Vindrasa

The Merciless Maze-Maker

The Whisper in the Trees

Master of the Elves

The Pact-Making God

The Great Lioba Tree

### Symbol

A white tree whose top grows into antlers, with three black candles placed asymmetrically on the branches

### Domain

Plantlife (excluding most fungus), Beasts, Fey, Elves, Druids, Strategy, Pacts,

## Manifestations

### Favored Minerals

potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, boron

### Favored Colors

Green, Gold

Cult of Vindrasa

**Vindrasa** (pronounced: /vɪn.ʼdɹa.sə/ vin-DRAW-suh), known as Vingesmé (pronounced: /vɑ̃.ʒə.meɪ̆/ Vahn̴-zhe̴-MAY) also known as **the Viper in the Vines**, **The Whisper in the Woods**, and **Master (or Father/Mother/Parent) of the Elves**, is the Deity of plant life, deals, growth, longevity, and the Fey in the Baraeli Pantheons. A figure of some controversy, Vindrasa is spoken of with some wariness by some due to the deity’s worship by the Zagreans who believe that Nirvali, the god of earth and creation, died and became Vindrasa or was killed and usurped by Vindrasa. Because of this, they are seen as a trickster god by those who follow the Constructed Magisterium’s teachings due to the massive schism caused by these heretical beliefs.

The ancient mortals who accepted Vindrasa's teachings were guided north to a great chasm, known today as Vindrasa’s Maw, where they were taught how to become elves. The Veridian People claim direct lineage from these original elves and claim the chasm around which the city of Veridis is built is in fact the legendary Vindrasa’s Maw.

## Name

### Etymology and variants

The earliest attested occurrence of the name, written in Old Zhumonese, is 𐀡𐀮𐀅𐀃 *Ven-dar-sa-ma* or 𐀡𐀮𐀅𐀺𐀚 A-v*a-ne-jar-me*, which correspond to *Venjasra* and *Vendarsos* in Ancient Dolomarian; in Poetic Dolomarian it appears as Vendrasha; in Old Veridian as Vanjesema; and in Idruvian as *Wanderaschen*, Wentermach, and in Old Omaskrian as Vandraz. The form Vetharta appears in Corinth. A cult title of Vindrasa in Ancient Dolomarian is A*-vun-da-u-za*, "earth-shaker".

Some scholars argue on the basis of the ancient Dolomarian name Vendarsos that Avandor is a syncretic deity mixing the aspects of the Veridian Vindrasa and Dolomarian Bhyasa. While the Veridian priesthood welcomed the mixing of Dolomarian people and beliefs in the 4th Century 9E, this practice became less favorable as the death of Vindrasain in 9E 367 started a chain reaction of demons and lesser gods realizing they could kill each other causing the night sky to become a battlefield. Prayers to Avandor continued to be answered throughout the Second Theomachy, so most assume the connection was either nonexistent or not strong enough to cause the death of both deities.

## Description

Like all deities descended directly from Baraelios, Vindrasa takes whatever shape is most appropriate to the individual viewing them. The gods rarely, if ever, show their true self to mortals. Those who have been believed to have communicated directly with the deity have reported a series of strange dreams, linking the Feywild and the dream realm of Baramul. If a mortal he deems worthy is sleeping under a tree, he may appear to them in their dreams as the Great Lioba Tree: a large astral tree with a canopy of huge deer antlers with five black running candles on the branches.

In his aspect as the Verdant Beast, he appears as vaguely humanoid shape made up of a mass of writhing moss and vines. This frame occasionally forms itself into different animal shapes when necessary, but always, in every form, the vague shape of deer antlers persist.

In his aspect as Oliver Elwood, he occupies the shape of an elf, almost always brown or red of hair. He finds it difficult to want to hide his horns, so sometimes appears as a Tiefling. Either way, he is a lanky, piano-fingered noble: a Druid of the Broom Folk who only occasionally makes an appearance in the group, and even more rarely in the Prime Material.

## Personality

Vindrasa dislikes mortals on the whole, as they are destructive, and selfish for what he sees as the wrong things. Vindrasa believes in time as a means for immortality, being one of the few gods truly aware that death is still a possibility for anyone, god or not. Due to this knowledge he is very strategic; everything Vindrasa does is calculated so that he cannot die unless someone or something very thoroughly tries to eradicate him from existence. This means mortals who love material possessions or are obsessed with things he sees as a waste of time are some of his least favorite.

Beside his very exacting nature, Vindrasa feels very deeply. The creation of the Dryads, (where lost and abandoned folks come to the forests intending to commit suicide, Vindrasa intervenes and offers to let them live a life free of physical need, and a softer inner existence where their feelings can be attached to the astral root system connecting all plantlife, allowing them to be more easily processed, in exchange for their protection of the forest) is a prime example of his softer side. He also enjoys when people demand more for themselves, as he sees it as the natural order of things to grow, and if you do not take the light, you will wind up in the shadows of those who do.

The former metaphor is humorous considering that Vindrasa is in love with the goddess of the sun, Bhyasa, but does not act upon it outright. This is because Bhyasa is aromantic, loving everyone in her sight in the most familial way possible. Vindrasa understands this which is part of why all plants are rooted to the ground but many attempt to tower so high. This is also part of why fire is so effective on plants (besides the obvious applied biological reasons); it damages Vindrasa's psyche.

## Abilities

Vindrasa, like all the gods, has a large repertoire of abilities.

He is capable of causing plants to bloom through their whole life cycle, causing a flower to bloom in unfavorable soil, passing through trees, and speaking through the sounds of nature.

He spent much of his power creating the [[Feywild]], which he has no direct control over but instead is suffused with their essence. It is said that they watered every plant in the Feywild with their blood and suckled all the first animals at their breast. As such, much of his current goals, while difficult to fully grasp from a mortal perspective, revolve around cycling natural energy more completely throughout all worlds through the use of plants and the animals that propagate their seeds.

## Activities

Vindrasa oversees the Wilds in the Prime Material Plane as well as the Feywild. Vindrasa incidentally created the Fey, but intentionally led to the creation of the Elves and the Druids. Like all gods to some extent, he works to manipulate the flow of world events subtly in order to promote his own worldview.

## Relationships

The first of the Fey to prey to Vindrasa was a human lost for years in the Feywild known as **Gaestainn Eldräsh,** who later became the first [[Archdruid]], Vindrogan Eladrie**.** Vindrogan was the first human to become Fey and founded the [[Eladrin]], creating an initial clan of 9. This low genetic diversity caused their descendants to be unable to reproduce with each other easily, so they emigrated from the Feywild at the point now known as [[Vindrasa's Maw]] to perform a ritual with the humans who lived there which would allow them to cross back into the [[Prime Material Plane]] and mate with them. After the Eladrin made their connection to the Prime Material Plane, the Elves saw Vindrogan and the original 9 Eladrin as gods, which, in time, made them [[Elected Deities]].

The mantle of Archdruid was passed to [[Súlban the Silver-Haired]]. Who protected the Veridian territories from an Orc invasion in (DATE) and banned all Orcs from Veridis. Súlban is considered the first [[Elven Saint]] and the first Druid to use the [[Hide of the Feral Guardian]] and the [[Flute of Belwynn]].

Vindrasa often works together with Bhyasa, Bhirgu, and Drashbarian. His relationships with all three are very familial: Bhyasa treating him as a brother or nephew, Bhirgu treating him as a brother of equal standing, and Drashbarian treating him as an older brother or father-figure.

His relationship with the [[Fey Court of Avandor]] is strained at best and outright antagonistic at worst. Descendants of the 9 original Eladrin view themselves as the true heirs of the Feywild.

## Mythology

### Birth

Vindrasa’s disinterest in mortals did not dissuade them from contemplating the deity’s origin.

The Veridian’s and those north of the Seqesi plateau are of the belief that the Feywild always existed, and Vindrasa was born as the Feywild gained sentience as an entity.

The Dolomarian’s are of the belief that Vindrasa and Peli’alo were born of Nirvali’s two feet. As the deity pressed their feet into the wet clay they let the water pool in the ravines, making rivers and seas, and as they pulled them up, the water that dripped off their feet sprouted trees and other vegetation.

### Creation of the Feywild

Vindrasa’s greatest feats are the creation of plant life and the creation of the Feywild. Though some cultures believe these events were intentional acts, others believe that Vindrasa *is* plant life and the Feywild.

#### Vindrasa as Creator

Those that believe Vindrasa is creator of flora and the Feywild have many stories attempting to explain the deity’s thought process and means of fostering life. Many have settled on the idea that Vindrasa used their own blood to water the original plants of the Feywild, which then propagated throughout the Prime Material Plane.

#### Vindrasa as Manifestation

Those of the belief that Vindrasa is simply a manifestation of the Feywild as a deity

### Love of Bhyasa

Many myths attempt to make sense of plants need for sunlight, positing that Vindrasa harbors an unrequited romantic love for Bhyasa.

## History

### Origins

Vindrasa was created alongside Peli’alo when Nirvali wished to create things that moved on their own at the behest of Bhyasa.

People did not exist for some time after Vindrasa’s birth, but he was uninterested in them, preferring instead Henothar’s children or his own plants.