Dimnesa

Summary

Dimnesa is the common name for the Inland God of knowledge, navigation, fate, stars, and the night sky. Their worship is shared by all the cultures in this tradition, where they are known variously as Dirael, Runazhi, and Domnezund. They are more informally known as the Starlight Scribe and as the Primordial Light. Dimnesa has spread to other cultures as well, though these tend to emphasize their role as a god of knowledge over their other aspects. Most believe that Dimnesa lacks a body or that their body is the night sky itself. When they are depicted visually, they are represented by a dark blue silhouette with bright blue, star-like eyes. They may also be shown riding the Sky Serpent, a twinkling blue creature said to only be visible on the clearest of nights. This serpent is itself a subject of worship identified with the cloud of stars (the galaxy).  

Origin

Dimnesa is the oldest of the Inland Gods and thus has no parents. In Human and Halfling mythology, the stars are the birthplace of the gods and the home of many of them, including Dreoran, Gafasta, Mondera, and Donna. Dimnesa is credited with raising and/or creating the first three of these gods, with Donna being the daughter of Mondera.  

Worship

There are relatively few temples specifically devoted to Dimnesa, but their image graces the halls of many Universities and Monasteries across Vrashyn, even those in cultures where Dimnesa is not a traditional god. As a result of this diffusion, Dimnesa is worshipped across all lands where the Inland gods hold sway, particularly in cities. The scholars that revere Dimnesa emphasize the role that they play in preserving knowledge and may ignore any other religious associations the deity has. Dimnesa is also revered by many sailors. Orc and Half-Orc sailors are particularly likely to sacrifice to Domnezund because they believe that the star god not only allows them to navigate but physically guides their ships to harbor. Sailors of most other ancestries usually cast Thevester in this role, seeing Dimnesa as merely a god of navigation. Among the Dwarves, who have few sailors or scholars, Runazhi is believed to guide older children as they complete their first great project and enter adulthood.  

Holidays

Despite the important role that Dimnesa played in the formation of existence, there are few calendar-specific holidays that honor Dimnesa. Though Dimnesa's name is given to the first three months of the year, their role in year-end festivals is usually eclipsed by Montera and Donna, the moon goddesses. Most of the festivals where Dimnesa is in a primary role are concerned with fortunetelling or storytelling. In early Forunar, Humans and Halflings celebrate the festival of Feasala. On the night of the festival, Dimnesa is invoked to plead with Shevan, the goddess of the afterlife, to allow the spirits of dead ancestors to communicate with families and offer them wisdom. Orcs and Half-Orcs have the Aleundou festival in the following month of Adashere. This is less a celebration of ancestors and more a celebration of knowledge, with Domnezund and Mirgafolta, goddess of victory, being honored with storytelling and play-skirmishes. Dimnesa is also honored when celestial bodies align. These alignments are seen as times where fate is particularly volatile, so honoring Dimnesa is seen as a good way to limit your chances of an untimely accident. Dwarves have no specific holidays honoring Runazhi, but honor them frequently through storytelling.