worship, a devout will usually try to perform a favor for a neighbor or task for the betterment of the community in the hope that their act will please Shiva-Nys, and increase the odds of her answering their prayers. Her devouts will also trace a diamond over their meals, a gesture many worshippers of the pantheon have adopted over time. At first glance a meal might seem an odd time to give thanks to The Watcher on the Wall, but for many cultures that worship the pact, a shared meal is the very essence of community; it's only natural that the diamond blessing become a force of habit for every meal.