Carys

Carys is the middle child among the Soul, and a god of extremes. She is beloved by mortals and her siblings alike, but like his sphere, he is a capable of great and horrible things in equal measure. Out of all the gods, it is said that Carys is the one least able to resist meddling with mortals - and that sometimes to gain her attention is to suffer greatly.

## Sphere

The god of beauty, Carys’ sphere is surprisingly complex. His sphere encompasses all kinds of aesthetic beauty, from naturally occuring to carefully obtained. Hidden or inner beauty also falls into his sphere.

His second aspect, the one perhaps most often both praised and maligned, is love. Love, like beauty, comes in many forms, from passionate romance to bonds between friends. Love can also take the form of pride, or passion towards one’s work. Like so many aspects of Carys’ sphere, love can be both beautiful and hideous, healing or damaging.

Carys is also the god of magic, the first sorcerer, the fountain of arcane energies. Although other gods are also involved in magic, and may be invoked for their power, the mortal connection to the arcane flows through Carys. To study magic is to study him.

### Secondary Sphere

With beauty comes art - perhaps the most literal attempt of mortals to create beauty in their surroundings. Carys is the patron god of all arts, from poetry to sculpture, and it is thought that great artistic inspiration, like magic, flows from her.

The goddess of love, Carys also reigns over the other emotions. Kosmas might reign over thought, and Ricmod hold power over compassion, but it is Carys that gives flavor to pure justice and thought. She, as much as Kosmas, makes mortals what they are.

Carys’ reign extends over dreams as well. While prophetic dreams belong to Nima, the regular ones in their expressions of imagination are Carys’. Her sphere of dreams would also include wishes and more concrete dreams, desires to achieve or gain something.

The much adored goddess also has her rarely mentioned dark side - for her sphere comes together with madness. Carys’ madness is all the darkness of her sphere: jealous love, destructive hatred, obsession, paranoia, all-consuming inspiration.

## Mythology

Carys is a god without any particularly strong association with the other gods. He is depicted as one whose allegiances are always changing, and throughout the years he has been depicted as the lover, muse or confidante of every other god. He is a popular subject of songs and stories alike for her exploits, for Carys just as often works against the other gods as with them - he can be a tad selfish, and more than a little manipulative.

She adores mortals, and out of all the gods is the most likely to interact with and influence them. She particularly likes mages and artists, whose work brings them close to her and her influence. It is said that Carys loves to receive worship, and revels in it in ways that others do not. In some ways, she is more like a mortal than any of her older siblings, and seems better capable of understanding them.

Carys’ love can be a curse as much as a boon, however. In moderation her attention is a great gift, but she *is* a god, and too much will overpower any mortal, driving them into desperation and anguish. If there are many stories of her courtships with gods, there are even more about her ill-fated love-affairs with mortals - doomed from the beginning to be sorely one-sided, for Carys is as unattainable as she is capricious. Carys could never belong to one alone, and the open adoration of mortals only feeds her vanity.

Carys is genderfluid, and can be depicted either male or female according to the artists’ preference.

### Appearance in Art

Carys is always depicted as perfectly conforming to the beauty standards of the time - dazzlingly handsome, flawless being. His only enduring traits are his emerald green eyes, and the presence of his symbology. His shifting appearance makes him a favorite of art and fashion historians.

Carys’ symbol animal is the peacock. The animal is generally depicted as his companion, but is occasionally large enough to serve as a mount. Carys may also be shown with peacock features himself, most often the plumage. Even if Carys is depicted as female, the peacock will always be male.

Typically depicted wielding a paintbrush, and accompanied by related tools. Swirling around him is arcane energy, often forming various colorful illusions. A popular theme is to merge art and magic. His halo is that of butterflies - or moths, if darker theming is chosen.

Carys is depicted in a great variety of scenes. He may be depicted together with any other godly figure, and he is also commonly seen together with remarkable mortals, such as artists or even kings - either as a lover, or as a muse. Other popular themes include creating art, or working with magic.

## Worship

Carys is one of the most popular gods, and understandably so - her sphere is appealing to mortals, and she herself seems more approachable than many of the other gods.  Carys is worshipped both opportunistically (often for luck in love) and with long-term devotion, making her worship as versatile as she is. Many of her most devout worshippers are artists of all kinds. She is also the favored god of many young nobles.

An altar of Carys is likely found in almost every township. She is also worshipped at wayshrines placed in naturally beautiful places, many of which are popular places for pilgrimage. Her dedicated temples tend to be small in size, but grand in decoration, featuring countless pieces of donated artwork. She is the official patron of many art fairs, as well as the god celebrated on the Day of Dedication.

Carys’ favored offerings are paper hearts, peacock feathers and small sweet pastries. Like so many things around this god, her worship is varied - it can be quiet, contemplative and self-searching, often performed through art. But just as easily it can be loud, blazing and performative, showcased through festivities and grand offerings - or anything in between. Carys’ priests tend to be artists as well as clerics.